Youzhny to face Federer in opening round

‘This is by far the toughest draw I have had in a long, long time’

Dubai: Two-time semi-finalist Mikhail Youzhny will be looking to go at least one better as he makes his 14th successive appearance at the Dubai Duty Free Men’s Open that starts at the Dubai Tennis Stadium from Monday.

However, the 32-year-old will have to first contend with six-time champion Roger Federer, who comes in to defend the title he won last year by beating Tomas Berdych in the final. Federer will also figure in the men’s doubles draw with Michael Lammer as his partner.

“What can I do about it? A draw is a draw and I will have to go out there and fancy my chances against a player who always plays so well in Dubai. This is by far the toughest draw I have had in a long, long time. This is possibly the worst first round for me here,” Youzhny told media after being drawn last to occupy his place at the lower end of the draw against Federer.

Youzhny and Federer have always had their little run-ins here. The Russian did not have the best of debuts in Dubai after losing in the opening round in 2002 to Spaniard Alex Calatrava. But since then, Youzhny has gone on to make two finals and a couple of semi-final appearances with Federer being his nemesis.

In 2005, Federer won in straight sets in their quarter-final meeting, while a year later Youzhny managed to reach the semi-final only to be stopped by the Swiss ace. In 2007, things got even worse for the Russian as he lost to Federer in the final. “It has not be all that easy for me in Dubai especially when it comes to him [Federer]. It may be a bit too early to say anything about what to expect, but you can be sure that I will be there with my best,” Youzhny promised.

Last year was particularly frustrating for Youzhny after he finished outside the top-40 for the first time since 2005. “I think it is a bit early in the season. Conditions were not particularly easy for me in 2014, but I will go out there and give it my best,” Youzhny said.

For the record, Federer holds a 15-0 career record against Youzhny going back to their first-ever meeting at the Stockholm Open in 2000. The last time the two met was in the final of the Halle Open in Germany in 2013 that resulted with a win for the Swiss ace in three sets