Swiss tennis star Roger Federer has said it is “a joke” that there could be no German men entered in the tennis event at the London Olympic Games. Under German Olympic Sports Federation (DOSB) rules, only players ranked 24th in the world or higher on June 11 qualify for London with the Olympic tournament being held on the famous grass-courts of Wimbledon. A player can also book his London ticket, under the DOSB regulations, by reaching the quarter-finals at one of the last three Grand Slam events or the semi-finals at one of the last five premier ATP tournaments. But with time running out for the Germans, Federer has slammed the rules. “It is a joke how high the criteria has been set,” said the 30-year-old, who has won 16 Grand Slam titles. “I’d like to see as many German players as possible at Wimbledon.” The International Tennis Federation (ITF) regulations state a player ranked amongst the top 56 can play in London, but unless things change, no German male players will entered at the Olympic tournament which starts Saturday July 28. Germany’s top players Florian Mayer and Philipp Kohlschreiber are ranked 28th and 29th respectively, with Haas ranked 49th.
