Roger Federer: “Nobody is underestimating me this week”

Roger Federer was forced to work for two hours in his third round match at the Madrid Open. The 37-year-old won 6-0, 4-6, 7-5, despite giving Gael Monfils match points in the third set. Federer displayed a brilliant will to win, but barely survived and perhaps proved his worries about playing at Roland Garros, the clay major, later this month were justified all along. Following his win over Monfils, Federer said that he doesn’t really think that anyone underestimates him, as said Dominic Thiem. Federer said: "I think, like myself, anything is sort of possible, you know. The very good, the very bad, you know. But it's tough to just come out and play fantastic tennis. I also have to come to terms with how to play on clay again, what's normal, which points to lose and which points to win again. There's always these natural things that you go through for weeks on the clay usually, so I don't have that much time, so I have to accept errors that maybe I wouldn't do normally and just move on with it. I don't think anybody's really underestimating me because I'm not coming back from an injury. I've had a good start to the season this year. And it is pretty fast here in Madrid and I've won here in the past, so I guess players maybe know I don't have that much clay court tennis in me in the last few years, but that doesn't make me less dangerous to be quite honest."

David Ferrer offers advice to those hoping to replace Federer, Nadal and Djokovic