Roger Federer To Play At Madrid Masters Series Event 2008

Roger Federer will play at the Madrid Masters next week, ending a three-week layoff and setting up a possible meeting with top-ranked Rafael Nadal.

“Without a doubt it’s a wonderful thing knowing we can count on Roger Federer being here for another year,” tournament director Manolo Santana said on Thursday.

The second-ranked Federer won the tournament in 2006 and was runner-up last year. The Swiss star skipped this week’s Stockholm Open saying he needed rest as he continues to rebound from a bout of mononucleosis at the start of the year.

If the world’s top players meet in the tournament, which starts Monday, it would be the first time since Nadal ended Federer’s bid for a sixth straight Wimbledon crown in June. The Spaniard then assumed the No. 1 ranking, which the Swiss had held for a record 237 weeks.

Federer was knocked out of the Olympic tournament in Beijing, where Nadal won the gold medal.

“Madrid’s conditions and the type of surface are ideal for Roger’s game,” said Santana, a former Wimbledon winner. “We hope he arrives refreshed and that he can allow us to enjoy his best tennis.”