Federer looking for second win on home soil

BASEL (Swizerland)—Roger Federer heads to Basel next week with the very personal goal of trying to hoist his hometown trophy for the second year in a row at the Swiss Indoors.
In contrast to some of the past seasons, the world number one says he feels rested, refreshed and ready to go the distance in Basle, carry on the week following in Paris and head straight through to the Masters Cup season wrapup in Shanghai from November 11.
“Basel is not a best-of-five-set final anymore,” said Federer, who has welcomed the rule change limiting all finals save grands slams to best of three. “It’s easier than in past years.” The Swiss has had mixed luck in the city where he was born, missing the event in 2004 and 2005 with injury and fatigue before lifting a welcome first title a year ago over Chile’s Fernando Gonzalez, champion the year before.
Gonzalez will be back at this edition, working to wrap up his year-end place in China standing provisional seventh. As second seed behind Federer, he begins with a qualifier while the Swiss plays German Michael Berrer in the first round of an event where play begins on Tuesday.
With Federer’s game firing well, the home-grown hero will be keen to level his record in finals at the St Jakobshalle after losing title matches in 2000 to Swede Thomas Enqvist and a year later to Tim Henman. As a youngster who once worked as a ballboy, he went out in his debut match nine years ago to Andre Agassi in the first round. David Ferrer, the Tokyo winner this month, takes the third seeding, opening against Argentine Agustin Calleri after losing in the second round of the Madrid Masters.
The Spaniard could also improve his Shanghai chances, standing next in the the queue for qualification on provisional sixth for the eight-man event. The week in Switzerland will be absolutely crucial for American James Blake, last year’s Masters Cup finalist against Federer who is tenth in the points race with two weeks of regular ATP play remaining. The fourth-seeded wild card plays in the first round against Spaniard Oscar Hernandez. Blake last competed here in 2003 and won his only match in 2002 over Ferrer.—Agencies