Tennis: Federer hails London success

Swiss star confident of 2012 Grand Slams after World Tour Finals win.

LONDON: Roger Federer believes his record sixth title at the ATP World Tour Finals will be the ideal springboard to end his Grand Slam drought in 2012 after holding off a spirited challenge from Jo-Wilfried Tsonga to win 6-3, 6-7, 6-3.

Federer has finished the season without a Grand Slam for the first time since 2002 but the Swiss star will go into the new campaign on the back of a 17-match winning run. Although the 30-year-old has been written off as a fading force after his barren run in the Grand Slams, Federer gave one of the performances of his life to demolish Rafael Nadal in the group stages at the Tour Finals before getting the better of Tsonga.

The 16-time Grand Slam champion is adamant that his performance is proof that he can still compete with the best.

“I played great during these last few weeks and it gives me confidence for next year,” said Federer.  “But regardless of how it went here, I would’ve been in a good state of mind for next year. It was the strongest finish I’ve ever had in my career.

“Winning six Tour Finals is an amazing feeling. It’s one of my greatest accomplishments.”

Federer knows that his main threats next year will likely be the trio of Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray.

“Novak was the player of the year, which goes without saying. I thought Andy played a very good season, he’s going to be very tough to beat. And Rafa, with his class, he’s always going to be a threat.”

Meanwhile, Tsonga acknowledged that he enjoyed the most consistent season of his career.

“My biggest achievement was becoming more consistent in my head and that’s why I was good this year,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 29^th, 2011.