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Roger Federer loss at Hopman Cup nothing to worry about

By Harry Floyd

Sep 13, 2015; New York, NY, USA; Roger Federer of Switzerland hits to Novak Djokovic of Serbia on day fourteen of the 2015 U.S. Open tennis tournament at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 13, 2015; New York, NY, USA; Roger Federer of Switzerland hits to Novak Djokovic of Serbia on day fourteen of the 2015 U.S. Open tennis tournament at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports /
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Roger Federer was coming off a strong win over Dan Evans at the 2017 Hopman Cup when he lost to Alexander Zverev. The loss, however, will not impact his 2017 season.

Roger Federer dropped the match to 19-year-old Alexander Zverev.

The young German tennis player is no one to take lightly, but the tennis world should not be concerned about Federer’s loss.

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Zverev won 7-6 (1), 6-7 (4), 7-6 (4).

It was a hard fought battle between the veteran great Federer and the up and coming Zverev. Currently, the young 19-year-old is world No. 24. He is the youngest player in the ATP top 50 rankings.

Federer and his fans should not be worried by the loss. The Hopman Cup is a team event and has no impact on the ATP rankings. It will not affect Federer as he starts his 2017 tour.

With the Australian Open just weeks away, the Swiss superstar would have enjoyed another singles match victory at the Hopman Cup, but he should easily bounce back from this loss. Zverev is a strong player who, at just 19-years-old, has already reached a career high ranking of No. 20. He has 1 ATP singles title and has seen third round appearances at both the French Open and at Wimbledon.

Zverev is a player to watch over the next decade.

Federer, at 35-years-old, still has what it takes to win. The close loss to Zverev forced the veteran to dig deep and goto battle with the young German tennis player. While he came up short of the win, his Swiss team still came through and won 2-1 over Germany. Belinda Bencic sealed the deal for the team win with Federer. His singles loss is disappointing, but the Hopman Cup can be seen as more of a competitive exhibition than other tournaments.

Roger Federer should still be considered a strong contender going into the 2017 Australian Open. He is already thought of by many as the greatest player in the sport, but even the greats drop a match here and there. Look for Federer to utilize his experience and use this loss as further motivation.

Next: Top 10 Men's Players in Open Era

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