Federer Not Worried About Regaining No. 1 Ranking Ahead Of Kyrgios Meeting

Roger Federer is one win away from regaining the No. 1 ranking but says it is "not the end of the world" if he fails to do so.

Federer returned to action this week for the first time since March at the Mercedes Cup in Stuttgart, Germany, as he defeated Argentina's Guido Pella in straight sets on Friday to reach the semifinals of the event, where he will face Nick Kyrgios on Saturday.

Currently 100 points behind leader Rafael Nadal in the rankings, the Swiss legend could overtake his longtime rival to become the top-ranked player in tennis for the sixth time in his career if he reaches the final. Federer notably crashed out of last year's event at the round of 16 stage, so a win in the semifinal would see him gain 150 points while winning the tournament would bring 250 points.

However, having returned to the summit earlier this year when he became the oldest No. 1 in tennis history during the Rotterdam Open, Federer is not too worried about the occasion.

"I think it’s easier here for me than against Haas in Rotterdam," Federer said, as per the Express. "Maybe because I have already experienced this situation already this year. Anyway, it will be a close affair, but in the end I’ll try to give my best. If it works out — fine. If not, well, it’s not the end of the world either."

Standing in Federer's way is the mercurial Australian talent Kyrgios who has already defeated the 36-year-old once before in the 2015 Madrid Open while notably taking him to tie-breaks in all three sets during the former's win in the Miami Open semifinals last year.

The Basel native is looking forward to the experience though, in what will be their third head-to-head meeting.

"We've had some brutal matches against each other, in Miami, in Madrid," Federer explained. "He's always dangerous, especially on the grass. I think I will enjoy playing against him."

A win in the Mercedes Cup would be a great start to the grass-court season for Federer who then takes part in the Halle Open next week, which he won last year.

Wimbledon begins next month from July 2-15 as Federer will look to win the historic event for a ninth time, though he expects a threat from Nadal.

"He’ll be in great shape for Wimbledon," Federer said earlier this week. "Otherwise I haven’t thought too much about who could be favorite. Rafa’s won Wimbledon twice, so he’s no one-trick pony. He’s become better from year to year. He’s playing more aggressive and better on fast surfaces. He’s not only the king of clay, he can play well everywhere."

"Then you also have [Marin] Cilic, [Juan Martin] Del Potro and, I hope, Novak [Djokovic] will come back strong. He has already shown good tennis this year. I also hope that [Andy] Murray and Stan [Wawrinka] will come back," Federer added.