Federer looking forward to 'comforts of home' to keep year-end No 1 ranking intact

Washington, Oct. 23 (ANI): Tennis ace Roger Federer is looking to the comforts of home as he continues his bid to end the year with his world No. 1 ranking intact for the first time since 2009.

The Swiss tennis star, 31, needs to defend his title in Basel to avoid dropping points in the run-up to the season-ending finals in London next month, with current world no. 2 Novak Djokovic seeking to regain his place at the top.

"It is just so great to play at home as world number one after the season I've had. It's a wonderful feeling to be here playing at the top of my game. Sometimes things just all come together," CNN quoted Federer as telling reporters, following his first-round win over Benjamin Becker at the Swiss Indoors hard-court event.

According to the report, Federer, playing for the first time since losing to British no. 1 Andy Murray in the Shanghai semi finals earlier this month, won 7-5 6-3 against the 83rd-ranked German, a late replacement for injured Frenchman Jeremy Chardy.

The Wimbledon champion now has more than 300 career weeks at No. 1, the first man to do so, but faces a difficult task to hold off second-ranked Djokovic, who won the Shanghai title and has the chance of picking up more points due to his lackluster end to 2011, the report said. (ANI)