An off-season that wasn't an off-season and a tight schedule to start the year are starting to catch up with Roger Federer.
Hitting the ball as sweetly as ever, the 17-time grand slam champion overcame a first round hiccup to win the Brisbane International, then got on a plane the next morning before overcoming Lleyton Hewitt in a shortened five-set "Fast4" exhibition match in Sydney on Monday night.
Now he just seems overcome.
"Clearly I am hurting from the last four matches and the last week," he admitted.
"After a final and a thousand matches usually it is `aah, that feels good' but the next day, bang, you have to come on court and play Lleyton and it is not so easy.
"But that's why I am really looking forward to rest now ..."
The good news is the Swiss feels he is in great form and is physically well despite the tiredness.
The bad news is he doesn't think he's had much of a break.
After a 73-12 season with five titles and a move back up to No.2 in the world, he polished off the year with a first Davis Cup win.
And then it seems, some more training.
"The off-season didn't feel like an off-season to be quite honest," he said.
"And I am not saying that to joke around in any way. I only had eight days off and went back into practice."
That included some time with Australian young gun Thanasi Kokkinakis in Dubai, a charity match in Switzerland and then another trip to the middle east to train with rising Belgian David Goffin.
"My year end comes after the Australian Open which I can't wait to come around," he said.
"But I can wait for another three weeks."
Federer will head straight to Melbourne now where he'll link up with his family but practise isn't on the agenda again until Thursday.
He might even sneak another day off after that before he makes a tilt at a first Australian Open title since 2010.
Share
