Roger Federer confirms yet another tournament for 2018 as clay court schedule remains a mystery

Roger Federer has confirmed his participation at the pre-Wimbledon Championships event at Halle in what will be his 16th appearance at the Gerry Weber Open.

The Swiss ace has played a limited schedule since his return from injury in 2017, but the ATP 500 event in Germany has been the mainstay on his calendar as he uses it to prepare for the third Grand Slam of the year at SW19.

Federer is the defending champion at the Gerry Weber Open having beaten Alexander Zverev on his way to the title last season. He carried the momentum to London where he went on to win a record eighth Wimbledon title.

The 36-year-old has confirmed that he will again return for the 26<sup>th edition of the tournament in Germany as he looks for his 10<sup>th title in 16 appearances. Federer revealed that one of the reasons he enjoys playing at Halle is because the Gerry Weber Sportpark is located away from the city with minimum distractions.

"The tenth title in Halle would obviously be fantastic, something very special and unique in my career," Federer said, as quoted by Tennis World USA.

"It's always a great pleasure to come back to a site where I have great memories.

"The special attraction is that we play in a place away from the city. You can enjoy, relax and have short distances and perfectly prepare for your commitments," the 20-time men's singles Grand Slam champion added.

The tournament at Halle comes after the north American circuit at Indian Wells and Miami, where Federer will be defending his titles next month and the clay court swing of the campaign, which he skipped in its entirety last year. The eight-time Wimbledon winner is yet to make a decision on his participation on the red dirt this year, which includes the second major of the year at Roland Garros.

Federer is currently on a break from tennis action having decided to skip the Dubai Tennis Championships. The Swiss made the surprise decision to play at the Rotterdam Open between 12 February and 18 February, where he was crowned the new world number one on the way to the title.

The Swiss maestro's decision to play in the Netherlands saw him skip the tournament in Dubai, with his next commitment set to be at the Indian Wells Masters beginning on 8 March.