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Rotterdam Open: Roger Federer back in action after AusOpen

By Harry Floyd

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 22: Roger Federer of Switzerland plays a backhand in his fourth round match against Marton Fucsovics of Hungary on day eight of the 2018 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 22, 2018 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 22: Roger Federer of Switzerland plays a backhand in his fourth round match against Marton Fucsovics of Hungary on day eight of the 2018 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 22, 2018 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images) /
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Action at the 2018 Rotterdam Open is underway. The tournament’s top seed this year is Australian Open champion Roger Federer.

Roger Federer is set to play his first tournament since notching his 20th career Grand Slam. Last month, the Swiss great added to his already historic resume by winning the Australian Open. Now, he comes into play at the Rotterdam Open as the top seed.

If Federer can reach the semifinals in Rotterdam, he will overtake Rafael Nadal for the world No. 1 ranking. While he is the favorite to win the ATP World Tour event, several other top players in men’s singles are in action this week.

Players to watch include second seed Grigor Dimitrov and third seed Alexander Zverev. Both players are rising stars in the sport of tennis and have had a huge impact on the ATP World Tour as of late. Dimitrov, in particular, is the current ATP Finals champion, winning in London last year.

Alexander Zverev had a phenomenal 2017 tour, earning five ATP singles titles. He is the current world No. 5.

There is no doubt that Zverev is going to be one of the best in men’s tennis for the next decade. If he remains healthy, the towering German tennis star ought to continue making headlines. Zverev has an interesting opening round matchup with Spain’s David Ferrer. The Spanish tennis veteran will likely give the young German a strong test tomorrow. As for Federer, his first opponent at the Rotterdam Open is Ruben Bemelmans. The two have never faced one another on tour and Federer must be considered a heavy favorite.

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Federer will seek his third career title at the Rotterdam Open this week. If he can earn a third title, he will tie the tournament’s first ever champion in Arthur Ashe. The Swiss great last won in 2012 and also took the 2005 title. Stay tuned to see how all of the action goes down in Rotterdam this coming week. Action is heating up as players bounce back after the first Grand Slam of the year.

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