Federer says Olympics tougher than grand slam

 LONDON, July 26 (Xinhua) -- World No. 1 Roger Federer said here on Thursday that winning the Olympic Games could be even harder than winning a grand slam¹ title.

Federer, who made history three weeks ago by winning his seventh Wimbledon title, said that win has helped to boost² his confidence, but the Olympic has fewer rounds and could produce more upsets.

"I hope I can be the favorite...and be able to get going and get full fight on the court," Federer said at a press conference ahead of the London Olympic Games.

Federer and Swiss teammate Stanislas Wawrinka won the men's doubles gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Games but failed to clinch³ the men's single title, which was won by Spanish player Rafael Nadal.

Speaking on the withdrawal⁴ of Nadal from the London Games, Federer said he felt sad but expects the Spaniard to return to the court soon.

"It was a big surprise to see Rafa pull out of the Olympics as the defending champion from four years ago," Federer said. "I wish him a speedy recovery⁵ and hopefully we will see him on the tour again soon.

Federer does not rule out competing at the Rio Olympic Games in 2016.=

"There is absolutely no plan to retire after this (London Games), and I have plans in place for next year and beyond that," the Swiss said. "Even if I do win, I will keep on playing."

1 slam   

v.猛力地推、放或扔；砰地关上

参考例句：

• They were surprised by the slam of a car door.关汽车门时发出的声音使他们很吃惊。
• Why should you slam the window?你干吗要使劲关窗户呢？

2 boost   

n.鼓励，激励，提高；v.鼓励，使增强信心

参考例句：

• This will be a great boost to the economy.这对于经济发展将是一个巨大的促进。
• These changes will help to boost share prices.这些变化将有助于提高股票价格。

3 clinch   

v.敲弯，钉牢；确定；扭住对方 [参]clench

参考例句：

• Clinch the boards together.用钉子把木板钉牢在一起。
• We don't accept us dollars,please Swiss francs to clinch a deal business.我方不收美元，请最好用瑞士法郎来成交生意。

4 withdrawal   

n.取回，提款；撤退，撤军；收回，撤销

参考例句：

• The police were forced to make a tactical withdrawal.警方被迫进行战术撤退。
• They insisted upon a withdrawal of the statement and a public apology.他们坚持要收回那些话并公开道歉。

5 recovery   

n.恢复，痊愈；追回，寻回，收复

参考例句：

• The doctors said that his recovery was a miracle. 医生们说他的复原是件奇事。
• The quick recovery was truly in response to medication.这次迅速康复确实是对药物治疗的反应。