INTERVIEW-Tennis-Reuters Q & A with grand slam king Federer

By Pritha Sarkar

LONDON, June 21 (Reuters) - With the monkey well and truly off his back after a career-defining victory at the French Open, Roger Federer will begin his pursuit of a record 15th grand slam title at Wimbledon on Monday.

The Swiss, five-times a Wimbledon champion, arrived in London in buoyant mood after finally winning his first title at Roland Garros earlier this month, making him only the sixth man to complete a career grand slam.

On the eve of trying to reclaim the crown he lost in a dramatic final to Rafael Nadal 50 weeks ago, a relaxed Federer sat down to have a chat with Reuters about how the Spaniard's withdrawal due to a knee injury will affect him, about the pressure he faces as he tries to break records and about fatherhood.

REUTERS: People have almost started to see you and Rafa as a double act in tennis because of the epic finals you have contested. Do you feel like you have lost your sidekick here this year?

FEDERER: "A little bit maybe, it just shows that it's not normal to play finals week in and week out for both of us. It's a statement to me that what I've accomplished, being so injury free and so lucky for all these years, you can't take it for granted. It just shows how hard it really is.

"It really is hard staying up there. It is so marginal. In Paris if I missed the forehand (at two sets and 3-4 down facing a break point) against Tommy Haas (in the fourth round) I would not be French Open champion right now. Things could be very different.

"I'm of course very sad for Rafa that he can't be here. Because knowing even before the first point is played at the championships that it's not possible to repeat the great final we had last year it's disappointing for me as well. Specially having played him for the last three finals here.

"In Paris he always had the upper hand over me on clay. So that added an incredible amount of pressure. Here I don't feel this at all ... that I have to win because I've beat him already twice in the finals before. I know it's in my racket if I'm going to win Wimbledon or not. While maybe in Paris I did not feel this way."