Federer disappointed with Madrid display

 

Originally published on: 10/05/13 00:00

Playing in his first tournament since Indian Wells, Federer struggled to settle into a rhythm at the Caja Magica as he slumped to a 6-4 1-6 6-2 defeat, and the 17-time Grand Slam champion admitted he needed to hit the practice courts following a two-month break.

"I was lacking control from the baseline, and that pretty much carried through from start to finish," Federer admitted. "Overall, I'm pretty disappointed with my play. I'm not sure how well Kei thought he played. I didn't think he had to play his very best either, which is even more disappointing.

"It doesn't change my mindset going forward. I'm going to go back to the practice court, train hard, and make sure I don't have these kind of days anymore."

Nishikori’s win also deprived fans of a potential semi-final clash between Federer and Rafael Nadal, who eased past Mikhail Youzhny 6-2 6-3.

Federer’s failure to defend his title at the Masters 1000 event will see Murray return to world No.2 in the ATP rankings next week after the Scot recovered from a set and a break down to defeat Gilles Simon 2-6 6-4 7-6(6).

Murray, who has not progressed beyond the quarter-finals in Madrid since the event switched to clay in 2009, will face Tomas Berdych in the last eight.

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