Roger Federer: London Is Perfect Stage for Fed Ex's Gold Medal Quest

As he enters the 2012 London Olympics, Roger Federer has an opportunity to claim the one piece of hardware he's missing—an Olympic gold medal.

Considering the magnificent setting at Wimbledon and FedEx's impressive history at Centre Court, London would be the ideal location for the Swiss Maestro to finally scale the Olympic heights.

Federer has accomplished so much on the regal grass of Wimbledon, it would be symmetrical for him to round out his professional resume with a gold medal in London.

Here are five reasons why London is the perfect stage for Federer's gold-medal quest.

Perfect Timing

After collecting his seventh Wimbledon trophy earlier this month, Roger Federer enters the 2012 London Games fresh off one of his best tournaments in years.

The Swiss Maestro's triumph over Andy Murray is not too far in the rear-view mirror, and he'll look to continue his sharp play into August. He's been controlling his serve efficiently, playing brilliantly at the net and persevering in the long rallies.

The 2012 Wimbledon victory showed that Federer is not fading from the tennis world as soon as some thought he would.

The London Games are an excellent opportunity for him to keep himself atop the tennis world and dismiss questions about his decline.

8 Wimbledon Finals, 7 Titles

Not only has FedEx enjoyed recent success at Wimbledon, he's earned a barrel of accolades throughout his career on London's unique grass courts.

He's achieved more at Wimbledon than any other major. Federer made eight Wimbledon Finals appearances, including seven championships.

Essentially, he earned his bread and butter at Wimbledon over the past decade.

Wimbledon is the hallmark of Federer's career. Most of the time, Centre Court is his own personal playground. Even if Federer had not won Wimbledon last month, he still would have enough familiarity and comfort with the surroundings and surface for it to be an ideal place for a gold-medal run.

Federer Excels Under Centre Court Roof

Besides his overall comfort on grass, Federer seems to have a distinct advantage when he plays indoors.

When the weather gets soggy in London (as it's bound to happen at some point during the Olympics), Federer stands out among his competition as an indoor player.

Tennisgrandstand.com explains Federer's indoor Olympic advantage:

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"...The Swiss is the greatest indoor tennis player the world has ever seen and, even in an era where Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal are dominating, Federer is unbeaten in two years under covers. The weather forecast during the Olympics doesn’t make fantastic reading and it seems certain that some matches will have to be played under the roof on Centre Court. This means its advantage Federer before a ball is even struck."

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British Fans Love Him

British fans love tennis, and they love a good tennis player.

Even during a match where their hometown hero, Andy Murray, had a chance to make tennis history, they still energetically applauded Federer's brilliant shots.

Wimbledon's fans would have respected any player who faced Murray, but they showed an extraordinary amount of warmth toward Federer, who has brought them terrific tennis for so many years.

From a reception perspective, London would be the ideal international destination for the Swiss Maestro to make his Olympic gold-medal conquest.

It Would Mean so Much to Him

The bottom line is that a gold-medal victory in London would mean so much to Roger Federer.

There's no other place he'd rather earn the award. The chance to represent his country on tennis' grandest stage is the opportunity of a lifetime, and it would be the icing on the cake of his unparalleled career.

Federer doesn't have much time left in his phenomenal career, but he has enough gas left to compete for the Olympic gold.

The timing is right, the setting is right, and the opportunity is prime for the Swiss Maestro.

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