Tennis: Levy left with Lacko after Federer pulls out

Swiss legend pulls out of Gerry Webber Open because he is 'overwhelmed' and 'exhausted' after his triumph at Roland Garros.

By ALLON SINAI, AP
Harel Levy 224.88 (photo credit: AP)
Harel Levy 224.88
(photo credit: AP)
Harel Levy's hopes of playing Roger Federer in his first match since winning the French Open champion were dashed on Monday when the Swiss legend pulled out of the Gerry Webber Open in Halle, Germany. Levy will now play Lukas Lacko in the first round in a rematch of the encounter from the third qualifying round in Halle, which the Israeli won in three sets. Federer said he had decided not to play in his usual grass-court warm-up for Wimbledon because he is 'overwhelmed' and 'exhausted' after his triumph at Roland Garros. The withdrawal came two days after Federer's record-tying 14th Grand Slam victory at the French Open, the only major title that had been missing from his resume. "I sincerely apologize to the tournament organizers, my competitors, and my fans in Germany. I only hope they will understand that I still feel emotionally overwhelmed and exhausted by the incredible events of the past few days," Federer said Tuesday on his Web site. "It is hard for me to admit, but I simply cannot imagine giving my best effort in another tournament right away and I don't want to risk injury if I am not 100 percent prepared. I need to rest and recuperate," he said. Federer has won the tournament in Halle five times, and four of those years he went on to win Wimbledon.