Career Grandslam Champion Roger Federer

[ajithfederer]

Federer's backhand dropshot (http://in.youtube.com/watch?v=yPlFb1J6i2Q)

[ajithfederer]

[tscii:adc2cc9bd8]January 12th, 2009

Why Roger Federer will Finish 2009 at No. 1

by Sean Randall

Yes, I’ve read the news, seen the video, digested the comments and heard it from my friends and family that the mighty, or once mighty, Roger Federer is finally finished. But as you can tell from the headline above, I don’t quite see it that way and I’m not buying it. At least not yet.

Based on my research, only one player has ever returned to a year-end No. 1 ranking after losing it, that being Ivan Lendl in 1989 when he took it back from Mats Wilander. This year I think Federer will duplicate that feat and also get his No. 1 ranking back.

Before I get to the how and why, let me say that the level of play in the men’s game right now is awesome. We’ve come a long way from 2006 when we saw guys like Ivan Ljubicic, Tommy Robredo and James Blake embedded at the top our sport. They have since been replaced by rising talents like Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Juan Martin Del Potro and Andy Murray.

And the competition at the very top is the toughest I can remember in the last 15 years. It seems that each passing year we cement another player into upper echelon. It use to be just Federer, then Rafael Nadal came along. In 2007 we saw Novak Djokovic creep into the conversation giving us a solid “big three”. Last year Murray got into the mix leaving the ATP circuit with a very, very strong “Fab Four”. Will we expand and add a fifth this year? It’s possible.

That said here’s my 2009 year-end top 10.

1. Roger Federer
I agree that Roger’s not playing at the same level we saw of him a few years ago, but even at the age of 27 he can still work the magic. And this year offers a sort of fresh start for the man from Basel who doesn’t have to deal with mono – I’m a firm believer he had it – and the Olympic distractions. Plus, with the lower expectations from fans and media, Federer comes into 2008 without the same pressure he has carried in the past. And that should help.

While his play has slipped his effort in the majors are still impressive. Despite his losses in the smaller ATP events Federer still reached the semifinals or better in all four Grand Slam in 2008 – in fact, the Swiss has been to the finals of 13 of his last 14 majors! And remember, this year the new ATP point structure gives even more weighting to Slam results in the rankings, another benefit for Rog who has shifted gears, ala Pete Sampras, by focusing primarily on the majors.

Competition-wise, no question it’s brutal out there with Nadal, Djokovic and especially Murray all capable of derailing the Swiss on any day. The Scotsman of late clearly has had Fed’s number. Heck, he’s got Roger’s cell phone, his home phone, his email, his Skype #, his IM, etc. Whenever Murray wants to dial-up and get to Fed, it appears he can do it. And that’s not going to stop. So Fed will need to avoid Murray as much as possible, although Andy has yet to beat Roger in a Slam when it counts the very most. As for Rafa, well I just don’t see him playing like he did in 2008. So that leaves Fed and Murray for No. 1, and I’ll go with experience right now with Fed finishing on top with a Wimbledon title and possible another at either the Australian Open or US Open. Murray’s going to get his wins, yes, but he’ll need to beat Fed at the Slams and I don’t think he’s ready to do that on a consistent basis.

2. Andy Murray
I didn’t think Murray would mature this quickly, but the kid really has. And more importantly it seems he has really dedicated himself to getting stronger and fitter, vital to being at the top in tennis these days. Credit to him and his team. Murray is also beating the top guys with some regularity now and that too is a great sign. The Scot’s arguably been the No. 1 player on the circuit since Wimbledon last year when his game really took off after Richard Gasquet did his infamous throat clutch. But will Andy win a Slam this year? It wouldn’t surprise me, but my guess is no. I still see him in at least one final, maybe two, and he gets to the No. 2 ranking by playing consistently throughout the season, dominating the Masters events, or whatever they are called now, and staying out of the doctor’s office. But Andy will also have to deal with the new expectations and the pressure from Britain and 1936. It won’t be easy. Murray’s time will come, but just not this year.

3. Rafael Nadal
Speaking of the doctor’s office, I really didn’t like the way Rafa ended 2008 having to withdraw from the Masters Cup and the Davis Cup after another tendonitis flare-up in his much-troubled knees. And I don’t like that he started this season playing an exo and then Doha. I’d rather have seen him rest a little more because he’s going to need it because with guys like Murray, Del Potro, Tsonga, Simon, Gasquet, etc., it’s going to be that much tougher for him to win the bigger titles. I’m not saying he won’t snare a few big ones, but the wins will come at a greater toll on his body. That said, maybe he is feeling healthy an he gets through the year with any troubles, and if he can do that then there’s no reason he won’t maintain his No. 1 spot. And I do see him again ruling the clay and winning the French Open, but there will be no Wimbledon title repeat.

4. Novak Djokovic
The clown prince of tennis really surged at the end of 2008 with his Shanghai title, which will no doubt help offset the points Novak’s dropping when his Australian Open win rolls off the rankings in a few weeks. No, I don’t see him repeating his Melbourne title run nor do I see him holding up any Slam hardware this season, but he’ll be a major player at all the big events once again. He’s just too good a player not to be. And maybe he gets his head straight, works out his image and health issues and really comes on strong. Maybe. Otherwise he’ll again be the garbage guy, the player who cleans up the mess when the top guys like Federer, Nadal and Murray go out early.

5. Andy Roddick
After the Fab Four we really do drop a level, and for me the top cat in the next group this year is going to be Roddick. Andy’s been beaten up and kicked around lately, but I think he makes a strong comeback this year primarily because of new coach Larry Stefanki. Remember how well Roddick played when Brad Gilbert stepped in, or when Jimmy Connors took over (or even when he split from Connors)? Regardless, Roddick seems to get energized when he makes coaching changes and I’m betting it’ll happen again. Plus, he should easily surpass the paltry six Slam wins he had in ’08 this season.

6. Juan Martin Del Potro
I was really impressed with just how well this lanky kid from Argentina played last year. I said above that you could make a case for Murray being the No.1 guy the second-half of last season. Well Del Potro was right there, too, winning 37 of his last 45 matches to finish as the youngest player in the Top 10. JMDP did suffer a crushing setback in the Davis Cup final, but if he can get over that loss and stay healthy, a year-end No. 6 ranking should be well within reach. And in my mind, if there’s one guy that can break into the Fab Four this year I think it’s him.

7. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga
I once thought JW Tsonga was just another flash in the pan. A one-slam wonder. But no longer. The kid brought the goods Down Under last year, and then shrugged off a three-month layoff in the summer to recovery from knee surgery by closing the year in excellent form. If he can put together a full season without any physical troubles watch out. But that’s a huge if.

8. Richard Gasquet
Left for dead after his colossal collapse at Wimbledon last year, I think this year Gasquet gets his hands off his throat, feeds off the success of his fellow Frenchmen and plays like he’s capable of playing. The kid is just too talented not be in the Top 10 and really the Top 5. And with his countrymen Tsonga, Monfils and Simon doing their part, I think the pressure and expectations on Gasquet may have abated a bit as the spotlight moves away from him. That should help. Frankly though, among the Four French Musketeers I give Gasquet the best shot at reaching a Major final or winning a Slam this year. Heck, he may even do it in a few weeks.

9. Nikolay Dayvdenko
I know he’s suffering from a bad heel/foot, but because the Russian plays so much tennis missing January shouldn’t be that major of a setback. And who knows, the additional time off may keep him fresher at the end of the year. Dayvdenko is and always has been a consistent work horse type performer who’ll play enough tournaments, reach enough quarterfinals to remain in the Top 10. 2009 should be no different.

10. Gael Monfils
My man Monfils is finally going to crack the Top 10 this year and it could happen in the next few weeks. Yes, it’s going to happen! Remember, last year Monfils missed the Australian Open along with Wimbledon so he’ll have plenty of points to pick up at both events. Of course the Frenchmen will have to defend semifinal points from the French Open, but I think if he stays healthy and focused a year-end Top 10 finish is easily doable.

Other players to keep an eye on:
David Nalbandian – After that devastating Davis Cup defeat, just how intent, how motivated will be on working hard and competing week-in and week-out? If he crashes early in Melbourne he may not finish in the Top 20.
Fernando Verdasco – On the flip side, I’ve always given guys a little bump after the year after they win the Davis Cup, and this season that bump goes to Verdasco. So might Fernando, arguably the biggest underachiever on the circuit, make some additional noise in 2009? His Davis Cup effort was great, but I’m not sold on him becoming a consistent force on the circuit.
Gilles Simon – I don’t think his 2008 performance was a fluke, but it’s hard to squeeze him into the Top 10 right now.
Marin Cilic – Another youngster knocking on the door of the Top 10. He won’t break it down this year but a Top 15 finish will set him up nicely for a big run in 2010.
Ernests Gulbis – We know what he’s capable of, and I think this year he’ll continue to mature and we should see him become more of a fact in the latter part of events.
Kei Nishikori – Another talented youngster but injuries will ultimately tell the tale of how far and how fast he rises.

As for the women, as always it’s a crap shoot. Maria Sharapova’s shoulder is still bad. Serena and Venus Williams play when they want but just not enough to finish No. 1 these days. Sveta Kuznetsova can’t seem to get over the hump and consistently be a factor second week at the Slams. And Ana Ivanovic seems more interested in new beau Fernando Verdasco than with tennis, but we’ll see. That leaves Jelena Jankovic and Dinara Safina to fight it out for the No. 1 ranking, and I’ll go with my girl Janky who I think will finish on top and do it again by not winning a single Slam. How lovely.

Back to Federer. I really see 2009 almost as a “tweener”, or an in between type of year. With the competition as tough as it is I can’t see Nadal duplicating or exceeding his 2008 results, and I’m not yet ready to hand the circuit over to Murray. So in the absence of another No. 1 threat (sorry Novak) I have to go with Federer. Then again, if Nadal and Murray play up to their level, Fed could easily fall to three if not lower. If nothing else, it should be a great and an exciting year of tennis.


http://www.tennis-x.com/xblog/2009-01-12/706.php[/tscii:adc2cc9bd8]

[ajithfederer]

[tscii:395acabce9]http://www.australianopen.com/en_AU/news/articles/2009-01-16/200901161232074819875.html?promo=sub_toparticles

Analysis: Federer faces rocky road

Friday 16 January 2009
By Alan Trengove

If 2008 was a relatively difficult year for Roger Federer, he may find life no easier at Australian Open 2009, the first Grand Slam championship of the year.

Last year, at this time, he was still recovering from the after-effects of glandular fever. He narrowly escaped elimination in a long, draining third-round match with Serbia’s Janko Tipsarevic, and lost in the semi-finals to another Serbian, Novak Djokovic, who went on to win the title.

It was a traumatic start to the year for the popular Swiss. Worse shocks were to follow, what with his French Open thrashing by Rafael Nadal, and the loss of his Wimbledon title and his No.1 ranking to the same player.

This year, Federer, winner of the Australian title in 2004, 2006 and 2007 and now seeded second behind Nadal, embarks on another rocky road at Melbourne Park.

He should beat Italian Andreas Seppi in the first round, and possibly the 41st-ranked Spaniard, Carlos Moya, in the second round. But waiting for him in the third round could be Marat Safin, the No. 26 seed.

It was the big Muscovite who stopped Federer at the 2005 Open, prevailing 9-7 in the fifth set of a torrid semi-final. Safin subsequently won the title by beating Australia’s Lleyton Hewitt in the final. Safin atoned for his defeat in the 2002 final, when he carelessly underestimated his Swedish opponent Thomas Johansson, and the 2004 final, when Federer beat him.

Safin has played many other tight matches with Federer. He seems more relaxed these days, perhaps because he plans to retire at the end of the year, and his carefree attitude may make him an even greater threat this time around.

Should Federer win this testing challenge, he would probably face fellow Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka, seeded 15th, or the 20th-seeded Tomas Berdych, the young Czech who ousted him from the Athens Olympics in 2004.

Other brilliant young players in Federer’s quarter are Argentina’s eighth-seeded Juan Martin Del Potro and Croatia’s 19th-seeded Marin Cilic, the champion recently at Chennai.

His semi-final opponent may be either Djokovic, who has a comparatively easy draw up to the quarter-finals, or old foes Andy Roddick or David Nalbandian.

In the top half of the draw, Nadal will be trying to become the first Spaniard ever to capture the Australian crown. His draw looks easier than Federer’s, though Germany’s Tommy Haas, a three-time semi-finalist, could pose an early threat.

Another possible obstacle is the swashbuckling Fernando Gonzalez, who made the final in 2007 after beating Hewitt and Nadal, among others, and then lost to Federer. The Chilean takes plenty of risks, however, and hasn’t shown the same confidence in recent months as he did two years ago.

Nadal’s probable quarter-final opponent is sixth-seeded Frenchman Gilles Simon, who produced some sizzling form in the latter part of 2008.

An equal favourite with Federer, Nadal and Djokovic is the fast-improving Andy Murray. The rangy Scot seems unaffected by the pressure of public expectations as he battles to become Britain’s first Grand Slam champion since Fred Perry won the Wimbledon and US crowns in 1936.

Murray faces strong opposition from the likes of 2008 finalist Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (who beat him in the first round in Melbourne last year), American stalwart James Blake, and recent Brisbane finalists Radek Stepanek of the Czech Republic and Fernando Verdasco of Spain.

He is expected to meet Nadal in a semi-final, with the winner facing either Federer or Djokovic in a fortnight. Murray now has an impressive head-to-head record against all except Nadal, and has beaten Federer in five of their seven meetings, including the last three in succession.

Alan Trengove has covered around 130 Grand Slam tournaments as a reporter and feature writer, and covered his first Australian championships in 1953. [/tscii:395acabce9]

[ajithfederer]

Roger Federer defeats Andreas Seppi 6-1 7-6 7-5

[Sourav]

http://sports.dinamalar.com/DownLoadMask.aspx?Value1=federer.jpg
:lol:

[ajithfederer]

[tscii:63f6c8d4be]http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/6217420.html

Everybody thinks this will be Andy Murray’s year and, if it’s not, it will be Rafael Nadal’s year again. Or perhaps Novak Djokovic’s.

Almost nobody seems to believe Roger Federer has much gas left in his tank after he surrendered the No. 1 ranking to Nadal in 2008. Never mind that he did take the season’s last Grand Slam, claiming a modern-record fifth consecutive U.S. Open. Or that he did thump Murray, practically a consensus favorite to claim his first major at the Australian Open, in straight sets in the Flushing Meadow final.

But Federer himself is one guy who insists reports of his demise are absurdly premature. He asserted recently — before Murray beat him in an exhibition in Abu Dhabi and again last week in the Doha semis — that “I have been dominating for several years and obviously I think I can do it again. I expect 2009 to be a very good year.”

A bout of mononucleosis got him off to a slow start last year, and Nadal’s continued evolution from being a good player into an all-time-great candidate formally spelled the end of the Swiss’ 4½-year run on top when the Spaniard emerged victorious in their for-the-ages Wimbledon final.
Ranking not priority

History and the computer-point differential between Federer and Nadal weigh against his bid to return to No. 1. In the 36 years of the ATP computer system, only Ivan Lendl in 1989 reclaimed the top spot the year after he lost it. But that’s not Federer’s front-and-center priority anymore. Rather, he’ll pick his spots carefully as he attempts to surpass Pete Sampras’ record of 14 Slam titles.

Federer, 27, remains one behind Sampras with 13. Given that Sampras won three of his after turning 27 — and Andre Agassi won five of his eight — the odds favor him accomplishing the feat, even if Murray’s for-real emergence as an elite adds a layer of complication.

The Scotsman’s entry into the who’s-the-king-of-the-hill conversation has balanced the halves of the men’s draw in the major championships. The two semifinals are now equally challenging matchups if the seeding holds up. The Big Three have become the Big Four and the likelihood that any one of them can hog three of the four Slams, as Federer did in 2004, 2006 and 2007, appears minuscule.

It’s far more probable that each of them will claim one, the democratic norm before Federer took over the ATP Tour in 2004.

Nonetheless, it would be foolish to count out Federer anywhere except at Roland Garros, where all appears hopeless for him.
Different at Wimbledon

But Wimbledon’s lawns remain a level playing field. The five sets and five hours he and Nadal battled it out there in July only spoke to their respective greatness, not to any dramatic paradigm shift or changing of the guard. Healthy, Federer remains the Wimbledon favorite. For the near term, Murray will find the pressure crushing — no Brit has won since Fred Perry in 1936 and he will be reminded of this fact hourly for the fortnight — and Djokovic lacks the right grass-court stuff.

The Serb is the defending champion in Melbourne, though, and Murray is playing the best tennis of the four right now, having defeated each of the others in ’09. (He’s also 6-1 vs. Federer of late.)

That’s why everyone has fallen in love with him.

A reasonable response. But falling completely out of love with Federer is dumb.

Sure, he could lose Down Under, even early. Still, should he seize that fourth Aussie title two weeks hence, it won’t be an upset. Not yet, not this year.

dale.robertson@chron.com[/tscii:63f6c8d4be]

[ajithfederer]

Federer playing korolev and leading 5-2 in the first set.

[ajithfederer]

Federer defeats korolev 6-2 6-3 and 6-1.

[ajithfederer]

Federer plays Marat Safin in third round.

[ajithfederer]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_WrPPfvvh9c

The first point is almost a replica of the overhead smash lob against djokovic in US open 2008.

[omega]

Federer plays Marat Safin in third round.

Should be a very interesting match.
Safin, is capable of springing a surprise against anyone. With this being his last year in the tour, who knows, what he is going to do.

[ajithfederer]

Yes.


Federer plays Marat Safin in third round.

Should be a very interesting match.
Safin, is capable of springing a surprise against anyone. With this being his last year in the tour, who knows, what he is going to do.

Omega nethu federer match paatheengala??

[omega]

No, actually I was expecting it to be today morning & missed it.
Ended up watching Roddick play Malisse...

Did you watch it. How did Federer play? How was his backhand doing? Heard the qualifier gave a good fight (even though the score doesn't reflect it).

But will not miss Feddy take Marat.

[ajithfederer]

Federer was playing good. Korolev gave some fight at the start of the second set and he gae t away eventually with too many errors.

Me too Eagerly awaiting the match against Safin.

No, actually I was expecting it to be today morning & missed it.
Ended up watching Roddick play Malisse...

Did you watch it. How did Federer play? How was his backhand doing? Heard the qualifier gave a good fight (even though the score doesn't reflect it).

But will not miss Feddy take Marat.

[Sourav]

http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Scripting/ArticleWin.asp?From=Archive&Source=Page&Skin=TOI&BaseHref=TOICH/2009/01/22&PageLabel=21&EntityId=Pc02108&ViewMode=HTML&GZ=T

[ajithfederer]

Safin / federer Match@3.30 EST !!!

[ajithfederer]

[tscii:e670a6ba4c]Annan/Swiss Mannan paetti (http://www.tennis-x.com/story/2009-01-21/i.php)
Roger Federer Interview - Australian Open, Jan 21

Posted on January 21, 2009

Roger Federer
Australian Open
Wednesday 21 January 2009

Start of Transcribed Interview

Q. Another good win today. You must be feeling good with yourself.

ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, it was a nice match. I was happy the way I played. I knew it was going kind of difficult because he takes a lot of risks. Yeah, I'm happy the way I came up with a good game plan.

Q. Nice to see the chipping and charging.

ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, occasionally I like to do that. Yeah, I tried to mix it up a bit today, you know. I don't know, just tried to hit with him, and it worked out well today. It was nice.

Q. Is playing Marat still a very exciting prospect?

ROGER FEDERER: Absolutely. It's going to be a nice match for sure. We have a history. We have played a few times. We've played in Majors before and played some good matches before. Played in Davis Cup before.

So yeah, we go way back. Him, of course, being a former No. 1, same for me, former Grand Slam champion, it's an intriguing matchup. Back when he was really at his very best -- we had different personalities growing up. I sort of chilled out and he kept on going.

It was just always, I thought, a good matchup. So I was actually happy.

I think it was last year at Wimbledon I played him. We had a good match there. Yeah, I expect it to be tougher here on the hard courts, which should suit his game more.

Q. Do you have a preference whether it's a day or night match?

ROGER FEDERER: Not really. You know, I don't think the guys are going to have a problem with the heat. I think he has a great five-set record. He's tough and never has any really physical problems. I have no preferences.

Q. Still seems a bit strange when you said “former champion like me.”

ROGER FEDERER: Former No. 1 I said.

Q. Former No. 1. Does that seem a little bit strange?

ROGER FEDERER: For both of us. I didn't say former champion. I said former Grand Slam champion and former No. 1.

Q. I misspoke.

ROGER FEDERER: Exactly.

Q. Does that still seem a little bit strange, to use the word "former"?

ROGER FEDERER: That's the way it is. It's a fact, right? I was a very proud man for a long time and still today about the record. Today Rafa deserves it because he's hung in there for a long time. He could have lost his No. 2 position for a long time against Djokovic, so he deserves it. It's fine.

Q. Did you catch any of his match last night?

ROGER FEDERER: No. I was at dinner. But I'm not surprised.

Q. Do you have any thought about the changes the ATP made this year about the schedule and points system?

ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, what do you want me to say? What do you want to hear? Good or bad. Nobody changes rankings, so that's been okay. Would have been good to change a few spots here and there.

No, it's all right the way it is. We've had better and worse times.

Q. What do you think of Ivan's sudden departure from the ATP board?

ROGER FEDERER: I was involved in the whole process, so I was, of course, disappointed. Ivan is a close friend of mine, and I know how tough the decision was to make. I still hoped he was going to continue. But at the same time, he's still an active player and wants to give it one last shot until the end of his career. Everybody completely respects that. It's not end of the world.

Q. What about his suggestion that you would be an ideal replacement?

ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, well, maybe not tomorrow. Maybe at some stage. I never thought about it, really. Of course it's nice that he thinks of me, that's for sure.

Q. Have you talked here with Etienne's replacement? And if so, any first impressions?

ROGER FEDERER: Yeah. He came to Dubai. I met him in December, and he also saw Rafa and Novak before he got appointed, sort of get the definite okay. Everybody met him, the top 3 guys.

I met him here again, yes, and I have a good impression. He's a smart man, smart and honest. I think a guy who can do an excellent job for the ATP.

Q. Were you concerned that he wasn't European?

ROGER FEDERER: That was Rafa's concern. I figured, let's get a good man. Doesn't matter where he's from. I guess that's why it was important for Rafa to meet him before, because I knew Adam from Nike.

So for me it was important that Rafa got to meet him and got a good feeling about it. If Rafa maybe wouldn't have agreed 100% chances would have been slimmer for him. I'm not sure.

I think Rafa was comfortable with the decision, and he also then realized it was just important to get the right man and not an American or European. At the end of the day that doesn't matter.

Q. Does he need a second in command that knows more about the professional game of tennis?

ROGER FEDERER: Well, I mean, the question was at some stage also do we a appoint someone who's already in the game, who know a lot about tennis and has maybe even played himself, or do we take somebody outside.

So there was a few guys left at the end. The best man basically made it in the end. But I think you learn quickly in tennis. I think he wants to learn a lot right now.

I think it's great we have a Grand Slam in the first week of the year. It's not like he's never been to a tennis tournament before. He's been into sports and he's been to tennis tournaments. I remember meeting him like five years ago here already.

He's been in the game a long time, so it's not like we get a complete stranger who's got no idea about the rules of tennis. That's not the guy we appointed here.

Q. Your opponent today, he kind of goes for every shot. So does that remind you of yourself maybe five years ago?

ROGER FEDERER: Maybe ten years ago. Five years ago I was a bit more ‑‑ I think a bit more easy already.

Q. Last year you said you created a monster. Do you feel like that monster is still there?

ROGER FEDERER: To some degree everybody still expects me to win every match. But, well, I mean, it went overboard there for a while already back in 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008. Every match I played, when I lost a set it was incredible. It was kind of just a bit exaggerated from everybody.
People like that quote. You know, I like it too, because I'm happy I created that monster. I was very successful and still am, so I hope I can create it again.[/tscii:e670a6ba4c]

[omega]

The much awaited Federer vs Safin (round 3 AO) match has started.
Roger wins the toss & holds his serve........

[omega]

Federer takes the first set 6-3............looking good.

[omega]

Federer takes second set as well breaking Safin twice 6-2.....
Federer is cruising!!!

[omega]

Federer wins third set in a tiebreaker 7-6 (7-5) & takes the match 6-3, 6-2, 7-6 :clap: :clap:

The wicked slice, backhand down the line winners, slice wide serve blah blah, everything is still intact. Hopefully he could carry his good form all the way.

[Sanjeevi]

good to see federer in good form again :)

[ajithfederer]

Thanks for the coverage omega. :D

[ajithfederer]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwXalStIKSQ


Federer-Safin Down Under 09 R3 + Interview

[Raikkonen]

Safin's last match at Australia, i believe...

wasted talent.

Fantastic display by Roger. I'm rooting for him.

[ajithfederer]

:shock:

Naan kanbadhu enna kanava?? :P :lol:

Safin's last match at Australia, i believe...

wasted talent.

Fantastic display by Roger. I'm rooting for him.

[Raikkonen]

Federer has always been my 2nd fav behind Safin. :)

[ajithfederer]

[tscii:b05adb8e09]http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/tennis/andymurray/4325284/Does-Andy-Murray-have-temperament-to-depose-Roger-Federer.html

Does Andy Murray have temperament to depose Roger Federer?
At opposite points in the their careers, the Australian Open will go a long way in deciding whether or not Britain's Andy Murray has what it takes to prove himself better than Roger Federer.


By Ed Smith
Last Updated: 4:44PM GMT 24 Jan 2009


Way back when: Andy Murray has the potential to knock Roger Federer off his pedestal at the Australian Open Photo: REUTERS

A great sportsman isn't just a player – he is a presence and a brand whose reputation can easily mask a dropping off in form.

But as an opponent, it takes deep confidence to say to yourself, "Allan Donald has lost a yard", or "John McEnroe has lost a step". Cricket dressing-rooms often throw around the cliche, "Play the ball, not the man", as though it isn't Shane Warne who is bowling at you but some blond Aussie who may or may not be having a good day.

Easy to say, harder to do. It requires a healthy disdain for reputations and an all-important lack of vertigo. And vertigo – "dizziness or giddiness, a whirling sensation when the balance is disturbed" – is one of sport's great banana skins. Given that he already leading Roger Federer 5-2 in tour matches, will Andy Murray prove immune to the condition?

Federer and Murray, now fighting for the Australian Open, stand at opposite moments in their careers. Does Murray have the temperament not only to depose the old king, but also to crown himself? And is Federer, the most serene of champions, capable of scrapping his way back to the top?

A declining champion faces an uncomfortable predicament. His mastery may be waning, but the prize of his scalp endures. He might not be quite as good as he was, but that doesn't make beating him less alluring. The hunter becomes the hunted, as McEnroe put it in his declining years, and "those young guys were as keen for my blood as sharks in the water".

Federer was introduced to this alien feeling last year. But it isn't clear what Federer turns to in moments of crisis: anger isn't his style, rivalry has always seemed beneath him, and macho egotism would be grotesque to him. That is why facing defeat has not always brought out the best in Federer – he seems to regard it as a category error without an appropriate response.

But in this year's Wimbledon final, surely the greatest ever, we saw a different side of Federer. He doesn't really do angst. But on Centre Court we glimpsed a more human dimension beneath the zen exterior, as though he was being forced to access a different, unfamiliar strand of his personality to overcome this challenge. It might just have rebooted his career.

I cannot remember ever wanting someone to win a sports match more. And though Federer lost, the experience proved cathartic. He won the US Open soon after, brushing aside Murray in the final, a coda to the loss of his Wimbledon crown.

On Friday, against Marat Safin in Melbourne, Federer played superbly; masterful and elegant. But Federer might do well to keep Wimbledon defeat, not New York victory, near the top of his mind, a prompt to summon his hunger should it ever desert him in the scorching Melbourne sunshine. If your powers do wane, you can't wait until things start to go wrong. You have to summon your psychological retaliation in advance.

Nothing could be further from Murray's mind than decline. It has been a heady few months for him, in which he has been the men's tour's stand-out performer. Murray now stands on the cusp and no one knows how he will handle the jump.

One reason why sports careers are so hard to predict is that each quantum leap requires a new psychological skill. First making your mark, then upsetting a champion here or there, now becoming a consistent contender, and then finally taking up residence at the top. It is not only that more skill is required on every step of that journey; each is also a subtly different mental challenge.

One former team-mate of mine, a brilliantly talented batsmen, never recovered from the daunting reality of becoming a senior player. In his mind, he was still an emerging talent, who looked to wiser, older heads for constant soothing approval. When they retired one by one, he was faced with the unpleasant reality of having to provide reassurance from within. It proved beyond him, and he collapsed.

What works as a newcomer – I'm mixing it against Federer – may not work when you are expected not only to compete but also to win. Murray has proved he relishes a scrap, especially with the big guns. But soon, perhaps already, they will all be gunning for him. Can he embody the idea that he is destined not only to compete but also to conquer? That is what Federer did uniquely: project the aura of inevitability. You had to overcome not only his skill, but also rewrite the seemingly preordained Federer narrative – making even great opponents seem almost complicit.

If the two keep winning – and we haven't mentioned the small matter of Rafael Nadal – Federer and Murray will meet in the final. It might be 5-2 to Murray overall, but it's 1-0 to Federer in grand-slam finals. The next statistic in that sequence might prove the turning point, in different directions, for both of them.


Raikks, :cool2: [/tscii:b05adb8e09]

[ajithfederer]

Roger Federer Magic -- Diego Hartfield Double Bagel! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSqnO16Po-w)

[ajithfederer]

Roger Federer - Best Points Part 1 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbP6u-6gaM8)

[ajithfederer]

Roger Federer Magic -- Hardcourt Masterclass (feat. David Nalbandian) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBnlURSv1ow)

[ajithfederer]

Roger Federer - beauty points against Marcos Baghdatis, Melbourne 2005 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4P1J4fKeZE)

[ajithfederer]

Federer - Seppi AO 2009 Point of the Match (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vt1BCf0prC8)


Lollu :P.

[ajithfederer]

Roger Federer - Around the post!!! New one! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxQFV8U2bpA)

[ajithfederer]

Roger Federer vs Evgeny Korolev AO09 2nd round (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrtof3lxkDQ)

[ajithfederer]

Roger Federer & David Nalbandian Basel 2008 Final (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KD_EBhL9cKc)

[ajithfederer]

Roger Federer - beauty points against Marat Safin, Houston 2004 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mc3O1tZhsw0&feature=related)

[ajithfederer]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/tennis/australianopen/4336156/Roger-Federer-secures-quarter-final-place-in-Australian-Open.html

Roger Federer secures quarter final place in Australian Open
Three-time champion Roger Federer mounted one of the greatest comebacks of his career recovering from a two-set deficit to reach the Australian Open quarter-finals.


By Telegraph staff
Last Updated: 2:44PM GMT 25 Jan 2009
Roger Federer - Roger Federer secures quarter final place in Australian Open
What a comeback: Roger Federer had to recover from a two set deficit to secure his quarter final place Photo: AP

Czech 20th seed Tomas Berdych was on course for an almighty upset when he froze in the third set, with Federer finally winning 4-6, 6-7 (4/7), 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 to stay on course for a record-equalling 14th Grand Slam title.

Federer, 27, has not come back from two sets down since 2005, when he fought past Rafael Nadal in the Miami Masters final, and has not failed to reach a Grand Slam quarter-finals since the 2004 French Open.

He also battled through a five-set tussle with Igor Andreev in the fourth round of last year's US Open before recovering to win the title.

"I enjoy those kind of fights because it doesn't happen very often, I've had maybe five or six in my life," Federer said.

"It's always special to come back from 2-0. It's nice for me and I hope it's a good omen."

The Swiss came into the match on the back of a sweeping victory over old adversary Marat Safin and one-sided wins over Andreas Seppi and Evgeny Korolev.

But despite winning his last seven matches with Berdych he immediately looked out of sorts against the Czech, plodding around the court and making errors of every description.

Berdych shocked Federer when he broke in the very first game, and then went another break up before the Swiss could reply and served it out with a searing ace down the middle.

Federer broke early in second set but couldn't hold his advantage, and Berdych was never behind in the tense tie-break as he clinched it with a blazing forehand winner.

Berdych was cruising towards a straight-sets upset but dramatically collapsed at 3-3 in the third, missing three easy volleys to hand Federer the break and eventually the set.

Momentum was firmly with the Swiss and Berdych was furious when Hawkeye malfunctioned as he challenged a call at deuce on his serve, giving Federer the chance to get the decisive break in the fourth.

The Swiss was now back to his fluid best and he broke twice early in the fifth before converting his third match point with an ace after nearly three-and-a-half hours, delighting the packed crowd.

Federer is seeking to equal Pete Sampras's record 14 Grand Slam titles after starting his first season without the top ranking since 2004.

He has reached the semi-finals at the previous five Australian Opens, winning in 2004, 2006 and 2007, and last failed to reach the quarter-finals in 2003.

Federer came here last year suffering from mononucleosis and was beaten in the semis, kicking off his toughest season as he lost his Wimbledon title and number one ranking before recovering to win the US Open.

Only four other men have won four or more Australian Open titles: Roy Emerson, Andre Agassi, Jack Crawford and Ken Rosewall. Federer has reached the last 18 Grand Slam semi-finals, an all-time record.

Meanwhile, seventh seed Andy Roddick was in ominous form as he downed Spaniard Tommy Robredo 7-5, 6-1, 6-3 to reach the next round.

After battling out a tight first set, Roddick steamrolled his Spanish opponent in the second and third to send out a warning to his rivals.

The American has been in great form at this year's tournament, dropping only one set on his way to the last eight, against Belgium's Xavier Malisse in the second round.

He now plays either defending champion Novak Djokovic or 2006 runner-up and crowd favourite Marcos Baghdatis for a place in the semi-finals.

[ajithfederer]

Thought would write something on the match between Roger and Berdych yesterday.

Roger was broken in the first game of the first set. Berdych's serve was top notch. The dude is like 6' 5" and his serves were very powerful. His forehand winners were amazing. He made Federer run on both sides of the court. Berdych broke Federer twice and Fed broke Berdych only once. Federer wasted a couple of challenges during the first set and he ran out of challenges when he needed to dispute the set point of Berdych which was given an ace but was clearly out.

Starting of the second set, Roger broke Berdych initially only to be broken again. Roger lost completely and his serves were not powerful. Some return of serves by Berdych were awesome. First service returns were good which means second services of Federer were returned with greater velocity. Come tie break Federer loses the second set.

Federer broke Berdych 2 times in the 3rd set only to be broken again. The 3rd break proved good for Roger but Berdych made 3 silly mistakes which cost him the set and later on the match. He had 3 easy winners which eventually became UNFORCED ERRORS.
I had dejavu memories of last year's match against Tipaservic.

Roger broke Berdych once in the 4th set and twice in the 5th set and eventually order was restored. Federer wins the match.

Coming to Roger, that was an awful display of tennis in the first, second and third sets. There were absolutely no signature backhand winners in the first 2 sets and the commentator rightly picked on the first backhand winner only in the 3rd set. Services were feeble and in Grandslams you need powerful serves to win slams. Roger should stop hitting the returns right into opponent's hands for godssakes. He needs a couple of whips in his arse for the upcoming matches against the likes of Nadal, Murray and Djokovic.

[ajithfederer]

http://www.australianopen.com/en_AU/news/interviews/2009-01-25/200901251232875119656.html

Q. How tough was that today?

ROGER FEDERER: Well, it was difficult, because the opponent was dangerous and tough and playing well, I thought. He put me under a lot of pressure, but thank God I was able to react, you know. He doesn't give you that many chances, so I was happy. I hung in there.

Q. At the end the second set, did you sit at your chair and think, Surely he can't keep playing as well as he's playing? His standard was so good.

ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, it was excellent. I didn't think I played a whole a lot worse later on, I was just able to play better and get a bit more length in my shots. I gave him an easy break in the first game and I never really recovered from that. I was kind of under pressure for a set.

I should have held my break, and then things would have been maybe a bit different. But letting him come back into the match in the second set, that kind of put me under quite a lot of pressure.

Then, obviously, in the breaker he played good tennis. You know, he was really aggressive, especially off the second serve as well. Seemed like every corner he wanted to hit, he got it. He was playing excellent.

To kind of weather the storm against him, it's not easy to do. Once I got serving and moving and playing better, I was able to turn it around. So that was nice.

Q. Did the seventh game of the third set turn it around?

ROGER FEDERER: What happened there?

Q. He had five game points and three shots I could have made, but not at that situation.

ROGER FEDERER: I mean, I don't quite remember anymore what happened. I remember I was against the wind and to get the break then was crucial. I think he was maybe up 40‑Love on that game.

Anyway, I came back and I guess that really gave me momentum. I kind of never looked back.

Q. Did you feel flat at all in the beginning or did he just make you look like that?

ROGER FEDERER: Yeah. That would be him. No, I mean, I was feeling fine. I just had a bad start. I think if I would have maybe been only broken once in the first set, I think I could have challenged him a bit more.

He served it out well at 5‑4. And being down two breaks against such a good player, that's not going to be enough. That was my problem. Once you start running behind against a player who can take such huge cuts at the ball, he was only getting more and more confident and that made that really, really difficult for me to find rhythm.

Yeah, it was tough for me today. I found a way. I'm very happy about my performance in the end.

Q. Since the Olympics, is there always a bit of a feeling that this guys goes crazy and it's going to be very, very tough?

ROGER FEDERER: This guy?

Q. Berdych goes crazy and has a fantastic match it's going to be very tough for you or anybody.

ROGER FEDERER: The Olympics, yeah, way back. No, I mean, yeah, I mean, I know the danger of playing Tomas. He's top 3, top 5 guy with most powerful shots in the game. You combine serve, forehand and backhand, it's incredible how he ‑‑ the pace he gets with little effort.

That's why he's dangerous. Still in the fifth even though he looks like he's beaten. You have to be so careful. Even the last game you saw it. I make one stupid mistake and then all of a sudden he can hit three screamers.

I know the danger of playing Tomas. I wish he was higher up in the rankings so you don't have to play him that early. I think today he showed why he could be a wonderful player.

Q. Did you see a scouting report, because he seemed to be more in control when he played Stan the other night than he used to be in the past?

ROGER FEDERER: No, I didn't speak to Stan.

Q. You were extremely satisfied to come back from two sets to love down.

ROGER FEDERER: Sure, it's great satisfaction. Doesn't happen every day. I don't play five setters every day so it's a very nice feeling. I guess especially coming back from two sets to love when you feel like everything is going your way in the end and the other guy is all of a sudden under pressure, you know, after you felt this way for one and a half, two hours, then to be able to turn it around and then be leading all of a sudden is a great feeling.

I was feeling still fresh if the fifth. I think you could see it. That's kind of the way I want to feel in a fifth set. That's why I worked hard. I worked hard for this victory today. This is great.

Q. What is your sense of anticipation for the second week here? I think from the neutral looking at it, it's got the makings of probably one of the most exciting second weeks of a Grand Slam for a long time, with the matchups and players and what have you and the levels they're reaching. Do you sense that as well?

ROGER FEDERER: Well, I mean, yeah, maybe. You know, you can make something up. But I think you're concentrating on your own section of the draw, and my next opponent is Del Potro now. I've only played him once and he played great at the Open. He almost beat Andy in the end in the quarters. I mean, that was really close and both were looking very tired. Who knows what would have happened in the fifth.

No, think it's going to be a nice match for me playing him. Like you said, I think there's many, many seeded guys around still, which makes it like we have great matchups. I think the only guy not seeded is Marcos now, but he's been in the finals here before.

Q. What do you think about Hawk‑Eye?

ROGER FEDERER: What do I think about it? It's horrible. I don't like it, no.

Q. Why?

ROGER FEDERER: Because Tomas doesn't like it since today. Finally one guy understood. Look, it's there to be used. I don't care. But if I get a good or bad challenge, you know, I'd rather challenge too much and not have them left.

But I don't think you win or lose a match because of them. If it's 9‑All in the fifth set, you know, you got to use it and there's a terrible call because the linesperson was sleeping and the umpire was drinking coffee, of course then it's good you have it.

But, God, you have four eyes looking at every line. You could really mess up. Yeah, the ball Tomas was questioning was out. But still, a system like this is in place it shouldn't happen, right? That could be the crucial moment for Tomas. It wasn't because it was clearly out. Still, it's not so much fun for him, I guess.

Q. What do you think about the last six months of Del Potro?

ROGER FEDERER: Well, I mean, he's had a great run after Wimbledon was it? I think he won four tournaments in a row: Two on clay and two on hard court, I think. Yeah, kind of out of the blue. They were not the biggest tournaments in the world, but still, he was able to dominate some good players. I think he beat Roddick and other players like Tommy Haas.

On hard court, that's a great effort. Then he backed it up by playing well at the Open. For a young guy to cope with the pressure and make it to the Masters in the end, I think, was a great effort from his side.

So I think he's done really, really well. It's going to be an interesting match for me. I'm excited playing against him.

Q. You said that after three and a half hours you were still fresh and fit. There's a lot made of Murray and Nadal's fitness. Do you feel you're as fit as these guys?

ROGER FEDERER: Yeah. I mean, I've played five hours against Rafa on clay and against other players as well. These kind of tests don't come around very often. I had a time in my career I hardly played five‑setters, like for two or three years, so I didn't know why where I was until all of a sudden that crazy match with Safin here in 2005.

Then I knew where I was. I was in pain because of my feet. That was a different issue. It's good to have five‑setters to see where you're at. I don't know how fit Murray is. I'll take him on any day in a five‑setter. He's younger so he's probably not so experienced, you know.

In the end it becomes very mental, and I know that this is where my biggest strengths always comes into play. That's why I'm always going to favor myself in a fifth set.

Q. Today when you were two sets down, is there a little bit of panic that comes, or do you start to ever to say to yourself, I'm in trouble?

ROGER FEDERER: I don't know what I feel. I wasn't thinking of losing, that's for sure. The finish line was still very far for Tomas. I knew that. You can still concentrate on playing just the points instead of thinking, Oh, my God, what's going to happen?

I didn't feel that way. I kind of felt after a terrible first set from my side that if I probably want to win this it's going to go to five sets. I just felt it. I knew Tomas was dangerous, and if I played even still a great set or three great sets it's probably not going to happen. He would squeeze one great set in there somewhere, second, third, or fourth.

That's why I kind of was prepared for five from the start. I think that's what made me be so determined towards the end. It was nice being in a battle with him. It was fair play. It was tough, good tennis towards the end. I believed in it all the way, and I think that was key in the end.

[ajithfederer]

[tscii:cbb5fea2e0]http://www.australianopen.com/en_AU/event_guide/history/great_ao_champions.html?promo=promobox

Roger Federer
Australian champion 2004, 2006, 2007
Still mid-career, Roger Federer has already created a memorable legacy at the Australian Open. He made his Melbourne debut in 2000 reaching the third round, and has never fallen short of that performance in eight appearances Down Under.
Dressed in his trademark red shirt and white headband, Federer’s victory over Marat Safin in the 2004 final was the second Grand Slam title of his career and secured his place in history as the first Swiss man to win an Australian Open trophy. It elevated him to the world No.1 ranking setting him on the path to another record, his 237-week reign from that point making him the longest-serving world No.1 in history.
After losing to Safin in the semifinal of Australian Open 2005, throwing away a match point in the fourth set tiebreak with a dubious between the legs shot, Federer returned in 2006 to win the title over Marcos Baghdatis. The occasion, which saw Federer drop the first set to the Cypriot before winning 5-7 7-5 6-0 6-2, was momentous, the Swiss man weeping as his hero Rod Laver presented him with the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup. “I hope you know how much this means to me,” he sobbed wiping tears from his eyes.
The win made him the first since Pete Sampras in 1994 to win three-consecutive majors and was Federer’s seventh Slam title, tying him with John McEnroe, John Newcombe and Mats Wilander.
Federer’s third Australian title in 2007 was remarkable, not so much by the nature of his victory as by the records he set as a result of his 7-6(2) 6-4 6-4 win over Fernando Gonzalez. His tenth major, Federer became the first man since Bjorn Borg in 1980 to win a Grand Slam without dropping a set.
The triumph marked the start of a winning spree that also saw him claim the 2007 Wimbledon and US Open titles, making him the only man to perform that triple feat three times (in 2004, 06 and 07).[/tscii:cbb5fea2e0]

[ajithfederer]

Awesome Final Videos Link of Emperor , all of 13
Hi friends,
I have just downloaded the Highlights of all the grand slam finals won by the Emperor.
This torrents file has good seeds & peers.
I will be seeding it all day itself. Here is the link to this file
http://rapidshare.de/files/43771360/Federer_s_Grand_Slam_Final_Highlights.torrent.html
I will be uploading the snap shots too soon,
else U can send me email or scrap for mailing this torrent file directly to U .
Currently I an trying to upload it on server for Direct Download.

Extracted from Roger orkut community Tennis Video Thread.

http://www.orkut.com/Main#CommMsgs.aspx?cmm=78522&tid=2549318698734632139&na=2&nst=420

[ajithfederer]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-LQw5gzSXxk&feature=channel_page

On court interview of Roger Federer after Today's Quarter Final.

For the record i am a fan of Jim Courier and his interviews.

[ajithfederer]

I made the cardinal mistake of sleeping through a double bagel match. Orkut la pasanga salamburaainga. Naan dhaan paakala :twisted:

Thalaivar Omega, Neengalavadhu match-ae paatheengala??

CR, namma eppidi??

:huh:

[omega]

I made the cardinal mistake of sleeping through a double bagel match. Orkut la pasanga salamburaainga. Naan dhaan paakala :twisted:

Thalaivar Omega, Neengalavadhu match-ae paatheengala??

CR, namma eppidi??

:huh:

:shock: - I watched only upto 4-0 in the second set. It was so one sided that I had to move on. But Federer was flawless. Kind of what on would expect from Federer. Sadly he was not challenged enough today.

[ajithfederer]

:lol: jk

What happened to other tennis regulars like Thilak, wrap07, Nerd, sridhar and sriranga??.

[ajithfederer]

One of the greatest and funniest interviews :rotfl:

:notworthy: to courier and the master.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-LQw5gzSXxk&feature=channel_page

On court interview of Roger Federer after Today's Quarter Final.

For the record i am a fan of Jim Courier and his interviews.

[ajithfederer]

Federer vs Berdeych
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=Y7TRX0OV
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=AWTGRXX0
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=EAAED07C
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=V1MLW89M
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=ALVVRRQ5
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=HOSMINXW

[omega]

One of the greatest and funniest interviews :rotfl:

:notworthy: to courier and the master.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-LQw5gzSXxk&feature=channel_page

On court interview of Roger Federer after Today's Quarter Final.

For the record i am a fan of Jim Courier and his interviews.

Yeah!! great interview indeed.

[ajithfederer]

[tscii:b9c38fcc84]http://www.australianopen.com/en_AU/news/articles/2009-01-29/200901291233210169671.html

Day 11 preview: The next episode

Thursday 29 January 2009
By Alix Ramsay
Roger Federer prepares to return serve


Ladies and gentlemen, we bring you – for one night and one night only – the Roger and Andy Show. It will be the 18th episode of the everyday story of Grand Slam winning folk, a heart-warming tale of two decent blokes who wear shorts to work and terrify their workmates with the wave of a racquet.

As with most soap operas, the plot tends to be a little repetitive and you can easily miss out a couple of seasons, return to the action and pick up where you left off. Oh look, there's the lovely Roger, and he's winning. Ah, there's the lovely Andy, and he's losing.

Poor Roddick has tried everything he can think of to get the better of Federer, and yet he has only managed two wins in 17 previous meetings. Even then, he needed Federer's help to win.

Back in 2003, the Swiss had not evolved into the Mighty Fed and, with only one Wimbledon title to his name, he was still only the Awfully-Good-And-Might-Just-Turn-Into-A-Legend-So-Let's-Just-Wait-And-See Fed. As he faced Roddick in the semifinals of the Montreal Masters, he knew that a victory would give him the world No. 1 ranking. And he choked. Couldn't serve for trembling. Couldn't win for nerves. Admittedly, it was the last time that happened to Federer as he set off on the path to true greatness, but the moment was enough to give Roddick his first win.

That was back in the days of Roddick's pomp. That summer he swept all before him, losing just two matches from the day he walked out of the French Open to the night he lifted the US Open trophy. Unsurprisingly, one of those matches was to Federer in the Wimbledon semifinals, but Roddick was on his way to ending the year as the world No. 1. Alas, by the time that summer was over, the Swiss had become the Mighty Fed - and that was the end of that.

Roddick's only other chance to win came last year when he ambushed a slightly crook Federer in the quarterfinals of the Miami Masters. Suffering from glandular fever at the start of the year, not even Federer realised quite how long the after-effects would linger, and it was not until he got to the US Open in September that he began to feel like his old self. So when Roddick ran into him in March, the American took full advantage of an under-par opponent and did for him in three sets.

You would think that Roddick would be sick of the sight of Federer by now, but he and his Swiss rival seem to have formed a mutual appreciation society. They have known each other for half a lifetime, and much as Roddick may be fed up with losing, he will not have anyone else knocking his mate. So, as the critics and the pundits spent most of last year writing Federer's obituary, Roddick fumed.

"I was really happy to see Roger win the US Open last year," Roddick said. "If I'm being frank with you guys, he was a lot classier in that press conference with everyone here than I would have been if I was in that position.

"He has nothing to prove. He's the greatest. He's created quite an animal for himself, where if someone wins a set they're questioning his form. The guy made two finals, a semi, and won a Slam last year, and people are saying he's off form. I think he deserves a lot more respect than that."

Roddick, too, deserves more respect than his record against Federer suggests. Not only is he slimmer, trimmer and faster than he has ever been, he is also a more mature competitor this year. Where in the past, Roddick might have started to fret when things did not go his way, now he sticks to his game plan, goes back to the basics and tries again.

Against Novak Djokovic in the quarterfinals, his serve and his forehand were the expected weapons, but his backhand was a much improved shot. Not only that, when any stroke went off the boil, he did not panic but, rather, he tried it again and made sure he got it right.

The change in Roddick has not gone unnoticed. Federer has played Roddick in the good times, when the American was at his best, and he has played him when Roddick has been struggling. Now Fed is just pleased to be playing Roddick at all, whatever shape he's in. Then again, with that 15-2 winning record over A-Rod going into the match, it is no wonder he is pleased to see his old mate again.

"I'm excited playing Andy," Federer said. "I'm happy for him. He's doing well here again. He's one of my generation who was able to stay at this level for, what is it five, six years now? Maybe even more, because he came up in 2003 and won then. So he's already been up there for a long time and never really fell out of the top 15. That's rock-solid.

"That's why I'm excited to play against him and seeing him create an upset in a big tournament. That's what's kind of been missing for him in the big tournaments lately."

Judging by the way Federer marmelised Juan Martin Del Potro on Tuesday night, he is feeling confident. Judging by the way Roddick has been underplaying his chances of late, is seems that he is just enjoying the ride. It all bodes well for a belting semifinal. Episode 18 of the Roger and Andy Show, 7.30pm on Thursday. Do not adjust your set …

Good seats are available for tonight's blockbuster match between Andy Roddick and Roger Federer. Don't miss this classic showdown. Buy tickets. [/tscii:b9c38fcc84]

[ajithfederer]

HQ Roger Federer vs James Blake QF Australian Open 2008 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZlKTzkpWC0&feature=rec-HM-fresh+div)

[ajithfederer]

Hard court havoc @ the above video :shock:

Watch out Blake's return 5:02 :notworthy:, of course point was won by roger.

A serve and volley from baseline (:lol:) @ 6:35

[ajithfederer]

http://www.orkut.com/Main#CommMsgs.aspx?cmm=78522&tid=5293915734911887243&na=2&nst=101

Roger Federer v Andy Roddick Match Statistics

Match Summary


------------------------------------------------------Roddick(USA)--------------Federer(SUI)

1st Serve %-------------------------------------61 of 94 = 65 %-------------63 of 96 = 66 %

Aces------------------------------------------------------8---------------------------------16

Double Faults------------------------------------------2-----------------------------------0

Unforced Errors---------------------------------------18---------------------------------15

Winning % on 1st Serve---------------------43 of 61 = 70 %--------------52 of 63 = 83 %

Winning % on 2nd Serve--------------------17 of 33 = 52 %--------------19 of 33 = 58 %

Winners (Including Service)------------------------38--------------------------------51

Receiving Points Won-------------------------25 of 96 = 26 %-------------34 of 94 = 36 %

Break Point Conversions-----------------------0 of 3 = 0 %-----------------4 of 13 = 31 %

Net Approaches-------------------------------21 of 42 = 50 %--------------17 of 27 = 63 %

Total Points Won-------------------------------------85-------------------------------105

Fastest Serve Speed----------------------------224 KMH-------------------------208 KMH

Average 1st Serve Speed----------------------206 KMH-------------------------188 KMH

Average 2nd Serve Speed---------------------172 KMH--------------------------156 KMH

[ajithfederer]

AO 2009 SF: Federer vs Roddick Highlights (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fiNzO4hFOaU)

[ajithfederer]

Federer "scores" with head against Del Potro (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQDEEY5j1Ic)

A header in Tennis
:lol:

[Sourav]

http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Scripting/ArticleWin.asp?From=Archive&Source=Page&Skin=TOI&BaseHref=TOICH%2F2009%2F01%2F30&ViewMode=GIF&GZ=T&PageLabel=14&EntityId=Ar01400&AppName=1

[ajithfederer]

[tscii:4c86b721a0]http://news.bostonherald.com/sports/other_sports/tennis/view.bg?&articleid=1149044&format=&page=2&listingType=Tennis#articleFull

MELBOURNE, Australia— Despite traveling the world and sharing hours in practice, Roger Federer and Pete Sampras apparently never spoke about the men’s Grand Slam record.

Federer, who plays top-ranked Rafael Nadal in Sunday’s Australian Open final for a chance at a 14th major, toured with Sampras for a series of exhibition matches in Asia in late 2007 and a match at New York’s Madison Square Garden last March.

Somehow the chances of Federer equaling Sampras’ record of 14 majors never came up in conversation.

"I didn’t ask him how many he thought I was going to win, you know. This is not stuff you ask Pete," Federer said. "We were mostly just chatting about how it was for him to stay at the top for so long and how it is for me and how different it is today maybe than it was back then. I think it was more about that."

Federer said he got a big thrill from spending so much time with Sampras, who retired after winning the U.S. Open in 2002.

"It was, just for me, a great honor to be around Pete for like a week, day in and day out, playing him and practicing with him and doing press conferences with him," the 27-year-old Swiss star said.

"Just being around Pete, such a champion, it was a nice feeling. We just spoke in general a lot, and I think I was more interested in the person than his records really."[/tscii:4c86b721a0]

[leosimha]

I am sure King Federer will be back with a bang and I am excited to see lots of matches being played between Feddy and Rafa.

[MrIndia]

nadal looks solid. his backhands are ruthless

Hope feddy wins few more :D

[ajithfederer]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S10YlMGWxcw

The Look on Mirka's face says it all.

[leosimha]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S10YlMGWxcw

The Look on Mirka's face says it all.

I can't see Feddy crying. But I don't understand for what the audience was applauding for. It doesn't get into my head. I thought the audience will go for a silence and they too will be in the same mood as Feddy.

The look on Feddy's girl friend is also sad to see. Is her name Mirka?

Is it true that Feddy has a better record than Nadal on Clay Court matches? Read in one of the comments in the above video. It says 5-4.

[leosimha]

Roger should hire a coach to devise a strategy/tactics to beat Nadal. It is high time he does.

[ajithfederer]

That guy must be either insane/seriously joking.

Nadal is a Dinosaur(Monster ellam inimael velaikavadhu) in Clay. He holds a great streak of winning 81 matches consecutively along with 4 French Open Titles


Is it true that Feddy has a better record than Nadal on Clay Court matches?

[steveaustin]

[tscii:1c58e90fe3]'The game is not only played in your arms, but also in your head’ – Becker once mentioned. Yes. It’s absolutely true in the case of Roger Federer.

Roger Federer has had his ups and downs against Nadal, but he always remains a favourite with the fans. What was a matter of routine for Roger is an extraordinary feat for others. Roger, who as ruthless a tennis player as you would ever get to see, is always changed man when he meets Nadal.

What’s ailing Roger? Has the Swiss lost the competitive edge against Nadal? Why Roger wide of the mark? The Swiss superstar who put in a heroic effort to climb to the very top just before a year or two, has not won any major title other than US Open in the last five slams and has slipped to No.2 in the rankings. Has the aspiration gone? Has he lost direction? Is it start of a burnout?

No. Not really. But nothing is going right for him. De facto, little has gone right for Roger by his own standards in the last 13 months. Wimbledon’07 was the last time that the gifted Swiss genius got past the strokeless wonder Nadal in a grandslam. After that he won against him in Masters cup at China. Since, then he lost to the Spaniard 5 times including this year’s Australian open, was beaten by a resurgent Brit Andy Murray thrice in succession and beaten by Djoker in last year Australian Open in straight sets in the semis. Then last year in New York he has played some of the best tennis of his career.

So what is happening to Roger? Has the man who has played in every tournament, winning all of them, lost his near unconquerable status? Was the pathetic defeat by Nadal last summer during French Open final in which Roger’s game was in tatters and his mental resilience seemed shattered, the start of a career slump which the Swiss appears powerless to arrest?

Now, Roger nearly six months after unseated from the top as the best player in the game, has been pushed nearly back to No.3. However by reaching the finals of Australian Open he has just cemented his place at No.2. Of course, being the second best player in the world is not really so bad, but for the genius of Roger. But the question now is whether Roger has the will and the drive, the mental resources, the determination and the hunger to put his career back on the rails and send it steaming away in the right direction once again.

The audiences only know him as the great champion. When something happens to dull this image, when cracks appear in his head, eyebrows are raised. The public becomes confused as the champion is struggling to achieve some kind of psychological advantage over Nadal.

Mental strength eluded Roger and his legs turned nearly wooden at the wrong time i.e. in the Australian Open final 2009. It was temperament which underlined the difference between Roger and Nadal. In fact, Roger won 174 points against Nadal’s 173 even after losing the fifth set by 6-2. 71 winners against Nadal’s 50 but Roger’s 64 unforced errors against Nadal’s 41 proved to be the decisive factor for the trophy. In their hard fought final, Roger had more chances than Nadal, but couldn’t capitalize on it. Australian Open final proved that talent alone is not enough to win Grandslams but a bit of temperament and planning too.

For Roger Federer at his best - when all his shots are landing perfectly inside the court and his mind is in order – is one of the most unforgettable sights in the game. There can be no doubt that he brings certain zeal to the centrestage that neither Nadal nor Djoker can do. Those who believe that Tennis is all about artistry and not about percentage would pray for a Roger resurgence.[/tscii:1c58e90fe3]

[leosimha]

Roger Federer's Official Website - http://www.rogerfederer.com/en/

216363 registered members/fans and growing.....

[leosimha]

[tscii:3238230983]Roger Federer interacts on his official website thanking his fans for the support.



OFF COURT - THANK YOU

Dear Fans

I would like to thank you for the overwhelming amount of messages and letters you sent me this past week. Losing the Australian Open final certainly hurt, but it is important to move on and focus on the challenges lying ahead. I feel fine and fit and am eager to get back on court. I have enjoyed a few days off, which was great, and will soon be training again.

Thank you once again for supporting me and giving me such a lot of positive input! A lot of you have noticed that my website was slow after the final Down Under. The reason for that was the enormous amount of traffic – more than we had ever experienced before. New hardware for the server has been ordered and will be installed as soon as possible so that you can enjoy rogerfederer.com without hassles in the future!

Kind regards
Roger


Link - http://www.rogerfederer.com/en/rogers/news/newsdetail.cfm?uNewsID=867[/tscii:3238230983]

[ajithfederer]

OFF COURT - DUBAI AND DAVIS CUP

Dear Fans,

Today I am disappointed to announce that I am withdrawing from both Dubai and the Davis Cup tie in the United States. This was a hard decision to make as I am missing not only one of my favorite events on tour in Dubai but I am also missing out on an opportunity to help my country try and move on to the next round of Davis Cup. After injuring my back last fall, I did not have enough time to strengthen it completely. As a precautionary measure, I will use the next few weeks to make sure the back injury is fully rehabilitated and I am ready for the rest of the 2009 season.

As always, thanks for your continued support.
Roger


http://www.rogerfederer.com/en/rogers/news/newsdetail.cfm?uNewsID=868

[ajithfederer]

[tscii:e1303aad4c]Roger Federer Fans' 10 Worst Moments of 2008

There was little in 2008 to celebrate if you were a Roger Federer fan. Visiting Rog’s website throughout the year was much like flying over a disaster area in a helicopter with much tsking and finger-pointing about the absence of FEMA!

It was akin to witnessing the morning after a tornado has blown through your local community.

People stunned and lurching slowly toward the remains of their once grand homes...mumbling and disjointed, wanting to understand the purpose of such needless destruction.

Roger did not have a poor year in anyone’s book, but it was not a Roger year. It was not filled with many thrilling victories, the Olympic Doubles Gold and US Open Championship notwithstanding.

I have cataloged the 10 worst moments for Federer fans in 2008, as I see them:

10. Have you ever wanted to stomp on a worm?
That pretty much sums up the feeling after Radek Stepanek defeated Roger Federer, 7-6, 7-6, at the quarterfinals in Rome.

Roger had a chance to win this tournament because Juan Carlos Ferrero had defeated Rafael Nadal during a second-round contest.

The worm dance at the end of the match was met with stony indifference or silence by most in the crowd. Many fans felt the urge to order large quantities of de-worm medication!

9. Please, dear God, give me a slingshot!
Federer’s third-round loss to the Croatian giant Ivo Karlovic in Cincinnati, 6-7, 6-4, 6-7, was the final nail in the Fed man’s coffin. It gave Nadal an opening to secure the No. 1 ranking, and he did just that.

Previously, Federer had defeated Karlovic seven straight times, with many of their matches being decided in tie-breaks. This time, both tie-breaks went to Karlovic, who commented that Federer was playing well. Where was David when we needed him?

8. American nightmares come in all shapes and sizes!
First, Roger loses to Mardy Fish at Indian Wells in the semifinals—yes, unranked and unheralded Mardy Fish!

Then at Miami, Roger loses to Andy Roddick! He has beaten Roddick in every contest since 2003! Federer had won their last 11 matches. Has the earth stopped spinning on its axis?
But, no, it is not over yet; the final humiliation comes at the hands of James Blake, who defeats Roger during singles competition at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.

The quarterfinal loss to Blake, 6-4, 7-6, left the mighty Federer screaming at his feet, because they refused to move and obey the tactician’s demands.

7. French is for fencing fanatics!
Don’t you love that cartoon character Pepe Le Pew and his adorable accent? Despite Gilles Simon’s dreamy accent, you wanted to run him through after he took Roger out in his opening match at the Rogers Masters in Montreal.

Stunned and mortified by this defeat, the baby-faced assassin thwarted our march toward immortality and threw a huge monkey wrench into staying alive at No. 1.

6. There are worse things than ground round!
Hamburg! Roger lost this match to Nadal, 7-5, 6-7, 6-3, again on clay. Throughout the contest, Roger suffered at the delay tactics employed by the Spaniard that were never called or questioned by the umpire.

Length between points was never questioned and injuries were never suspected; eyebrows were never raised.

With Federer up, 5-1, in the first set, Nadal called an injury timeout and everyone thought he would retire.

But, no! He used the time to regroup and then came out and played like gangbusters! Federer lost his advantage and lost his concentration! Nadal prevailed! His knees saved him once again!

5. Give a Scot a Swiss mark!
Murray in Dubai 2008; God is not in his heavens and all is not right with the world. Heavenly Roger Federer lost his opening round match in Dubai to Andy Murray, 6-7, 6-3, 6-4.

It was like death knells playing in the distance. This represented his second consecutive loss—the first his semifinal loss to Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open 2008.

4. Just give me a large polo mallet!
Masters Series Championship: first Roger loses to the baby-faced assassin French guy, Gilles Simon, again! This puts him under the gun.

Then, Roger loses to Murray in a thriller, 4-6, 7-6, 7-5, in a match lasting a little over three hours. During the match, Federer received treatment on his back and on his hip.

By the way, Federer truly was injured! This defeat paved the way for Murray to play and be upset by Nikolay Davydenko!

3. Intruder in the Dust
French Open Finals 2008. Roger Federer played fine tennis as he made his way to the French Open Final, leading many to speculate that perhaps this was finally his year.

But what no one knew or suspected was that Rafael Nadal was no longer playing tennis; he was playing another game altogether and no one, including the mighty Swiss maestro, knew the rules or how to counter an all out assault.

Stunned, Roger fell, 6-1, 6-3, 6-0. It was a clinic, an all-out beat down of the best player in the world. Even John McEnroe was speechless.

2. No one loves Melbourne anymore!
Roger Federer met Novak Djokovic in a semifinal contest at the Australian Open in 2008 and lost it, 7-5, 6-3, 7-6.
The loss was debilitating enough without the unrestrained joy and unwarranted comments by Serbian fans and Novak’s unreserved parents! “The King is Dead!” will resonate in our heads forever.
This Grand Slam marked the beginning of a long year of disappointments. It was the hardest because we were not yet used to Federer losing anything of substance except the French Open.

1. How can you mend a broken heart?Wimbledon Finals 2008 was the worst moment of the year. This was Roger’s chance to reach for and grab immortality by winning his sixth championship in as many years.

He would surpass Bjorn Borg’s hold on five consecutive wins at Wimbledon and forever hold the record at this tournament Federer claimed as his own personal favorite.

He lost the first two sets to Nadal. Everyone was sick at heart waiting for the champion to react, to move, to stir himself to greatness. He did finally winning the third and fourth sets in tiebreakers. The fifth set was delayed as much of the final was delayed with rain, and now darkness settled in as time became a factor.

After four hours and 48 minutes—the longest final in Wimbledon’s history—the mighty Swiss sent the last ball into the net then watched as Nadal took the trophy and bit her! There was no worse moment in the year then watching this loss.

Conclusion

As we make our way into 2009, we have already suffered our first disappointment when Roger Federer lost the Australian Open to Rafael Nadal.

The year is young, and we wait to make our final judgments until London Bridge fills our focus as the 2009 year end Championships are determined...

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/125028-roger-federer-fans-ten-worst-moments-in-2008[/tscii:e1303aad4c]

[ajithfederer]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSF6TKQ_8Ww

This short trip through the past of Roger should remind you what this guy has accomplished and he is still far from over!!

[ajithfederer]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ns-05mU-nSE&feature=subscription

Roger Federer - No Look Squash FH Pass

[ajithfederer]

Showdown of Champions 2008 *FULL* KL Federer Vs Blake Part 1/5 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8z95O9I7gTM&feature=rec-HM-r2)

Showdown of Champions 2008 *FULL* KL Federer Vs Blake Part 2/5 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8J_5IaA1SVs&feature=related)

Showdown of Champions 2008 *FULL* KL Federer Vs Blake Part 3/5 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHm4MDYVTjs&feature=related)

Showdown of Champions 2008 *FULL* KL Federer Vs Blake Part 4/5 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUrC8ktbrc0&feature=related)

Showdown of Champions 2008 *FULL* KL Federer Vs Blake Part 5/5 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HddrkhcBXw&feature=related)

Video Info by Uploader:

PLEASE READ:
These are not highlights, this is the FULL match. No edits at all. Every shot replay, smile, trick, no cuts. Someone was very kind and uploaded this to megaupload, and to make things easier, I am posting it on Youtube over the course of the next few days. Please be patient as these are long uploads.
The Showdown of Champions 2008 in Kuala Lumpur, Roger Federer Vs James Blake 18th November,

Spoilers: Federer wins 7-6.

[ajithfederer]

There is no question that when it comes to natural all-around ability and gift, Federer is perhaps the greatest player ever. Compared to the past greats, he really can do everything well and has no weakness.

However, there are two main factors that really make me doubt that he is the greatest player ever:

1). The competition he has faced in the last 6 years vs. the competition that was there in the 1980's and 1990s, and

2). His mental toughness - would he really be the best ever in this regard?

I'll start with the first item. There's no denying the fact that it's been thinner at the top this decade than in previous decades. In the 80's and the first part of the 90's, there were numerous multiple-grand-slam winners at the top at the same time, not just Federer and Nadal like we've seen in the past several years. Ivan Lendl played in more grand slam finals than anyone past or present (though that may change soon, of course). Sure, he had an 8-11 record in those finals. But out of the 11 finals he lost, 10 of them were against players who had at least 6 grand slam finals at the end of their careers. With the exception of Agassi or Nadal, we can't say that about the players Federer has beaten to win his Slams.

But you don't even have to get up to that level; let's compare Todd Martin and James Blake, both having had a career high ranking of #4. Todd Martin got to 2 Grand Slam finals, and had a very good, winning 5-set record. James Blake on the other hand, hasn't been past the quarters of a Slam and has only a 4-11 5-set record. I think the difference is noticeable here, and you can probably find very similar comparisons between top 10 players of the same rank this decade and the top 10 players of other times, with the same rank.

Another measure of the competition is the fact that for the most part, players play right into Federer's game. Federer is, above all else, a brilliant shotmaker. Most of the players today play right up his alley, allowing Federer a great chance to execute his great shots. James Blake (with the exception of the 2008 Olympics), and other top 10 players are just cannon fodder for Federer's game. Murray and Nadal on the other hand, really take it to Federer, standing toe to toe with him, neutralizing his great ability. But these days, players who can do that to Roger are few. Even these highly touted up and comers, such as Del Potro or Cilic, have done little to negate Federer's brilliant offense. I am certain that had Federer played in the 80's or 90's (with respect to the technology of those times), he would have had a much less dominating record over so many top players. Those greats had enough mental toughness and variety of court strategy to beat him. Federer would beat them at times, yes. But not such a vast majority of the time like we see now.

Now, let's look at the second item: mental toughness. As wonderfully gifted as Federer is, I just cannot put him up there with Nadal, Lendl, Sampras or Connors in terms of being such a great clutch, gutsy player. It shows when Roger plays Nadal. Nadal has clearly gotten into his head. I really can't put Federer up there with Becker either for clutch toughness, but Becker unfortunately had a lot of outside circumstances which made him under-achieve. Even his former coach, Ion Tiriac, says that.

Now don't get me wrong. Federer has achieved a lot, and given alot. He has won some matches under difficult situations, like against Nadal at the 2007 Wimbledon final, or against Agassi in the 2004 U.S. Open quarterfinals. He is undoubtedly one of the most awesome, gifted players in all of sport. But there just weren't as many different kinds of players that Federer had to face, a whole lot of different times, like the players of previous eras.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/131701-roger-federer-is-he-really-the-greatest-ever

[ajithfederer]

OFF COURT - GREAT NEWS!

Dear Fans

I arrived in Indian Wells earlier this week and I am eager to get back out on court. My back is feeling much better and I am ready to go.

I also have some really awesome news to share with all of you: Mirka and I are excited to let you know that we will be parents this summer! Mirka is pregnant and we are so happy to be starting a family together. This is a dream come true for us. We love children and we are looking forward to being parents for the first time. Mirka is feeling great and everything is going well.

Speak soon and thanks for all your continued support!

Roger

http://www.rogerfederer.com/en/rogers/news/newsdetail.cfm?uNewsID=870

:D

[omega]

OFF COURT - GREAT NEWS!

Dear Fans

I arrived in Indian Wells earlier this week and I am eager to get back out on court. My back is feeling much better and I am ready to go.

I also have some really awesome news to share with all of you: Mirka and I are excited to let you know that we will be parents this summer! Mirka is pregnant and we are so happy to be starting a family together. This is a dream come true for us. We love children and we are looking forward to being parents for the first time. Mirka is feeling great and everything is going well.

Speak soon and thanks for all your continued support!

Roger

http://www.rogerfederer.com/en/rogers/news/newsdetail.cfm?uNewsID=870

:D


Congrats! Roger & Mirka (Thalaivar veettulayum sema vilayaattu pola!)

[ajithfederer]

Monday, March 16, 2009

Singles - Third Round
[27] I Karlovic (CRO) vs [2] R Federer (SUI)

http://www.atpworldtour.com/tennis/1/en/scores/

[ajithfederer]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CE2NcEIZCPI

Federer v. Gonzalez Superb Highlights Indian Wells 2009

[omega]

Federer beats Verdasco in Indianwells QF (6-3, 7-6). I thought this match was to be played Friday (today) night.

Fedex looking good.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVzWIYhpDm8

Next up Andy Murray (Fed's nemesis these days), who beat Ljubicic in a tight match (7-5, 7-6)

[ajithfederer]

Omega,

I watched this match yesterday. He took the first set comfortably and he was leading in the second while verdasco broke him again. But somehow he won the match.

[ajithfederer]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIWeuvOrG9o

Roger, Idiot :lol:

[steveaustin]

Federer keen to leave hard courts

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/tennis/7982719.stm

[ajithfederer]

[tscii:bab1ef5b1b]In the Arena
Federer Struggles With His Altered World

Published: April 9, 2009
One of the best and cruelest aspects of tennis is that there is nowhere to hide. You might be an all-time great, even the all-time great, and yet you are only as effective as the forehands, backhands and decisions you are making on any given day.

Soccer and rugby stars in a funk or in decline can rely on teammates. Golfers, unless they are Tiger Woods, aren’t expected to win or even shine every week. Stars in judged sports can lean on the judges’ memories and inclinations.

A tennis star like Roger Federer stands exposed — in all his brilliance or all his disarray — in every match. And while it might take a while to know that a seminal athlete in another sport is vulnerable, tennis provides an abundance of evidence in a hurry.

It is piling high for Federer as he continues to devolve from a ruthless closer with a killer forehand into an edgy mortal with performance anxiety. He has won one tournament since the U.S. Open last year and has not won an event in four attempts so far this year, with the clay-court season — never part of his kingdom — now under way.

So far, the studied Swiss with the acquired cool has not left us guessing how much it hurts. There were the uncontrollable tears in defeat at the Australian Open, where he faded in the fifth set against his nemesis-in-chief Rafael Nadal. There was the racket smashing in Miami last week early in the third set of his error-strewn semifinal loss to one of his nemeses-in-waiting, Novak Djokovic.

Federer hardly lost the plot altogether. He simply reached down slowly to pick up the crumpled frame and then flicked it in the direction of his courtside chair. But for an understated champion for whom appearances matter (greatly), it was as if he had begun yanking out his hair and shrieking “Why me!?” to the world.

It required great effort for Federer to cure himself of the on-court tantrums of his youth. To see him resume breaking rackets now, after all these years of self-control, was like watching the owner of a health food store start fumbling through his desk drawer for a long-lost pack of cigarettes.

But perhaps we exaggerate for effect, and are all getting elegiac about Federer, the tennis genius, too soon.

With his 28th birthday looming in August, his days of Slam-in, tournament-out dominance are clearly over. His body is also beginning to betray him more regularly. But it would be both unfair and unwise to write him off just yet.

Yes, the game he once ruled with so few hints of rebellion from the serfs is now governed by Nadal, with Djokovic and, above all, Andy Murray quickly acquiring territory and treasure.

Yes, Federer’s level under the greatest pressure has dropped. He has lost five straight times to Nadal and four straight times to the counterpunching Murray. But he has beaten other quality players convincingly this year, including Fernando Verdasco and Andy Roddick. The range of Federer’s ball-striking ability and world view is such that some meaningful midcareer adjustments are possible.

His appetite for traveling and playing the game appears undiminished, which is due to his intelligent scheduling and also to the fact that his longtime companion Mirka Vavrinec was a globe-trotting tennis professional herself.

Pete Sampras, the modern champion whose career most closely parallels Federer’s, was already growing weary of the grind in his late 20s. But it is Sampras who should provide Federer with some inspiration at this vulnerable stage. After years of dominance on fast surfaces, Sampras also hit an extended rough patch, only to emerge with his 14th Grand Slam singles title.

Sampras did it at age 31 at the 2002 U.S. Open, well aware that big life changes were coming, with his wife Bridgette Wilson pregnant with their first child. Though slightly younger, Federer finds himself chasing No. 14 and a share of Sampras’s all-time record with Vavrinec also expecting their first.

“There are definitely some parallels,” said Paul Annacone, Sampras’s longtime coach, in an interview this week. “Just as it was for Pete, it’s a particularly interesting, challenging time in Roger’s career. But I would look at it with Roger in the same way as for Pete. For guys like that, it is daunting but not that daunting. They are so skilled, they can adjust, but a lot of the adjustment is mental.”

Annacone thinks Roger grew accustomed to overwhelming opponents from the back court: to being the better athlete and hitting a more, consistent and heavier ball.

“We are all creatures of habits,” Annacone said. “Roger has won a lot a certain way, and when you’ve done that for four or five years and then in year six or seven, that shot that used to be a winner isn’t a winner anymore, the tendency in human nature is to overplay a little bit. And that’s what’s happening. His couple of patterns that used to be very dominant are still successful against 95 percent of the guys — just not against that last five percent.”

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Annacone understandably leans toward Federer’s hiring a full-time coach. “I always feel in an individual sport, it’s up to the guy on court, but as you watch the evolution of careers, it’s good to have someone you trust and who understands you and what you’re trying to do and also your game and the history of what’s gone on,” he said.

To say that Federer has been without a coach would not be entirely accurate. He has had world-class voices in his ear, including José Higueras last year and Darren Cahill for nine days this year. Both men surely discussed tactical and technical solutions to the negative trends.

Applying those solutions is up to Federer. He has looked, if anything, too intent on getting results: hence the tears and the crumpled racket when the shots won’t obey the mind down the stretch. Perhaps there is more to the mental block: something personal, something private. Tennis is, after all, a mirror to its practitioners’ souls. But knowing what we know, it still seems premature to start summing up the Federer era.

“He may choose to keep doing what he’s been doing and not tweaking, and that’s his choice as a champion,” Annacone said. “But for me it would be a shame. If you have a lot of weapons in your arsenal and choose not to use them, what’s the point in having them? It’s a matter of managing them a bit differently than he did a few years ago.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/10/sports/tennis/10iht-ARENA.html?_r=2&ref=global-home[/tscii:bab1ef5b1b]

[ajithfederer]

Roger Taking WC to Monte Carlo...
Dear Fans
I have decided to accept a wildcard into the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters tournament that begins on Monday. I will head there this weekend to start the clay court season.
Thanks to all of you for your continued support.

All the best,
Roger
Source www.rogerfederer.com

[ajithfederer]

Dear Fans

Earlier today, in my hometown of Basel, surrounded by a small group of close friends and family, Mirka and I got married. It was a beautiful spring day and an incredibly joyous occasion.

Mr. and Mrs. Roger Federer wish all of you a Happy Easter weekend.

Love,
Roger

http://www.rogerfederer.com/en/rogers/news/newsdetail.cfm?uNewsID=889

Wish you a happy married life Roger and Mirka!!!!!

[ajithfederer]

[tscii:1272e5138b]Federer cries again, but tears of joy this time
Associated Press
April 14, 2009, 11:07AM

MONACO — The tears streaming down Roger Federer’s face came not from anguish but from happiness, and the person standing opposite the Swiss star was his new wife.

The 13-time Grand Slam champion, who is playing this week at the Monte Carlo Masters, spoke about his marriage to longtime girlfriend Mirka Vavrinec for the first time Tuesday.

“A few tears here and there,” Federer said about Saturday’s wedding in his hometown of Basel, Switzerland. “It was nice.”

Federer also broke into tears after losing to rival Rafael Nadal in five sets in the Australian Open final. As he was being awarded the runner-up plate in Melbourne, Federer said, “God, it’s killing me.”

Last weekend, it was a more joyous feeling that led to the weeping.

“I got very emotional, you know, yet again,” Federer said. “It was just nice to know that she loves me so much, I love her so much. It was just a very nice day. We had perfect sky, perfect weather.”

Ahead of his second-round match against Andreas Seppi of Italy on Wednesday, Federer spoke only briefly about tennis, saying he still hopes to finally win the French Open — the only major he has not won.

“I hope I can win the big one,” Federer said. “That’s what the focus is here.”

Off the court, Federer said he is surprised how different he feels now that he has a wife.

“It’s a very special moment. I thought it to be a bit more relaxed, because we’ve been together for so, so long,” Federer said. “It definitely does change your mind-set, your life.”

The pair married in a private ceremony, and they did a good job of keeping it secret.

“If you want to get married in private, you have to go to Switzerland,” Federer said. “They don’t actually care over there. They actually want to give you peace and privacy. That’s why I love being a Swiss and living in Switzerland.”

Along with chasing a record-tying 14th Grand Slam title at the only major he has never won and reclaiming his No. 1 ranking, Federer is looking for a name for his son.

“We’ll see. There’s quite a few books around that are that thick, so we’ll see where it takes us,” Federer said. “But, no, we haven’t decided anything yet.”

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/6372912.html
[/tscii:1272e5138b]

[ajithfederer]

05.04.2009 | 14:53




24.07.2008

325 Posts

No additional letters or messages will be added to the pledge. Sorry! Sign if you agree.

Hi all, I'm back and ready to get this thing rolling along some more. There's been much debate over this pledge of loyalty and so a few variations have been devised. My problem now is choosing this best one (they're all so great!). Along with that, we have several designs for this pledge that have been circulating. So I'm organizing a poll. Reply to this post with the number 1, 2, 3 or 4 (4 means sticking to the original letter which you can find quoted in the next few pages) and the numbers will be tallied and the results will be announced. This is starting to sound like a game show, but oh well.

After that, we can vote again on a design that we all love. So here goes!

Here's pledge no. 1, revised by Natalie123:

Dear Roger Federer,

On behalf of all your fans worldwide, I'd like to thank you for the years, past present and future, of wonderful, graceful tennis you have brought forth. We want you to know that we stand behind you 110% and that we like it when you show your passion because it shows us your will.

There is something about your tennis that is captivating, special. Not even your critics can deny this. You are the greatest of all time. The fans here on RF.com never stop believing and never will. In our eyes you are the greatest player who ever lived. We only want the rest of the world to see it the way we do.

We believe in you when things don't go your way. We're behind you when you emerge victorious on the other side of any roadblocks in your way. We'll be screaming our hearts out when you have your first child, when you marry, when you do what you do best - be Roger Federer. We are fans of you - the person, the man, not just the tennis player. The legend - our champion.

We, as fans, promise to be steadfast, to understand and not judge, to love and not question. A true champion is measured by three factors: his fans, his passion and his achievements. All things you can boast about. And we beseech you, ignore the press, they wish to cut down our tall poppy. With you, we will ignore them too. Remember, you are the favourite of all tennis fans, not just ours.

There is no word to describe how attached we are to you. We smile when you smile, we laugh when you laugh. We worry when you frown, and we cry when you cry. We are like overprotective parents, we want you to do so well but don't realize just how much pressure we put on you and we apologize if you feel us as a burden sometimes. We hope sometimes our love and admiration lift you up and help you soar. We are here to stay and we'll be here all the way through the journey, in our unwavering support for you.

Just know that we love you Roger and we pledge to be all-weather, flame resistant, loyal and loving fans for life.

Signed,

RogerFederer.com Fans

Here's pledge no. 2, revised by MarciaF

Dear Roger,

First of all, congratulations for you and Mirka. We, your fans, are extremely happy and excited with this news, and wish you both all the happiness that men can have in the time of a man's life.

After Miami, one of your staunch fan, (Fiana ...), suggested us a letter, a pledge of loyalty, which we would send you. This letter is written, and it is beautiful, warm, and signed by a lot of us. But, meanwhile (you must know us, we are so many...), we discussed one phrase, the design or photo that should be the background of the letter, and time was going its way.

Finally, we are here, today, and this beautiful letter seems to be a little bit old already. The feeling of the letter, even if warm and affectionate, is no more exactly what we would like to say you today.

So, here is for you our pledge of loyalty:

"Roger, we love you, we love your game, you gave, and still give us, your passion in a beauty that is rare in our lives. Therefore, we want to tell you that we will always be behind you, with you, at your side. Loving you, cheering you, supporting you. Not sleeping if your matches are in the middle of the night, avoiding work if needed, because see you play is a gift for all of us."

Roger, be happy. God bless you, and Mirka, and the baby that is coming.

Signed,

All your fans

And here's pledge no. 3 as revised by norichi

My name is Fiana Jenkins, and on behalf of all your fans worldwide, I'd like to thank you for the years of wonderful, graceful tennis you have brought forth and all the years to come.
There is something about your tennis that is captivating, special. In our eyes you always will be the greatest player who ever lived.
We'll still believe in you when things don't go your way; when bad luck seems your only hand. . We'll be screaming our hearts out when you have your first child, when you marry, when you do what you do best - be Roger Federer. We are fans of you - the person, not just the tennis player, the legend.

We, as fans, promise;
to understand and not judge.
to love and not question.
For this year and all the years to come

A true champion is measured by three factors: his fans, his passion and his achievements. All things you can boast about.

There is no word to describe how attached we are to you. We worry when you fall, and when you cry. We are like overprotective parents, we want you to do so well but don't realize just how much pressure we put on you and we apologize,we'll be there all the way through the journey, in our unwavering support for you.

Just know that we love you Roger and we pledge to be all-weather, flame resistant, bulletproof, loyal and loving fans for life.

Signed,


Fiana Jenkins

So, get voting! I'm only going to count the votes that are cast within the next three days, so vote as many times as you want!

Oh, and let's see if we can get some more people signing this thing!

(Sorry for being so absent these last couple days...personal issues )

- Fiana


http://www.rogerfederer.com/en/fanzone/forum/topicview.cfm?uNC=84668123&uPage=1&uTopicID=27403

[ajithfederer]

http://tennisconnected.com/home/2009/04/20/rogermirka-wedding-photos-emerge/comment-page-1/#comment

[ajithfederer]

"Staying Alive" feat Tiger Woods, Derek Jeter, Roger Federer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kczi7QV5-Q

[omega]

[tscii:b4cef2e4f1]Federer refocuses in Rome after wedding
By ANDREW DAMPF, AP Sports Writer
Apr 26, 2:14 pm EDT

Buzz up! PrintROME (AP)—Roger Federer has refocused on tennis after getting married and then promptly losing to fellow Swiss player Stanislas Wawrinka in the third round of the Monte Carlo Masters.

The 13-time Grand Slam winner spent the last week in intensive training with fitness coach Pierre Paganini, grinding out daily four-hour practice sessions on Italian clay courts.

“I’m expecting big things from myself, especially looking ahead for the French Open,” Federer said Sunday on the eve of the Rome Masters, a key clay-court tuneup for Roland Garros, which begins May 25. “I would like to go extremely far there and create the opportunity to win the one slam I haven’t won yet.

“Monaco for me was just, ‘Let’s see how it goes,”’ the second-ranked Federer said. “With the wedding before I didn’t have the preparation. … I didn’t expect to win the tournament, so I don’t think we have to look too much into how I played there.

“I was missing serves and missing forehands. That’s what I was trying to tighten up now, in this last week, when I was practicing extremely hard. I hope that this week it’s going to show a little bit.”

Federer entered Monte Carlo immediately after marrying longtime girlfriend Mirka Vavrinec. The straight-set loss to Wawrinka stretched his title drought to seven tournaments.

Federer said he concentrated on his movement with Paganini and had 219th-ranked Stefan Koubek along as a hitting partner.

“The movement part is the big part on clay. The best clay-court players are the ones that move the best,” Federer said, adding that his back troubles are long behind him.

Federer was upset by Radek Stepanek in the Rome quarterfinals last year. He will likely open up against Ivo Karlovic this time if the big-serving Croatian gets by a qualifier.

In the rankings, No. 3 Novak Djokovic and No. 4 Andy Murray are starting to pressure Federer, who has lost contact with top-ranked Rafael Nadal.

“I don’t necessarily need to get to No. 1; I just need to win the French Open,” Federer said. “That’s what my goal is.

“For me, it doesn’t matter if I’m 2, 3, 4, 5, 8 or 10 in the world. For me, it’s either No. 1 or somewhere else. Especially for me, who has been No. 1 for so long and won so many titles,” Federer said. “If you’re not No. 1 then it’s about winning titles and getting back No. 1. That’s the position I’m in now.”

Federer has reached the final twice in Rome, losing to Felix Mantilla in 2003 and to Nadal in a fifth-set tiebreaker in 2006.


http://sports.yahoo.com/ten/news;_ylt=ApFmLClZFTHYL3qhtvfiTDc4v7YF?slug=ap-federersfocus&prov=ap&type=lgns

===============================================

Hope Feddy does well in this one[/tscii:b4cef2e4f1]

[leosimha]

I can still rattle Nadal, says Federer
2009-05-11 00:18:06
Last Updated: 2009-05-11 00:25:14


FedererMadrid: World number two Roger Federer believes his form is improving all the time and that he still has what it takes to rattle number one Rafael Nadal and steal the Spaniard's French Open crown.

The Swiss 13-times grand slam winner has yet to win a title this year and has lost in semi-finals twice to Novak Djokovic and twice to Andy Murray as well as falling to Nadal in the Australian Open final.

"I'm happy how I am playing now and it's getting better every week," Federer told a news conference ahead of the Madrid Open clay event.

"It's been rather a tough start to the season considering I haven't won a tournament yet but I think I am very close to turning it all around," he added.

"I have struggled a little bit against my main rivals. I was always very close to beating them. So I just hope I can turn the corner and win those matches.

Click here for the latest Tennis news

"I feel the game's right there and that's why I'm aiming high this week."

Federer, 27, said it would not necessarily be a bad thing if he went into the French Open later this month, the only grand slam to elude him, not having played Nadal on the Spaniard's favoured clay this season.

Nadal has beaten his predecessor as number one nine times out of 10 on the surface stretching back to the semi-finals at Roland Garros in 2005, his only defeat coming in the final of the Hamburg Masters in 2007.

"I think he's playing the tennis of his life right now," said Federer.

"But still I'm a great believer I can rattle him. I was so close at the Australian Open and Wimbledon.

"Every match has to be played and I know that I have the game to beat him, even if he has beaten me on clay so many times and he knows how to beat me."

Federer is currently without a regular coach and said he was not considering hiring one anytime soon despite his lack of success this year.

"At the moment I am very content with the situation. Things are calm in my team and I'm doing the right things and practising extremely hard to get my game back," he said.

"Of course, the main goal for me is the French Open and Wimbledon, trying to regain the Wimbledon crown and trying to win the French Open for the first time.

"But I'm an open person and I'm always looking for ways to improve my game. So if that's talking to somebody else or somebody else giving me advice that's not a problem but at the moment it's not happening."


Link - http://sify.com/sports/tennis/fullstory.php?a=jflasggdefj&title=I_can_still_rattle_Nadal_says_Federer

:clap: :clap: :clap:

[ajithfederer]

[tscii:4f8583623c]By Peter-Joseph Hegarty

May 17 (Bloomberg) -- Roger Federer beat world No. 1 Rafael Nadal in straight sets in the final of tennis’s Madrid Masters today, handing the Spaniard his first defeat in 34 clay-court matches.

Federer, ranked second, won 6-4, 6-4, clinching victory with a service ace on his second match-point. The Swiss had lost his previous five meetings against Nadal, including three Grand Slam finals.

Serving for the match at 5-4, Federer came back from 15-40 down to deuce, and netted his first match-point. A cross-court winner then set up his second chance in front of a partisan pro- Nadal crowd.

“I’m very happy, it’s been a wonderful tournament,” Federer said at the post-match presentation. “My thanks to the spectators, you’ve been unbelievable. Sorry to spoil the party - - I’ll be back next year.”

Nadal had needed more than four hours to defeat Novak Djokovic of Serbia in yesterday’s semifinal.

Federer’s victory may boost his morale in the buildup to the French Open starting May 24. He’s never won the tournament, which Nadal has taken for the past four years.

Earlier today, Dinara Safina of Russia defeated Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark 6-2, 6-4 in the women’s final.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601079&sid=a._oDROeJ.qA&refer=home[/tscii:4f8583623c]

[ajithfederer]

http://www.atpworldtour.com/TENNIS/1/EN/NEWS/NEWSARTICLE_3698.ASP

Mutua Madrilena Madrid Open
Madrid, Spain
May 17, 2009

Federer Ends Title Drought In Style
© AFP/Getty Images
Rafael Nadal & Roger Federer ATP World Tour No. 2 Roger Federer ended his title drought in style on Sunday with a 6-4, 6-4 victory over rival and reigning ATP World Tour Champion Rafael Nadal in the final of the Mutua Madrilena Madrid Open, an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 clay-court tennis tournament.

Four-time former Barclays ATP World Tour Finals Champion Federer earned 1000 South African Airways 2009 ATP Rankings points towards his bid to qualify for the season finale for a seventh time, while Nadal – who is virtually assured of his participation at the O2 Arena in London - received 600 points and €270,000.

The 27-year-old Federer clinched his first ATP World Tour title since winning his hometown title in Basel (d. Nalbandian) in October 2008. The Swiss was contesting his 80th tour-level final and improved to a 58-22 lifetime mark after capturing his 15th ATP World Tour Masters 1000 trophy. Andre Agassi holds the all-time record with 17 of the coveted shields, while Nadal is tied with Federer on 15.

Federer will now turn his attention to winning a first Roland Garros title and believes the confidence from this win will give him an advantage going into the clay-court Grand Slam: “I am very happy that I remained positive and I got the win I needed badly because I have had some rather bad losses this year in terms of the way I played but I think that everything is falling into place and I felt it coming the last few weeks so it is the right time to get a victory like this.”

Watch highlights from Sunday's final in Madrid

Watch match highlights, interviews and features from Madrid

Federer was contesting his second tour-level final of the season after finishing runner-up to Nadal in an epic Australian Open final, a loss that denied Federer the chance to equal Pete Sampras’ all-time record of 14 Grand Slam singles titles. The newly-married Federer, who is expecting his first child with wife Mirka Vavrinec in the coming weeks, also reached the semi-finals at Doha (l. to Murray) and ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournaments in Indian Wells (l. to Murray), Miami (l. to Djokovic) and Rome (l. to Djokovic).

The victory over ATP World Tour No. 1 Nadal marked Federer’s first success against a Top 4 player since defeating No. 3 Novak Djokovic in the US Open semi-finals last August.

“In other years it didn´t matter whether I won or lost, I was always one of the top two or favourites," said Federer. "This year it looked like other guys might come moving up but I always knew that I was going to get stronger week by week on clay.

“It´s not the moment to get carried away but it is definitely good for my confidence, especially beating Rafa in the final so it definitely proves that I am doing the right things and I am working extremely hard and it is paying off so it´s a nice feeling. I am very excited about going to Paris, whereas a couple of weeks ago I was still a little bit unsure about my game and not sure if I could win the French Open.”

Early in the match, Nadal showed no ill-effects from his gripping semi-final with Novak Djokovic – which lasted four hours and three minutes and saw the Spaniard save three match points - as he created a break point in Federer’s first service game courtesy of a couple of wayward forehands from the Swiss.

Federer was able to alleviate the danger on that occasion, and later in the seventh game when Nadal had a second break point chance, before turning the tables on the left-hander as he broke him in the ninth game at his first opportunity. The Bottmingen resident then confidently closed out the set with a love service game, a backhand into the net from Nadal handing the Swiss three set points, and Federer secured the one-set lead with an unreturnable serve.

With the prospect of becoming the first man to defeat Nadal on clay in over a year and the chance to stem a five-match losing streak against his rival, Federer kept his focus in the second set and capitalised on Nadal’s ever-increasing fatigue with a drop shot that the Spaniard could not chase down in the fifth game to earn a break point, which he converted as Nadal fired a forehand long.

As Federer continued to raise his level, Nadal fought hard to stay within touching distance of the Swiss and forced Federer to serve for the victory at 5-4. A forehand winner from the Spaniard, yearning to win his second title in Madrid (also 2005), gave him a 15-30 lead and as cries of “Rafa, Rafa, Rafa” echoed round Manolo Santana court, Federer’s forehand found the net to present the Mallorcan with a lifeline in the form of two break-back points.

Undeterred, 2006 Madrid champion Federer played strongly on the break points, forcing Nadal to go for an extra shot and reaping the rewards as the Spaniard made two backhand errors. Federer was denied on his first match point, born from a second-serve ace, as he netted the volley from Nadal’s dipping return. A strong forehand in the ensuing point forced Nadal out wide and his return shot into the net granted Federer a second chance to clinch victory, which he converted with his sixth ace of the match after one hour and 26 minutes.

“I thought I played really well, I think you have to against Rafa on clay, there are no easy ways there,” said Federer. “He is not going to hand it to you and that is what has made him so tough the last few years on this surface. I thought I mixed it up well; I served well and was dangerous on particular return games. I thought I took all the right decisions today and in the end it looked pretty comfortable so it was a perfect win for me.”

Despite a marathon semi-final with Djokovic, Nadal refused to blame his exertions on Saturday evening for the loss: “I never tend to use an excuse and if I’m tired it’s because I played longer than I should have yesterday and today I played less, that’s the way that sport works. The court was very, very fast. When you are lacking that spark, if you’re able to get into the game you can slowly get back and recover but he used his tactic. He went forth from the very beginning and he was better. That’s all there is to it.

“On any court Federer is tough and the conditions here are more favourable for him and if you’re not at a 100%, it’s very difficult to beat him and I think he deserved to win much more than I did today.”

It was Federer’s second victory over Nadal on clay and closed the gap in their head-to-head standings to 13-7 in Nadal’s favour. Federer’s previous clay-court victory over Nadal came in the 2007 Hamburg final, ending the Spaniard’s record streak of 81 matches unbeaten on clay. He and Gaston Gaudio (three times) are the only players to have defeated Nadal on clay at least twice.

The 22-year-old Nadal saw his current clay-court winning streak end at 33 singles match wins, dating back to his second-round loss to Juan Carlos Ferrero at ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Rome on 7 May, 2008.

The Manacor native was bidding to become the first man to win all three clay-court ATP World Tour Masters 1000 titles in the same season and earn his fourth Masters 1000 title of the year (also won four in 2005) after triumphing at Indian Wells (d. Murray), Monte-Carlo (d. Djokovic) and Rome (d. Djokovic).

Nadal was contesting his seventh tour-level final of the season in his eighth tournament this year. Together with his three ATP World Tour Masters 1000 victories, he captured his sixth Grand Slam singles title at the Australian Open (d. Ferrer) and won his fifth successive title in Barcelona (d. Ferrer); he finished runner-up to Andy Murray in Rotterdam. The Spaniard dropped to an ATP World Tour-best 41-4 match record (19-1 on clay, 42-4 in sets). [tscii:48145cd365][/tscii:48145cd365]

[ajithfederer]

http://www.atpworldtour.com/TENNIS/1/EN/NEWS/NEWSARTICLE_1967.ASP

RAFAEL NADAL vs. ROGER FEDERER
THE LEGENDARY RIVALRY
January 29, 2009

Rafa & Roger: The Rivalry
© AFP/Getty Images
Rafael Nadal commiserates with Roger Federer after the Australian Open final ATP World No. 1 Rafael Nadal of Spain and No. 2-ranked Roger Federer of Switzerland met for the 20th time in the final at the Mutua Madrilena Madrid Open, an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 clay-court tennis tournament.

In winning his first ATP World Tour title of the season, Federer halted a streak of five successive losses to Nadal and recorded just his second clay-court victory against his Spanish rival.

The pair has met 16 times in ATP World Tour and Grand Slam championship finals, tying with Agassi-Sampras and Becker-Edberg. All-time leaders Ivan Lendl and McEnroe met 20 times in championship matches.

The Australian Open final in January 2009 was their seventh Grand Slam championship title-match (also 2006-08 Roland Garros, Wimbledon), equalling the record of 'Big' Bill Tilden and 'Little' Bill Johnston, who contested seven straight US Championships from 1919-1925.

Nadal, who has beaten Federer three straight times in a Grand Slam final and five times in seven clashes, holds a 13-7 advantage in their career series. Below is a history of the duo's 20 career meetings, beginning with their last match in the final of the Mutua Madrilena Madrid Open May 2009.[tscii:60cd46e3ac][/tscii:60cd46e3ac]

[ajithfederer]

Legendary Rivalry Continued
2009 ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Madrid F. Federer d. Nadal 64 64

After losing his past five matches to Nadal, Federer bounced back in style to end his title drought with a 6-4, 6-4 victory Nadal in the final of the Mutua Madrilena Madrid Open

Early in the match, Nadal showed no ill-effects from his gripping semi-final with Novak Djokovic – which lasted four hours and three minutes and saw the Spaniard save three match points the night before - as he created a break point in Federer’s first service game courtesy of a couple of wayward forehands from the Swiss.

Federer was able to alleviate the danger on that occasion, and later in the seventh game when Nadal had a second break point chance, before turning the tables on the left-hander as he broke him in the ninth game at his first opportunity. The Bottmingen resident then confidently closed out the set with a love service game, a backhand into the net from Nadal handing the Swiss three set points, and Federer secured the one-set lead with an unreturnable serve.

With the prospect of becoming the first man to defeat Nadal on clay in over a year, Federer kept his focus in the second set and capitalised on Nadal’s ever-increasing fatigue with a drop shot that the Spaniard could not chase down in the fifth game to earn a break point, which he converted as Nadal fired a forehand long.

As Federer continued to raise his level, Nadal fought hard to stay within touching distance of the Swiss and forced Federer to serve for the victory at 5-4. A forehand winner from the Spaniard, yearning to win his second title in Madrid (also 2005), gave him a 15-30 lead and as cries of “Rafa, Rafa, Rafa” echoed round Manolo Santana court, Federer’s forehand found the net to present the Mallorcan with a lifeline in the form of two break-back points.

Undeterred, 2006 Madrid champion Federer played strongly on the break points, forcing Nadal to go for an extra shot and reaping the rewards as the Spaniard made two backhand errors. Federer was denied on his first match point, born from a second-serve ace, as he netted the volley from Nadal’s dipping return. A strong forehand in the ensuing point forced Nadal out wide and his return shot into the net granted Federer a second chance to clinch victory, which he converted with his sixth ace of the match after one hour and 26 minutes. Full Report. (http://www.atpworldtour.com/tennis/1/en/news/newsarticle_3698.asp)[tscii:116c273e44][/tscii:116c273e44]

[ajithfederer]

Legendary Rivalry Continued

2008 Wimbledon F. Nadal d. Federer 64 64 67(5) 67(8), 97

Roger Federer was looking to clinch his 13th career Grand Slam title and sixth straight Wimbledon trophy. Rafael Nadal was attempting to become the first man to win the Roland Garros-Wimbledon double since Bjorn Borg in 1980, and also emulate Spanish compatriot Manuel Santana – the 1966 winner at the All England Club.

In one of the most eagerly anticipated matches of their 18-match rivalry, Nadal won the first set 6-4 in 48 minutes but trailed Federer 3-0 in the second set. The World No. 2 fought back to silence the Centre Court crowd with a two sets to love lead. The third set was interrupted by rain, with Federer leading 5-4. The duo returned after a 71-minute delay and despite windy conditions held on for a tie-break. Federer moved into a 5-2 lead and eventually clinched the set on his third set point 7-5.

The fourth set moved into an inevitable tie-break, which kept the 15,000 spectators on Centre Court on the edges of their seats. Two unforced errors from Federer on the forehand wing, gave Nadal his first championship point at 7-6. Again Federer’s serve got him out of trouble, but Nadal was then able to his a forehand winner with Federer approaching the net for his second championship point at 8-7. Serving for the match, Nadal was drawn to the net by Federer who passed the 22-year-old with a backhand winner down the line. With Nadal’s confidence dented, Federer seized control of the tie-break and took the final to a decisive set.

Rain interrupted the match at 2-2 in the fifth set. After a 30-minute delay the final resumed and as darkness set in, Nadal finally converted his fourth break point opportunity for an 8-7 lead after Federer hit a forehand long. Another championship point went begging, but at the fourth time of asking Nadal clinched the crucial point for a 6-4, 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-7(8), 9-7 victory in four hours and 48 minutes. It was the longest final in Wimbledon history (since 1877). The battle for the ATP World No. 1 ranking had just intensified. Full Report (http://www.atpworldtour.com/tennis/1/en/2008news/wimbledon_final.asp)
[tscii:2faf23c7d5][/tscii:2faf23c7d5]

[ajithfederer]

Cont'd:
2008 Roland Garros F. Nadal d. Federer 61 63 60
After contesting closely fought battles in the finals of ATP Masters Series events in Monte Carlo and Hamburg in the lead up to Roland Garros, much was expected when Roger Federer stepped up to face Rafael Nadal in their 17th career meeting. However the match proved to be the most one-sided encounter between the pair.

Nadal enjoyed the better start in the match, breaking Federer's serve in the first game courtesy of one of an eventual 49 unforced errors from the Swiss’ racquet. From there, Nadal did not look back and went on to break the Federer serve twice more to seal the set 6-1 as Federer drifted a forehand volley long.

After fighting back from an early break down in the second set, Federer had the chance to gain a key break though when presented with a break point chance in the seventh game. However, he was denied and, after failing to take his opportunities, the Swiss No. 1 was immediately under pressure and conceded his own serve as another backhand pass from Nadal was just out of his reach. Nadal was quick to extend his lead, closing out the set 6-3 as Federer returned serve long.

The third set lasted just 27 minutes as Nadal broke serve three times to secure the match victory after just one hour and 48 minutes, and hand Federer his first bagel set since June 1999, as the Swiss fired a forehand long, prompting muted celebrations from Nadal after the comfortable win. Full Report (http://www.atpworldtour.com/tennis/1/en/2008news/rg_sunday3.asp) [tscii:0deced40ab][/tscii:0deced40ab]

[ajithfederer]

Cont'd:

2008 Masters Series Hamburg F. Nadal d. Federer 75 67(3) 63

Rafael Nadal had a score to settle against Roger Federer, who snapped his Open Era record 81-match winning streak on clay in the 2007 final. Nadal was looking to become only the third player since 1990 to win the three ATP Masters Series titles on clay in Monte Carlo, Rome and Hamburg in his career. The only players to accomplish the feat were former World No. 1s Gustavo Kuerten and Marcelo Rios.

Federer started the match strongly with breaks of serve in the second and sixth games for a 5-1 lead, but Nadal clawed his way back by winning six successive games to clinch the opening set 7-5 in 61 minutes. The pair exchanged breaks of serve early in the second set, but it was Federer who moved into a 5-2 lead before Nadal broke back in the ninth game. The writing appeared on the wall for Federer, but the Swiss regained his composure and calmly sealed the tie-break to take the pair's 16th career meeting to a deciding set.

Nadal secured the crucial break in the fourth game of the third set and failed to convert two further opportunities for a 5-1 lead. Federer kept battling but Nadal was not to be denied as he fought off one break point in the seventh game to record a 7-5, 6-7(3), 6-3 win in two hours and 53 minutes. Full Report (http://www.atpworldtour.com/tennis/1/en/2008news/hamburg_final.asp)

[ajithfederer]

.......
2008 Masters Series Monte-Carlo F. Nadal d. Federer 75 75

As always seems the case, the stakes were high when Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer met in the 2008 Masters Series Monte-Carlo final. Nadal was looking to become the first player in the Open Era - and the first in almost 100 years - to win four consecutive titles in Monaco. Coming off his seventh career clay title one week earlier in Estoril, Federer was desperate not to fall to Nadal for a third consecutive year in the Monte-Carlo final.

The ATP World No. 1 broke Nadal in the first games of the first and second sets, even racing to a 4-0 lead in the second when Nadal eked out just five points during that stretch. But Federer's inability to hold serve - he was broken six times and saved just one of seven break points - was his undoing, as Nadal embarked on a five-game winning streak of his own before closing out the match 7-5, 7-5.

Since winning his first Monte-Carlo title in 2005, Nadal had won 98 of 99 clay-court matches through his title title run in Monaco in 2008. The victory marked the 21-year-old's 10th ATP Masters Series title and his 24th title overall. Nadal also snapped a nine-month title drought dating back to Stuttgart in 2007. Full report

[ajithfederer]

Cont'd:
2007 Tennis Masters Cup SF. Federer d. Nadal 64 61

Federer claimed the most lopsided win in his storied rivalry with Nadal to race into the Tennis Masters Cup final in Shanghai. After holding his nerve in a tense first set, Federer blew open the match by winning 13 consecutive points at the start of the second set before closing out a 6-4, 6-1 victory.

Federer produced one of the best serving performances of his career, putting 81 percent of first serves into play and, in the first set, firing four consecutive aces to get out of a 0-30 hole.

The ATP World No. 1 hit with conviction the topspin backhand that has so often let him down against Nadal. He was confident on return, opting for a more aggressive topspin backhand rather than his slice. And he found the time he needed to dance around his backhand and unleash the full force of his mighty forehand.

After his early challenge, Nadal fell well short of his best form. His groundstrokes lacked their normal penetration and he made a number of unforced errors.

Yet Nadal did have a number of chances on the Federer serve in the first set and only gave up his first break chances when he dropped serve to lose the first set 6-4. Federer then embarked on his 13-point sweep at the beginning of the second set to take a 3-0 lead. During that run he made seven of eight first serves and broke Nadal to love. Full report

[ajithfederer]

Cont'd:

2007 Wimbledon, F. Federer d Nadal 76(7) 46 76(3) 26 62

After a draining run to the Wimbledon final for the second consecutive year, Rafael Nadal's mental and physical toughness was on show as he produced the best grass court performance of his career against four-time defending champion Federer. Playing for the seventh consecutive day after rain wreaked havoc with the tournament, Nadal pushed the mighty Federer to five sets for the first time in his 34-match winning streak at the All England Club.

Federer, who had never lost a match at Wimbledon after winning the first set, claimed the crucial first set tie-break despite Nadal's gallant effort to save three consecutive set points at 3/6 in the 'breaker.

An attacking Federer made many forays to the net but Nadal had his blistering passes dialed in, protected his serve and volleyed with confidence. The Spaniard saved a break point in the first game of the third set and then didn't face another break point until Federer claimed the decisive break in the sixth game of the fifth set.

Having seen Nadal save 16 of 17 break points against him to win Roland Garros, Federer twice rallied from 15/40 in the fifth set to avoid going down an early break.

Federer, who clubbed 65 winners - including 24 aces and many cross court backhand winners - equaled Bjorn Borg's record of five consecutive Wimbledon titles. Nadal was attempting to become the first player since Borg in 1980 to win Roland Garros and Wimbledon in the same year. Full Report (http://www.atpworldtour.com/tennis/en/news/2007/wimbledon_sunday2.2.asp)

[ajithfederer]

Cont'd:

2007 Roland Garros, F. Nadal d Federer 63 46 63 64

The stakes were higher than ever when Federer and Nadal clashed in the 2007 Roland Garros final. For the second consecutive year Federer was attempting to become just the sixth man in history to win all four Grand Slam titles and to be just the third man to hold all four majors at the same time. Nadal was looking to join Bjorn Borg as the only player to win three consecutive Roland Garros crowns.

Earlier in the clay swing Nadal had beaten Federer in the Masters Series Monte-Carlo final but Federer avenged that defeat with his first clay court victory over Nadal in the Masters Series Hamburg final.

Federer took the fight to Nadal early, earning 10 break point chances over three consecutive Nadal service games in the first set. But the tough Spaniard refused to buckle and scrapped to win the first set. Although Federer rebounded to win the second set, Nadal's ability to fight off 16 of 17 break point opportunities in the match as the telling factor.

Federer returned more aggressively - particularly on the backhand - to try to stop Nadal from controlling points, but, as in past meetings, the Spaniard's high kicking left-handed forehands into his backhand were too much for Federer to handle. Full Report (http://www.atpworldtour.com/tennis/en/news/2007/roland_sunday3.asp)

[ajithfederer]

Rivalry Posts Cont'd:

2007 Masters Series Hamburg, F. Federer d. Nadal 26 62 60
Federer had gone four tournaments without lifting the trophy - the longest title drought of his 172-week reign as ATP World No. 1 - but capped off his week by avenging two years of clay-court torment at the hands of Nadal. He snapped the Spaniard’s 81-match clay winning streak and 16-0 record in clay-court finals, denying Nadal a historic sweep of the clay ATP Masters Series titles as he hoisted the Hamburg trophy for the fourth time.

After a lackluster first set in which he faced break points in his first three services games and lost five consecutive games, Federer changed course and took the attack to his arch rival. He conceded just six points on serve in the second set and seven points on serve in the third set as he hit peak form in his last appearance before Roland Garros. Full Report (http://www.atpworldtour.com/tennis/en/news/2007/hamburg_sunday.asp)[tscii:c18ca0ef51][/tscii:c18ca0ef51]

[ajithfederer]

Rivalry Posts Cont'd:


2007 Masters Series Monte-Carlo, F. Nadal d. Federer 64 64

Federer entered Monte-Carlo on the heels of two surprisingly early exits, seeing his career-high 41-match winning streak come to an end with an opening round loss to Guillermo Canas in Indian Wells and losing to the Argentine again in the fourth round at Miami.

He regrouped at the year's first clay court ATP Masters Series event to set up a final rematch with two-time defending champion Nadal.

But Nadal, who dropped serve just three times in his five matches, proved too much for the top seed in their first meeting of the 2007 season. He broke Federer's serve once in each set and saved all three break points he faced to capture his eighth career ATP Masters Series shield and extend his Open Era record-winning streak on clay to 67 matches.

2006 Tennis Masters Cup Shanghai, SF. Federer d. Nadal 64 75

Federer notched his second straight victory over Nadal, ending with a vicious cross-court winner to become the first player to reach four consecutive finals at a circuit-ending championship since Ivan Lendl.

He broke Nadal early in the opening set and clinched it with a second break of the Spaniard after 49 minutes. Nadal got out of jail twice on match points in the tenth game from Federer errors, but could not hold off the World No. 1 as Federer wrapped up the win two games later.

The Swiss went on to capture his career-best 12th title by defeating James Blake in the final and finished the season with a 92-5 record.

2006 Wimbledon, F. Federer d. Nadal 60 76(5) 67(2) 63

The pressure was on Federer, as the top seed and three-time defending champion was playing in his favorite surface, riding a 47-match grass court winning streak and facing Nadal in a surface that the Spaniard had not managed to produce good results prior to this year's Wimbledon.

Federer started the match in hot form, breaking Nadal in the second, fourth and sixth games to take the set 6-0. The Spaniard would break Federer in the first game of the second set and serve at 5-4 but fail to close it out. Federer won the second set in a tie-break 7-5 but ended up losing the third set also in a tie-break (7-2). In the fourth set Federer took early control, breaking Nadal at 2-1 and 4-1 and eventually winning the Championships when serving at 5-3.

Federer, who captured his 39th career title and eighth Grand Slam crown, became the sixth man to secure four straight Wimbledon titles.

[ajithfederer]

Rivalry Posts Cont'd:

2006 Roland Garros, F. Nadal d. Federer 16 61 64 76(4)

The stakes had never been higher in a Federer-Nadal showdown than when the top two players in the INDESIT ATP Rankings went head-to-head in the Roland Garros final.

Playing in his first Roland Garros title match, Federer was attempting to become the first player since Rod Laver in 1969 to win four straight Grand Slam events, and just the third player in history to achieve the feat.

Nadal was looking to become the youngest player to defend the Roland Garros title since Bjorn Borg in 1974-75. The Spaniard also was trying to improve his perfect record at Roland Garros to 14-0, his clay court winning streak to 60 matches and to notch his 100th career clay court win.

Federer broke Nadal twice in the first set to race to a 5-0 lead. But then Nadal began to dominate the match with his crushing forehand and Federer struggled with many unforced backhand errors.

Nadal did not drop serve again until he tried to close out the match at 5-4 in the fourth set. But he clinched the match soon after in the tie-break. Nadal won his 14th consecutive final (second only in the Open Era to Federer's mark of 24 straight finals won).

2006 Masters Series Rome, F. Nadal d. Federer 67(0) 76(5) 64 26 76(5)

In May, only three weeks after their Monte-Carlo match, Federer and Nadal were at it again. Federer rested in the time in between the two tournaments, while Nadal went to Barcelona and won the title (d. Robredo).

This match was the best between the two warriors yet, lasting five hours and five minutes. Federer forced the action, successfully approaching the net again and again. The Swiss tennis genius won more points than Nadal, just like in Dubai, 179 to 174.

But once more Nadal won the big points. Federer had two match points with Nadal serving at 5-6, 15-40 in the final set. But he missed forehands on both opportunities.

With the victory, Nadal tied Guillermo Vilas’ Open Era record of 53 straight match wins on clay. He also lifted his career record in finals to 16-2, the best winning percentage in Open Era history.

Even after the defeat, Federer had an incredible 2006 record of 39-3, with all three losses at the hands of Nadal.

2006 Masters Series Monte-Carlo, F. Nadal d. Federer 62 67(2) 63 76(5)

Between the Dubai match and this one in April, Federer went undefeated, winning Masters Series events for the third year in a row at Indian Wells (d. Blake) and the second year in a row at Miami (d. Ljubicic). Nadal, meanwhile, reached the semifinals of Indian Wells (l. to Blake) and fell in the second round at Miami (to Moya).

But Nadal regained his footing at Monte-Carlo. He took the exciting match in three hours and 49 minutes and overcame a 0-3 deficit in the final tie-break. [tscii:861f8c1209][/tscii:861f8c1209]

[ajithfederer]

Rivalry Posts Cont'd:

2006 Dubai Tennis Championships, Dubai, F. Nadal d. Federer 26 64 64

Federer came into the pair's first encounter of the 2006 season undefeated, having won the title at Doha (d. Monfils) and the Australian Open (d. Baghdatis). Nadal was just getting his groove back after suffering an ankle injury at the Madrid Masters Series event in October. Dubai was only Nadal's second tournament since suffering the injury. He opened the year with a semifinal showing at Marseille in February (l. to Clement).

This was the first match between Federer and Nadal with the Spanish superstar holding the INDESIT ATP Ranking of No. 2.

Nadal won the encounter despite winning less points: 71 to 78. They each broke serve three times, but Nadal won the points that mattered. The win represented his 10th straight victory in finals. Nadal’s victory also broke Federer’s Open Era record of 56 straight match wins on hard courts.

2005 Roland Garros, Paris, SF. Nadal d. Federer 63 46 64 63
Theirs was the most eagerly awaited match of the tournament. Federer was already No. 1 in the world and fast-rising Nadal was at No. 5.

Nadal came to Roland Garros on the heels of clay-court titles at the ATP Masters Series events at Monte-Carlo in April (d. Coria) and at Rome in May (d. Coria again). Federer, meanwhile, was fresh off of his second straight clay-court crown at Masters Series Hamburg in May (d. Gasquet).

Federer evened the score by winning the second set, but after that his form fell as the wet and dark conditions set in. Nadal kept the pressure on, ousting Federer in four sets on the way to winning the Roland Garros title on debut (d. Puerta in the final).

2005 NASDAQ-1OO Open, Miami, F. Federer d. Nadal 26 67(4) 76(5) 63 61

Federer was primed for revenge. Again he came into the Miami event with only one loss for the year (to Safin in the semifinals of the Australian Open) and fresh off a title in Indian Wells (d. Hewitt). Nadal was a year older and wiser, already having won three ATP titles.

The balls were flying at Federer from Nadal's exploding topspin groundstrokes, and the Spaniard was running down every ball in sight. Before he knew it, Federer was down 5-3 in the third set tie-break, two points from defeat. But he rallied back, and leveled the head-to-head series at 1-1

2004 NASDAQ-100 Open, Miami, 3rd RD. Nadal d. Federer 63 63

Federer came into the ATP Masters Series event on a roll, having won the Australian Open final over Marat Safin in February and the Pacific Life Open (also a Masters Series event) in Indian Wells over Tim Henman just before coming to Miami. He had lost only once in 2004 prior to this match (in the quarterfinals of Rotterdam to Henman).

Nadal, the youngest man in the tournament at 17, was just starting to emerge as a force on the ATP circuit and hadn’t yet won a title.

He breezed by Federer in only 69 minutes for the best win of his career at that point. The Spaniard said after the match that it was probably the best he had ever served.[tscii:ed5606461a][/tscii:ed5606461a]

[ajithfederer]

Rivalry Posts Cont'd:


Complete head to head (http://www.atpworldtour.com/tennis/3/en/players/headtohead/default.asp?player1=nadal&player2=federer)

[ajithfederer]

End of Rivalry Posts

:clap: :clap: :clap: To both Rafa and Roger

http://www.atpworldtour.com/TENNIS/1/EN/NEWS/NEWSARTICLE_1967.ASP

[wrap07]

:clap: :clap:

[ajithfederer]

Roger's interview on NBC

http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/22825103/vp/25440883#25431910

[ajithfederer]

[tscii:78243cc77d]"I don’t want to kill you. What would I do without you? Go back to ripen off mob dealers, no, no, no, no, you…You complete…me." (Whenever I think of this dialogue, I somehow relate Rafael Nadal telling it to Roger Federer)

:rotfl:. Good creativity :clap:

http://amazer.blogspot.com/2009/02/top-joker-quotes.html[/tscii:78243cc77d]

[ajithfederer]

Roger federer on facebook and he confirms that it is infact himself. Here is the video link.

http://www.facebook.com/Federer?sid=5436c463ab9899edfbc0978bb2129d01&ref=search#/video/video.php?v=1150188000383&ref=mf

[ajithfederer]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLgvhXHM8K0

Shots are amazing to watch in HD

:clap:

[ajithfederer]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPKLe_PiGsc

RF interview with Tennis Channel

[ajithfederer]

Federer keen to avoid burden of expectation

By Dave James – 12 hours ago

PARIS (AFP) — Roger Federer is just three wins away from both a career Grand Slam and joining Pete Sampras as a 14-time major winner, but he's desperate to avoid sinking beneath a tidal wave of expectations.

With four-time champion Rafael Nadal, who defeated the great Swiss star in the last three finals here, beaten for the first time at Roland Garros, Federer has been widely-tipped to cruise to a first French Open title.

That would make him only the sixth man in history to have won all four Grand Slam titles.

But the 27-year-old insists that Rafa or no Rafa, there is still work to be done on the claycourts which have, year in, year out, resembled more of a scrapyard for him than a playground.

"I'm used to any kind of a situation, so (Nadal's defeat) doesn't affect me in a big way," said Federer who battled back 6-7 (4/7), 5-7, 6-4, 6-0, 6-2 to beat German veteran Tommy Haas in the fourth round on Monday.

"You are aware of it. You try and stay in the draw, but at the end of the day you're focusing on your shots and your match and on how you play and the game plan against that player."

If Federer can get past French 11th seed Gael Monfils on Wednesday and then either Juan Martin Del Potro or Tommy Robredo in the semi-finals, he may start thinking that finally the tennis gods, at least those in this south-west corner of Paris, are on his side.

"I think if you make it to the final then it's a different scenario because whoever I play then I probably have a decent record against which wouldn't be the case with Rafa, knowing that he has all the experience and the confidence of winning here," said Federer.

"Definitely it changes it up if I were to make the final. But we're not there yet."

Federer, with five Wimbledon, five US Open and three Australian Open victories, has known nothing but heartache in Paris.

Nadal has swept past him in the last three finals while in 2004, the year before the Spaniard began his remarkable domination, Federer lost in the third round to an inspired former champion Gustavo Kuerten.

That defeat was the last time he failed to get at least to a semi-final at a Grand Slam.

Federer also insists that Nadal will be back and warns players like Robin Soderling, whose defeat of the champion sent shockwaves through tennis, they need to keep proving they can compete.

"It's not an easy task, because how often does it happen in your life?," said the world number two.

"It happens just a few times, and it's hard to back them up. I went through it when I beat Sampras at Wimbledon and then lost to Tim (Henman). I didn't play that bad against Tim, but you just realize that not only Sampras can play tennis, but Henman can and there are so many other players that play so well.

"Just because you beat this one particular player, it doesn't mean you're going to now beat everybody easily. You have to keep on playing dream tennis, and that's a hard thing to do sometimes."

Wednesday's second quarter-final sees fifth-seeded Argentine Del Potro facing Spanish 16th seed Robredo who is playing in his fourth last eight clash here.

This is Del Potro's first Roland Garros quarter-final and follows similar runs at the US Open and Australian Opens.

Del Potro, just 20 and the youngest man left in the men's tournament, takes a 1-0 career lead over the 27-year-old Robredo into his tie.

"He is specialized on clay, and so far his season has been excellent," said Del Potro.

Robredo reached the last eight here in 2003, 2005 and 2007 and the has the most claycourt wins this season with a 25-6 record.

"On Sunday, Rafa and Fernando (Verdasco) didn't have their best day and they lost. These things happen. But I'm not putting all 40 million Spaniards behind me, thinking that if I lose they are going to lose," said Robredo.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jvmJhs6Is6I2NYntynykzsnwgGIw[tscii:f5ce0d4951][/tscii:f5ce0d4951]

[ajithfederer]

http://www.rolandgarros.com/en_FR/players/overview/atpf324.html

20th consecutive Semi Final appearance (From 2004 Wimbledon till present)

:clap: :clap: :clap:

[ajithfederer]

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ih5OXIhPv9E7TM1JrDG6L8S8SAnQD98JB0IG0

Federer into 20th consecutive Grand Slam semifinal
By HOWARD FENDRICH – 4 hours ago

PARIS (AP) — Getting into a groove at the French Open, Roger Federer is two victories from completing a career Grand Slam and tying Pete Sampras' record for major titles.

After three consecutive so-so performances, Federer was challenged only fleetingly in the quarterfinals Wednesday at Roland Garros before beating 11th-seeded Gael Monfils of France 7-6 (6), 6-2, 6-4.

Federer reached the semifinals for the 20th consecutive Grand Slam tournament, extending his own record.

"I felt some pressure before this match," Federer said. "I was very nervous, because I thought it would be very difficult."

He did face two break points in the opening game of the match, and another at 5-5 in the first set — but saved each of them.

Then, in the tiebreaker, Monfils held a set point at 6-5, but again Federer held steady, and the Frenchman sent a backhand wide to make it 6-all. Two points later — a service winner and a volley winner by Federer — the set was over, and so, essentially, was the match.

"Maybe I took too many risks at the beginning," the second-seeded Federer said, "but I was worried about his forehand."

Federer owns 13 Grand Slam singles titles, and the French Open is the only major championship he hasn't won. He lost to Rafael Nadal in each of the past three finals at Roland Garros, as well as in the 2005 semifinals.

But Nadal is no longer around this year after being upset in the fourth round by Robin Soderling.

Since the start of the 2005 French Open, Federer is 0-4 against Nadal in Paris, 28-0 against everyone else.

Still, Federer was extended to four sets in both the second and third rounds, then needed to overcome a two-set deficit before getting past Tommy Haas in five sets in the fourth round.

"I had problems at the beginning of each match in this tournament, because it often was 3-3, 4-4, 5-5, so I wasn't playing freely," Federer said. "Today is the first match the score wasn't close."

He won 18 of the last 19 points on his serve.

"Today," Monfils said, "he didn't miss a lot."

Federer will play No. 5 Juan Martin del Potro or No. 16 Tommy Robredo for a berth in the final. Soderling faces No. 12 Fernando Gonzalez in the other men's semifinal Friday.

Is Federer the favorite?

"He still has two tough matches if he wants to win, but I think he can do it," said Monfils, who lost to Federer in last year's semifinals in Paris. "He should be very motivated to win, so, yeah, why not?"

Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. [tscii:75e643ef61][/tscii:75e643ef61]

[ajithfederer]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jomrNLMd6gA

The return of serve(backhand dropshot??) against Tommy haas in 2:15 is pure genius.

[ajithfederer]

Roger Federer has equalled Ivan Lendl's record of 19 grandslam Finals.

[ajithfederer]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/feedarticle/8544452

Federer deserves to be called the greatest, says Agassi
Reuters, Saturday June 6 2009

By Pritha Sarkar

PARIS, June 6 (Reuters) - Roger Federer will undoubtedly become the greatest tennis player to have graced the sport if he wins the French Open, Andre Agassi said on Saturday.
Agassi, one of only five men to have achieved the career grand slam, said he expected Federer to join the select club by beating Sweden's Robin Soderling in the Roland Garros final on Sunday.
"It ends the discussion of where he fits in the history of the game," the American said during a visit to Roland Garros with his wife Steffi Graf.
"If it wasn't for (four-times champion Rafael) Nadal, he probably would have won a handful of these things. So nobody would underestimate where he deserves to fit in this game.
"This is going to mean so much to him, to have that hole filled. It's something he's going to earn tomorrow and I think it will change his life."
If Federer completes the feat, he will join Don Budge, Fred Perry, Roy Emerson, Rod Laver and Agassi as the men who have won all four majors. It will also give Federer a record-equalling 14th grand slam crown, putting him level with Pete Sampras.
Agassi said winning the Musketeers' Cup in 1999 defined his life, even though he won seven other major trophies during his career.
"It changed my career and as result my life," he said. "It's probably the most profound moment in my career, getting over obstacles and doubts I had coming to win here," said Agassi, who was beaten in two finals before he completed his collection.
"Tomorrow there's a chance to see history and I think Roger being the second best clay courter over the last five years, earning a spot in the final four different times, deserves this more than I did.
"It would be privilege for the game to see history being made and in some ways it feels like destiny for him and it's going to be pretty exciting.
"He's extraordinarily talented and talk about grace on court, watching him play is something special to see and if he does it tomorrow, he'll know what an accomplishment it was."
(Editing by Clare Fallon; To query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)

[ajithfederer]

Federer advice helped Kuznetsova

Svetlana Kuznetsova says a chance meeting with Roger Federer helped turn her career around and ultimately led to Saturday's French Open victory.

The Russian beat compatriot Dinara Safina 6-4 6-2 to win at Roland Garros.

And Kuznetsova, who moved to Spain as a 13-year-old, said that Federer had helped by backing her return to Russia.

Kuznetsova revealed: "He said - 'Look you can only depend on yourself. You can control it. If you can concentrate and live in Moscow, do this.'"

The pair met at the Olympic Games in Beijing last year, where Kuznetsova had lost in the first round and was struggling for motivation.

"I say, I don't want to train, I don't want to think about it," said the 23-year-old, who was still at the academy in Barcelona she had joined nine years earlier.


I put pressure on myself because I really wanted to win. I just didn't handle it

Dinara Safina
"I don't want to go back to Spain. I said a few times I want to quit playing tennis. I said it, I never felt it."

A 10-minute conversation with Federer in Beijing clarified matters for the Russian.

"He was listening and I said I want to move from Spain. I want to go to Russia. I don't know what to do.

"He said - 'Look you can only depend on yourself. You can control it. If you can concentrate and live in Moscow, do this.'

"I came back to Moscow and I worked hard. I had my passion, I have my friends, I am in my home country. I'm very patriotic. I love being there. This was a big turning point."

And after seeing off Safina in just 74 minutes on Saturday, Kuznetsova was struggling to come to terms with her victory.


606: DEBATE
Kuznetsova certainly deserved to win the match today and is indeed a class player, but Safina deserved to win the title

la-rafanatica
"This is big," she said. "It didn't happen just by luck. To have two Grand Slam trophies - big, you know. I just cannot express my feelings. I just have feeling inside and need to share it with my close people."

Safina admitted that she had failed to cope with the pressure as she tried to win a first Grand Slam title.

"I put pressure on myself because I really wanted to win," she said. "I just didn't handle it.

"I was a little bit desperate on the court and didn't do the things that I had to do. Didn't stay tough mentally.

"She gave me chances and I had chances. She was not so aggressive as she usually is. I just didn't do anything."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/tennis/8087350.stm

[ajithfederer]

Roland Garros
Paris, FranceJune 5, 2009

Federer Rallies Again To Move One Match Away From Rewriting History Books
© Getty Images
Roger Federer finds himself one match away from securing a place in tennis' history books and perhaps being considered the greatest player all-time. The 27-year-old Swiss superstar advanced to his fourth consecutive Roland Garros championship after rallying to defeat World No. 5 Juan Martin del Potro 3-6, 7-6(2), 2-6, 6-1, 6-4, on Friday.

Federer, who has come up short in the past three Roland Garros finals against arguably the greatest clay-courter of all-time, Rafael Nadal, will take on the Spaniard's conqueror, No. 23-seeded Robin Soderling, who will appear Sunday in his first tour-level clay court final. Federer is 9-0 lifetime against the Swede (19-1 in sets), including 2-0 on clay.

Despite his dominance of Soderling and unrivaled experience in Grand Slam finals, Federer rejected suggestions that he is a lock to win the final. "Look, there's no easy Grand Slam finals,” he said. “It's very simple, because the one who is on the other side of the net has also won six matches and is definitely in the shape of his life.

"I cannot obviously underestimate Robin, even though I've beaten him I think in the [nine] matches we've played against each other. But obviously it's nice to see someone else for a change in the French Open finals. I've been there before. I don't know if it's an advantage or not, because I've never been able to win. I'm sure the pressure is big for both players, not only for me, but also for him. It's his first big step in a Grand Slam. I'm sure we're going to play some good tennis, because I thought he played we will really well today against Gonzalez."

Federer is one match away from becoming the sixth man to win all four Grand Slam championships in his career and from tying Pete Sampras' mark of 14 Grand Slam titles. Andre Agassi was the last man to complete a career Grand Slam 10 years ago at Roland Garros. Other players who have accomplished the feat are: Fred Perry in 1935, Don Budge in 1938, Rod Laver (1962 and '69) and Roy Emerson (1964).

Federer is making his 19th trip to a Grand Slam singles final (13-5), including 15 of the past 16 title matches. His 19 finals equal Ivan Lendl's mark (8-11).

This has been Federer's toughest road to a Grand Slam final, losing six sets along the way, including a five-setter against Tommy Haas (from two sets down) in the fourth round and four-set battles in the second and third rounds.

"It feels great coming through tough matches like this," said Federer. "It's more emotional. It's more satisfaction, even though I love matches when I can really dominate an opponent. But this is also a great feeling of coming through this way, not the easy way, showing different qualities. It's not always something I've actually had a chance to show, because matches were over too quickly sometimes. It's good for me, so my career hopefully is going to be longer because of those matches, in the long run."

In the opening set, del Potro broke in the fifth and ninth games to secure his first set won (of 13) in their six meetings. Both players held throughout the second set before Federer took control of the tie-break. He led 5-1 before closing it out 7-2. In the third set, the Argentine broke in the opening game and again in the seventh game to take a 2-1 sets lead.

Federer failed to break del Potro in the first three sets before finally converting in the fourth game. The 20-year-old Argentine double-faulted to lose serve in the sixth game and Federer closed out the set with his fifth ace to even the match.

In the opening game of the fifth set, Federer broke when del Potro hit a forehand long. Federer was broken in the sixth game but broke back in the next game as del Potro double-faulted. Federer failed to convert on his first match point on del Potro's serve in the ninth game but sealed the three hour and 28-minute victory with a forehand winner on match point.

Although del Potro converted five of 13 break points to Federer's four of 12 and led in aces (16 to 5) and winners (55 to 50), the Tandil native struggled on second serve. Federer won 52 per cent of second serve points to del Potro's 43 percent.

Del Potro, who was appearing in his first Grand Slam semi-final, was the first Argentine since David Nalbandian in 2006 to reach the semi-finals at Roland Garros.

"Well, now I feel so sad. It was a long match, very close," said del Potro. "It was my first semi-final and I had the chance. I think I'm playing better than Australia where we played on another surface. I served very good every moment in the match and that was the reason it went to five sets."

http://www.atpworldtour.com/TENNIS/1/EN/NEWS/NEWSARTICLE_3879.ASP[tscii:f835a20a0b][/tscii:f835a20a0b]

[omega]

Roger completes his resume winning FO beating Soldering in straight sets 6-1, 7-6, 6-4. It was a clinical performance, with total dominance on all fronts (serve, ground strokers on both ends & excellent touches). He must be a very relieved man.

[mgb]

stanley.. treat kudunga :P

[ajithfederer]

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=517035780#/video/video.php?v=1157504103281&ref=mf

[ajithfederer]

Indha azhumoonji roger payal treat kodutha odane naan thanthudurein :P.

stanley.. treat kudunga :P

[littlemaster1982]

AF,

Avar azhudhadhu ungalukku pidikkalaiya :P

[Sanjeevi]

Roger congrats :D

[wrap07]

Roger Federer has equalled Ivan Lendl's record of 19 grandslam Finals.

quite an amazing record. :clap:

[wrap07]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/feedarticle/8544452

Federer deserves to be called the greatest, says Agassi
Reuters, Saturday June 6 2009

By Pritha Sarkar

PARIS, June 6 (Reuters) - Roger Federer will undoubtedly become the greatest tennis player to have graced the sport if he wins the French Open, Andre Agassi said on Saturday.
Agassi, one of only five men to have achieved the career grand slam, said he expected Federer to join the select club by beating Sweden's Robin Soderling in the Roland Garros final on Sunday.
"It ends the discussion of where he fits in the history of the game," the American said during a visit to Roland Garros with his wife Steffi Graf.
"If it wasn't for (four-times champion Rafael) Nadal, he probably would have won a handful of these things. So nobody would underestimate where he deserves to fit in this game.
"This is going to mean so much to him, to have that hole filled. It's something he's going to earn tomorrow and I think it will change his life."
If Federer completes the feat, he will join Don Budge, Fred Perry, Roy Emerson, Rod Laver and Agassi as the men who have won all four majors. It will also give Federer a record-equalling 14th grand slam crown, putting him level with Pete Sampras.
Agassi said winning the Musketeers' Cup in 1999 defined his life, even though he won seven other major trophies during his career.
"It changed my career and as result my life," he said. "It's probably the most profound moment in my career, getting over obstacles and doubts I had coming to win here," said Agassi, who was beaten in two finals before he completed his collection.
"Tomorrow there's a chance to see history and I think Roger being the second best clay courter over the last five years, earning a spot in the final four different times, deserves this more than I did.
"It would be privilege for the game to see history being made and in some ways it feels like destiny for him and it's going to be pretty exciting.
"He's extraordinarily talented and talk about grace on court, watching him play is something special to see and if he does it tomorrow, he'll know what an accomplishment it was."
(Editing by Clare Fallon; To query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)

Federer :clap: :thumbsup:

[ajithfederer]

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index?entryID=4240568&name=bodo_peter

For the love of the game: Federer far from done
Monday, June 8, 2009 |

PARIS -- Roger Federer won his first French Open but his record-tying 14th singles Grand Slam title, thereby completing his career Grand Slam. He was asked soon afterward if he would be happy if forced to retire tomorrow. He replied:



"Yes, I would because I feel like I've put everything out there, you know. I fought for this moment and stayed positive and calm when things maybe weren't going so well, even though they were still going great.



So, yeah, I would. I always said it doesn't matter when I retire, I'll be at peace. I can walk away from this game tomorrow, but I don't choose to because I love this game too much."



That love, any of Federer's legions of fans will tell you, is perfectly expressed in a game that is as lethal as it is tender; as versatile as it is dedicated to the singular purpose of winning matches. Federer probably convinced most critics that he's the greatest tennis player of the Open era -- if not of all time.



For one very small portion of the demographic, this is just terrible news. For in the recent past, especially the period between the end of January and the final of the Madrid event three weeks ago, it looked like all the potential records and distinctions so close to his fingertips were putting Federer under enormous pressure. His opponents walked onto the court feeling that they might have a chance at taking down a once daunting obstacle.



Federer was like an NFL running back, dragging more tacklers than he seemed able to shake. But Sunday's win -- and really, a good deal of the dynamic was created by Rafael Nadal's loss in the fourth round here -- may be a powerful game-changer.



At just 27, Federer has a solid three or four good years left and he doesn't need to be in a hurry about anything. Only one piece of low-hanging fruit still wants plucking, and that's the outright singles title record.



When Wimbledon begins in a couple of weeks, Federer will undoubtedly still be walking on air. For the rest of his career on the tour, Federer will be playing with house money, and he's just too conscientious and disciplined a pro to get so careless that his game goes downhill. If anything, he'll be free to swing from the heels, focusing on his love of the game.



And that love is both genuine and profound. As he said in portion of his winner's news conference at Roland Garros:



"I always said it doesn't matter when I retire, I'll be at peace. I can walk away from this game tomorrow, but I don't choose to because I love this game too much. It hasn't appeared in my mind once yet that I want to retire. Tennis is not forever; I know that. But I'll try to definitely enjoy it as long as I can. "



That's not just a statement of loyalty; it's also an unintended but very real threat that every one of his erstwhile rivals ought to take seriously.

[ajithfederer]

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gVQrUiLLygyA1IQGf3MoIeYFjl9AD98MI85O0

Roger Federer to get hometown naming venue honor

BASEL, Switzerland (AP) — Roger Federer's birthplace will rename its international tennis venue for its most famous sporting son.

Basel sports director Peter Howald said on Monday that St. Jakobshalle will be called Roger Federer Arena following a planned renovation.

Howald said the city had discussed ways of honoring the new French Open champion, who completed a career Grand Slam and tied Pete Sampras' record of 14 major singles titles with his victory Sunday at Roland Garros.

Federer is a three-time defending champion of the Swiss Indoors tournament at St. Jakobshalle. He is scheduled to defend his title Nov. 2-8.

Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
[tscii:5a65da8f31][/tscii:5a65da8f31]

[ajithfederer]

Roger Federer ties Pete Sampras with 14 major titles, but Rod Laver is unmatched
Monday, June 8th 2009, 4:00 AM



http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/more_sports/2009/06/08/2009-06-08_roger_federer_ties_pete_sampras_for_.html#ixzz0 HqtxrwJj&D


Roger Federer realizes quest is finally over and French Open is finally his.

Take our PollGrand-est of them all
Who do you think is the best tennis player of all time?


Roger Federer



Pete Sampras



Andre Agassi



Rod Laver



Arthur Ashe



John McEnroe



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Jimmy Connors



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Safina suffers French flop
R-Fed wins French, seals career Grand Slam
There will be those who say that Roger Federer didn't have to go through Rafa Nadal to get to the French Open trophy Sunday in Paris, and all that will be is point-missing. Guess what? Tiger Woods has never had a Nadal in his life since the day he started winning majors, and nobody ever asks him to apologize for anything.

The last major Woods won was against Rocco Mediate. It was one of the great stories because he did it playing on one good leg, and in the end, as gracious and charming an opponent as Mediate was, this was about Woods' greatness, and his grace, and his athletic character. And so it is with Federer, now that he has finally won the French, now that he has finally completed the career Grand Slam, now that he has tied Pete Sampras at 14 majors.

"Now the question is: Am I the greatest of all time?" Federer said when it was over yesterday. "We don't know, but I definitely have many things going for me ..."

He does. This was big stuff Sunday in Paris, even if the final was played against Robin Soderling, who did something at the French that Federer never did and might never do: Beat Nadal. It was big stuff in sports because Federer is as big a player as his sport has ever produced. Whether he has lost six big finals to Nadal or not.

I was at Wimbledon last summer, the Wimbledon that would end with the best tennis match ever played anywhere, between Federer and Nadal. You could see even in the first week that Nadal was better than he ever was on grass and that Federer was not the same player he had been, even going for six Wimbledons in a row.

His confidence was not the same, his forehand was not as reliable (it would be forehand errors that finally cost him six Wimbledons in a row) as it had been. At the time it seemed like some kind of perfect storm: Federer was a little older, his strokes weren't as sure and neither was he, because here came this kid with Nadal.

Federer got to No. 13 at the Open, not having to beat Nadal there, beating Andy Murray in the final. But when he lost to Nadal in the Australian final, you started to wonder what it would take for him to catch Sampras. And before Nadal came along, all it took to make Federer the favorite to win a major was to get his application in on time.

Only now Soderling does him maybe the biggest favor in all of tennis history by upsetting Nadal. And you know something? If anybody ever deserved a break like that, it is Federer, who by making all those finals against Nadal came closer to winning the French Open than Pete Sampras ever did.
So now he is tied with Pete. As always there are three men's players to talk about when you try to decide the greatest player of all: Federer, Sampras, Rod Laver. Laver doesn't have the majors that Federer and Sampras do, but he wasn't allowed to play the majors for more than five years after he won the Grand Slam in 1962. When the sport finally became "Open," all Laver did was come back and win the Grand Slam again in 1969.

He also never faced the kind of clay court specialists that Sampras did and Federer does. Laver still won two Slams, seven years apart, one of the amazing sports achievements of all time. But so is this: Federer making 20 major semis in a row. It is as likely as anybody will do that again as it is that another Laver will come along to win two Grand Slams.

Sampras went up against Andre Agassi when both of them were at their best. But I think Nadal will end up winning more majors than Agassi did.

There are all sorts of layers to this conversation, one of the best of its kind you could have in sports. Here are the guys Laver beat to win his Grand Slam titles: Ken Rosewall, Roy Emerson, Neale Fraser, John Newcombe, Tony Roche, Marty Mulligan, Andres Gimeno, Chuck McKinley.

There is no right answer here, except for this one: No one has ever had more game than Federer does, nobody ever had more shots, nobody ever had more talent and grace for hitting a tennis ball.

Of course when it was time for Federer to accept the trophy he was as fluent on the podium in French as he was in English. His game has always had the kind of fluency as he has gone from surface to surface, year after year.

He didn't have to beat Nadal yesterday. There is no rule passed in sports, especially for immortals, that they have to beat the other top guy to make history. What you do is show up and play who you play.

Federer has done that for a long time. He shows up for every major, every year, he takes on all comers, no matter what, then he makes the semis at least. On all surfaces. A lot of guys have had the chance to make 20 major semis in a row, win 14 majors, get a career Slam. Roger Federer has done all that. Now he finally has the French. Try telling him he's not the best who ever played.



http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/more_sports/2009/06/08/2009-06-08_roger_federer_ties_pete_sampras_for_.html?page= 1#ixzz0HqtreMO7&D


http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/more_sports/2009/06/08/2009-06-08_roger_federer_ties_pete_sampras_for_.html

[ajithfederer]

[tscii:fcc71c4c77]French in hand, Federer looks forward to Wimbledon
By HOWARD FENDRICH – 1 hour ago

PARIS (AP) — To Roger Federer, what's important is not only that he finally won the French Open.

It's how he did it.

"I didn't think I played the greatest tennis of my life throughout this tournament. But I definitely played the right way: I was smart. I was strong. I had to show fighting spirit and all those things," Federer said Monday. "It's different for me to come through this way, instead of just dominating everybody."

A day after beating Robin Soderling 6-1, 7-6 (1), 6-4 to complete a career Grand Slam and earn a record-tying 14th major championship, Federer met with reporters at a hotel in central Paris. It's where he slept the past few weeks — and where he drank champagne and celebrated until the wee hours Monday morning with a group of about 60 people.

"I'm just mentally drained and exhausted — and just so happy and thrilled," Federer said, his new trophy in tow.

Of the 19 times he has reached the final of a Grand Slam tournament, equaling Ivan Lendl's mark, this was the first time Federer played two five-set matches along the way. He dropped the first two sets of his fourth-round match against Tommy Haas before coming back, then trailed against Juan Martin del Potro in the quarterfinals before coming through in five sets.

"I feel I've definitely become more a man now, the last few years, where I'm not scared of five-setters anymore," Federer said. "I can handle the pressure."

He said he's not too concerned about regaining the No. 1 ranking he lost to Rafael Nadal in August. No, Federer's priority is winning more Grand Slam titles. The first chance to get No. 15 and surpass Pete Sampras comes at Wimbledon, which begins June 22.

Federer's run of five consecutive Wimbledon titles ended with a five-set loss to Nadal in last year's final.

The 27-year-old Swiss star considers himself the man to beat this time.

"I do think I'm the favorite, actually, with all the success I've had," Federer said.

Nadal's 31-match French Open winning streak ended with a loss to Soderling in the fourth round. Five days later, Nadal pulled out of this week's grass-court tournament at Queen's Club, citing knee problems.

Referring to Wimbledon, Nadal said: "I hope I can be ready to compete by then."

Federer expects to see his nemesis at the All England Club.

"It seems like it's not 100 percent serious, his knee injury. I only wish him the best and I hope it's not true that he will miss Wimbledon. I think it's a lot of speculation at the moment," Federer said. "He wasn't taping his knees here in Paris. He seemed fine, (from) what I saw, anyway. I've played him so many times, I can tell when he's in pain and when he's not."

Federer said his back feels OK — he took a six-week break this year because it was bothering him — but he also said he was considering withdrawing from the grass-court tournament in Halle, Germany, that began Monday.

As for his game, Federer figures he can keep improving, particularly on grass and hard courts, "when I can go for my shots more."

He already has won five championships at Wimbledon, five at the U.S. Open and three at the Australian Open. Now — after having lost to Nadal in the three previous French Open finals — Federer looks forward to being the defending champion at Roland Garros for the first time.

"I'm sure I'm going to enjoy Paris even more in the future," he said, "because the pressure is off."

Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iE8NLtg0GJLVMnSNedgiJuTXnEmAD98MH7H80
[/tscii:fcc71c4c77]

[ajithfederer]

Let the debate begin: Is Federer now the greatest of all time?

PARIS — Let the debates begin.
Roger Federer's coveted victory at the French Open on Sunday against Sweden's Robin Soderling will launch a cavalcade of bar stool and Internet chat-room discussions about whether he is the greatest male player of all time.

The Swiss No. 2's first Paris win presents a strong case: It tied him on the all-time leaderboard in majors with Pete Sampras at 14, and also pushed him past Sampras as one of six men to complete a career Grand Slam — winning each of the four majors, Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and the U.S. Open.

Federer, 27, has done so over an astonishingly short span since winning his first of five Wimbledons in 2003.

"I didn't think it would take seven years to tie it," Sampras said in a statement to ATPWorldTour.com. Sampras won his last major at the 2002 U.S. Open, and he told news organizations the Paris win confirms Federer as the best of all time.

If Federer's missing Roland Garros title "settles the debate" according to Tennis Channel analyst Justin Gimelstob, it's an argument that is far from airtight.

"I don't think you can compare eras," said Australian Rod Laver, the only man to win two calendar-year Grand Slams and who is often cited as the standard-bearer of greatness. "You can be the dominant performer of your time, but I don't think anyone has the title of best ever."

Like Laver, Federer accomplished what Sampras never did: A win at Roland Garros. The American had some success on clay but his best result in Paris was the semifinals in 1995.

Federer, of course, has been a force on clay. Were it not for archrival Rafael Nadal, he might own more than one French Open crown.

The Swiss star — whose résumé also includes five Wimbledons, five U.S. Opens and three Australian Open titles — has been the second-best player on clay of his era, reaching the last three Paris finals and the semifinals the year before. Each time, he fell to Spaniard Nadal.

But playing a speculative parlor game of hypotheticals doesn't necessarily provide answers.

"What Laver did is god-like," said Andre Agassi, who completed his career Slam at Roland Garros in 1999 and who handed Federer his coveted Coupe des Mousquetaires men's trophy Sunday. "To win all of them in the same year twice — how do you argue with that?"

At the same time, Agassi said, Federer's consistency across all surfaces — his 20 consecutive appearances in Grand Slam finals is twice as long as the second best — and his Slam mark are unmatched.

"I wouldn't be on that side of the argument," Agassi said of downplaying Federer's greatness.

Many variables come into play when comparing eras.

Laver won his first Slam in 1962 as an amateur and his second as a professional in 1969.


PHOTO GALLERY: Top shots from Roland Garros

Like many of his peers, the Australian known as the "Rocket" joined the professional barnstorming tours of the day and was ineligible to play the majors for a large chunk of his career because they were reserved for amateurs only until the post-1968 Open era.

Laver might well have won many more than his 11 major titles had he been able to play from 1963-67.

Similarly, some of his greatest rivals such as Ken Rosewall, Lew Hoad and Pancho Gonzalez already had turned pro, meaning Laver faced lighter competition for some of his wins. Players such as Hoad and Gonzalez, meantime, had few chances to stockpile their own cache of majors, even though many consider them among the best of all time.

"I won a lot when Hoad and Rosewall and Gonzalez weren't able to play in those tournaments," Laver said.

It's even dangerous to make comparisons in modern times.

Until it grew into prominence in the 1990s, the Australian Open was often an afterthought. Eight-time major winner Jimmy Connors played it just once more after winning it in his debut in 1974. Bjorn Borg, an 11-time Grand Slam champ, trekked Down Under just once, losing in the third round.

In the last three decades, surfaces have changed.

At one time, three of the four majors — the Australian Open, Wimbledon and the U.S Open — were played on grass. Today, they are played on three different surfaces, clay, grass and hardcourts.

Sampras' coach, Paul Annacone, said: "How many majors would Pete have won if he were playing three out of four on grass?"

Critics could point out at least two glaring holes in Federer's sparkling record: his lack of a Davis Cup title and his 13-7 losing record against main foe Nadal.

"Roger's numbers are hard to disagree with," Agassi said. "And then you have a guy who's beaten him almost twice as much. Sounds like an Achilles' heel."

Though no fault of his, some say Federer has had few great players to push him until Nadal, while Sampras battled numerous multiple major winners such as Agassi, Jim Courier, Stefan Edberg, Boris Becker, Sergi Bruguera and Gustavo Kuerten.

As Annacone points out, records and best-ever discussions come with a built-in escalation factor. Who's to say whether Federer's 14 majors are superior to Sampras' unprecedented six-year run of finishing the season No. 1 from 1993-98, or whether the measuring stick of greatness will shift?

"To me, that's more impressive than 14 grand Slam titles," Annacone said.

Roy Emerson of Australia was infrequently mentioned as the greatest of all time when Sampras passed his mark at the 2000 Wimbledon, largely because he won his 12 majors as an amateur in the pre-1968 era when professionals were competing elsewhere.

This much is certain: there can no longer be any shortlists of greats without Federer's name attached. He joins Fred Perry, Donald Budge, Rod Laver, Roy Emerson and Agassi as the only men to win all four majors in their careers. Only Agassi and Federer did so on three different surfaces.

Asked in his postmatch news conference where he stands in history, a proud Federer mostly dodged the question.

"I don't know if we'll ever know who was the greatest of all time, but I'm definitely happy to be right up there, that's for sure," he said.

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/tennis/2009-06-07-french-open-federer-debate_N.htm[tscii:be8f4bb1d0][/tscii:be8f4bb1d0]

[ajithfederer]

Thoughts on the match:

My long standing grouse was effectively over in yesterday's final when I saw Fedex serving brilliantly. I mean the first serve percentage was 75% for most of the match and Roger gave only less than 5 points away in his serve in the first two sets. The most important thing was he was only staring at a break point opportunity in his serve only once and in the third set. This is how you play big matches, Serve big and serve big consistently. 14 aces for a three set match is good. I would love to see higher number of aces in big matches.

If he had done the same in last year's wimbly and this year's OZ Open the count would have been 16. Better late than never.Backhand drop shots and forehand dropshots are the new weapons in Federer's arsenal and it is nice to see roger using them in clay surfaces when the game is played from the baseline. I am seeing them for the first time since Mutua Madrilena Masters which he won against Nadal on clay.


Now with having achieved 14 and his first french title Roger would be more relieved in the coming 1000 series and Grandslams. Go roger History is your's and i am again proud of being your fan.

P.S: Make the count to atleast 20 before you leave :smokesmirk:

[ajithfederer]

Mixed reactions, don't know what to say actually :).

AF,

Avar azhudhadhu ungalukku pidikkalaiya :P

[ajithfederer]

For the record, It was nice to see Andre agassi handing over the trophy to Roger. I could lip read Agassi saying "I am so happy that you won" when he spoke in Roger's ears just when Roger entered the presentation ceremony.

[ajithfederer]

New French Open champion Roger Federer will decide on Tuesday whether to defend his grasscourt title at Halle after victory in Paris left him "emotionally drained", tournament spokesman Frank Hofen said.

Federer, who became only the sixth man to complete a career grand slam when he beat Robin Soderling in Sunday's French Open final, has won Halle five times in the past six years.

"Federer will decide on Tuesday if he will start," tournament organisers said in a statement after contacting Federer's manager Tony Godsick.

"Federer feels 'emotionally drained' according to Godsick but he will take his decision once he returns to Switzerland tomorrow midday," Hofen said.

[m_23_bayarea]

Now we can unarguably say that Federer is the greatest player of all time indeed! So far his quality of game made people feel and say that, but now, the statistics will prove that as well! Highest number of Grand Slam titles as well as winning all the 4 Grand Slam events has not been accomplished before! Federer truly deserves this... 8-)

[ajithfederer]

Bay 5 Great men have achieved this before. Look at my signature. Roger is just the new addition to the club and infact Rod laver has achieved a Calendar slam which is an even greater feat.(1962 and 1969).

Now we can unarguably say that Federer is the greatest player of all time indeed! So far his quality of game made people feel and say that, but now, the statistics will prove that as well! Highest number of Grand Slam titles as well as winning all the 4 Grand Slam events has not been accomplished before! Federer truly deserves this... 8-)

[m_23_bayarea]

Bay 5 Great men have achieved this before. Look at my signature. Roger is just the new addition to the club and infact Rod laver has achieved a Calendar slam which is an even greater feat.(1962 and 1969).

Now we can unarguably say that Federer is the greatest player of all time indeed! So far his quality of game made people feel and say that, but now, the statistics will prove that as well! Highest number of Grand Slam titles as well as winning all the 4 Grand Slam events has not been accomplished before! Federer truly deserves this... 8-)

Well, I'm taking into account both! 8-)

[ajithfederer]

Rightu vidunga !!.

[ajithfederer]

2009 French Open Final - Roger Federer Interview with John McEnroe (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wLoeQzkdJw)

[omega]

I am sure you guys know that it is only Agassi & Roger who have won all Grand Slams in 3 different surfaces. All majors other than French Open were played in grass earlier (all men who won career GS other these two won in 2 surfaces).

[ajithfederer]

Omega

I knew that the slams (US and Aus) surfaces were changed between clay to hard or grass to hard or the other combination but I was not aware of this fact. Thanks about that. Don't you think even in hard court surfaces US Open is much faster compared to Australian??. Does that mean they are different type of hardcourts??.

[m_23_bayarea]

Australian Open is rubber court, neither clay like French nor hard like US Open! :P

http://australian.open-tennis.com/tennis-court-surfaces.php

[Sanjeevi]

He is the Champions (http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/multimedia/picture_of_the_day/I_am_the_champions.html?siteSect=15095&sid=10798479&cKey=1244473643000&ty=in)

[crajkumar_be]

Thoughts on the match:

idhellam ippo neenga adhigam solradhe illayo!?



My long standing grouse was effectively over in yesterday's final when I saw Fedex serving brilliantly. I mean the first serve percentage was 75% for most of the match and Roger gave only less than 5 points away in his serve in the first two sets. The most important thing was he was only staring at a break point opportunity in his serve only once and in the third set. This is how you play big matches, Serve big and serve big consistently. 14 aces for a three set match is good. I would love to see higher number of aces in big matches.

:yes:
I am of the opinion that even if it had been Nadal in the final, Federer would have probably won and his serving was one of the main factors.

[Plum]

I am of the opinion that even if it had been Nadal in the final, Federer would have probably won and his serving was one of the main factors.


naan avLollam yosikkaradhillai - 100 varushathkku appuram vara pogum madaiyargaLukku idhellam theriyav pogiradhu. varalaaru miga mukkiyam, amaichare!

[ajithfederer]

http://i41.tinypic.com/nnv5g7.jpg

PR, Can you upload this image in the first post of this thread?, Thanks.

[P_R]

http://i41.tinypic.com/nnv5g7.jpg

PR, Can you upload this image in the first post of this thread?, Thanks. Done

So its Rod Laver, Agassi and now Federer is it.

Next enna London Olympics ?

[crajkumar_be]

Also Fred Perry, Don Budge and Roy Emerson

[P_R]

Also Fred Perry, Don Budge and Roy Emerson
Oho ivvaLavu pEru irukkAingaLA :oops:

Has anyone won all four and the Olympics apart from Agassi ?

[ajithfederer]

Monica seles prime time opponent in ladies in 1988. Not anybody in mens i recollect other than Agassi.

Tennis was not an Olympic sport from 1928 through 1984 (except as a demonstration sport in 1968 and 1984); therefore, many top tennis players from the past never had the chance to complete a Golden Slam. Nevertheless, even with tennis on the Olympics, a Calendar Year Golden Slam could not have been accomplished by any player except Maria Bueno (1960) and Martina Navratilova/Pam Shriver (1984).

Says wiki

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Slam_(tennis)#Calendar_Year_Golden_Slam

[ajithfederer]

Sollanum dhan but most of the time appadiyae loose-la vittudurein :). Thanks for the comment though, Neenga eppo irundhu indha finals match paaka arambicheenga??


Thoughts on the match:

idhellam ippo neenga adhigam solradhe illayo!?



My long standing grouse was effectively over in yesterday's final when I saw Fedex serving brilliantly. I mean the first serve percentage was 75% for most of the match and Roger gave only less than 5 points away in his serve in the first two sets. The most important thing was he was only staring at a break point opportunity in his serve only once and in the third set. This is how you play big matches, Serve big and serve big consistently. 14 aces for a three set match is good. I would love to see higher number of aces in big matches.

:yes:
I am of the opinion that even if it had been Nadal in the final, Federer would have probably won and his serving was one of the main factors.

[ajithfederer]

PR,

One more imsai for the day or for tomorrow. Could you please upload this pic
http://i40.tinypic.com/fwj9lu.jpg

"14 Grandslams and counting".

[ajithfederer]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxXDBDRfIA4
An old interview from Roger Federer from 2001 as he starts to talk about his career prospects.

[crajkumar_be]

"Neenga eppo irundhu indha finals match paaka arambicheenga??"
- From the second set onwards

[ajithfederer]

ATP - GERRY WEBER OPEN, HALLE


Dear fans

I am sorry to announce that I have decided to withdraw from this week's Gerry Weber Open in Halle, Germany.

I sincerely apologize to the tournament organizers, my competitors, and my fans in Germany. I only hope they will understand that I still feel emotionally overwhelmed and exhausted by the incredible events of the past few days. It is hard for me to admit, but I simply cannot imagine giving my best effort in another tournament right away and I don't want to risk injury if I am not 100% prepared. I need to rest and recuperate.

I look forward to returning to Halle in 2010 to go for my sixth title. It is one of my favorite events on the ATP World Tour.

I also want to thank all of you for your unbelievable support these past two weeks. You are the best, and you helped me make a dream come true.

Roger

[ajithfederer]

Bala,

okok. The first set was very impressive of the three actually. You missed it.

[ajithfederer]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2NAh3_UTZUY

:clap:

All 14 grandslam winning points of Roger federer. The background music at the end of the video is absolutely great.

[ajithfederer]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/tennis/7861373.stm

No 1: Wimbledon 2003

bt Mark Philippoussis 7-6 (7-5) 6-2 7-6 (7-3)

Roger Federer began Wimbledon 2003 with a big question mark hanging over him. Would he ever find the consistency to win the Grand Slam title his myriad talents deserved?

The pony-tailed Swiss answered in magnificent fashion, crushing Andy Roddick in the semi-finals before ending the surprise resurgence of Mark Philippoussis in the final. After lifting the trophy, he famously sobbed as he was interviewed on Centre Court by the BBC's Sue Barker.

No 2: Australian Open 2004

bt Marat Safin 7-6 6-4 6-2

A semi-final win over Juan Carlos Ferrero saw Roger Federer topple Andy Roddick and become world number one for the first time. It was the start of a record 237-week reign which ended on 18 August 2008.

He fully justified his status as the world's best player with a commanding display against Safin, who had equalled the record for the number of sets played at a Grand Slam during the tournament.

"To win the Australian Open and become number one in the world is a dream come true," he said.

No 3: Wimbledon 2004

bt Andy Roddick 4-6 7-5 7-6 (7-3) 6-4

Roger Federer successfully defended his Wimbledon title but not without a fight as Andy Roddick attempted to avenge his semi-final defeat of the previous year.

The Swiss benefited from two rain delays after falling a break behind at one set all, coming out to break back and dominate the tie-break.

Roddick forced six more break points in the fourth set but could not covert and Federer took the win to maintain his 100% record in Grand Slams final. More tears followed as he told the BBC's Sue Barker, "I got lucky today for sure."

No 4: US Open 2004
bt Lleyton Hewitt 6-0 7-6 (7-3) 6-0

A magnificent year for Roger Federer was capped with a first US Open title at Flushing Meadows in New York, making him the first man since Mats Wilander in 1988 to win three Grand Slam titles in a year.

Former champion Hewitt arrived in the final on a 16-match winning streak but was blown away by Federer at his absolute best.

The world number one swept through a magnificent opening set to love in just 18 minutes and, after a valiant effort from Hewitt in the second, Federer repeated the trick in the third set.

[ajithfederer]

No 5: Wimbledon 2005
bt Andy Roddick 6-2 7-6 (7-2) 6-4

After seeing his Grand Slam winning streak end at the hands of Marat Safin at the Australian Open and Rafael Nadal at the French Open, Roger Federer was keen to get back to winning ways at Wimbledon.

Unlike the previous year, Andy Roddick could not get close to the Swiss in the final and Federer was rarely troubled as he joined Pete Sampras and Bjorn Borg as the only players in the open era to win three Wimbledon titles in a row.

"I came here with huge expectations and to be standing here with the trophy is almost a dream," he said.

No 6: US Open 2005

bt Andre Agassi 6-3 2-6 7-6 (7-1) 6-1

Roger Federer took on a legend and the hopes of a nation when he faced Andre Agassi in his second US Open final.

And the 35-year-old American gave Federer one of his sternest tests to date, leading by a break in the third set before the Swiss hit back to win in four.

"He's the best I've ever played against," Agassi said as Federer became the first man in the open era to win Wimbledon and the US Open back-to-back in consecutive years.

No 7: Australian Open 2006
bt Marcos Baghdatis 5-7 7-5 6-0 6-2

Roger Federer regained the Australian title he had lost the year before but was given a huge scare by outsider Marcos Baghdatis in the final.

The 20-year-old Cypriot led by a set and a break as Federer failed to find his rhythm in the early stages and a shock looked on the cards.

But the world number one clicked into gear to reel off 11 straight games, and when a tearful Federer was handed the trophy by Rod Laver he told the crowd: "I hope you know how much this means to me."

No 8: Wimbledon 2006
bt Rafael Nadal 6-0 7-6 (7-5) 6-7 (2-7) 6-3

The emergence of Rafael Nadal had confounded Roger Federer's hopes of winning a first French Open title, and now the Spaniard threatened on the grass of Wimbledon.

Federer went into the final having lost five straight matches against Nadal and looked keen to make amends when he won the first set to love.

Nadal found his feet to edge the third on a tie-break but the champion broke twice in the fourth to secure a fourth straight Wimbledon title.

[ajithfederer]

No 9: US Open 2006
bt Andy Roddick 6-2 4-6 7-5 6-1

Roger Federer went into his third successive US Open final with an overwhelming 10-1 record against home favourite Andy Roddick.

However, the 2003 champion put up a determined display and had his chances with break points in the third set before Federer got the crucial break in game 12 and raced through the fourth.

Victory saw him become the first man since Ivan Lendl in 1987 to win three straight US Opens, and the first man in the open era to win three straight Wimbledon and US Open titles in successive years.

No 10: Australian Open 2007
bt Fernando Gonzalez 7-6 (7-2) 6-4 6-4

Fernando Gonzalez made an impressive start to his first Grand Slam final, dominating early on with his big serve and huge forehand.

The Chilean looked set to take the first set at 5-4 and 40-15 but he failed to convert and his chance was gone.

Federer stormed back to take the opening tie-break and rolled on to his 10th Grand Slam title and third in Melbourne.

No 11: Wimbledon 2007
bt Nadal 7-6 (9-7) 4-6 7-6 (7-3) 2-6 6-2

Roger Federer had to overcome his fiercest rival to emulate Bjorn Borg and win a fifth straight Wimbledon crown, but it was closer than ever.

With the Swedish legend watching from the Royal Box, Federer held off a determined effort from Nadal, who had break points in the fifth set.

A tearful Federer said: "Each one is special but to play a champion like Rafa, it means a lot, and equalling Bjorn's record as well..."

[ajithfederer]

No 12: US Open 2007
bt Novak Djokovic 7-6 (7-4) 7-6 (7-2) 6-4

Having seen off Rafael Nadal to win Wimbledon, Roger Federer faced another pretender to his throne in Novak Djokovic at the US Open.

The 21-year-old Serb made a worthy opponent in his first Grand Slam final and led by a break in all three sets, missing a total of seven points.

But Federer proved too strong in each and came through to become the first man ever to win both Wimbledon and the US Open for four years in a row.

No 13: US Open 2008
bt Andy Murray 6-2 7-5 6-2

Roger Federer's bid a for a fifth straight US Open title had extra interest for British fans as Andy Murray attempted to end the nation's 72-year wait for a male Grand Slam winner.

The Scot had beaten Rafael Nadal in the semis and had a 2-1 career lead over Federer, but it made little difference.

After a difficult year without a Grand Slam title, Federer was back to his best as he swept to victory in just one hour 51 minutes to join Pete joins Sampras and Jimmy Connors as a five-time winner of the US title in the open era.

No 14: French Open 2009
bt Robin Soderling 6-1 7-6 (7-1) 6-4

Roger Federer has a chance to equal Pete Sampras's record of 14 Grand Slam titles and complete his own career Slam when he faces Robin Soderling in the French Open final.

The Swiss has a huge advantage in terms of titles and experience, but Soderling is a threat after ending Rafael Nadal's four-year unbeaten run at Roland Garros.

Federer proves his class once again with a totally dominant display and finally gets his hands on the Coupe des Mousquetaires, which is presented by Andre Agassi, the last man to complete the career Grand Slam.

[ajithfederer]

Great news coverage and timeline provided by BBC :clap:

[ajithfederer]

Federer's numbers speak volumes

By winning the French Open, Roger Federer tied the Grand Slam record and completed the career Slam at the same time, a storybook event that made him the greatest of all time in the eyes of many, including some of the greats themselves.

What's remarkable is not just the degree and duration of his dominance, but the artistry with which it was achieved, and the grace and humanity that accompanied it.

Still, the numbers remain staggering in their own right. We run down some of the reasons why Federer is being called the greatest:

1: His ranking for 237 straight weeks

An all-time record in tennis. Federer held the top spot without interruption between February 2004 and August 2008. The next-longest streak is Steffi Graf with 186 consecutive weeks between August 1987 and March 1991.


2: Second man in history to win the career Grand Slam plus an Olympic gold medal

Federer won the doubles at the Beijing Games with Stanislas Wawrinka to add a gold medal to his various Australian, French, Wimbledon and U.S. Open crowns.

Andre Agassi was able to record a career Golden Slam by winning the singles gold at Atlanta in 1996.

3: Australian Open titles

Tied with Mats Wilander for second most in the Open era, behind Agassi's four.

4: Different Grand Slam tournaments won, a complete set

Federer's French Open victory made him just the sixth man to complete the career Grand Slam. Fred Perry, Don Budge, Rod Laver, Roy Emerson and Agassi are the others.

Only Federer and Agassi have done it on three different surfaces: grass, clay and hard courts. Only Federer has made at least four finals at each of the four majors.

5: Consecutive U.S. Open victories

The most in the Open era. Bill Tilden won six from 1920-25.

6: Years without losing a match on grass

Between his first-round loss at Wimbledon 2002 and his loss in the 2008 Wimbledon final, Federer won 65 matches in a row on grass.

That includes five straight Wimbledon titles (2003-07), tying Bjorn Borg's Open-era record (1976-80).

7: Seasons it took to reach 14 Grand Slams

Pete Sampras needed 12 seasons to win the same number.

8: Seasons it took to reach 15 Masters Series titles

Federer has also won the year-end Masters Cup four times, bringing his full total to 19. It took Agassi 15 seasons to win 17 Masters Series titles and one Masters Cup.

9: Titles on clay, his weakest surface

That includes one Grand Slam and five Masters Series crowns.

10: Consecutive Grand Slam finals

An all-time record. Federer reached the final Sunday of each major from Wimbledon in 2005 to the U.S. Open in 2007, and has currently reached the final in 15 of the past 16 Slams.

He has also made 20 consecutive Grand Slam semifinals, never losing before the final four since going out in the third round of the French Open in 2004.

The previous record for consecutive finals was Laver with six straight, and the previous record for consecutive semifinals was Ivan Lendl with 10 straight.

11: Seasons as a pro, a record $47 million in prize money won

Federer, who turned pro in 1998, surpassed Sampras' prize money record of $43 million at the end of last year.

12: Best-of-five matches lost since becoming No. 1

Eight of those losses (and seven of the past eight) have been to Rafael Nadal.

13: Percentage of matches lost between his first and 14th Slam victories

An 87 percent match-winning record sandwiches Federer's victories at Wimbledon in 2003 and the French Open on Sunday. His annual win-loss percentage peaked at 95 percent in 2006 (81-4), and remained above 90 percent for three seasons (2005-07).

14: Grand Slams won

Tied with Sampras for the most in men's tennis history, arguably the most prestigious record in the game.

http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/tennis/french09/columns/story?columnist=tandon_kamakshi&id=4240712

[ajithfederer]

A Funny Article On Federer

Federer's dominance has become a joke.

A buddy of mine and I were talking about changing those Chuck Norris jokes that were floating around into Roger Federer jokes. These were our top 10:

1. Roger Federer is currently suing NBC, claiming Law and Order are trademarked names for his forehand and backhand respectively.

2. If paper beats rock, rock beats scissors, and scissors beats paper, what beats all 3 at the same time? Answer: Roger Federer.

3. If, by some incredible space-time paradox, Roger Federer would ever play himself in a best of 5 set match at Wimbledon, he'd win. Period.

4. Roger Federer is not capable of hitting a target on the broad side of a barn with his forehand. Every time he tries, the whole damn barn falls down.

5. Roger Federer is the only man to ever defeat a brick wall in a game of tennis.

6. When Roger Federer sends in his tax return, he sends blank forms and includes only a picture of himself, ready to hit a forehand. Roger Federer has not had to pay taxes, ever.

7. Someone once tried to tell Roger Federer that his forehand wasn't the best shot in the history of tennis. This has been recorded by historians as the worst mistake anyone has ever made.

8. There are no steroids in tennis, just players Roger Federer has breathed on.

9. If tapped, the power generated by a Roger Federer forehand could power the country of Switzerland for 44 minutes.

10. The First Law of Thermodynamics states that energy can neither be created nor destroyed... unless it meets Roger Federer on the tennis court.

11. Roger Federer is so fast, he can run around the world and still hit his own forehand back to himself.

12. Roger Federer’s forehand is the only hand that can beat a Royal Flush.

13. Scientists have estimated that the energy given off during the Big Bang is roughly equal to 1RFF (Roger Federer Forehand)

14. Newton's Third Law is wrong: Although it states that for each action, there is an equal and opposite reaction, there is no force equal in reaction to a Roger Federer forehand.

15. The other night in Time's Square, Roger Federer ordered a Big Mac at Burger King. He got one.

16. It is scientifically impossible for Roger Federer to have had a mortal father. The most popular theory is that he went back in time and fathered himself.

17. There’s an order to the universe: (1) space, (2) time, (3) Roger Federer.... Heh-heh. Just kidding. Roger Federer is first.

18. The air around Roger Federer is always a balmy 78 degrees.

19. Roger Federer can get Blackjack with just one card.

20. Bigfoot takes pictures of Roger Federer.

21. Roger Federer once hit a forehand so hard that the tennis ball broke the speed of light, went back in time, and struck Amelia Earhart's plane while she was flying over the Pacific Ocean. Mystery solved.

22. Roger Federer doesn't churn butter. He hits forehands at the cows and the butter comes straight out.

23. Faster than a speeding bullet ... more powerful than a locomotive ... able to leap tall buildings in a single bound... yes, these are some of Roger Federer's warm-up exercises.

24. Superman once watched a replay of the 2005 Wimbledon Final. He then cried himself to sleep.

25. As President Roosevelt once said: "We have nothing to fear but fear itself. And playing Roger Federer."

26. He who lives by the sword, dies by the sword. He who lives by Roger Federer, dies by the forehand.

27. There are two types of people in the world... people that suck, and Roger Federer.

28. I'm not saying Roger Federer's speed is underrated, but he once qualified with a top speed of 324 mph at the Daytona 500. Without a car.

29. Roger Federer doesn't daydream. He's too busy giving the other ATP players nightmares.

30. Roger Federer is not Politically Correct. He is just Correct. Always.

31. Roger Federer isn't afraid of Urban Legends. He IS an Urban Legend.

32. One night, Andy Roddick dreamed he beat Roger Federer in straight sets to win Wimbledon. The next morning he called Roger Federer up to apologize.

33. Roger Federer once played 18 holes of golf using a 12 inch strip of rebar and a sun dried tomato. He shot a 54.

34. On the Asian market, Roger Federer' urine is worth $400 per fluid ounce.

35. Roger Federer once jumped off the Empire State Building. He sprained his ankle. It was a mild sprain.

36. The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry. Even the worst-laid plans of Roger Federer come off without a hitch.

37. When you say "no one's perfect", Roger Federer takes this as a personal insult.

38. The Manhattan Project was not intended to create nuclear weapons, it was meant to recreate the destructive power in a Roger Federer forehand. They didn't even come close.

39. There are now five cup sizes at Starbucks: Short, Tall, Grande, Venti, and Roger Federer.

40. Roger Federer can hold his breath for nine years.

41. Roger Federer invented a language that's composed of forehands and backhands. So the next time Roger Federer is kicking your butt, don’t be offended or hurt, he may be just trying to tell you he likes your hat.

42. Superman only has two weaknesses. The first is Kryptonite. And the second, Roger Federer's forehand.

43. The sound of Roger Federer missing a forehand can cure cancer. Too bad he's never missed.

44. Roger Federer can divide by zero with his slice. The result? Pain.

45. Mr. T pities everyone except Roger Federer

46. What happens when you go faster than the speed of light? Scientists theorize that you may catch up to a Roger Federer forehand.

47. It's rumored that Rod Laver has a poster of Roger Federer over HIS bed.

48. If you Google search "Roger Federer getting his a** kicked on a tennis court" you will generate zero results. It just doesn't happen.

49. Roger Federer went bowling once. He was only able to bowl one frame. He knocked down one pin after hitting the bowling ball (forehand) with his tennis racquet. The other nine pins fainted. His ball refused to come back through the return machine. Now that's intimidation.

50. Roger Federer once shot down a fighter plane. He did so by pantomiming a forehand and yelling, "Bang!"

51. The Bermuda Triangle used to be the Bermuda Square, until a Roger Federer forehand knocked one of the corners off.

52. Fear is not the only emotion Roger Federer can detect. He can also detect hope, as in "I hope I don't have to play Roger Federer."

53. Roger Federer can hold serve at love. He can do so only serving three times.

54. Love does not hurt. Playing Roger Federer does.

55. The moon is actually a comet that was once on course to hit Earth... then a Roger Federer forehand knocked it into orbit.

56. Roger Federer's smile once brought a puppy back to life.

57. The Hubble Space Telescope was misaligned off the bounce of a Roger Federer kickserve.

58. When Roger Federer plays tennis, he only hits with 1% of his full power. At 2%, the ball would explode on impact with his racquet. At 3%, people die. At 100% Chuck Norris would lose all 6 testicles.

59. A forehand delivered by Roger Federer is the preferred method of execution in 17 states and 3 countries.

60. Every time Roger Federer drills a forehand, he finds oil.

61. When Ivan Lendl hits you with his forehand, you get knocked down. When Roger Federer hits you with his forehand, you actually won't get knocked down... but as you look down at your chest, you will notice a hole the size of a tennis ball.

62. Nothing can escape the gravity of a black hole, except Roger Federer. Roger Federer can serve and volley out of anything.

63. Every time you return a forehand from Roger Federer, you lose one full year of life expectancy.

64. Contrary to popular belief, hurricanes are not caused by heat energy from the ocean, but by Roger Federer practicing his strokes.

65. The events that were portrayed in the movie Armageddon were fictional. What really happened was Roger Federer hit the asteroid away with his topspin forehand to save the world.

66. Bush and Blair had it all wrong when they attacked Iraq. Roger Federer has all the weapons of mass destruction.

67. Billions upon billions of US Dollars were spent on the development of an anti-ballistic missile defense shield when all they needed was Roger Federer.

68. Roger Federer is so ice-cold that when he eats ice cream, his body temperature rises.

69. Roger Federer hits a forehand so clean you can eat off of it.

70. Since 1981, the year Roger Federer was born, topspin forehand related deaths have increased 13,000%.

71. Roger Federer went back in time to stop the JFK assassination by using his faster than light forehand. As Oswald shot, Federer volleyed all three bullets away. JFK's head exploded out of sheer amazement.

72. Darth Sideous could never turn Roger Federer to the Darkside. Roger Federer is just too good.

73. When Roger Federer is really short on time for lunch, he usually orders pizza. He can always get his slices in.

74. McDonald's has served billions and billions. Roger Federer can out-serve McDonald's.

75. In war, nobody wins... unless you're Roger Federer on any given Sunday.

76. The saddest part of an ATP pro's life is not when he learns that Santa isn't real, but when he finds out Roger Federer is.

77.It was once thought that Roger Federer lost a match to an ATP pro, but that was a rumor created by Roger Federer to lure more ATP pros to him

78. If John McEnroe and Rod Laver were to play each other in their primes, you know who would win? Roger Federer. Playing left-handed.

79. Roger Federer invented the drop shot.

80. 'Icy-Hot' is too weak for Roger Federer. After a workout, he sprays himself with liquid nitrogen. He waits a few moments and then rubs his muscles with liquid-hot magma.

81. Whenever you see a great shot during a tennis match not involving Roger Federer, just remember this. Federer could have hit it even better.

82. Roger Federer doesn't do push-ups. He pushes the world down.

83. If you're an ATP player, the only sure things in life are death, taxes, and that you'll lose to Roger Federer.

84. Most people fear the Reaper. Roger Federer considers him "a promising junior player".

85. There are only two things that can cut diamonds: other diamonds; and a Roger Federer forehand.

86. President Teddy Roosevelt once rode his horse 100 miles. A Roger Federer forehand once propelled a clydesdale twice that distance.

87. I acknowledge that there might be two perfect beings in existence. I know about Roger Federer and I believe in the possibility of God.

88. Aliens DO indeed exist. It's just that they play tennis, and know better than to visit a planet that Roger Federer is on.

89. Roger Federer CAN in fact 'raise the roof'. And he can do it with one forehand.

90. When Federer hits a hard forehand, it is not Federer groaning. It is the earth groaning.

91. Federer once hit a shot so beautiful everyone on the planet orgasmed at once.

92. When playing a tournament in the U.S., Roger Federer must register his serve and groundstrokes as lethal weapons.

93. Roger Federer's at rest heart rate was recently measured at 52 beats. . .per day.

http://www.orkut.com/Main#CommMsgs.aspx?cmm=78522&tid=2487007897320252336&na=1&nst=1

:lol2: [tscii:3a940237bc][/tscii:3a940237bc]

[crajkumar_be]

One night, Andy Roddick dreamed he beat Roger Federer in straight sets to win Wimbledon. The next morning he called Roger Federer up to apologize.
:rotfl3:

[Kalyasi]

One night, Andy Roddick dreamed he beat Roger Federer in straight sets to win Wimbledon. The next morning he called Roger Federer up to apologize.
:rotfl3: :rotfl3: :rotfl3: :rotfl3: :rotfl3:

[ajithfederer]

PR, Thangal gavanathirku :)

PR,


One more imsai for the day or for tomorrow. Could you please upload this pic
http://i40.tinypic.com/fwj9lu.jpg

"14 Grandslams and counting".

[ajithfederer]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjpyJc-67TI

The math behind the achievement. With his 6-1, 7-6 (1), 6-4 win over Robin Soderling at Sundays French Open final, Roger Federer is now tied with Pete Sampras for the most-ever Grand Slam titles at 14.

This video was posted by Roger in his facebook account.

[ajithfederer]

WSJ BlogsSearch
Federer Overcomes His Recent Vulnerability
June 8, 2009, 11:46 AM ET

Judging Federer’s Place in the Tennis Pantheon

By David Roth
Roger Federer entered last weekend with 13 Grand Slam titles to his name and a permanent saved seat at the best table in the tennis pantheon’s VIP-only area, but without a victory at the French Open. Following his straight-set demolition of Robin Soderling in Sunday’s French Open final, the biggest question facing him from the flattering tennis media is a much less irksome one for him — is he the greatest ever, or just one of the greatest?

Reuters

Roger Federer becomes yet another foreigner to offer an egregious public display of affection in front of the Eiffel Tower.
Federer has the support of WSJ guest blogger Tom Perrotta, who liveblogged Federer’s 6-1, 7-6, 6-4 victory. “The ‘greatest of all time’ debate goes on endlessly in every sport,” Perrotta writes, “but in tennis, the debate is over. One can’t compare players of previous generations, and there’s no doubt that a player like Federer owes a lot to the greats who came before him (they served as his models). There’s no argument about this, however: No tennis player has dominated the game as convincingly (and with such artistry) as Federer. We might never see anyone do it again.”

Federer had done essentially everything in tennis except win the French Open, which made the victory doubly sweet, Barry Flatman writes in the Times of London. “Finally he has the full set of Grand Slam titles,” Flatman exults. “What a wondrous time for the man so many dared to write off as a spent force just a few weeks ago. What a truly awesome achievement by a player who is supremely gifted but nevertheless repeatedly demonstrates that there can be no short cuts from continuous hard work and true dedication.”

While sports naturally condition an underdog-friendly response in viewers, something about Federer claiming his (actually rather predictable) win managed to deliver the emotional goods nonetheless. In the Daily Telegraph of London, Ian Chadband argues this as proof of Federer’s greatness. “Yes, people are in awe of Tiger Woods’s wizardry and resilience, they laugh open-mouthed at Usain Bolt’s athleticism and marvel at Michael Phelps’s greedy annexation of titles,” Chadband writes. “But yesterday, it was possible to sense from the reaction of everyone here something extra for an athlete who showcased all those trio’s qualities so effortlessly again; that is, a deep affection bordering on adoration for a man who demonstrates, more conclusively than almost anyone, that nice guys can be winners. Supreme winners.”

In the New York Times, Harvey Araton notes that the tennis world agrees not just on Federer’s greatness, but also his goodness. “Count on the sport continuing to root for Federer to climb higher up the mountain of immortality, as it has championed him since he rocketed to the top with the beautiful game and the embraceable persona,” Araton writes. “Even Soderling, who by reputation shuns discourse with most players, became a humble charmer during the awards ceremony, paying his respects. ‘You really gave me a lesson on how to play tennis,’ he told Federer.”

http://blogs.wsj.com/dailyfix/2009/06/08/judging-federers-place-in-the-tennis-pantheon/[tscii:b2681a3a0d][/tscii:b2681a3a0d]

[ajithfederer]

http://www.mumbaimirror.com/article/8/2009060920090609040318836fb33c1de/Gimme-More.html

To Roger Federer, what’s important is not only that he finally won the French Open. It’s how he did it. “I didn’t think I played the greatest tennis of my life throughout this tournament. But I definitely played the right way: I was smart. I was strong. I had to show fighting spirit and all those things,” Federer said yesterday. “It’s different for me to come through this way, instead of just dominating everybody.”

A day after beating Robin Soderling 6-1 7-6 (1) 6-4 to complete a career Grand Slam and earn a record-tying 14th major championship, Federer met with reporters at a hotel in central Paris. It’s where he slept the past few weeks — and where he drank champagne and celebrated until the wee hours Monday morning with a group of about 60 people.

“I’m just mentally drained and exhausted — and just so happy and thrilled,” Federer said, his new trophy in tow.

Of the 19 times he has reached the final of a Grand Slam tournament, equalling Ivan Lendl’s mark, this was the first time Federer played two five-set matches along the way. He dropped the first two sets of his fourth-round match against Tommy Haas before coming back, then trailed against Juan Martin del Potro in the quarterfinals before coming through in five sets.

More of a Man now

“I feel I’ve definitely become more (of) a man now, the last few years, where I’m not scared of five-setters anymore,” Federer said. “I can handle the pressure.”

He said he’s not too concerned about regaining the No 1 ranking he lost to Rafael Nadal in August. No, Federer’s priority is winning more Grand Slam titles. The first chance to get No 15 and surpass Pete Sampras comes at Wimbledon, which begins June 22.

Federer’s run of five consecutive Wimbledon titles ended with a five-set loss to Nadal in last year’s final.

The 27-year-old Swiss star considers himself the man to beat this time.

“I do think I’m the favourite, actually, with all the success I’ve had,” Federer said.

Nadal’s 31-match French Open winning streak ended with a loss to Soderling in the fourth round. Five days later, Nadal pulled out of this week’s grass-court tournament at Queen’s Club, citing knee problems.

Referring to Wimbledon, Nadal said: “I hope I can be ready to compete by then.”

Federer expects to see his nemesis at the All England Club. “It seems like it’s not 100 percent serious, his knee injury. I only wish him the best and I hope it’s not true that he will miss Wimbledon. I think it’s a lot of speculation at the moment,” Federer said. “He wasn’t taping his knees here in Paris. He seemed fine, (from) what I saw, anyway. I’ve played him so many times, I can tell when he’s in pain and when he’s not.”

Back’s fine

Federer said his back feels OK — he took a six-week break this year because it was bothering him — but he also said he was considering withdrawing from the grass-court tournament in Halle, Germany, that began Monday.

As for his game, Federer figures he can keep improving, particularly on grass and hard courts, “When I can go for my shots more.”

He already has won five championships at Wimbledon, five at the US Open and three at the Australian Open. Now — after having lost to Nadal in the three previous French Open finals — Federer looks forward to being the defending champion at Roland Garros for the first time.

“I’m sure I’m going to enjoy Paris even more in the future,” he said, “because the pressure is off.”

• I feel I’ve definitely become more (of) a man now, the last few years, where I’m not scared of five-setters anymore

— Roger federer

Hailing the Greatest

What he’s done over the past five years has never, ever been done — and probably will never, ever happen again.

Regardless if he won there or not, he goes down as the greatest ever. This just confirms it

— Pete Sampras

Now that he’s won in Paris, I think it just more solidifies his place in history as the greatest player that played the game.

If it hadn’t been for the freak from Mallorca, Federer would have won all the slams a few times

— Andre Agassi

Federer is the greatest player in his era. He’s a great champion and a credit to the game with the way he competes on and off the court

— Rod Laver

His win tying Pete Sampas’s record firmly places him in a special place as the greatest player of all time. He has earned his place and he has proven he belongs.

Roger is a champion for the ages

— Billie Jean King

Sampras was a phenomenal player and his record speaks for itself but you always felt there were aspects of his game that you could target.

Winning in Paris just emphasises that Federer is the ultimate all-court player

— Tim Henman[tscii:60aa41f9d9][/tscii:60aa41f9d9]

[ajithfederer]

It is hard court, bay.

Australian Open is rubber court, neither clay like French nor hard like US Open! :P

http://australian.open-tennis.com/tennis-court-surfaces.php

[ajithfederer]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/jon_wertheim/06/09/mailbag/?eref=sihp
Federer's poise, security concerns, improving the sport and more

As much as we all want to forget about the unfortunate intruder incident in the French Open final in order to deprive said intruder of the satisfaction of accomplishing his goal of getting attention, I feel it is worth noting how this showed us more deeply the side of Roger Federer off the tennis court. When they showed the replay from a different angle, Federer saw the guy and visibly jumped backward in fear. I have never seen Federer as scared as he was or out of sorts like that. It just goes to show that off the court he is a harmless, non-violent guy (I would've smashed the idiot with my racket). The fact that he shook it off after a couple of games is another testament to his extreme mental focus. After the Monica Seles incident, he had a valid right to fear for his life for a moment there.
-- Robert B., Melbourne, Fla.

• Couldn't agree more. This was such a scary, bizarre, unpleasant -- and not even remotely amusing -- moment. But, yes, an unintended consequence was that it enabled us to get a glimpse of Federer's internal wiring. We talk about "fight or flight," but his reaction was really neither. It was abject fear followed by something approaching sympathy. Total non-confrontation. He later put it thusly: "It seemed like he wanted to give me something. So I was actually OK, because I saw he wasn't pulling for anything stupid. It definitely felt uncomfortable once he came close to me. ... Normally, they always kind of look at me and go, 'I'm so sorry I have to do this,' because they have some sort of a reason for it, you know. I remember the English guy [at Wimbledon in 2006] was actually quite funny. He looked at me and goes, 'I'm so sorry I have to do this.' I was like, OK, just don't touch me, you know."

Consider this: How many of us would have reacted with such restraint? How many other athletes -- macho, locked in combat -- would have reacted so demurely? How many other athletes, armed with a racket, would have resisted using it? Guy is lucky he picked on Federer. Otherwise, I suspect he'd meet the same fate as this clown.

What specific steps need to be taken to prevent maniacs from running onto the court?
-- Wendy, Portland, Ore.

• Obviously, there needs to be improved security. But what about the "punishment" phase? After the guards did their Detroit Lions imitation and missed a series of tackles, they finally got the guy and ... then what? No one is advocating anything too cruel or unusual here, but the best deterrent is to stiffen the penalties.

Several of you also noted that the reason the clowns charge the court is for attention and we're playing into their hands by holding extended discussions and, of course, replaying the video clips. Fair point. But I think it's naive to ignore this trend in hopes it will go away. Sadly, this has become as much a part of Grand Slam tradition as awkward awards ceremony. And the tournaments need to address it before it gets further out of hand, or worse.

Concerning comparable upsets of the Rafael Nadal-Robin Soderling magnitude, I didn't find anyone who mentioned this (fairly recent) one: Wimbledon 2007 semifinal, Marion Bartoli def. Justin Henin 1-6, 7-5, 6-1. Blew me away, anyway.
-- Shawn, Long Beach, Calif.

• That was a biggie. But Henin hadn't won Wimbledon once, much less four years in a row! Many of you also referenced Lori McNeil's first-round defeat of Steffi Graf at Wimbledon in 1994. Still, I vote Soderling. As one of you put it to me, Nadal losing on clay is like Michael Phelps losing in water.

About your "ocean of empty seats in Paris" story: Years ago I lived in Paris for a while. I tried and tried to get tickets to Roland Garros. It seemed to me like the whole system was corrupt. You couldn't just go somewhere and buy tickets. The alternatives were to be a member of an exclusive tennis club, know somebody who worked for the "Administration" or pay a scalper. Eventually, I paid a scalper and loved attending the tournament.
-- Mitch Gart, Bedford, Mass.

• Interesting. Here's an anonymous e-mail I got on the same topic:

"You've touched on the empty seats at the majors before, but I have to agree that it's particularly glaring at Roland Garros this year. I am employed by [a main sponsor] and work closely with one of the people who organizes the institutional client seminars that are often planned around the fortnight (as an excuse for our big foreign institutions to send a few people to see a little world-class tennis). Due to the crisis, however, attendance at these seminars is WAY down this year -- probably because these pension funds (rightfully) have tightened the reins a bit on discretionary spending and are requiring that any travel demands get pre-approval as being both compliant and necessary (go figure). So a lot more of those prime seats have gone unused this year than normal. Not a good excuse, I know, but it probably has something to do with it."

I have three quick things. First, Tommy Haas is good-looking and injured a lot, but at least he did not star in The Age of Love Part 2. Second, my father and I took some empty box seats at Cincinnati in 2006. We picked a blacktopping company because we figured our attire would be least questioned. People might be able to creatively fill empty seats. Finally, my daughter is seven months old and 97th percentile in height. If the U.S. needs a crazy tennis parent, I can start replacing her mobile animals with tennis balls. Just say the word.
-- Dan Martin, Dayton, Ohio[tscii:7b012187ed][/tscii:7b012187ed]

[ajithfederer]

French Open
Federer targets 2012 London Olympics

June 9, 2009 -- Updated 1301 GMT (2101 HKT)

By Paul Gittings

LONDON, England (CNN) -- Roger Federer says he has no intention of hanging up his tennis racket any time soon and has targeted the 2012 London Olympics which will be held on the grass of Wimbledon.

The Swiss maestro completed a career grand slam when he beat Robin Soderling in the final of the French Open on Sunday.

It also took him level with the all-time record of 14 grand slams held by American great Pete Sampras.

With Federer set to become a father for the first time later this summer, it led some to speculate that Federer might consider retirement over the next few years.

But he told CNN in an exclusive interview that his motivation was still as strong as ever.

"I love the game too much to walk away from it," he said.

"My wife wants me to play on for many more years so our child can see me play, that has been a big dream.

"Definitely until the 2012 Olympics in London, which will be held at Wimbledon," he added.

Federer has won the Wimbledon title five times and was beaten in an epic five-set final last year by world number one Rafael Nadal.

His record at the All England Club will be added incentive for the 27-year-old to extend his career until 2012 in search of elusive first gold in singles at the Olympics.

He was knocked out in the semifinals at the 2000 Sydney Games, the second round in Athens in 2004 and quarterfinals in Beijing last year to James Blake.

But Federer did pair with Stanislav Wawrinka to win gold for Switzerland in doubles at the 2008 Games.

Federer Video spoke to CNN after his three-set victory over Soderling at Stade Roland Garros. .

He said he was relieved to have won a grand slam again after losing the world number one slot to Nadal and giving up his Wimbledon and Australian Open titles to the Spaniard.

"It's been a fantastic day -- to get the elusive French title in the end was unbelievable. I always believed I was good enough to get it - but holding the trophy, after all I've been through was just unbelievable. I'm so proud right now you can't believe it."
advertisement

Soderling, who put out Nadal on the way to the final, also praised his Swiss conqueror.

"For me he is the best ever and I should know as I've player him many times," the world-ranked number 12 told CNN.

[ajithfederer]

GRF :Roger Federer Moments --- Unbelievable Defensive Shot (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QANSKmRpVEk)

[ajithfederer]

Best Tennis Highlights French Open 2009 ( Roger Federer Highlights) HD (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtc4_WVmkmc)

[Sanguine Sridhar]

Feddy - The great! :notworthy:

AF maams, congrats!! :thumbsup:

[ajithfederer]

GRF : Roger Federer against Rafael Nadal at Australian Open 2009 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zXuVnda57M)

[ajithfederer]

:clap: :clap: :clap:


http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/jon_wertheim/06/09/mailbag/?eref=sihp
Federer's poise, security concerns, improving the sport and more

As much as we all want to forget about the unfortunate intruder incident in the French Open final in order to deprive said intruder of the satisfaction of accomplishing his goal of getting attention, I feel it is worth noting how this showed us more deeply the side of Roger Federer off the tennis court. When they showed the replay from a different angle, Federer saw the guy and visibly jumped backward in fear. I have never seen Federer as scared as he was or out of sorts like that. It just goes to show that off the court he is a harmless, non-violent guy (I would've smashed the idiot with my racket). The fact that he shook it off after a couple of games is another testament to his extreme mental focus. After the Monica Seles incident, he had a valid right to fear for his life for a moment there.

[ajithfederer]

Roger Federer Spirit of a Champion (extended )
http://t3nnis.tv/details.php?id=3068
Information
Sport: Tennis
Event: Documentary about Roger Federer
Language: English
Ripper: WaveMaster
Uploader:fresco2
Length: 21:47
Video: 640x480, 2168kbps @ x264
Audio: 80kbps @ AAC-LC
Description
A new series discovering where it all began for
the Swiss phenomenon and uncovering who the man
behind the trophies really is.
This new three-part series looks at where it all
began for the Swiss phenomenon Roger Federer, and
uncovers who the man behind the trophies really is.
The programme looks at how he turned from a
racket-throwing teenager into a calm composed
champion and includes interviews with his first
coach, his family and other top international tennis
players.

http://www.orkut.com/Main#CommMsgs.aspx?cmm=78522&tid=2549318698734632139&na=2&nst=517

[ajithfederer]

[tscii:3247ed929e]Spirit Of A Champion – Making Of A Champion
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lLHy7UBLfg&feature=related
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUxVzVb08_E&feature=related
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ep-v0ux1Apo&feature=related [/tscii:3247ed929e]

[ajithfederer]

[tscii:b60540cc4a]Spirit Of A Champion – The Champion
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YqMg4eMW7I
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zU-IRjRg7Yo
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6XeBXqGNL5s [/tscii:b60540cc4a]

[ajithfederer]

[tscii:af6b00840f]Spirit Of A Champion – The Man
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ApECbBeJXcs
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Plfzj8V6b8
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HH8BR_6xc2s [/tscii:af6b00840f]

[ajithfederer]

Rewind To Wimbledon 2001 - Fed's Interview right after defeating Sampras

WIMBLEDON

July 2, 2001

Roger Federer

WIMBLEDON, ENGLAND


MODERATOR: Could we have the first question, please, for Roger.

Q. You just changed the course of history, stopped a 32-match winning streak that Pete Sampras had. How does that feel?

ROGER FEDERER: It feels unbelievable, of course. I mean, I went out on the court today trying to beat him. I mean, I knew it was not going to be easy. I'm very happy about my performance today, from the first to the last point. Yeah, at the end, it's just a great feeling I've never had before.

Q. Where do you think you won this match? In the return?

ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, I would say returns because I had the feeling I had more chances than he did . Especially in the first three sets, I always had chances to break him. But he came up with some big serves. Then suddenly in the fourth and in the fifth, I didn't have any break chances anymore. He was just like serving too good. Maybe I was a little bit passive on the returns. But, I don't know, I'm still happy with my game.

Q. You never seemed to lose your composure out there, no matter what. Was that a big factor for you?

ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, I mean, I felt good, actually, from the start, as I won my first service game. I think the first service game is never easy, especially for me the first time coming out on Centre Court, playing Pete Sampras, one of my former idols. Then, I don't know, I won it I think love or 15. That gave me a little boost to go into the match. The whole court was packed. There's no way you're going to quit, I guess.

Q. Was it difficult to not think of him as your idol? When did he become your "former idol"?

ROGER FEDERER: Well, sometimes it was weird, you know, I look on the other side of the net, I saw him, sometimes I was like, it's just true, you know, kind of that this is happening now, that I'm playing against him. But then it just goes away, this feeling. You think about your serve, where you're going to go, then it's like playing against maybe some other player, you know. But obviously something special for me to play Pete.

Q. How did you stay so calm, particularly after you'd been ahead twice? How did you stay so calm?

ROGER FEDERER: Well, I had the feeling that that first set was very important, that I came back from set point down to win the set. That gave me a lot of confidence for the rest because I had the feeling, I mean, I really can beat him. I had that feeling all the way. That's probably why I won today. I had played a bad game there in the second to lose the set. I mean, I had problems with my leg. That probably relaxed me mentally a bit. I mean, I had trouble running to a couple balls. But I was totally relaxed. That's why I was not tired in the fifth. I felt good really all five sets.

Q. He's the king of grass. Why did you think you could beat him? What was it about his game?

ROGER FEDERER: I mean, in the beginning his serve was just massive. I had no chance. I mean, normally I'm pretty good in reading serves. I just had no chance. Especially, I mean, his second serve was as fast as my first serve (smiling). You think, "How is that possible?" But I still had the feeling I had a good chance on his second serve, even though he was serving 120 miles per hour. Suddenly when I had Love-40, 15-40 a few times on his serve, so I knew I will always get a chance in the match. I was holding also serves pretty easy at that time. I mean, I don't know why I had that feeling today. A lot of friends and players told me, "This year I think you can really beat him." I've played a great year so far - better than he did.

Q. What have you done to improve your game this year?

ROGER FEDERER: This year? Physically, I feel much better. Big points. I mean, I've been playing unbelievable, especially on breakpoints against me, I've been saving so many breakpoints. My serve has improved. On the grass I can serve and volley now. Before, I couldn't do that now.

Q. Were you saying in the locker room there were a lot of players saying he was beatable? Is that the view that's been held?

ROGER FEDERER: A few players, a few coaches, my friends, myself. I knew I had a chance. But, of course, I was not like a hundred percent. I mean, he's the man on grass.

Q. How did you feel after that fourth set tiebreaker? Were you concerned at that point?

ROGER FEDERER: What really worried me was that volley I missed at 1-All. After the return, I thought, "What happened?" I looked kind of to him, missed a volley. From then on, it was just his tiebreaker. I mean, I felt good already going into the tiebreaker because I know if I lose this tiebreaker, I can go in the fifth set, no problem for me, because I was feeling good physically at the time.

Q. You weren't worried in the fifth set about losing?

ROGER FEDERER: When I was down two breakpoints, I was very worried because I had the feeling he was raising his game, started making the returns, making me play. There I was very scared for a while. But I survived it and came back strong.

Q. Do you think you have a real chance of winning the title now?

ROGER FEDERER: I think this match will give me as much confidence as I can get. This is my biggest win in my life. Now I'm going to play Henman or Martin, if that's correct. I've played them before. Never beat Henman. I beat Martin. I have to look really match per match. After beating Pete, I think maybe I have a chance. I don't know.

Q. Pete said when he played you today, seemed like sometimes he felt like he was playing himself because you don't show a lot on the court, don't show a lot of emotion. I know you saw him as a kid. Did you pattern your behavior on the court after Pete?

ROGER FEDERER: Not at all actually. I mean, I was throwing around my racquet like you probably don't imagine. Helicopters were flying all over (laughter). I mean, I was getting kicked out of practise sessions non-stop when I was 16. Now since maybe I think this year, I started just to relax a little bit more on court. I'm not smashing as many racquets as before. I don't know.

Q. What changed it? Why suddenly did you decide to do it?

ROGER FEDERER: I don't know if I grew up a little bit. I realised that the racquet throwing didn't help my game because I was always getting very negative. I used to talk also much more. Now, I mean, I don't talk anymore. I'm just positive, you know. Also, of course, to play Centre Court in front of a packed crowd, to play Pete Sampras, I don't know, doesn't make you scream, you know, throw racquets. I think that's pretty normal.

Q. You've been kicking the butt of us Americans all season. In our country, we have lots of nice mountains, lots of tennis courts. What can we possibly do to get you to jump ship and come to America?

ROGER FEDERER: I don't know. It's tough to say. I mean, it's true, I played unbelievable Davis Cup tie there against you guys. Today again I played great. Actually, I was thinking about the Davis Cup during today's match because I thought Pete could also have came to the Davis Cup tie, I maybe would have beat him also (laughter). I mean, I don't know.

Q. Sound pretty confident.

ROGER FEDERER: Too confident, I think (smiling).

Q. What did Pete say to you after the game? Did you have a chance to talk?

ROGER FEDERER: I think he just congratulate me when we shook hands. Otherwise, I mean, he was on one side of the locker, I was on the other side. I think he was very disappointed, I mean, obviously after such a loss. I don't know. We didn't speak at all, actually.

Q. Were you aware that Pete had never lost a five-set match at Wimbledon? When you got into the fifth set, not wrapping it up in four, did you have any concern that this is where Pete Sampras is the master, in the fifth set?

ROGER FEDERER: I actually didn't know his record of five sets. I don't know why, what it was, but I had the feeling that in five sets, I was really good. I don't know if the record is the same. I felt like in five sets, I'm really good. I heard about it. His five-set record, he was probably like 70% he wins them, five sets. I heard that when he played Barry Cowan. I told myself, "Yeah, but he has lost five-setters, so I think I can really do it today, as well."

Q. When you saw him struggle with Barry Cowan, had that in the back of your mind, did that change your feeling about him on grass?

ROGER FEDERER: I mean, at that time I was also in the second round or third round maybe.

Q. Once you were getting ready to play him, you had that Cowan match in the back of your mind.

ROGER FEDERER: I was just happy that Barry Cowan took him to five sets. That showed a little bit that he wasn't playing his best on grass probably. I mean, a normal Pete Sampras would beat him in three. He just lost the tiebreak in the third. Probably gave me a little bit of good feeling inside, you know, that I can also myself push him to five sets maybe.

Q. The injury you have?

ROGER FEDERER: It's on the adductor.

Q. 4-All, first breakpoint, he hits the return low to you, are you thinking you're going to win the match at that point?

ROGER FEDERER: 4-All, what was it?

Q. In the fifth set.

ROGER FEDERER: The half volley I played, yeah, I was. I was scared when I had to face breakpoint. I just told myself, "Be aggressive, go to the net." Yeah, I came up with a good half volley, finished it on the backhand side. I think where I was a little bit scared was on the other breakpoint, that second serve, played it to his forehand. He had a running forehand. When he hits it, his ball stays hit on the forehand side. I was happy he didn't make it.

Q. Could you tell us a little bit about how you developed in Switzerland? Was tennis always your game?

ROGER FEDERER: I started playing at the age of three. I was playing soccer at the same time. At like 10 or 12 years old, I had to make a decision what I'm going to do now more than the other one. I had more success in tennis. Decided at 14 to go down to the National Tennis Center, but it was in the French-speaking part of Switzerland, I'm coming from the German. For me, it was very tough the first half of year. I wanted to go home. I was not happy. I was crying when I will to leave on Sunday. Then I went to the Orange Bowl, under 14. Came back, felt good, started to win matches. At 16, the tennis centre changed to the part of Switzerland where they speak both languages. For the future, they can go in French-speaking schools and German. I decided to quit school at that time, at 16, because I felt like school was bothering me from my best tennis. I quit school and just went (showing upward movement with his hand) very quickly. I won a junior tournament and finished No. 1 in Juniors then. Also the change from Juniors to pros was not as tough.

Q. What is he missing from his game that he had two years ago? Obviously he's still a great player. Has he come down a level?

ROGER FEDERER: I don't know. I mean, I was very surprised that he was serve-volleying at the French Open first and second serve. It looks like he's not ready to stay back and rally from the baseline. I agree, it's not his game. But somewhere you have to, I mean, stay back or play a little bit more passive. I don't know. He's got his one game now, serve and volley first and second serve. I don't know if he was doing that two years ago.

http://www.asapsports.com/show_interview.php?id=21605

[ajithfederer]

http://www.asapsports.com/show_player.php?id=10440

All most all damm interviews of Roger Federer from the year 1998 in one place. This one goes right into the introductory posts in first page.

:clap:

[ajithfederer]

GRF : Roger Federer Moments --- Funny at Wimbledon 2008 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRyv_zdNEJY&feature=related)

[ajithfederer]

http://www.rogerfederer.com/en/rogers/news/newsdetail.cfm?uNewsID=923

ATP - ROGER QUALIFIES FOR MASTERS


Roger has already booked his spot for the ATP World Tour Finals at the end of the year. 2009 is the first time that London will host the tournament with the best eight players of the season (November 22 to 29).

Roger’s title in Roland Garros has secured him a place at the World Tour Finals, a tournament that means a whole lot to him. He has clinched the title four times so far (2003, 2004, 2006 and 2007) in a total of seven participations, losing to David Nalbandian in the finals in 2005. Rafael Nadal is the other player to have qualified for the Finals so far.


:clap:[tscii:824bfa92ac][/tscii:824bfa92ac]

[ajithfederer]

:clap: :clap:


[tscii:41d5a5f6e9]Spirit Of A Champion – Making Of A Champion
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lLHy7UBLfg&feature=related
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUxVzVb08_E&feature=related
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ep-v0ux1Apo&feature=related [/tscii:41d5a5f6e9]


[tscii:41d5a5f6e9]Spirit Of A Champion – The Champion
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YqMg4eMW7I
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zU-IRjRg7Yo
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6XeBXqGNL5s [/tscii:41d5a5f6e9]


[tscii:41d5a5f6e9]Spirit Of A Champion – The Man
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ApECbBeJXcs
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Plfzj8V6b8
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HH8BR_6xc2s [/tscii:41d5a5f6e9]

[ajithfederer]

IN MY OPINION
Roger Federer belongs in debate of best ever

Switzerland's Roger Federer kisses the trophy following his 6-1, 7-6 (7/1), 6-4 victory over Sweden's Robin Soderling in the men's singles final at the French Open in Paris, France, Sunday, June 7, 2009.

Roger Federer was not playing only Robin Soderling at Roland Garros on Sunday. He was also playing Pete Sampras, Rod Laver and even Bjorn Borg, who was watching from right behind the baseline.

Nor was Federer playing only for the French Open title. He was also playing for the title of ''greatest ever'' in men's tennis.

Considering the weight of history on his shoulders, it's not surprising that he had trouble hitting his final three shots to win the match, 6-1, 7-6 (7-1), 6-4.

Federer sank to his knees on the red clay and bowed his head. Finally. He won the one major championship that had eluded him and he tied Sampras' record of 14 Grand Slam championships.

GREAT DEBATE

Federer also started a debate about a title for which there is no trophy: Is he the ``greatest ever?''

Just two months ago we watched Federer mangle his racket in an uncharacteristic display of frustration at the Sony Ericsson Open. Another loss and more declarations that Federer was finished, surpassed by Rafael Nadal, who had beaten him in the epic 2008 Wimbledon final and supplanted him at No. 1 after a 4 ½-year reign.

''A pity,'' as Federer might say.

But he warned that he was still honing his game, still finding his way back from a detour caused in part by mononucleosis -- and in part by Nadal's improvement on all surfaces.

So when Nadal lost for the first time at the French Open, the door was open for Federer. Rather than trip on the threshold, he charged through and took his place on a short list -- only the sixth man to win all four Grand Slam tournaments.

RIVALS RELENT

Andre Agassi, the last man to win a career Grand Slam, presented Federer with the silver cup in Paris and joined the chorus affirming Federer as the best. Sampras, who never reached a French Open final, graciously concurred.

Federer, 27, will be favored to win No. 15 at Wimbledon in one month.

''Now the question is, am I the greatest of all time?'' he said.

Federer is known for making charming, blunt and accurate assessments of his excellence without sounding like a braggart. But he's leaving the debate open.

He knows how difficult it is to compare athletes from different eras.

If you're older than 40, you've already seen several ''greatest evers'' in men's tennis.

Federer's record, which includes advancement to a mind-boggling 15 of 16 Grand Slam finals since the 2005 Wimbledon, is the best of the Open era, which began in 1968.

LEGENDARY LAVER

But Rod Laver won 11 majors and wasn't even eligible to play the Slams for five years during his prime from 1963 to 1967.

Laver completed his first true Grand Slam in 1962, winning all four major singles titles in the same calendar year. Then, like many of the top players of his time, he turned pro. Only amateurs were allowed to compete in the Slams until the rules were changed in 1968. The ''Rocket'' won his second true Slam in 1969.

''Laver definitely would have won many more Slams,'' said Butch Buchholz, founder of what has become the ''fifth major,'' the Sony Ericsson Open, and one of the breakaway pros of the 1960s. ``Laver was as dominant as Federer. But, on the other hand, three of the majors were played on grass back then. And it's a lot harder to win a Slam today. We were concerned about who we'd play in the semis and finals. Guys today are concerned about who they'll play in the first round.

``Kids are bigger, stronger and healthier today. It's a business. We never thought we'd make a living at it. We thought we'd win some and go sell insurance. When Rocket turned pro, he wasn't counting Slams because he figured he'd never play another one.''

Buchholz, who watched Federer's run in Paris and talked Monday from London, puts Federer ''in the category of greatest ever'' but argues that he needs to win a few more to cement the title.

''Funny things happen when children arrive,'' Buchholz said of Federer's impending fatherhood. ``But I think he'll win Wimbledon. His confidence was at its lowest in Key Biscayne, and now he's got an enormous boost. Plus, the bubble may have burst for Nadal.''

Speaking of greatness, Nadal, 13-7 against Federer, is only 23.

TIME WILL TELL

Where will Kobe Bryant place in history? When Magic Johnson asked him, Bryant wisely heaped praise on his predecessors.

Tiger Woods seems headed toward ''greatest ever'' -- if his knee holds up.

Alex Rodriguez was on track -- until his steroid use forced a reassessment.

Michael Phelps beat Mark Spitz's record, but the way swimming times keep falling makes you wonder who will be next.

Muhammad Ali called himself the greatest of all time -- but with a wink.

What does ever mean, anyway?

Shakespeare has held up through the centuries, as has Mozart. But think of the ''greatest evers'' who inspired awe during their eras and are unknown today.

Think of the reverse: Herman Melville and Vincent Van Gogh entered the ''greatest'' pantheon after their deaths.

Ever is a long time.

Federer, like all the great ones, will focus on his next match and let immortality take care of itself.

http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/tennis/story/1088221.html
[tscii:8fbca6fa59][/tscii:8fbca6fa59]

[ajithfederer]

"MISSION ACCOMPLISHED" Why Roger Federer Is The Best Ever

The Michelangelo of tennis painted his latest and greatest masterpiece last week at Roland Garros, becoming just the sixth man to ever complete the career grand-slam, Andre Agassi was the last to do so in 1999 at Roland Garros.

Federer cemented his place as the best ever since the open era, and that is the key because I do not know how you compare him to a Rod Laver, Roy Emerson or even Bill Tilden. Tennis was a much different game when those guys were playing. It would be like comparing Bart Starr to Joe Montana.

No player in tennis history has been as dominant and as consistent as Federer, he has been in the semifinals of 20 consecutive majors and 15 out 16 finals no player even comes close to this. Ivan Lendl is second with 10 consecutive semifinal appearances.
Author Poll

I know what your thinking how can he be the greatest all-time and not be the greatest of his generation, the argument that Nadal will end up having a better career is very premature. Nadal has yet to show that he can dominate multiple majors, he has only two other major wins besides his French Open titles. Federer has won 5 straight U.S Opens along with the 5 straight Wimbledons.

I not going to discount Nadal's spell over Federer 13-7 lifetime against Federer, but remember this Nadal is four years younger and has caught Federer on the decline while Nadal is entering his prime. For some reason that gets overlooked.

I question how long can Nadal be great even at 23 he showing signs of wearing down, and his physical grind it out style will not make it any easier for him to stay healthy. Federer's durability has never been in question.

There was a time when Federer's mental toughness was a question because of how easily he was winning majors, many wondered how he would handle adversity. At the French Open he demonstrated that he can win even win he is not at his best. Last year despite struggling with his conditioning because of mononucleosis he salvaged his year win his fifth straight US Open and 3 grand-slam final appearances.

Every tennis fan should enjoy watching Federer because there may never be another one like him, his dominance from the baseline and combination of clutch serving and precise volleying sets him apart from anyone who has ever picked up a racket.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/198564-mission-accomplished-why-roger-federer-is-the-best-ever

[ajithfederer]

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=10578296

Tennis: More to come from Swiss ace
4:00AM Sunday Jun 14, 2009
By Andrew Alderson

Tennis legend Rod Laver may have said it best about Roger Federer: "The best way to beat him would be to hit him over the head with a racquet."

While Rafael Nadal might argue with that, the quote did come to mind as Robin Soderling put his final forehand into the net at Roland Garros last week.

Federer dropped his knees into the clay and his head into his hands. He'd completed a record-equalling 14 Grand Slam titles, joint with Pete Sampras, and become just the sixth man to compile each of the four majors over the course of a career.

It's possible to drone on about Federer's numbers until your head resembles a Nasa scientist's white board, but let's save that for a quiz night.

Instead we talked to people who walked in the same rarefied atmosphere as Federer - and gained some insight from Federer's father, Robert.

The now 70-year-old Rod Laver is the only player to win two calendar year grand slams, once as an amateur in 1962 and again as a professional in 1969. He seems a sound starting point in our investigation.

"In the French Open final, Roger probably concentrated better than I've ever seen. His ground strokes were on the mark and his serve helped him win a lot of cheap points.

"His opponent was maybe tired or in awe of the situation but Roger played some of his best tennis in a while. He kept the ball deep, played long rallies, ran down a lot of shots and slipped a new forehand and backhand drop shot into his repertoire."

Fellow Australian Roy Emerson has also followed Federer's fortunes closely. He's the only career grand slammer in both men's singles and doubles.

The 72 year-old held the grand slam record with 12 singles titles, albeit in the amateur era, until Sampras took it over. He says Federer has eased a burden.

"Now he's a true champion. He wanted to win the French Open so badly that it put extra pressure on him because people were saying he wasn't a complete player until that point. And of course when anyone's playing Roger they're playing well because they've got nothing to lose."

Federer's father, a chemist by trade who works out of Bottmingen near Basel in Switzerland, agrees.

"When you look back over the last three or four years he was 'smelling it'. He was so close for quite some time. The French Open was always on his mind; the top of his list to win.

"We just had a consolation this year with Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal out early. All of a sudden Roger was the best rated player in the race and he saw he could win.

"But he worked hard for it, especially with those tough matches against Jose Acasuso, Tommy Haas and Juan Martin del Potro. It wasn't an easy waltz through."

Federer will now throw on his traditional v-neck white pullover and blazer as he challenges for a possible sixth Wimbledon crown. A tumultuous last week means he has opted out of his lead-up tournament in Halle, Germany.

Robert Federer says embracing English culture was a key in his son's rise to sporting renown.

"My wife Lynette is South African and she brought this anglophile sports approach into the family which I see as positive - it had a good influence on Roger. When he was young, we always went down to South Africa and became quite familiar with the culture. Roger had a rugby ball, he also played cricket with the boys - he knows his English sports, that's for sure."

But ask whether tennis saturates conversation around the family dinner table and Federer senior chuckles.

"Yes, there is a lot of talk about it. Lynette and I work at home for Roger managing the fan posts, the foundation stuff; all these things from all over the world make it to our table. But we do want to switch off the tennis occasionally and just be a normal family and talk about Roger and Mirka's (wife Miroslava Vavrinec) upcoming baby."

Father Federer says he and Lynette will be off to see their son compete at Wimbledon but he's not too fussed about going early on.

"I won't be there right at the start because it's too long sitting around for two weeks. We'll go at the end of the first week and stay until it's over."

Speaking of over, has Federer reached match point on whether he is the greatest player ever; and will it be decided by that first Sunday in July?

Laver is in little doubt about the result, where he will be in attendance as part of his Open era grand slam 40th anniversary.

"I think this particular championship will push him over the top. I'd be betting on him winning that's for sure. Nadal is tough, but he's got a sore knee. It may not be a big problem but it's something he's worrying about, so he mightn't get the practice he needs to win like last year."

Emerson agrees Nadal's form and fitness is the determining factor.

"It's the only thing holding him back. He relies on his mobility around the court to win. But I think Federer will do it, he's in good form, and grass suits his game so I think he'll break Sampras' record. He's also got more grand slams in him yet, don't worry."

Both past champions are reluctant to compare eras and muse about Federer's place in tennis history. It's a debate that can never be resolved, given the differences in technology and the blurring between amateur and professional ranks during their time. Still, you've got to throw it out there.

"Being the number one player in your era is one of the best things you can say about your game, a great attribute. Tennis is fortunate to have Roger for that reason alone," says a diplomatic Laver.

"It's a totally different game with the racquet technology. They've also moved a lot of the grass courts to hard courts. Roger should be able to compile more grand slams if he continues playing into his early 30s provided he can stay fit, focused and competitive week in, week out.

"He can't go having a holiday for six months though and expect to come back. Maybe years ago you could do that, but not now.

Emerson says it is hard to compare but Federer is "way up there" after his clay court triumph.

"It's still the same tournament in Paris but the style of play is different. They hit the ball so much harder from the baseline than we used to. Today's equipment also enables excessive top spin so it's incredible to watch."

So now the sporting world turns to what bookmakers tell us will be the afternoon of Sunday, July 5 in London postcode SW19.

Rod Laver might joke that the solution lies in connecting catgut with cranium but odds are the only thing going on Roger Federer's head will be a figurative crown.

The uncharted male territory of Grand Slam title number 15 is just seven victorious matches away.

[ajithfederer]

Rocket Rod Laver still firing on all cylinders

A 70 year-old gentleman set the alarm at his California home for the crack of dawn last Sunday to enjoy a date with Roger Federer. If the Greatest Mark II was going to make history in the French Open final, Rod Laver, the Greatest Mark I, was determined not to miss a moment on television.


By Ian Chadband
Published: 7:27PM BST 12 Jun 2009


Living legend: Rod Laver says that he expects Roger Federer to go on to win "a lot more" than 14 grand slam titles before he retires from tennis.

"Yep, before 6am, not too early for me," enthuses the old maestro. "And I couldn't have been more thrilled for Roger, seeing him play so brilliantly. With no Rafael Nadal in the final, Roger would have said to himself, 'It will really be a failure if I don't win it now'.

"I think he's over the biggest hurdle in his tennis with the French under his belt. Pete Sampras, Boris Becker, John McEnroe, great players, never did. The monkey is off Roger's back and he'll play, not with abandon, but with excitement, enjoyment and freedom. He'll be Wimbledon champion again next month unless someone catches fire like Robin Soderling did against Nadal."

French Open 2009: Roger Federer defeats Robin Soderling to be crowned champion

If Federer does indeed regain his crown, Australia's living legend, still unmistakable with the freckles and birdy nose 40 years after the last of his own four triumphs, will be there to salute him. After being invited for his first visit to his favourite lawns for nearly a decade, nothing would give him more pleasure.

Because for all the arguments that have resurfaced again this week about whether Federer, with his record-equalling 14 grand slams, may now have surpassed him as the finest player in history, there is such a deep connection, forged by respect and admiration, between the pair that Laver feels any debate is redundant.

"You can be the dominant player of your time but you can't compare eras," he says. Still, he concedes, let's see what Federer's tally is by the time he has retired. "I have to believe it's going to be a lot more than 14. He's only 27; I played my last Slam in 1969 and I was 31."

But what about those two calendar year grand slams, spanning the amateur and Open eras in 1962 and 1969, which remain the twin monuments to Laver's supremacy, the main reasons why today he is still revered, like Muhammad Ali in boxing and Pele in football, as tennis's nonpareil?

No one has ever won all four in a year since that quadruple, which had Sports Illustrated noting in awe in the infancy of tennis's Open era: "The sport will have to be opened considerably wider, to include angels, highly-trained kangaroos or something as yet unenvisaged, before anyone else will be in Laver's league."

Andre Agassi calls Laver's slams a "God-like" achievement, never to be repeated. Only the freckled god himself begs to differ. "I certainly can see the Grand Slam being done again. I'm surprised it hasn't happened in 40 years but Federer's got to be odds on to pull it off if he clicks at the right time through the tournaments. It's very possible for him."

He believes that Federer's rejuvenation, ironically, stems from the depths of his despair this January in Melbourne's Rod Laver arena. "The Nadal defeat hurt him so much that he went away and took stock of his whole game," Laver said. "In Paris, you could see he's now learned the perfect drop shot for his repertoire. The backhand one he almost backs into the net is just incredible."

Laver sounds like a cross between keen student and fan; in an era when the crushing, ever harder-hitting baseline exchanges remind Laver of "ping pong", he thrills to the power and athleticism but adores the idea of any old-fashioned, subtle variety making a comeback.

Nadal's Wimbledon win over Federer last year was the greatest tennis he has ever seen but he is evidently worried for the champion. "Tendinitis? Nadal's going to have to just rest and get away from tennis and I'd be a little surprised if he plays because his career is more than playing at Wimbledon one year. He's defending the title and if he loses there that's not a good omen for his confidence."

In his heyday, Rodney George Laver, the 'Rockhampton Rocket', was a cross between Nadal and Federer; both artist, gentleman and murderous leftie in one slight package. He laughs about what was once the wonder of the sporting age, that monstrous left forearm, which could whip topspin bullets past opponents as never before.

"Atrophy has set in – it doesn't perform quite as it did then!" he chuckles. Tennis is not so much fun these days with arthritis in the wrist the "payback" for all those years of being the first Lord of Topspin. He'll still play the odd match with son Rick at the La Costa Country Club near his home in Carlsbad. Does he still pull a crowd? "Oh no. Just he and I – and maybe the odd person peering through the fence, laughing at us a little bit."

Marvelling, more like. Laver's greatness is such that he's bathed in myths. Was he really a sickly child? "I had jaundice at 15 and was out of commission for a bit, that's all." What about stuffing cabbage leaves under his comedy hat to cool him from the scorching Brisbane heat? No, just a "gimmicky thing" he once did.

Turns out even the nickname 'Rocket' was ironic. "Harry Hopman [the famed Australian Davis Cup captain] seemed to think I was pretty lackadaisical, always waiting to the last minute to get to the ball. Just like Ken Rosewall was called 'Muscles' because he didn't have any, I was the rocket man."

Despite his 43 years in America, Laver still seems like a classic, straight-talking Queenslander who would always prefer beer to Champagne and will not entertain bull. Ask him if he might, as many believe, have won another 10 grand slams if not for turning pro in his prime years, he shrugs: "I only worry about the ones I did win!".

He regrets nothing. That five-year period in the pro game testing himself against the best, like his idol Lew Hoad, hardened him into the player who returned to bestride Wimbledon again. The Nadal-Federer rivalry over 20 games? He and Rosewall played 185 times, of which Laver won 100. "And they're only the ones we kept score on!" said Laver with a laugh. "I never believed I'd get the chance to play Wimbledon again so I was just excited by the sheer thrill of getting back when tennis went open."

Even now, all those years after his last triumph over John Newcombe, the thrill of returning to Wimbledon in a couple of weeks still "overpowers" him. "It's the faraway dream I had when playing some kid in Brisbane. I'd look over the net and think, 'this is it, Wimbledon final, match point'."

He's looking forward to seeing a "matured" Andy Murray "have a really good run" this year but you sense that on Centre Court, perhaps under the closed roof he is so keen to see, he will be rooting for a kindred spirit, almost his natural heir.

"Someone like Federer just loves the game and respects his opponent; I like to think I was the same," he explains. "You're both out there trying to win but you just want to make sure you're representing all the past champions and the game of tennis too." With majesty and modesty, no one ever did it better than Laver.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/tennis/5517604/Rocket-Rod-Laver-still-firing-on-all-cylinders.html[tscii:62e380b248][/tscii:62e380b248]

[ajithfederer]

The Nation: Saluting Roger Federer

by Eyal Press

Switzerland's Roger Federer kisses his trophy

Roger Federer kisses his trophy after winning the French Open tennis tournament in Paris, FRANCE, Sunday June 7, 2009. The win solidified Federer's reputation as the best tennis player in the world.

In case you were too busy watching the Sunday morning news shows, Roger Federer won the French Open yesterday, tying Pete Sampras' record of fourteen career grand slams and solidifying his claim to being the greatest tennis player of all time. Federer's victory over Sweden's Robin Soderling was not an exciting affair – he won in straight sets, in a match that seemed decided from the opening game, when Federer broke Soderling's serve and marched out to a 4-0 lead. But it was a sublime display of his artistry. Playing against a fierce hitter who had defeated his previous opponents (including perhaps the greatest clay-court player ever, Rafael Nadal) by bludgeoning the ball, Federer countered with a game of spin and misdirection. He sliced sharp-angled backhands crosscourt to draw Soderling forward. He floated devilishly disguised drop shots just over the net in the middle of rallies. He kicked his serves into seemingly every corner of the service box, including four consecutive aces in a masterful second-straight tiebreaker that effectively ended the contest.

Federer is too poster-boy perfect for some sports fans: too nice, too gracious, too Swiss. But in an age of Olympic doping scandals and A-Rod, his career stands as a beautiful illustration of the limits of brute force. Federer's greatest legacy will not be the number of grand slams he ends up winning (though his astounding appearance in 20 straight slam semifinals will likely last for decades, a feat whose greatness was underscored by Nadal's early-round loss on the surface where he was supposedly unbeatable). It will be his role in rescuing men's tennis from the Nuclear Age it entered fifteen years ago, when the combination of improved training and advanced racket technology seemed to strip the game of all subtlety; when big serves and short rallies seemed to decide everything and fans who longed to see world-class players display touch and accuracy were left to watch ESPN classics of Borg vs. McEnroe.

Now more than ever, as he creeps toward 30 in a sport dominated by men in their young 20's, Federer must rely on misdirection and guile to defeat players who can overpower him. This is how he won the one grand slam that had eluded him until Sunday. David Foster Wallace evoked this aspect of his game in his brilliant homage to the Swiss star, "Federer As Religious Experience," which ended with a glance at the generation of Federer-inspired kids we'll be watching a few years from now, after he's retired:

You should have seen, on the grounds' outside courts, the variegated ballet that was this year's Junior Wimbledon. Drop volleys and mixed spins, off-speed serves, gambits planned three shots ahead — all as well as the standard-issue grunts and booming balls. Whether anything like a nascent Federer was here among these juniors can't be known, of course. Genius is not replicable. Inspiration, though, is contagious, and multiform — and even just to see, close up, power and aggression made vulnerable to beauty is to feel inspired and (in a fleeting, mortal way) reconciled.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=105145212[tscii:e01e501e47][/tscii:e01e501e47]

[ajithfederer]

ROGER FEDERER'S PLACE IN HISTORY
A grand master of the game

Bruce Jenkins, Chronicle Staff Writer

Monday, June 8, 2009


(06-07) 20:05 PDT -- As he stood alongside Roger Federer for a post-match interview at the French Open, John McEnroe wore a look of reverence. It's a look we've seen in recent years from Rod Laver, Bjorn Bjorg and Pete Sampras, as well as Andre Agassi during Sunday's trophy ceremony. They all stand in awe of the man who dismantled Robin Soderling 6-1, 7-6 (1), 6-4 to lodge a solid claim as the greatest player of all time.


Everything about Federer is perfection: his game, his lifestyle, his comportment. Addressing the crowd after his historic win, Federer breezily alternated between French and English, and he could have added two more languages - German and Swiss-German - if asked.

"I am so happy for you, man," Agassi told Federer, and you got the feeling that Rafael Nadal, wherever he might have been, felt the same. Few people in tennis, perhaps even Federer himself, envisioned him hoisting the French Open trophy so soon after a discouraging sequence of tournaments that transformed his image from unbeatable champion to sympathetic figure.

Now he stands in select company, joining Agassi, Laver, Don Budge, Fred Perry and Roy Emerson as the only men to have won each of the four majors, undeniable proof of multi-surface mastery. His 14th major title ties him with Sampras for the all-time record, and with Nadal on the mend from a knee injury, Federer could grab his 15th title as soon as the upcoming Wimbledon.

In the end, it won't matter that Nadal, upset by Soderling in the fourth round, wasn't there to confront Federer on Sunday. When Agassi scored his French Open breakthrough in 1999, it was Andrei Medvedev on the other side. Laver got a break during his 1962 Grand Slam season, drawing unseeded countryman Marty Mulligan in the Wimbledon final. It's not always a matchup for the ages, nor are such details relevant in the end.

Regrettably, for those who love "greatest ever" comparisons, tennis' lamentable political history stops every argument cold. Until 1968, professionals were not allowed to compete in the major tournaments, and you almost had to turn pro to make a decent living in the 1950s and '60s. For those who saw Pancho Gonzalez and Lew Hoad on the old pro circuit, that's where the "greatest ever" discussion begins.

Laver's case still carries massive weight, for he not only won the calendar Grand Slam as an amateur (1962) and a professional (1969), but he also missed five full years (1963-67) of Grand Slam competition because he was not allowed to compete. That would be ages 25 to 29 for Laver, his absolute prime, and many think he would have 18 to 20 major titles, not 11, if politics hadn't done so much damage to the sport.

Other complications cloud the picture. Laver played in an era when three of the four majors (all but the French) were played on grass. For many years, players bypassed the Australian Open because of the travel inconvenience (McEnroe played it only twice in his first 12 years on tour, Jimmy Connors twice in his life, Borg just once).

What separates Federer from everyone but Laver - and I haven't heard a single all-time great dispute this - is his total command of the game. McEnroe didn't have that kind of power, Connors that kind of touch, Sampras or Borg that kind of variety. Federer is a master of every conceivable shot, and no one, not even Nadal, can even imagine reaching 20 consecutive Grand Slam semifinals, or 15 out of 16 finals.

What everyone would like to see, I've found, is Laver playing Federer with today's equipment, each man at the age of 25, in a clay-grass-hardcourt sequence. So the debates rage, inconclusive but highly engaging.

Wrapping up the French Open on other fronts:

THE WOMEN'S GAME: The No. 1 player, Dinara Safina, is an emotional wreck who has been humiliated in each of her three Grand Slam finals. How is this even possible? Though the caliber of men's tennis seems to soar at every turn, the women's game is at an all-time low, made worse by the disturbing number of players shrieking like assault victims on every shot.

The NBC crew tried its best to talk up Saturday's Safina-Svetlana Kuznetsova final as something potentially special, but everyone knew that was a terrible matchup, the latest yawner between unwatchable, glued-to-the-baseline players with a history of choking. Credit Kuznetsova for a marvelous personal comeback, to the point where she truly believes in herself. But the WTA badly needs a solid, consistent player - so superbly personified by the retired Justine Henin - at the top.

"I miss her excellence," NBC's Mary Carillo said. "She was such a ferocious fighter, so well coached, so technically and tactically adept. When she showed up at tournaments, she was fit and there to win. You felt like you were in good hands watching her."

Serena Williams pulled her usual classless stunt after losing in the quarterfinals to Kuznetsova, saying, "I think I lost because of me and not because of anything she did." On occasion - the times when Serena scatters groundstrokes all over the place - this reflects a brutal honesty. This time she was just plain wrong. Serena had fought hard, and Kuznetsova played better when it mattered most. Outplayed, Serena. Get it right.

SHOT OF THE TOURNAMENT: Gael Monfils, in the third round against Jurgen Melzer. Monfils not only reached the ball at full extension of his all-out dive, but he also snapped an effective backhand that perpetuated a rally he eventually won. Said Jim Courier, "Monfils is probably the best raw athlete tennis has ever had."

DROPPING THE BALL: Dutifully protecting "The Today Show" and "Days of Our Lives," NBC negotiated a ridiculously narrow window (10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on both coasts) for tape-delayed coverage of the men's semifinals. With the goal of showing one match in its entirety, and frustrated by the fact that Federer-Juan Martin Del Potro was scheduled second, NBC opted for Soderling-Fernando Gonzalez. Result: Not one moment of Federer's historically significant match was shown, live or on tape. NBC has the best broadcasting team in all of sports (Carillo, McEnroe and Ted Robinson), but please, either cover the tournament or give it to someone else.
Grand Slammers

Men who have won the French Open, Wimbledon, U.S. Open and Australian Open major championships:

Roger Federer, Andre Agassi, Roy Emerson, Rod Laver*, Don Budge*, Fred Perry

* - won Grand Slam in a single calendar year

Note: Nine women, most recently Serena Williams, have won career Grand Slams
Most majors, men

Roger Federer 14

Pete Sampras, above14

Roy Emerson 12

Bjorn Borg 11

Rod Laver 11
Women

Margaret Court Smith 24

Steffi Graf 22

Helen Wills Moody 19

E-mail Bruce Jenkins at bjenkins@sfchronicle.com.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/06/07/SP2J182E19.DTL

[ajithfederer]

http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=14D7627FA25A84BC

[ajithfederer]

[tscii:b8a735dfad]Roger Federer's Grass Is Greener: Wimbledon 2009 Preview

Last week as I recuperated, drumming my fingers and watching the daily news about the grass court tournaments in progress—those warm-up tournaments for Wimbledon—I felt the major drama of the week eliminated once Rafael Nadal withdrew from Queens and Roger Federer withdrew from Gerry Weber.

For a while it looked as though there might be a promising final at Queens when it appeared that Andy Roddick would challenge Andy Murray. But, then, Roddick twisted his ankle and had to surrender to James Blake.

The match between Andy Murray and James Blake was not a real contest. Not many suspected it would be.

The upset of the week, however, was the one where Hollywood Tommy Haas upset Novak Djokovic in the final of Gerry Weber to take his first championship in a long while—since 2007 in Memphis.

Although, when you consider the match Haas played in the fourth round against Roger Federer at the French Open, perhaps it is not quite as shocking as might appear at first glance. Haas was playing some pretty astute tennis at Roland Garros and hasn't let up since then.

This week’s grass court tournaments look equally tepid.

At the Ordina Open in the Netherlands, the Spanish lads have the top three seeds with Fernando Verdasco, Tommy Robredo and David Ferrer as one, two and three respectively. David Ferrer is the defending champion on grass!

At Eastbourne where Igor Andreev, Dmitry Tursunov and Paul Henri Mathieu are the top three seeds, Mathieu has already been upset. We expect surprise finalists in this one.

Grass, which used to be the only surface in tennis, has now been relegated to five short weeks during the year, from the end of the French Open in early June through the first week in July. The season is ridiculously short.

Grass courts are the most expensive to cultivate and sustain—hard courts being the easiest to maintain once the initial court is poured.

The proud tradition of grass is upheld annually at Wimbledon which most would accede as the most prestigious of the slam tournaments. Breakfast at Wimbledon has become a tradition for American tennis fans.

It begins in one week.

It marks the third grand slam of the season with Rafael Nadal usurping Federer in Melbourne on hard courts and Federer supplanting Nadal on the red clay of Stade Roland Garros.

It makes you wonder what surprises are in store during this year of upsets and surprises.

We are still waiting to learn the fate of Nadal’s knees. Will he be able to defend his title?

We suspect Nadal will offer a defense but fall short at Wimbledon in 2009, eventually losing his No. 1 ranking before the U.S. Open tournament in late summer.

Will Roger Federer regain his crown?

His chances of capturing the Wimbledon Championship seem greater than Rafa’s of repeating, given Nadal’s knees and his lack of preparation.

Will Roger be sufficiently motivated to capture number 15 here or will he still be suffering a giddy hangover after the French Open victory?

Roger must sober up quickly because the window of opportunity can close quickly and without warning.

While Murray captured his first grass championship at Queens, he was offered little resistance along the way. Murray’s Wimbledon grass feat may be a year off but his grass game promises to mature and become awesome in the coming years.

In terms of Murray—2009 would be a perfect time to capture that sixth Wimbledon title for Federer because in upcoming years, Murray will become the force to be overcome in Wimbledon finals.

Novak Djokovic lost his final at Halle to journeyman Tommy Haas. Last year Djokovic lost early to Marat Safin, who went on to enjoy a fine run at Wimbledon until meeting Federer.

Djokovic’s problem is consistency. Yes, he has the game to defeat anyone. But, he often slumps on his way to the finals and loses unexpectedly when he should not.

That could change at any moment, as we know. But so far, Djokovic has given no indication that he has found his much needed consistency.

So this year we must stick with Federer as the preeminent favorite to capture the Wimbledon championship in 2009. Obviously his motivation to do so must be supreme.

A wise man knows and takes advantage of the opportunities that are given to him. Hopefully Federer will surmise the landscape and the future potential of his opposition, striking now when the iron is hot.

All right. Perhaps this is a bit of wishful thinking. Maybe an overdose of pain medication has given rise to a faulty premise. But I think not.

The victory at the French Open has freed Roger from a long held doubt and given him that confidence he needed to button down his game.

He overcame the worrisome windmills and bested their mythical champion. Indirectly, yes. But sufficiently.

While we suffer through another week of meaningless tournaments waiting, we mull over the possible scenarios and the possible winners. Once the draws are announced on June 19, then we can begin the task of prediction in earnest.

I'm looking forward to it.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/199640-roger-federers-grass-is-greener-under-glass-wimbledon-2009-preview[/tscii:b8a735dfad]

[ajithfederer]

Recap of Roger Federer's 2009 French Open Title (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rp8VA94QmXw)

:clap:

[Plum]

Wimbledon varudhu - Murray or Nadal or anyone other than Federer is going to win...

[ajithfederer]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/16/AR2009061601646.html

Borg makes U-turn and backs Federer for Wimbledon title
By Tanja Bojanc
Reuters
Tuesday, June 16, 2009; 1:22 PM

LONDON (Reuters) - A year after Bjorn Borg wrote off Roger Federer's chances of capturing the 2008 Wimbledon title, the Swedish great was once again backing the Swiss to triumph at the All England Club.

Borg tipped Rafael Nadal to win the grasscourt major 12 months ago and despite being proved right, his comments did not go down well with Federer.

But after the Swiss completed his collection of grand slam titles by triumphing at Roland Garros nine days ago, the Swede has once again switched his allegiance.

"Coming into Wimbledon I think he is relieved in a way that he won Paris, because that was one of his main ambitions, goals to try and win Paris," Borg, who shares with Federer the professional era record of winning five successive Wimbledon titles, told Reuters Television Tuesday.


"So coming into Wimbledon he feels very confident, he has equaled (Pete) Sampras's record of 14 grand slams.

"We all know how Roger is playing on the grass, he plays unbelievable tennis on the grass. I think he is going to have a big challenge from Andy Murray, if I have to pick up two guys for this year's Wimbledon I would pick Murray and Federer."

Federer's success in Paris made him only the sixth man to win all four majors. According to Borg, that put Federer on the summit when it came to deciding who was the best of all time.

"For me Roger is the greatest player ever who played the tennis game. It's always good to see him play and win and we are going to see so much more of Federer in the future, he is going to win more grand slam tournaments."

Former Wimbledon champion Martina Navratilova agreed.

"It's a combination of how many grand slams have you won, how many tournaments have you won, how many years you were number one and he's got all those combinations," she said.

"The body of work is phenomenal and now he has got that French Open and I think he can just go on and sip Margaritas for the rest of his life."

Navratilova, however, said she was concerned about Nadal.

The Spaniard, four-times French Open champion, lost in the fourth round at Roland Garros and is now struggling to get fit for Wimbledon.

While the rest of the world might have been surprised by Nadal's Paris downfall, Navratilova was not.

"He burned out both physically and mentally, he played too many tournaments in a row and it just got to him, physically and mentally," said the American, who proved her longevity by playing top level tennis until just before her 50th birthday.

"He just didn't look that happy on the court, never mind how he was playing.

"Like he was fired up, but it was like when he was trying to get excited in the match, he was trying to force himself into it, it didn't seem to come with much joy.


"It's when you are burned out a little bit and it doesn't take much and he plays such a physical game that when he is not 100 percent it makes a big difference."

(Writing by Pritha Sarkar; Editing by Ed Osmond)

[ajithfederer]

Roger Federer - beauty points against Lleyton Hewitt, Wimbledon, 2005 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABiEAiX6wyM)

[ajithfederer]

Roger Federer - beauty points against Richard Gasquet, Toronto 2006 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGcWhcXrSbc)

[ajithfederer]

2007 Australian Open Final - Roger Federer Vs Fernando Gonzalez Highlights (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJ45zlgo9OA)

[ajithfederer]

2006 Australian Open Final - Roger Federer Vs Marcos Baghdatis (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMNNKFK1rJs)

[Plum]

af, unga kadamai uNarchikku oru aLave illaiya? :-)

[ajithfederer]

2007 Australian Open Semi Final - Roger Federer Vs Andy Roddick (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ovbc__uQBQ&feature=channel_page)

[ajithfederer]

Federer vs Ljubicic Shanghai 06 highlights (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVOQnHT_fmA)

[ajithfederer]

வருங்கால சந்ததிகள் அண்ணனை பற்றி தெரிந்துகொள்ள இந்த நூல் ஒரு கருவியாக பயன்படும்.

af, unga kadamai uNarchikku oru aLave illaiya? :-)

[Plum]

adhu correct, varalaaru miga mukyam. Vaazhga ungal thoNdu!

[ajithfederer]

Roger Federer - beauty points against Mario Ancic, Wim 2006 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y45cZwtDhlE)

[ajithfederer]

2006 Tennis Masters Cup Semi Final - Roger Federer Vs Rafael Nadal (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMmVf4PBAg0)

[ajithfederer]

2007 Tennis Masters Cup Final - Roger Federer Vs David Ferrrer (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLvWsLODe9k)

[ajithfederer]

2006 Tennis Masters Cup Final - Roger Federer Vs James Blake (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0cxyFB_TL4)

[ajithfederer]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxyFkTpFodg

Roger Federer's new Rolex commercial ad


Patttassuu :smokesmirk:

[ajithfederer]

Roger Federer - black and white 1 (big picture) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-RXWZ1Xyeas&feature=channel_page)

For the record Roger's black and black outfit is the best outfid he ever wore for a grandslam. He looks fantastic in black and black.
8-).

[ajithfederer]

Roger Federer - beauty points against Rafael Nadal, Shanghai, 2007 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=el8kb9kyt_A&feature=channel_page)

[ajithfederer]

Roger Federer - beauty points against Lleyton Hewitt, Cincinnati, 2007 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Og9oFKQwAI&feature=channel_page)

[ajithfederer]

http://i42.tinypic.com/2h3a2qr.jpg

PR, Could you please upload this pic here

" I snuck on to center court this afternoon to get a first hand look at the court with the new roof...I made sure I got a picture to share with all of you. Wimbledon is awesome! There is no place like it in the world!".

[ajithfederer]

Roger Federer vs Tomas Berdych Australian Open 2009 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSqXAlZU3u8)

Thanks pr :).

[ajithfederer]

Greatest Hitter: Roger Federer
By EBEN HARRELL Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2009
In flight Using classical strokes and innovations of his own, Federer has reached new heights
LIONEL BONAVENTURE / AFP / Getty

On June 7, as Roger Federer was on his way to equaling Pete Sampras' record of 14 Grand Slam victories by winning the French Open, James Blake and a group of fellow pros watched on a television in the players' lounge at the Aegon Championships at The Queen's Club in London, a warm-up event to Wimbledon. It's hard to imagine NBA stars congregating to cheer on Kobe Bryant, or pro golfers arranging to watch a Tiger Woods play-off, but for Blake and his mates there was no question where their allegiance lay. "We wanted to see Roger make history," Blake says.

They weren't the only stars rooting for Federer. At his home in California, Australian tennis legend Rod Laver, who won 11 Grand Slam titles in the 1960s, set his alarm for 5 a.m. to watch the match. Not far away in Los Angeles, Sampras rolled out of bed in time to catch Federer's winning shot, and then tell journalists that he believes that the Swiss player should now be considered the greatest ever. Woods was at home with his wife, "yelling at the TV, the whole deal."

In his genial but refined way, Federer has spent a career making the extremely difficult look easy, whether it be winning tennis matches or the admiration of fellow athletes. In 2004, when Blake broke his neck during a practice session at a tournament in Rome, the American ended up alone in a hospital, cared for by people speaking a language he didn't understand. The one note of support from a fellow player he received came from Federer. "I had only played him two or three times," Blake says. "But he was thinking of me, and knowing I was alone. He's not only the greatest player, he's the greatest champion this sport could hope for."

Only 27, Federer has energized tennis's GOAT — Greatest of All Time — debate by winning the only one of the sport's four Grand Slam titles to have eluded him (he already held multiple Wimbledon, U.S. and Australian Open titles). His victories have come with a grace that has ended tennis's reputation for spawning churlish brats and with a style of play that blurs the line between artistry and athleticism. His traditional, flowing strokes generate unorthodox angles and spins; he's both a throwback and an innovator.

But is he the best? Laver, Sampras and other greats such as Andre Agassi think so. And yet. World No. 1 Rafael Nadal is in horse-racing terms Federer's "bug boy" — so called because of the "bug," or asterisk, that he places next to Federer's achievements. Federer has a 7-13 losing record against Nadal, including losses in five of the seven Grand Slam finals the pair have contested. Federer won the French Open without having to face the Spaniard, who suffered a shock defeat in the fourth round. And when he returns to Wimbledon's grass, his favorite surface, on June 22, he'll face memories of last year's epic loss to Nadal in a final many consider the greatest match ever played. As former world No. 1 Mats Wilander asks, "How can you be the greatest of all time when you can't even beat someone in your own era?"

That Federer's artistry has been thwarted by Nadal's muscular play doesn't bother Federer fans, who seem to love him all the more for his struggles. The Parisian crowds that chanted "Roger! Roger!" through the French Open fortnight understood that if Federer's ethereal game could finally triumph on the heavy red clay of Roland Garros, it would be another proof of his greatness.

The pursuit of perfection paradoxically requires a career spent obsessing over one's faults. Unusually for tennis players, Federer has spent most of his career without a coach, analyzing his own game and making changes himself, such as adding a deft drop volley at the French Open that was designed to counter Nadal and other clay-court specialists. "Of all the things that make him great, perhaps the least appreciated is his ability to reflect on his game and make changes," said retired American doubles great Peter Fleming. Complacency is impossible for Federer, as he explained after his Paris victory. "I can walk away from this game tomorrow [in peace]," he said. "But I [won't] because I love this game too much."

Who knows how Federer will continue to evolve, or whether he will gain the upper hand in his rivalry with Nadal, and prove himself beyond doubt the greatest of all time. Does it matter? As an athlete, Federer participates in an arena in which greatness is fleeting and in which time eventually levels all. Perhaps Laver, now 70, says it best, "I just love to watch Roger hit the shots. I just enjoy the spectacle." While it is still fresh, we should savor the memory of those beautiful shots: the ball rising from the clay to Federer's racket, the great man seemingly lifted into flight.

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1905217,00.html[tscii:6159345b0b][/tscii:6159345b0b]

[ajithfederer]

Roger , Safin practising together.
http://twitpic.com/7srd6
.
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=2007024&id=15690358731&ref=mf
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http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=2007026&id=15690358731&ref=mf
.
For more pics/video visit - http://www.facebook.com/wimbledon

http://www.orkut.com/Main#CommMsgs.aspx?cmm=78522&tid=5347732701641529971&na=2&nst=345

[ajithfederer]

HQ - Federer v Hewitt - US Open 2004 - FI (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7EDb-tPpSw&feature=channel_page)

[ajithfederer]

HQ - Federer v Agassi - US Open 2005 - FI (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJHmsTPMXJg&feature=related)

[ajithfederer]

HQ - Federer v Roddick - US Open 2006 - FI (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pU95BItKFug&feature=related)

[ajithfederer]

HQ - Federer v Djokovic - US Open 2007- FI (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ivfrbx_Uweo&feature=related)

[ajithfederer]

HQ - Federer v Murray - US Open 2008 - FI (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOzcxveb_NA&feature=related)

[ajithfederer]

Federer vs Hewitt - Tennis Masters Cup 2004 - FI - 1° Set (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WlGRSNxLYzk&feature=channel_page)

Federer vs Hewitt - Tennis Masters Cup 2004 - FI - 2° Set (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBWRPMRTyO8&feature=related)
[tscii:b6e158148f][/tscii:b6e158148f]

[ajithfederer]

http://www.live-tennis.com/category/Tennis-News/Roger-Federer-saddened-by-Rafael-Nadal-Wimbledon-departure-200906200001/

Roger Federer has said that he is sad that Rafael Nadal's knee tendonitis has postponed one of sport's greatest rivalries.
Rafael Nadal, who beat Federer in an epic five-set Wimbledon final last year, withdrew on Friday with tendinitis in both knees, leaving Roger Federer to once again open play on Centre Court on Monday.

"I shouldn't deserve it this year because Rafael Nadal deserves it but I am obviously very honoured that the championships chose me again to open the tournament," Federer, who trails Nadal 13-7 in their head-to-heads said.

Federer could win a record 15th grand slam at Wimbledon although Federer, the five-times Wimbledon champion, said that he would prefer to make history with another clash against Rafa Nadal.

"He's my main rival. We've had some wonderful matches over the years, and especially the one here last year was the one that obviously stands out. That we can't potentially repeat that is obviously sad. I'm also sad for him because it must have been a very difficult decision to make."

Rafael Nadal's withdrawal from Wimbledon drastically altered Wimbledon odds, the favourite remains Roger Federer however the Swiss has dropped to 10/11 with SkyBet. Rafael Nadal's withdrawal also affected Andy Murray's Wimbledon odds with Murray standing at 7/4 with Bet365.

[ajithfederer]

:clap: :clap: :clap:

2006 Tennis Masters Cup Semi Final - Roger Federer Vs Rafael Nadal (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMmVf4PBAg0)

[Plum]

I have a rather bad instinct on this year's wimbledon for Federer. When the world seems to be his oyster, and people are expecting him to sweep it in Nadal's absence, I feel he might even crash out in early rounds, or at the best, reach the finals and lose there...looks like a good year for Murray or Djokovic or some wild card to win Wimbledon...

[ajithfederer]

Federer wins in 1st round.

[Plum]

-edit-to-prev-post-

...looks like a good year for Murray or Djokovic or some wild card or basically anyone other than Federer to win Wimbledon

[ajithfederer]

Q. When is the baby due?

ROGER FEDERER: I'm not saying. It's a pity we're moving on with language right now. So sorry (smiling).


Q. The one thing you haven't told is when the baby is due.

ROGER FEDERER: Well, I won't tell you.


Q. Is it going to be this fortnight?

ROGER FEDERER: What did I just say? I'm going to repeat myself: I'm not going to tell you (smiling).

:rotfl: :D.

Roger in his interview after the match.

http://www.wimbledon.org/en_GB/news/interviews/2009-06-22/200906221245683231687.html

[ajithfederer]

Roger Federer - beauty points against Richard Gasquet, Toronto 2006 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGcWhcXrSbc)

[ajithfederer]

Roger Federer - beauty points against Pete Sampras, Wimbledon 2001 part 1 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pyia6sByOns)

[ajithfederer]

Roger Federer - beauty points against Goran Ivanisevic, London 2000 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-yveUKotdo)

[ajithfederer]

Roger Federer WoWshots on clay (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJYWXqr-Dqs)

[ajithfederer]

Roger Federer - beauty points against Takao Suzuki, Melbourne 2005 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QC-6jP2c8As)

[ajithfederer]

Roger Federer - beauty points against Nicolas Kiefer, Melbourne 2006 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgHppMmh-YE)

[ajithfederer]

Roger Federer - beauty points against James Blake, Melbourne 2008 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Inc1H15eTNw)

[ajithfederer]

Roger Federer - beauty points against Fabrice Santoro, Melbourne 2008 (short v ) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GS7Gw19v4DY)

[ajithfederer]

Roger Federer - beauty points against Tommy Haas, Melbourne 2006 part 1 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=coRrpINipfU&feature=related)

Roger Federer - beauty points against Tommy Haas, Melbourne 2006 part 2 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9SYUkyzeBp4&feature=related)

[ajithfederer]

Roger Federer - beauty points against Andre Agassi, New York 2004 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17DowHrTm5s)

[ajithfederer]

Roger Federer - beauty points against Andy Roddick, Shanghai 2006 (short v ) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvuew-OiY2w)

[ajithfederer]

Roger Federer - beauty shots, points against Rafael Nadal, Shanghai 2006 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zl8IeIjq13o)

[ajithfederer]

Roger Federer - beauty points against Andy Roddick, Cincinnati 2005 (cv) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-r2Wtn1g3Og)

[ajithfederer]

Roger Federer - beauty serves, aces against Janko Tipsarevic, Melbourne 2008 (cv) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOIARbkFtV8)

[ajithfederer]

Roger Federer - beauty points against Lleyton Hewitt, New York 2005 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JeK39-otBVI)

[ajithfederer]

Roger Federer - beauty points against Fernando Gonzalez, Basel 2006 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBE76fAXHY8)