 Sep 2, 2010 from Irish Times:
NEW YORK — Roger Federer has enjoyed another comfortable victory to secure his place in the third round of the US Open at Flushing Meadows. The Swiss ensured the high temperatures in New York did not cause him any concern by taking just one hour 41 minutes to beat Germany's Andreas Beck 6-3 6-4 6-3 on Arthur Ashe Stadium.
The world number two raced into a 5-0 lead in the opening set against his 24-year-old opponent.
And although the left-hander hit back to take the next three games, Federer re-asserted his authority to close out the set by holding serve to love.
A single break of serve was enough for Federer to take the second set as well, the 16-time grand slam winner closing it out with an ace.
And the 29-year-old broke Beck twice more in the third set to complete a routine win which improves his US Open record to 53-5.
Aug 30, 2010 from AP:
NEW YORK — Roger Federer delivered another YouTube-worthy, between-the-legs shot at the U.S. Open.
The five-time champion at Flushing Meadows hit 18 aces in his 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 victory over 96th-ranked Brian Dabul of Argentina in the first round, part of Federer’s remarkable 46-4 advantage in winners Monday night.
“There’s nothing you can do when he has those days,” Dabul said. “He’s perfect.”
No shot was more spectacular than the one Federer came up with while leading 5-3 in the second set.
He was at the net when Dabul sailed a lob high overhead. Federer turned and sprinted toward the baseline. A few steps from the wall behind the court in Arthur Ashe Stadium, and with his back to the net, Federer smacked the ball through his legs.
The shot cleared the net and landed in a corner for a winner beside Dabul, who raised his eyebrows and shrugged his shoulders.
“Only he can do that,” Dabul would say later.
At the far end of the court, Federer celebrated the trick shot by raising his arms overhead and lifting his right index finger to signal No. 1.
Monday’s result made Federer 16-0 in U.S. Open night matches, and he declared afterward, “I feel very much at home here.”
That perfect mark under the lights has helped Federer reach six consecutive U.S. Open finals, “I’d like to go there again this year,” Federer said. “The path is long and rough.”
If there was anything for Federer to lament about his performance against Dabul, it was this statistic: The 16-time major champion converted only five of 19 break points.
Federer had an explanation for that, though.
He recently began working with Pete Sampras’ former coach, Paul Annacone, and Federer jokingly said: “Break-point conversion wasn’t very good, so that’s (Annacone’s) mistake.”
from ATP:
Roger Federer has secured his place in the season-ending Barclays ATP World Tour Finals. The Swiss clinched his berth after beating Brian Dabul in the first round of the US Open Monday night.
Federer joins Rafael Nadal as the only singles players to have clinched their berths in this year’s Barclays ATP World Tour Finals.
Federer will be making his ninth consecutive appearance in the year-end championships. He is on course to finish in the Top 2 for a record eighth consecutive year.
"I am very happy as it is the ninth consecutive year I have qualified for the year-end event," Federer said. "I have played in a lot of different venues during my career and I can say they staged a fantastic event at The 02 last year. I look forward to returning there in November and finishing the season strong."
from PRNewswire:
STRATHAM, N.H. — Lindt USA today announces the launch of their new TV advertisement featuring Lindt Global Brand Ambassador Roger Federer. The new TV spot “Airport,” created by agency of record Gotham Inc., is a humorous look into the life of Federer and the irresistible nature of Lindt’s smooth melting Lindor Truffles. Lindt is also unveiling a special partnership with the Roger Federer Foundation (RFF) that will help raise awareness and funds for the non-profit in conjunction with the Grand Slam tournament in New York.
In the 30-second TV spot, Federer is followed through an airport security screening. The commercial takes a comical turn when two female security agents find it nearly impossible to resist Federer and the Lindor Truffles he is traveling with. The ad culminates with the security agents taste testing the Lindor Truffles and ultimately confiscating them for further “investigation.” The new creative, which is a supplement to Lindt’s “Do You Dream in Chocolate” campaign featuring the Lindt Master Chocolatiers and signature Lindor Truffles, will air during a two-week national TV flight (Aug. 29 - Sept. 12, 2010) coinciding with the U.S. Open.
In addition to the ad, Lindt is celebrating perfect matches on the court. For every match Federer wins during the Open, Lindt will donate $1,000 to the RFF. The Foundation primarily focuses its efforts in Africa, offering charitable grant-making opportunities to address the critical challenges in education for disadvantaged children. Chocolate lovers can also get in on the action by visiting the Lindt Facebook page and the Perfect Match Fan Giveaway for a chance to win a Nike duffle bag filled with Lindor Truffles (ARV: $225) every time Federer wins a round during the tournament.
“Our new television campaign allows us to showcase our signature smooth melting Lindor Truffles in a fun way, using Federer’s likeability to further extend the Lindt message,” said Thomas Linemayr, chief executive officer and president of Lindt USA. “We are also happy our support of the Roger Federer Foundation encourages fans to rejoice in Roger’s success not only because he is a great tennis player, but also because every win will help disadvantaged children.”
“I am excited to continue to grow my partnership with the leader – and my top choice – in premium chocolate,” said Federer. “I am also thankful to Lindt for their support of the Roger Federer Foundation. This is a cause I am very passionate about, and it is great to know my potential success on the court will have a positive effect on children in need.”
from Forbes:
Our look at the highest-paid tennis players exemplifies this kind of equality in the game. Half the top ten are men and half are women, although Roger Federer is light years ahead of anyone else thanks to his longtime dominance and 10 lucrative sponsorship deals. Several of these athletes showed up on our lists of the highest-paid athletes and female athletes this summer. In all cases for incomes we include: prize money, endorsements, exhibitions and appearance fees over the past 12-months without taxes or agent’s fees deducted.
The list below also includes a few big sponsors for each players. The shoe and apparel deal is almost always the largest endorsement for top players in tennis. The value of these deals can rise dramatically based on bonuses for tournaments won and year-end rankings. As in most sports Nike is the king in tennis when it comes to comes to signing the best (and most expensive) talent. It has deals with our four highest-paid athletes who have combined for 40 Grand Slam singles titles.
Player/earnings/sponsors
1. Roger Federer: $43 million (Nike, Credit Suisse, Gillette)
2. Maria Sharapova: $24.5 million (Nike, Prince, Tiffany)
3. Rafael Nadal: $21 million (Nike, Kia Motors, Babolat)
4. Serena Williams: $20 million (Nike, Hewlett-Packard, Kraft)
5. Venus Williams: $15 million (Wilson, American Express, Kraft)
Aug 28, 2010 from Roger Federer Official Site:
Dear Fans
Paul and I have had a good trial period. He will be working with me during the US Open and I look forward to having Paul as a member of my team going forward and he will be integrated more and more as his responsibilities with LTA wind down.
See you soon
Roger
from Independent:
Tim Henman believes that Roger Federer's recent experience shows the benefits of working with a top coach like Paul Annacone, whose current trial with the Swiss could lead to a more long-term relationship. "Federer has so many weapons, so many attributes, but I think in the last 12 months he hasn't been using them as much and as well as he can, which is where Paul's experience and knowledge can come in," Henman said.
Henman has seen the fruits of Annacone's work in the variation Federer is using again on his serve and the renewed aggression on his returns. "I think he got very one-dimensional on second-serve returns," Henman said. "He was just chipping his backhand return into the court to start a rally.
"When you talk about coaching it's not about trying to teach players something or trying to change a backhand or a serve. It's about making players aware of how they can be most effective, the strategies to play against different opponents.
"A good example was Federer's match against [Tomas] Berdych at Wimbledon. Berdych was playing phenomenally well, but Federer let him play well. That's where I think a coach like Paul can have an impact, because he can say, 'This is the strategy, this is what you really need to implement in your game so that you can be the one dictating.' In the last couple of weeks Federer has been positioning himself up the court a little bit more and playing very aggressively from both sides." Henman considers Annacone to be one of the best, along with Darren Cahill and Brad Gilbert.
from ATP:
The 2010-2012 ATP World Tour Player Council unanimously re-elected Roger Federer as President at its US Open meeting. Rafael Nadal was also re-elected as Vice President at the Council's first meeting.
"It is a great vote of confidence by my fellow Player Council members to be re-elected as President of the Council. I think it's important that the players have a seat at the table to discuss any issues confronting the sport," said Federer.
"We might not always agree on every point, but we respect each other's opinions and try to find a solution that works. I look forward to leading the group through 2012."
2010-2012 ATP World Tour Player Council
Yves Allegro
Eric Butorac
Roger Federer (President)
Ashley Fisher
Fernando Gonzalez
Peter Luczak
Rafael Nadal (Vice-President)
Jarkko Nieminen
Sam Querrey
Nenad Zimonjic
Claudio Pistolesi (Coach)
Ignacio Hirigoyen (Alumni)
Aug 27, 2010 from Roger Federer Official Site:
On 21 December Credit Suisse proudly presents a holiday gift of the ultimate kind: "The Match for Africa" for the benefit of the Roger Federer Foundation.
Zürich showcases the tennis show-down of the year, where the all time grand slam leader goes head-to-head with the current world number one Rafael Nadal.
With this event Roger would like to thank all his Swiss fans and he is looking forward to welcoming you in the Hallenstadion in Zurich. Thanks to the presenting sponsor Credit Suisse and the other partners Rolex, Nationale Suisse and Lindt & Sprüngli the evening is all in the name of charity as the proceeds will benefit the Roger Federer Foundation.
Join us for this one-off event to see Roger take on the current world number one Rafael Nadal, in the name of charity. An evening guaranteed to be full of suspense, showmanship and entertainment.
Limited number of tickets available – get yours from September 1st on!
Aug 26, 2010 from AP:
NEW YORK — If Roger Federer is going to reach a seventh consecutive U.S. Open title match, he might need to get past the man who ended his Grand Slam semifinal streak.
Federer was given a possible quarterfinal against No. 5-seeded Robin Soderling in Thursday's draw.
"I'm motivated to do well because I love New York, I love playing in Arthur Ashe (Stadium)," Federer said. "If I couldn't get motivated by this stadium and this city, then I'd have some issues."
Federer was drawn to meet No. 3 Novak Djokovic or No. 9 Andy Roddick in the semifinals. He could face another familiar opponent in the third round: Lleyton Hewitt.
"I know my way around New York so well. The center court is so familiar," Federer said. "The fans have always been so great. They've always been behind me, and that's always so key, and I hope it's going to be, again, the same this year."
from Wall Street Journal:
"Can I have a hug?" Sami Ahmad of the New York Junior Tennis League asked when he met his teammate Roger Federer at Wednesday's Nike Lights On Lights Out Primetime Knockout event. The youngster also got hugs from Maria Sharapova, actor Bradley Cooper, John McEnroe and Serena Williams.
Sami later held his own in a match with Mr. Federer against Ms. Sharapova and Mr. Cooper, even when Mr. Cooper continuously tried to challenge his volleys. Midgame, Mr. McEnroe subbed for Sami, but the two powerhouses still lost.
The once-in-a-lifetime opportunity was part of Nike's exhibition games for charity. The brand debuted official outfits for Mr. Federer, Ms. Sharapova and Rafael Nadal for next week's US Open. Victoria Azarenka, who was replacing an injured Ms. Williams, model Bar Refaeli and New York Giant Justin Tuck also participated in the extravaganza.
"I just got a five-minute tutorial," said Mr. Tuck, who had no prior tennis experience, before his match against Mr. Nadal and Ms. Refaeli. Luckily, he and his teammate, Ms. Azarenka, had nothing to worry about considering that Ms. Refaeli was perhaps even less prepared.
"It's OK," Ms. Williams told her from the sidelines, "You look really cute."
Speaking of cute, Mr. Federer sported a navy polo ensemble, while Mr. Nadal showcased a lime-and-black look. Ms. Sharapova donned a plum tuxedo-inspired dress.
When discussing outfits for the Open, Mr. Federer said, "We try to be involved, I like to talk colors and cuts. I ask [Vogue editor Anna Wintour] what she thinks. She gives a second opinion. A very strong second opinion. I asked her about the pink color I was wearing last week and she was like, 'Are you sure about that, Roger?'"
from New York Magazine:
Roger Federer can't take any credit for looking so suave lately: He admitted at last night’s Nike Primetime Knockout benefit that he often consults with Anna Wintour about his ensembles both on and off the tennis court. “I kind of ask her sometimes what she thinks,” he said. “I get a very strong second opinion.” Does he ever go against her advice? “I asked her about the pink color I was wearing last week and she was like, 'Oh, you sure about that Roger?' Too late now! But I got good reviews." In any case, he explained, "It's nice to be able to dress nice on the tennis court. We try hard.”
Federer may be open to color suggestions, but he draws the line when it comes to skin, explaining that he has a hairy stomach. “You don’t want to see that,” he protested when Serena Williams demanded a courtside ab-off between Federer and Rafael Nadal (Nadal also declined, smiling modestly).
There was plenty of skin to be seen, however, between the short-skirted female tennis players and the very sportsmanly celebrities who took part in doubles matches for charity. Bar Refaeli teamed up with Nadal to take on Victoria Azarenka and Justin Tuck, and Bradley Cooper joined Maria Sharapova against Roger Federer and John McEnroe. What Refaeli lacked in tennis skills (she faulted several serves and giggled her way through rallies) she made up for with good humor, adding that she plays very little tennis. Cooper, on the other hand, was surprisingly nimble on the court, and he and Sharapova beat McEnroe and Federer in a seven-point match. (We must note that he probably would have taken off his shirt, too, had Williams asked.)
Aug 25, 2010 from Roger Federer Official Site:
Dear Fans
I am happy to announce another new member on my team - not linked to my tennis career this time, but to my Foundation: Janine Händel.
The Roger Federer Foundation was founded in 2003 and we have now decided to allocate a significantly larger amount of money to projects every year. For this reason, we need to raise the Foundation and its structures to a higher level. To achieve this, we have decided to establish a professionally managed Foundation office.
We are glad that Janine Händel will be in charge of the office as a qualified professional. Throughout her career, she has gained experience as a Swiss diplomat developing and implementing programs in the fields of peace policy, human rights and humanitarian policy. Janine has been working for an international company in the area of corporate citizenship over the last few years and will take up her job with the Roger Federer Foundation as per today.
See you soon
Roger
from Independent:
Roger Federer turns William Tell, knocking a water bottle from a man's head with a serve, ex-Barcelona player Rafael Marquez finds the net on his debut for Thierry Henry's New York Red Bulls, and a match between Greece and Serbia gets scrappy in the lead-up to the FIBA World Championships - these are among the highlights in YouTube's most popular sports videos in the week leading up to August 25.
Gillette can count its video of Federer's trickshot for its shave brand Fusion a viral success, becoming the week's most viewed video across all categories. Debate centers on whether a tennis player of Federer's calibre would allow themselves to be involved in a fake video, or, alternatively, whether they would willingly serve a tennis ball so close to a man's face.
1) Amazing Roger Federer trickshot on Gillette ad shoot - 5,316,156 total views
2) Rafa Marquez first goal with New York Red Bulls - 1,483,242 total views
Aug 23, 2010 from DPA:
Roger Federer flew out of Cincinnati on a private jet after a rare tournament week without his young family at his side, with the Swiss re-united with his wife and two daughters after winning his second trophy of the season at the weekend.
During his winning week on cement in the Midwest, wife Mirka and the couple's infant twin daughter were elsewhere, with dad meeting them again late Sunday after his 63rd career title performance from 90 ATP finals.
Aug 22, 2010 from AFP:
CINCINNATI – Roger Federer won his second ATP Cincinnati Masters crown in a row on Sunday, outlasting American Mardy Fish 6-7 (5/7), 7-6 (7/1), 6-4 for his 63rd career title.
The Swiss superstar matched Bjorn Borg for fifth on the all-time Open Era title list and captured his fourth Cincinnati crown after 2005, 2007 and 2009.
Federer used a steady serve and consistent back-line work to allow only one break chance for Fish.
Wildcard entrant Fish denied Federer on four break points in the first set without ever managing to get one against the Swiss star, but came through in the tie-breaker when it mattered most to claim the opening set.
Federer smacked a forehand winner for a 5-4 lead, but Fish answered with an overhead smash, achieved a set point when Federer netted a backhand and took the set after 67 minutes with a service winner.
Fish managed a break point in the fifth game of the second set but sent a forehand beyond the baseline on the way to another tie-breaker.
Fish netted a backhand on the first break-point chance of the third set to hand Federer a 5-4 lead and the Swiss third seed held serve for the victory, which came after two hours and 40 minutes when Fish sent a backhand wide.
Andre Agassi, in Miami eight years ago, remains the only American to have beaten Federer in the 15 finals where he has taken on a U.S. player.
Federer became only the second player to win the title four times, joining Mats Wilander (1983-84, ’86, ’88). He is the first player to win back-to-back titles in Cincinnati since Agassi in 1995-96.
from Knoxville News Sentinel:
Paul Annacone knows what it's like to help a superstar recapture the tennis magic.
The former Tennessee All-American did it with Pete Sampras almost a decade ago. He's trying it now with Roger Federer.
Sampras was mired in a slump late in his career when he reunited with Annacone and won the 2002 U.S. Open, his 14th major and first in more than two years.
Annacone's key advice to Sampras: "I want you to go out there and play like Pete Sampras and act like the other guy is not.''
Annacone might impart the same advice to Federer, who has won just two titles this year - the Australian Open and Sunday's tournament in Cincinnati. He's dropped to No. 3 in the world rankings.
Steve Annacone, Paul's brother, believes Paul will mesh well with Federer because Federer and Sampras have a similar mindset and work ethic.
"Roger's already on the same page with Paul, the way he thinks and his temperament and personality,'' said Steve, director of tennis at Smoky Mountain Tennis Academy and Green Meadows Country Club. "That can make things work a lot quicker.''
In their first outing as player-coach, Federer lost in the final to Andy Murray in Canada last weekend.
Steve said Paul and Federer have talked for some time about uniting but it didn't happen until Federer bowed out of Wimbledon earlier than anticipated.
"Roger has always been the type player who likes to do things on his own,'' Steve Annacone said.
"A little bit of help in a couple of areas and all the sudden we'll see the Roger Federer we saw 8-10 months ago.''
Federer captured three of four majors, culminating with his Australian title in January, before hitting the skids. Paul's job is to get Federer back on track.
"Sampras got to the point where he wasn't satisfied with any result unless it was winning a Grand Slam,'' Steve said. "I think Federer is at that point. . . . His big thing is 'I want to win some more majors and I'm not that old and I've got a lot of game left.' ''
Steve Annacone thinks his brother will have Federer come to the net more often and not allow opponents to play their style.
"Federer is so good, he should be the one dictating the point,'' Steve Annacone said. "You've got to play more points on your own terms.''
Aug 21, 2010 from Reuters:
CINCINNATI – Roger Federer raised his game at just the right moments to beat Marcos Baghdatis 6-4 6-3 in the semi-final of the Cincinnati Masters.
The Swiss star reached his 90th career final in the process, where he will meet Mardy Fish. Federer looked in good form, playing with the ease and flow for which he is noted.
Federer's serve was particularly impressive, winning 90 percent of his first service points, which is exactly the part of the game that Fish has been thriving upon this week - setting up a fascinating final.
The Swiss has met Fish six times, with the American winning just once, in their most recent meeting in Indian Wells in 2008.
Aug 20, 2010 from ATP:
CINCINNATI - Roger Federer converted a brief moment of concern into a match-winning opportunity against Nikolay Davydenko to reach the semi-finals of the Western & Southern Financial Group Masters Friday.
Facing double break point at 4-4 15/40 in the first set, Federer rallied to hold serve and win five consecutive games after breaking the Russian to close out the first set and again in the second game of the second set to race to a 3-0 lead.
Davydenko did break back to challenge Federer, but the Swiss eventually sealed victory 6-4, 7-5 and will next play Marcos Baghdatis, who upset Rafael Nadal in the feature night match.
Federer has won 20 of 22 matches here since 2005.
from SMH:
Australian tennis great Todd Woodbridge has questioned the authenticity of a viral YouTube clip with over one million hits that features the world's number two player Roger Federer serving a tennis ball and knocking a can off someone's head with it twice in a row.
At 7.30pm last night a poll of 6780 people on this website saw 68% of voters believing the clip was real and 32% fake. The video was part of a Gillette commercial shoot in Switzerland.
Federer is staying mum but Woodbridge told this website that although the clip was "fantastic", he questioned whether it was real or not.
"I think it was very Roger," Woodbridge said. "I like seeing him and how he reacts away from a real tennis court like that. But what I would say is that I know he’s good, but is he that good?
"The reason I say that is that I remember many years ago Mark Woodforde and I doing a piece for 60 minutes with Mike Carlton and we had to set up a shot where we needed to be at this corner of a clay court to hit the mark exactly perfect.
"And I promise you we didn’t do it in the first take nor the second take. But he pulled it off twice in a row? So my question is: I’m one of Roger’s biggest fans and in my view I think he is the greatest tennis player of all time - no matter what - but that [YouTube clip] exceeds even my expectations."
Despite this, Woodbridge said he was "prepared to give Roger the benefit of the doubt".
Aug 19, 2010 from AP:
CINCINNATI - Third seed Roger Federer reached the quarterfinals when Germany's Philipp Kohlschreiber withdrew because of a painful right shoulder. Kohlschreiber's shoulder hurt so bad during a morning practice that he scheduled an MRI.
Aug 18, 2010 from DPA:
CINCINNATI - Roger Federer took the easy way into the third round of the Cincinnati Masters Wednesday when unlucky opponent Denis Istomin retired trailing 5-2 with an ankle injury.
The 53rd-ranked qualifier from Uzbekistan hurt himself with an imperceptible move trailing 2-5, 0-30 and was immediately taped at the spot on the baseline.
But walking just a few steps to prepare for the next point was enough to tell Istomin that he could not go on. Federer advanced in just 36 minutes after 11 winners.
"You wish it had not happened but you are glad it's not you," said the Swiss player. "It's bad for him, as a player who came from far away. Now his US Open is in danger, I feel sorry for him, I didn't see it happen, but I hope it's not too bad."
"It was a relief to come through but I'll be back out to play a full match tomorrow," said Federer. "This is not how I had hoped to win."
from Inside Tennis:
IT: Let’s talk about the mighty Roger Federer. Is his tank getting low?
Mary Carillo: He can still win majors, but I don’t think he’ll win them in the way that Serena can win them. It’s like watching John McEnroe. He was always so quick and got to the ball so early. Then all of a sudden the ball was playing him. That’s happened with Roger, especially with these big hitters. To get that back, when his back is bad, it’s going to be tough.
IT: He was Mr. Grace — like Baryshnikov. Everything was so easy. But he hasn’t been looking that wonderful. He’s been going down to Gulbis, Montanes…
MC: This is where it gets interesting. This is a guy who loves every bit of the process. Now he’s got twins. Mary Joe [Fernandez] was telling me that after the Australian Open he decided to take a two-week vacation with Mirka and the babies in the Swiss mountains. But they made a rookie parenting error. They decided not to take nannies with them. Then the kids get sick. Mirka gets sick and is in the hospital, so now it’s Roger with a sick Mirka and sick baby twins and then he got a lung infection. So he isn’t feeling great. He doesn’t get any rest and doesn’t practice. And that guy grinds. So I’m not that surprised that he doesn’t get the traction he’s used to having.
Aug 17, 2010 from DPA:
Stockholm - Roger Federer will fulfill his playing date at the October's Stockholm Open two years after missing his original debut appearance.
Organisers announced that the Swiss world number two will head a field which also includes two-time French Open finalist Robin Soderling and Wimbledon finalist Tomas Berdych.
Federer missed his promised showing in 2008 as he opted to rest after contacting glandular fever at the start of the year.
But the Australian Open champion is expected to front up in the capital in two months, saying he owed the Stockholm public.
"I was supposed to play two years ago but my schedule was too tough. This year I have organized a better schedule which means that I will be well prepared ... I keep my promises," he said.
"The competition has fine traditions with winners such as Borg, Edberg, Becker and Agassi and I also want my name engraved on the trophy."
Marcos Baghdatis won the trophy a year ago while the last Swede to win was Thomas Johansson - now a tournament organiser - in 2004.
Aug 15, 2010 from ATP:
TORONTO - World No. 4 Andy Murray won his first ATP World Tour title of the season and defended his Rogers Cup crown Sunday with a 7-5, 7-5 victory over Roger Federer in Toronto.
Taking advantage of a cagey start by Federer, who was playing his first tournament since a quarter-final defeat at Wimbledon, Murray quickly established a 3-0 double-break lead. The No. 3-ranked Federer slipped into gear in the fourth game, though, and recouped one of the service breaks to slow the Scot’s momentum. A drop in level later proved costly for Murray as he served for the set in the 10th game and a double fault from the Dunblane native saw Federer drew level at 5-5.
In what proved to be a very up-and-down match, though, both players struggled to build on momentum and Federer immediately gifted the advantage back to Murray with key forehand unforced errors. Murray did not waste his opportunity at the second time of asking, and served out the one-set lead.
The warm up to the match had been interrupted by rain and the showers returned again to frustrate the plays and watching fans just three games into the second set. At the resumption, Murray held serve for 2-2 before another smattering of rain delayed proceedings. While the rain was not heavy enough to force the players from court, it was enough to disrupt Federer’s rhythm and he dropped his serve in the fifth game with three unforced errors playing a part.
Play was interrupted again just minutes later with Murray at 30/30 on serve in the sixth game and, after a lengthier delay, it was the Scot who could not regain his concentration in time and Federer took advantage with potent, aggressive hitting to level at 3-3. Murray, who has impressed with his attacking style all week, though, produced the same effective tennis in the latter stages of the set to break and lead 6-5. He served out victory in just over two hours, saving a break point with an ace in the final game.
Aug 14, 2010 from AFP:
TORONTO – Roger Federer will return to world number two after reaching the ATP Toronto Masters final by beating Novak Djokovic 6-1, 3-6, 7-5.
Federer's Toronto thriller, which took just under two and a half hours, could have gone either way despite a rollicking start from the 16-time Grand Slam champion, who raced away with the opening set in 25 minutes.
But Serbia's Djokovic steadied to find his rhythm in the second set, earning back a break and going ahead 5-3 with a break of Federer.
Djokovic eventualy levelled on a set each but Federer again took charge in the third, grabbing a 4-1 lead only to see it eaten away as his first-serving percentage fell and Djokovic dominated in long rallies.
Djokovic clawed back a break in the seventh game for 3-4 and levelled at 5-all.
Federer made his second great escape in 24 hours, after beating Tomas Berdych in the quarter-finals, and broke in the final game from a Djokovic forehand that sailed long.
"It was like yesterday's match. I came out with all guns blazing in the first set," Federer said. "But Novak raised his game and played super-competitive.
"I had the lead in the third set but had to fight in some long rallies. He made it really tough for me. He fought bravely. I'm very happy to be back in the final.
"I wasn't tired at the end and he was looking a bit fatigued. But I know what Novak can do. I came out on the better end tonight and I'm happy."
Federer, now 10-5 in the series against Djokovic, won his squeaker with 11 aces and five breaks of serve while losing his own three times.
Aug 13, 2010 from Canadian Press:
TORONTO - Roger Federer advanced to the semifinals with a 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (5) victory over Tomas Berdych at the Rogers Cup on Friday night and avoided going down to the No. 7-ranked Czech for a third time this season.
Federer will now take on the No. 2-ranked Novak Djokovic on Saturday in one semi. With No. 1 Rafael Nadal and No. 4 Andy Murray also winning their quarter-final matches Friday, it marks the first time since last August in Cincinnati that the top-four ranked players in the world — the same foursome but with different rankings — have all advanced to the semifinals of a tournament.
Federer broke serve in the first set to take a 4-2 lead and then dominated the next game with four straight points to push his advantage. Berdych fought back to take the next game with powerful serves, clocking in at 219 km/h, but Federer used his imposing forehand shots from the baseline to take the opening set 6-3.
Down 6-5 and holding serve in the second, Federer practically gave the set away with a rare double fault and two unforced errors, leading Berdych to the pivotal break point where he made no mistake.
Federer looked to be in trouble again in the third set when Berdych broke his serve to move ahead 3-1. But the Czech wasn't able convert his chances on a 5-2 lead and Federer rallied back to force the tiebreaker, much to the delight of the crowd at Rexall Centre.
Federer raced to 4-0 in tiebreak, produced three mistakes in a row but recovered to set up a match point and advance as Berdych returned long.
Aug 12, 2010 from Sporting Life:
TORONTO - Roger Federer overcame a slow start to book his place in the quarter-finals of the ATP Rogers Cup in Toronto with a 7-6 (7/2) 6-3 win over Michael Llodra.
Frenchman Llodra was an early break up in the first set before Federer brought it back to 4-4 and with both players holding serve it went down to a tie-break.
Llodra began with a double fault as the Swiss eased into a 3-0 lead and it was straightforward for Federer as his opponent produced another double fault for 7-2.
The third seed was too hot to handle in the second set, roaring into a 5-1 lead before Llodra broke back and held his own serve for 5-3.
However, Federer was not to be stopped as he closed the match out.
He told Sky Sports 4: "It's a matter of giving yourself opportunities on your return and don't make any silly mistakes on your service games and just hope for the best.
"It was fun playing him again.
"It's always nice coming back from six weeks' break. I feel great. I am in the quarters so I am excited to be playing well.
"I am ready for anything in the next round."
Of facing Tomas Berdych, Federer added: "Playing Berdych will bring back some memories, some not-so-nice ones, so hopefully I can get it back."
from ASAP Sports:
Q. Federer, now that he has Paul Annacone advising him, did you see any difference?
MICHAEL LLODRA: No, it's tough to judge. He play only two matches. But, I mean, if he choose Paul, you know, and it's a good idea. He got a lot of experience, so I wish them, you know, luck.
Q. Why did you exchange shirts with Roger?
MICHAEL LLODRA: You know, for me, you know, Roger is in the legends, so it's a good present for my kids. (Laughter.)
Q. What did you say to him when you exchanged?
MICHAEL LLODRA: I talk in French, but I say, You have no chance. Give me your shirt. (Laughter.)
from Judy Murray's Blog:
After the manicure, I popped back up to the restaurant for some lunch and one of the big round tables had a couple of little high chairs at it. They were reserved for Fed’s party including his twin daughters. They are absolutely gorgeous. One of them is his double and the other more like Mirka.
Aug 10, 2010 from ATP:
TORONTO - Roger Federer became the all-time match wins leader in ATP World Tour Masters 1000 action after defeating Juan Ignacio Chela 7-6(7), 6-3 on Tuesday night at the Rogers Cup in Toronto.
The World No. 3, who notched his first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 win in 2000 at Miami, improved to a 210-65 lifetime record at the ATP’s premier level of tournaments. Andre Agassi, the previous record holder, compiled a 209-73 mark from 1990-2006.
Federer was made to work hard in his second-round opener. Chela double faulted to give Federer a break in the sixth game, but prevented the Swiss from serving out the set as he converted on a triple break point opportunity to get back on serve at 5-4. Federer finally sealed the set after putting away his fifth set point of the tie-break.
The second set proved more straightfoward for the third-seeeded Swiss. Federer broke Chela to go up 3-2 and closed out the match in one hour and 21 minutes with another break of serve.
ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Match Wins Leaders
1. Roger Federer 210-65
2. Andre Agassi 209-73
3. Pete Sampras 190-70
4. Rafael Nadal 180-35
5. Andy Roddick 141-57
Aug 9, 2010 from Montreal Gazette:
When the ballboys and ball-girls at the upcoming Rogers Cup tennis tournament are doing their job, they're invisible. But the tournament can't run (pardon the pun) without them.
There will be 92 of them, between 12 and 17 years old, on duty at the tournament, which gets under way with qualifying matches on Friday.
We asked Mathieu Jutras, one of the heads of the ball kids committee (and a longtime former ballboy himself), to give readers a glimpse into their never-a-dull-moment world.
What's the general consensus about the nicest players on court?
"In my generation, it was (Aussie) Patrick Rafter. The girls are more reserved. But Martina Hingis was very nice. Justine Henin, Kim Clijsters, Dinara Safina, (Montrealer) Aleksandra Wozniak. Ana Ivanovic was reserved -timid, in a certain way. You'd look at her, and she'd look at the ground right away.
"The kids say Roger Federer is very nice, and Rafael Nadal is very superstitious. They really appreciated Juan Martin del Potro (of Argentina). Some of the kids say Andy Roddick was the worst, and I'd tend to agree with them."
Aug 8, 2010 from Roger Federer Official Site:
Dear Fans
It is a great feeling to be celebrating my birthday with my family here in Canada. I am excited to compete again these days after having spent several weeks preparing intensely for the second half of the 2010-season.
Thank you so much for all your kind messages and wonderful gifts that I have received these past days and continue to receive today. This really motivates me as I can see how much my passion for tennis also means to you. I would like to thank you all for your loyalty over all these years - let's hope for many more to come!
All the best and see you soon,
Roger
from Toronto Star:
This time, it was Sidney Crosby who was star struck.
In town on other business, the shinny star got to meet one of his sporting heroes Sunday when a Tennis Canada connection arranged for Crosby to sit down with Swiss ace Roger Federer for a tete-a-tete between national icons.
The grand plan was for Crosby to hit some balls with Federer at York University's Rexall Centre, where the world's No. 3-ranked player will begin play in the Rogers Cup on Tuesday night. However, the rainy weather altered practice schedules, so Crosby settled for helping to serve up a birthday cake to Federer, who turned 29 on Sunday. Crosby celebrated his 23th birthday — quietly, he said — on Saturday.
"I'm older. You can tell, right?" Federer joked as the cameras rolled.
Crosby said he is a big tennis fan and takes to the court himself whenever possible during the off-season, though "nothing too competitive."
"Getting the chance to meet Roger and a few of the guys is something I want to take advantage of here," said the Pittsburgh Penguins captain. "I follow (tennis) a lot … so this is a pretty neat experience for me."
Crosby related to Federer how he'd watched him in person — the Canadian was on hand when Federer won his fifth consecutive U.S. Open in 2008 — and admired his play. The classy Federer congratulated Crosby on Canada's gold medal win at the Vancouver Olympics.
"He mentioned that he watched the Olympics and stuff like that. I'd mentioned that I'd seen him play in the U.S. Open, pretty general talk," said Crosby. "I think it's pretty neat, being athletes and being able to relate to certain things, it's always fun to understand and learn what he may go through."
Crosby, Federer and world No. 1 Rafael Nadal were later spotted huddling in the players' locker room for about half an hour.
Crosby — dressed in shorts and tennis shoes — sounded disappointed that he didn't get a chance to trade volleys with one of the world's greats.
"Just getting a chance to meet some of these guys is enough," said Crosby, "but I'd love to be able to hit around (with one of the big stars)."
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