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Roger Federer backed to make difficult Laver Cup decision after French Open postponed

EXCLUSIVE: Former ATP tennis ace Thierry Ascione tells Express Sports why Roger Federer must choose the French Open over the Laver Cup. PUBLISHED: 13:39, Sat, Apr 4, 2020 | UPDATED: 14:07, Sat, Apr 4, 2020 0

Roger Federer is facing a difficult decision over whether to attend the rescheduled French Open or his own baby the Laver Cup later this year as the coronavirus pandemic has caused a congested schedule in the tennis world. Related articles Roger Federer mounts stunning figthback to get revenge on Rafael Nadal

All ATP tournaments have been postponed until late July at the very earliest as Wimbledon became the latest casualty when they cancelled their event on Wednesday.

French Open chiefs controversially decided to change their dates and the clay Grand Slam will now take place after the US Open, from September 20 to October 4.

However, the Laver Cup has been formally added to the ATP tour this year and is scheduled for September 25-27.

A statement released by the Laver Cup insists their sold-out team event will go ahead as planned in Boston despite, it clashing with Roland Garros.

But Federer must decide which competition he will enter as pulling out of the Laver Cup would deal the newly-formed tournament a serious blow. Roger Federer has been backed to attend the French Open (Image: GETTY)

Lyon Open tournament director Thierry Ascione, who has cancelled his event which runs the week prior to the French Open, thinks there is only one option the world No 4 can take.

"I cannot imagine [Federer misses the French Open] to be honest. I can't for the moment," Ascione told Express Sport. "I cannot imagine that players prefer to play the Laver Cup than the French Open.

"But if they do I don't have answers to this because I think it is impossible. I think if they play Laver Cup instead of Roland Garros they do what they want.

"That's their career but I think they have to move something or I don't know.

"Honestly, I can understand that it is a private conversation and private economic things. Related articles

"But to think the Laver Cup is more important than Wimbledon or Roland Garros, there is no... in terms of fans, history, I am sure the players will go to the French Open.

"If they don't that is their choice but I am French, that's my point of view."

Ascione does not think the French Open went about making their decision in the right manner as they did not consult the majority of tennis' biggest authorities.

But the 39-year-old stands firm on his opinion that players should snub the Laver Cup to travel to Paris.

He added: "It's tough to talk about that because what is the most important? Laver Cup or French Open? Roger Federer helped to create the Laver Cup in 2017 (Image: GETTY)

"Even if the Laver Cup has the date and they have been doing it for three years now, I think for the tennis world and the institution of tennis the Grand Slam is much more important than the Laver Cup.

"I cannot imagine that somebody is saying something different than this.

"Moving Roland Garros is good move, but the way it has been done is maybe not the right way.

"I think the most important thing in tennis is the Grand Slams."

Ascione coaches French duo Richard Gasquet and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga but he is using the enforced coronavirus break to continue in his role as head of performance at Team Vitality, a global esports organisation.

And he reckons there are many similarities between coaching some of the best tennis players and gamers in the world. Trending

"Of course, it is the same. It is just about emotions and communication and all that stuff," he explains.

"It is the same. It is always the same. When you need to do something everything in your head needs to be clear and clean. Practically the same process.

"The way they grew up is not the same. Esports people it was their passion, they played a lot and saw that they were really good and they became really professional.

"In tennis it is different. At 12 [years old] you know if you go this way you are going to travel for 35 weeks and at 12 you are already professional the way you sleep, eat, you don't see your family.

"In tennis for example it is coming earlier than esports and that's why sometimes we have to break something in the esport to rebuild it in the traditional sport way.

"Honestly the tennis is just emotion and esports is the same. Your head has to be fixed. That's why I went to esports, I saw a lot of similarities." Related articles