The organisers of the Erste Bank Open have failed to persuade Roger Federer to accept their invitation for next week’s tournament.
Due to Federer’s shock early exit in Shanghai, the was a possible chance that the Swiss player may play in the tournament as he prepares for last part of the season. Federer, who has won the Austrian tournament twice in 2002 and 2003, has told the organisers that he wants to switch his focus to his home tournament in Basel which is the week after.
Despite being disappointed, tournament director Herwig Straka understood Federer’s reason.
“An opportunity was there, but the decision of Roger Federer is understandable”. He told Austrian media.
The tournament will still feature seven tour 20 players, including David Ferrer, Milos Raonic and Kevin Anderson but defending champion Andy Murray will not be playing. The Vienna tournament is in its 41st edition and will be held at the Wiener Stadthalle.
Federer’s decision to concentrate on the Swiss Indoors in Basel in an unsurprising one. The 17-time Grand Slam champion has dominated the tournament by winning the title six times. This year he will be bidding to reach the final of the tournament for the tenth consecutive year. Since 2006 only two people have beaten Federer in the event. Novak Djokovic in 2009 and Juan Martin Del Potro twice in 2012 and 2013.
