Montage of Agassi/Federer Duels
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http://federermagic.blogspot.com/200...rod-laver.html
Roger Federer vs. Rod Laver
Laver and Federer were both born in August 43 years apart. Federer's birthday is August 08, 1981, while Laver's is August 09, 1938. It makes comparing them straightforward as the grand slams make up this way too. For example, Federer won his second Wimbledon in 2004 at the age of 22, while Laver won his first Wimbledon 1961, at the same age of 22. And so on.. get the drift?
Green shaded boxes represent Rod Laver playing in Pre-open Era amateur division. Blue boxes represent Rod Laver playing in Pre-open Era under Pro division, whose 3 Grand slam equivalents were French Pro, Wembley and US Pro. These divisions were eliminated in 1968 French Open with the beginning of the Open Era, represented in White boxes.
Note: RF/RR age is the age of both Roger Federer and Rod Laver when the tennis season starts (Jan 1). By the time they play US Open, they would have had their birthday and older by one year. (Like Federer won his first US Open at age 23, though he was 22 when the tennis season started).
http://federermagic.blogspot.com/200...jorn-borg.html
Similar to Roger Federer vs. Pete Sampras summary, here's an attempt to match the Swedish ice-man, Björn Borg's achievements against Roger.
Federer's birthday is August 08, 1981, while Borg's is June 6, 1956. So, they are 25 years apart, which makes it convenient to compare them. Some similarities include Borg is 0/9 at US Open where Roger has won four straight times, like Federer is 0/9 at French Open where Borg has won six including four straight. Borg and Federer were known to be brats during junior days and then developed an ice-cool demeanor later on. Also, both Borg and Federer has won Wimbledon five straight times, an all-time record and both are junior Wimbledon champions as well.
Also, during the era when Borg played, Australian was not considered a serious slam and most of the pros never played them, at least not consistently like modern pros do.
Note: RF/BB age is the age of both Roger Federer and Bjorn Borg when the tennis season starts (Jan 1). By the time Borg played Wimbledon and Federer play US Open, they would have had their birthday and older by one year. (Like Federer won his first US Open at age 23, though he was 22 when the tennis season started).
http://federermagic.blogspot.com/200...e-sampras.html
I am not a big believer of stats. That said, there are several interesting coincidences about the careers of Pete and Roger. And unsurprising it is. Though they have vastly different approach to tennis as well as slams, here is an attempt to celebrate the coincidences rather than as a comparison between them.
Sampras and Federer were both born in August ten year apart. Federer's birthday is August 08, 1981, while Sampras's is August 12, 1971. So, at the time of writing, Sampras is 33, while Federer is 23. And the grand slams make up this way too. For example, Federer won Wimbledon 2005 at the age of 23, while Sampras won Wimbledon 1995, at the same age of 23. And so on.. get the drift?
Sampras won his half of his 14 slams (7), at his mid point, at his 8th year as a pro (of his 15 year career).
Note: RF/PS age is the age of both Roger Federer and Pete Sampras when the tennis season starts (Jan 1). By the time they play US Open, they would have had their birthday and older by one year. (Like Sampras won his last US Open at age 31, though he was 30 when the tennis season started).
Sampras vs Federer on Wimbledon 2001:
Some stats about the historic match in the Round of 16. It was the only time they both met and since Sampras has retired, Federer holds a 1-0 lifetime head to head against him. Going into the match,
* Pete had never lost a 5-set match at Wimbledon before he lost to Federer 7-6, 5-7, 6-4, 6-7, 7- 5.
* He had a streak of 31 straight wins at Wimbledon, tying him with Rod Laver.
* Pete had won the seven of the last 8 Wimbledons going into the 2001 Wimby.
* Pete was looking for his 100th win at Wimbledon when he met Federer. He got his 100th win at Wimbledon with his 3-set win over Martin Lee in R128 the next year. It was also his last win at Wimbledon.
For the record, you can get the 2-disc DVD of the match from Adrian. He sells it for US $7.50 [See more]. It is nice to Roger that young and playing a heck of a great match.
http://federermagic.blogspot.com/200...-analyzed.html
1. When preparing to serve, first visualize the delivery you wish to hit. (Federer already knows which serve he'll use as he steps to the line.) His weight is off the front foot, and he has a slightly open stance for a serve. His front toe is angled to ease his hip and shoulder rotation. But this is more a matter of style, not fundamentals.
2. Federer keeps his weight on his back foot as his tossing arm goes out to the side of his body, facilitating shoulder and hip rotation. For his serve, it's imperative that he not let the toss get behind his body. Your toss can often determine the success of your serve. Federer's weight begins to move forward as his arms goes up. His racquet and palm are facing downward, which keeps his shoulder muscles relaxed and enables him to achieve a whip-like motion.
3. This is Federer's power position. His tossing arm is fully extended and his body is prepared to explode into the serve. His shoulders are tilted, and he's leaning forward. Notice, too, how the hitting elbow is in line with his shoulders. This will give Federer excellent throwing action. His flexed knee and hip and shoulder rotation make his serve extremely difficult to read. From this same service position and toss Federer can hit his flat, kick and slice serve to any area of the box.
4. To push off into the serve, Federer has his weight completely on his front leg. As his legs thrust upward, the racquet drops down behind his back with the face perpendicular to the ground and away from his shoulders. This will help him generate power. His non-hitting arm also drops down for the racquet to come through. And Federer's balance is perfect. Recreational players tend to break the sequence at this point by losing their balance.
5. Federer makes contact with the ball slightly to his left. Any inconsistency he has with his serve is due to letting the toss drop too far. Here, all his power has propelled him off the ground as he gets full vertical extension into the court. Good extension and natural forearm pronation are both crucial. Federer doesn't pull his head down prematurely, which is another common mistake. His tossing arm tucks in, slowing down his torso, which creates a whipping action at the top of the motion.
6. After Federer makes contact with the ball, the momentum of his swing carries him into the court. His eyes are looking forward, and his head is up for balance. His hitting arm has fully pronated while his other arm continues the stabilization process. This allows his shoulders to face his opponent head on so he can react quickly for the return. Federer, like all big servers today, lands on his front foot, which lets him either follow the serve to net or get set for a ground stroke.
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/8...s-strange-days
What a year—2008 was singular in its drama and painful in its resolution as the year bore on like an awl through metal, scraping nerves raw and torturing psyches unendingly in anticipation of the next bitter blow to be dealt the chosen one...Roger Federer...or so it seemed to Federer fans.
You can bet that every tennis pundit worth his or her salt is pacing unmercifully, measuring, trying to identify that final piece of the puzzle—the one unique, sharply articulated and perfectly angled piece detailing 2008’s biggest story of the year in men’s tennis...
Subtle shades of interpretation need assimilation into your argument when it comes to presenting your particular point of view—that is, if you wish to convince people that your opinion—and yours alone—is spot on.
The year began with an explosion of the unexpected in Aussie land and as reporters descended we must consider—what was more stunning—Novak Djokovic winning the Australian Open or Roger Federer not winning it? Subtle shades of difference abound depending where you stand and how you interpret the results.
There were many, many firsts this year that received heavy press coverage including Andy Murray’s first round dismissal of Roger Federer in Dubai...the real beginning of Roger’s strange days...
Take that one step further down the calendar and consider the 2008 French Open Final—what was more significant, Rafael Nadal winning the French Open for the fourth consecutive time or Roger Federer losing it in straight sets with barely a whimper of resistance?
It was a stunner from all aspects. In fact many articulate sportscasters were left speechless—at a loss to explain the strange final.
The piece de resistance could very well be the regal restructure that culminated at Wimbledon—what was more astonishing – Rafael Nadal winning his first major NOT on clay or Roger Federer losing on the sacred grounds of Wimbledon as he tried to capture his sixth consecutive crown and overtake the Iceman, Bjorn Borg?
It gets progressively more difficult to decide which focus and what event merits that ultimate designation as best of the year.
As we move forward, we cannot overlook the 2008 Summer Olympics—the grand stage for all major athletic competition on display in Beijing.
What event captured the headlines and the imagination of athletes and fans alike—Rafael Nadal winning the Olympic Gold in singles or Roger Federer and fellow countryman Stanislav Wawrinka coming back from defeat in singles to win the Gold Medal in doubles for Switzerland?
The unrestrained joy of the Swiss duo seemed to reign supreme but Nadal fans felt equally blessed and equally vindicated by his win.
On to the US Open and New York—what was more remarkable—that Roger Federer captured his fifth consecutive U.S. Open Championship in New York by defeating Andy Murray in straight sets or that Andy Murray made it to his first grand slam final?
Overall, what struck the press as more significant—the fact that Roger Federer did not win a Master’s Series Shield in 2008—the first time since 2003 he has not won at least one or that Rafael Nadal won three—as did Novak Djokovic, including the year-end championship with Murray winning two and Nikolay Davydenko and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga each winning one.
This is a fait accompli—the young guys are no longer content watching from the play pen as the big guy demonstrates his special brand of ball...they want in on the action and they plan to win.
Patently obvious in this litany of high points during the 2008 season—is the constant presence of Roger Federer...no matter what story you select, he remains solidly a part of it.
Finally, we arrive at the particular point in time where the season was defined. What made reporters scramble to their laptops faster—to announce to the world that after 237 weeks at No. 1, Roger Federer lost his vaunted top ranking? Or that after three years of chasing it, Rafael Nadal finally achieved the number one spot?
The No. 1 story is this seismic shift at the top of the men’s tennis as Federer’s game faltered and failed at inopportune times—staggering the mighty man and his legion of fans. His detractors are loath to revisit the illness that plagued him all year...but it remains a factor—a piece of the puzzle.
The rise of Nadal is extraordinary because he overcame Federer to get to the top.
Federer never had to mount such a campaign or wrestle such an opponent to reach the apex of the men’s game. Nadal fought Federer, for many the best to ever play the game, for three long years...
The battle waged between the two during the clay and grass seasons was epic in proportion and spectral in consequence. When Federer was able to re-embody his game, he fought ferociously to retain the keys to his kingdom...
Nadal was not only fighting to gain the No. 1 ranking, he also had to fend off a charge by Djokovic for the No. 2 spot. That he was able to hold on and advance was the true mark of a champion.
So whether you choose to side with Federer fans who see the loss of the number ranking only from Federer’s perspective or whether you choose to see Nadal’s ascension to the top of the men’s game as Nadal and his fans see it…the event was the focal point of 2008 and its final resolution turned the season around—as Nadal began to fade and Federer found enough game to win his 13th grand slam in New York.
Will 2009 be equally as compelling? It can’t fall far behind. There is much to settle in 2009. Will Nadal retain his ranking or will Federer regain it? Or will Djokovic or Murray step into the slot? Will Federer win No. 14 and tie Pete Sampras? If he does, when and where?
Ah, there is much ahead tennis fans...rest up, take a deep breath and get ready to be dazzled because it all starts again in a month!
Roger Federer Pure Class
Listen with loud volume - :notworthy:
Roger Federer's Five US Open Titles
Its extremely funny for me to see him fall down on the ground whenever he wins a title :lol:
2009 Schedule..
2009 Schedule for Roger...
http://www.rogerfederer.com/en/roger...dule/index.cfm
01.01.09 Capitala World Tennis Championship Other Abu Dhabi (UAE) hard [o]
05.01.09 Qatar ExxonMobil Open 250 Doha (QAT) hard [o]
14.01.09 AAMI Classic Other Kooyong (AUS) hard [o]
19.01.09 Australian Open GS Melbourne (AUS) hard [o]
23.02.09 Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships 500 Dubai (UAE) hard [o]
06.03.09 Davis Cup, World Group First Round DC n/a (USA) hard [o]
09.03.09 Indian Wells 1000 Indian Wells (USA) hard [o]
23.03.09 Sony Ericsson Open 1000 Miami (USA) hard [o]
27.04.09 Internazionali BNL d'Italia 1000 Rome (ITA) clay [o]
11.05.09 Mutua Madrileña Masters 1000 Madrid (ESP) clay [o]
24.05.09 Roland Garros GS Paris (FRA) clay [o]
08.06.09 Gerry Weber Open 250 Halle (GER) grass [o]
22.06.09 Wimbledon GS Wimbledon (GBR) grass [o]
10.08.09 Rogers Cup 1000 Montreal (CAN) hard [o]
17.08.09 Western & Southern Financial Group Masters 1000 Cincinnati (USA) hard [o]
31.08.09 US Open GS New York (USA) hard [o]
05.10.09 AIG Japan Open Tennis Championships 500 Tokyo (JPN) hard [o]
12.10.09 Shanghai 1000 Shanghai (CHN) hard
02.11.09 Davidoff Swiss Indoors 500 Basel (SUI) hard
09.11.09 BNP Paribas Masters 1000 Paris (FRA) hard
23.11.09 Barclays ATP World Tour Finals WTF London (GBR) hard
http://www.skysports.com/story/0,195...580587,00.html
Pete Sampras has backed Roger Federer to break his record number of grand slam wins and has questioned Rafael Nadal's future at the top level in the process.
Federer is just one major short of equalling Sampras' record of 14, but endured a disappointing 2008 by his exceptional standards adding only the US Open to his tally.
Nadal captured the 27-year-old's Wimbledon crown and his world number one ranking simultaneously meanwhile, but Sampras has no doubt the Swiss will come back even stronger in 2009.
"There's a lot left in him," Sampras said. "I think he'd like to get back to number one and he's looking forward to breaking my record soon. He'll probably break it over the next couple of years.
"He's a credit to the game, he's a friend and there's nothing I can do about it apart from sit back and watch him do it and respect it."
Doubt
Five years Federer's junior and already with five grand slam titles to his name, Nadal also looks on course to push the American great's record close but Sampras has raised doubts over the Spaniard's sustainability.
"It will be interesting to see what happens with Nadal next year," added the
37-year-old.
"The amount of work he has to do to stay on top and stay healthy - I think
that's where Roger has a bit of an advantage because it takes a lot less
energy for Roger to stay on top than Nadal.
"Rafa's strung so tight and the guy is an absolute animal. He puts so much effort into each point that eventually something will break.
"There's a certain grind that he goes through, unlike Roger who is a lot more
fluid and wins matches a lot easier.
"But when you're the best player in the world and people are gunning for you
year after year, that's when it takes its toll and it'll be interesting to see
how he handles that."
The US legend, who retired from professional tennis at the age of 31, is currently competing in London at the BlackRock Masters.
Roger Federer 2008 - The Backhand - PT2
Quote:
Originally Posted by ajithfederer
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au...0-2722,00.html
TENNIS great Pete Sampras has predicted a short-lived reign at the top for Rafael Nadal as his chief rival Roger Federer vowed yesterday to regain the Australian Open crown next month.
Federer, who ceded his position at the top of the rankings to Nadal after falling to the Spaniard in the French Open and Wimbledon finals last year, will equal Sampras's record of 14 grand slam titles if successful at Melbourne Park.
The 27-year-old, who has claimed three Australian Opens but fell to reigning champion Novak Djokovic this year when ill with glandular fever, said reclaiming the title was a major goal for 2009.
"The Australian Open 2009 takes on a major significance for me, even more so after my illness last year," Federer said.
"There is no better way to start the year than with a win in the men's final on Rod Laver Arena. I am very comfortable there and have had some of my best tennis memories in that building."
Djokovic's defeat of Federer in the semi-finals in Melbourne started a mini-slide for the Swiss star, who could drop to third in the rankings by the Australian Open depending on how he fares in the season-starting Qatar Open, beginning on January 5.
While Federer salvaged his year by winning the US Open in dominant fashion over Scotland's Andy Murray, he failed in all four meetings with Nadal and lost 15 matches during 2008 as he struggled with illness and injury.
Despite the slip, Sampras believes Federer will claim his grand slam record and set a target Nadal, who is five years younger at 22, will be unable to reach.
The American, who won his last grand slam title in New York in 2002, believes Nadal's physical style could force the Spaniard into a premature retirement.
"The amount of work he has to do to stay on top and stay healthy, I think that's where Roger has a bit of an advantage because it takes a lot less energy for Roger to stay on top than Nadal," Sampras said.
"Rafa puts so much effort into each point that eventually something will break. There's a certain grind that he goes through, unlike Roger, who is a lot more fluid and wins matches a lot easier."
Sampras, who has returned to the seniors tour on a part-time basis and will play John McEnroe in London in the BlackRock Masters at Albert Hall this week, has no doubt Federer will also claim his record for the most wins at Wimbledon.
Federer, who lost this year's Wimbledon final to Nadal in a five-set thriller, trails Sampras's record of seven wins in the All England Championship by two.
"There's a lot left in Roger. He can win as many Wimbledons as he wants, he's got the game," Sampras said. "I think he'd like to get back to number one and he's looking forward to breaking my record soon."
While Federer and Nadal's pre-Australian Open programs are finalised, rising French star Gael Monfils' plans are still in the air.
While Monfils is committed to the maiden World Tennis Challenge in Adelaide a week before the Open, his name was missing when entries closed for the inaugural Brisbane International, beginning on January 5, despite a verbal confirmation.
It is believed a change in his management resulted in a failure to lodge the entry, which means the world No14 will require a wild-card if he decides to play.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/can...w8GUAmSgWVOXyw
Tennis star Roger Federer cuts back clay court schedule for 2009
5 hours ago
BASEL, Switzerland — Roger Federer will play only two clay-court tournaments in 2009 before the French Open, the only Grand Slam tournament he has never won.
Federer will head to Paris on May 24 after playing Masters series events on his least favourite surface in Rome and Madrid, according to a schedule published on his official website.
Federer played four clay-court events this year ahead of the French Open: Estoril, Portugal; Monte Carlo; Rome; and Hamburg, Germany. He lost to Rafael Nadal in the French Open final.
"I am really pleased with the season the way we have planned it and I am looking forward to an exciting year," Federer said.
The Swiss star had a tough 2008 season marred by illness and a back injury. He surrendered his Wimbledon title and No. 1 ranking to Nadal, but won the U.S. Open for his 13th Grand Slam title.
Federer's agent, Tony Godsick, told The Associated Press in October that the Swiss star would play a 2009 schedule "that works for him physically."
"He is not going to overplay next year," Godsick said. "He is just going to try to make sure that he peaks for the tournaments that mean the most to him."
Federer has won five U.S. Opens, five Wimbledons and three Australian Opens but never captured the French, where he has lost to Nadal in the final three straight years.
Federer will start the year on hard courts at an invitation tournament in Abu Dhabi then play events at Doha, Qatar, and Kooyong, Australia, before the Australian Open starts Jan. 19 in Melbourne.
His grass-court schedule is unchanged with a single warmup for Wimbledon, at Halle, Germany.
Federer will defend his U.S. Open title from Aug. 31 after playing Masters events on hard courts at Montreal and Cincinnati.
http://www.rogerfederer.com/en/roger...fm?uNewsID=837
OFF COURT - MY 2009 SCHEDULE
Dear Fans
It is my pleasure to inform you that my schedule for 2009 has been finalised and I am glad to share it with you. You can find it under 'schedule' or just follow the link below. I am really pleased with the season the way we have planned it and I am looking forward to an exciting year!
I am still enjoying a few more days on holiday. It is such a treat to just enjoy the sun and the sea together with Mirka. After that we'll start the preparations for 2009 with a training camp in Dubai. That is always very intense, but it's a vital part to a successful start of the new year - which begins very soon!
Kind regards
Roger
http://www.rogerfederer.com/en/roger...dule/index.cfm
ROGER'S TOUR SCHEDULE 2009
01.01.09
Capitala World Tennis Championship
Other Abu Dhabi (UAE) hard [o]
05.01.09
Qatar ExxonMobil Open
250 Doha (QAT) hard [o]
14.01.09
AAMI Classic
Other Kooyong (AUS) hard [o]
19.01.09
Australian Open
GS Melbourne (AUS) hard [o]
23.02.09
Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships
500 Dubai (UAE) hard [o]
06.03.09
Davis Cup, World Group First Round
DC n/a (USA) hard [o]
09.03.09
Indian Wells
1000 Indian Wells (USA) hard [o]
23.03.09
Sony Ericsson Open
1000 Miami (USA) hard [o]
27.04.09
Internazionali BNL d'Italia
1000 Rome (ITA) clay [o]
11.05.09
Mutua Madrileña Masters
1000 Madrid (ESP) clay [o]
24.05.09
Roland Garros
GS Paris (FRA) clay [o]
08.06.09
Gerry Weber Open
250 Halle (GER) grass [o]
22.06.09
Wimbledon
GS Wimbledon (GBR) grass [o]
10.08.09
Rogers Cup
1000 Montreal (CAN) hard [o]
17.08.09
Western & Southern Financial Group Masters
1000 Cincinnati (USA) hard [o]
31.08.09
US Open
GS New York (USA) hard [o]
05.10.09
AIG Japan Open Tennis Championships
500 Tokyo (JPN) hard [o]
12.10.09
Shanghai
1000 Shanghai (CHN) hard [i]
02.11.09
Davidoff Swiss Indoors
500 Basel (SUI) hard [i]
09.11.09
BNP Paribas Masters
1000 Paris (FRA) hard [i]
23.11.09
Barclays ATP World Tour Finals
WTF London (GBR) hard [i]
IS International Series ISG International Series Gold
MS ATP Masters Series GS Grand Slam
DC Davis Cup MC Masters Cup
Other Other J Junior
CH Challenger 250 ATP 250 Series
500 ATP 500 Series 1000 ATP 1000 Series
WTF ATP World Tour Finals [i] indoor
[o] outdoor
Please note the new official terms for the ATP tournament categories (ATP 250, 500 and 1000 Series).
http://www.australianopen.com/en_AU/...196253643.html
Federer preparing for assault on 14th Slam
Tuesday, 2 December, 2008
By Tennis Australia
Roger Federer
It may still be more than a month away, but the thoughts of world No.2 Roger Federer have already turned to one of his happiest tennis hunting grounds, Rod Laver Arena.
“The Australian Open 2009 takes on a major significance for me, even more so after my illness last year,” Federer said.
The Swiss star is chasing a world record equalling 14th Grand Slam title and has been buoyed by his success in New York earlier this year.
“I am very keen to continue my Grand Slam form from the US Open and add another ‘Happy Slam’ to my collection,” he said.
“There is no better way to start the year than with a win in the men’s final on Rod Laver Arena. I am very comfortable there and have had some of my best tennis memories in that building.”
Indeed, one of the most memorable moments in Australian Open history was the tearful presentation ceremony, when the then world No.1 became emotional as he was presented with the Norman Brookes Trophy by his tennis idol, the legendary Rod Laver.
Laver will again be in Australia in 2009 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of his 1969 Grand Slam effort in which he won all four Slams: the French, Wimbledon, US and Australian Open.
“We know Roger Federer is a supreme athlete with great respect for the game and its tradition. He has the dual motivation of wanting to regain the world No.1 ranking and also create some history of his own.” Australian Open Tournament Director Craig Tiley said.
“His preparation for our event is normally immaculate, so expect nothing less than a finely-tuned, incredibly-motivated world-class tennis player when he arrives in Melbourne in January.”
Whether Laver and Federer will again be on the podium on 1 February remains to be seen. For now, the Swiss champion’s focus is on getting into top condition for the new season
“I look forward to getting to Melbourne early in the New Year in top form and injury free,” Federer said.
Limited numbers of single session tickets for Rod Laver Arena, Hisense Arena and the popular $29.00 ground pass are available through Ticketek.
Tickets can be purchased online at www.ticketek.com.au or by telephone on 1300 888 104.
http://www.atptennis.com/1/en/2008ne...rer_forbes.asp
Federer Among Best-Paid Young Celebs
© Getty Images
Roger Federer emblemRoger Federer ranked No. 5 in Forbes Magazine's list of Best-Paid Celebs Under 30, earning $35 million from on-court performance and sponsorship deals combined.
The 27-year-old Swiss, who made $10.1 million in prize money during the 2007 season backed by title wins at three of the four Grand Slam tournaments, took home an additional $25 million from his endorsements with Nike, Gillette, Mercedes-Benz, Wilson, and Swiss companies Emmi and Jura.
Maria Sharapova, the highest-paid female athletic endorser, joined Federer as the only other tennis player in the Top 10 with her reported earnings of $26 million placing her at No. 7. Serena and Venus Williams finished at No. 11 and 12 respectively.
Beyonce Knowles finished as the Best-Paid Celeb Under 30 with $80 million in earnings last year, nearly double the amount of Justin Timberlake at No. 2 ($44 million). NBA stars Kobe Bryant ($39 million) and LeBron James ($38 million) followed the two singers on the power list.
Earlier this year, Forbes placed Federer at No. 23 in its Celebrity 100 rankings recognizing the world's most powerful and highest-paid celebrities. Oprah Winfrey came in at No. 1, followed by Tiger Woods, Angelina Jolie, Knowles and David Beckham.
Federer is the all-time ATP leader in career prize money, having earned $44.5 million to date. He surpassed Pete Sampras's mark of $43 million this past October at Masters Series Madrid.
Roger Federer Part 2: 1999-2000, the talent emerges
12/3/08 10:30 PM | Jonathan Morgan
- After winning the Orange Bowl in late 1998, Federer was done with the juniors and ready to make a jump into the main tour.
Roger Federer began 1999 ranked just outside the top 300. He tried and failed to qualify for the Australian Open in January, and returned to Europe to try his hand indoors.
He qualified for a Challenger event in Germany in late January and reached the semis. The following week, he was granted a wild card into the Marseille event and did not disappoint. 17-year-old Federer, ranked 243rd, took out Carlos Moya in the first round. The same Moya who just the previous year had won the French Open and was ranked 5th in the world when Federer beat him. It was Federer's biggest win of his career. Although he lost in the quarterfinals to Arnaud Clement, he was improving very quickly.
Rotterdam offered Roger a wild card into the qualies there, where he qualified and again reached the quarterfinals. After this result his ranking jumped up to 129th. However, Federer was notorious in his youth for being a complete headcase and unable to string together some good results or keep up his level of play for extended periods of time.
After Rotterdam, the Swiss went 2-5 in his next few events, although one of his wins was a fine four-set victory over Davide Sanguinetti in his first Davis Cup appearance. Federer was bagelled by Vince Spadea in Monte Carlo that year, one of only four he has received in his entire career.
It was May before Federer got back to his winning ways. He qualified for a Challenger in Slovenia and made the semis, boosting his ranking up to a career high of 115th. He then competed in Roland Garros as a wild card and faced Patrick Rafter, the No. 3 player in the world at the time. Federer took a tough opening set but lost in four, including the second bagel of his career.
Federer got back on his beloved grass and made the semis of the Challenger event in Surbiton before losing to Sargis Sargsian in a very tight three-setter. The rest of his grass season and then some, however, was wretched. Byron Black crushed him in Queens, dishing him his third bagel of his career. He failed to qualify in Nottingham and lost in five sets at Wimbledon's first round. Losses in Gstaad, a pair of tight losses in Davis Cup against Belgium, second round at the Segovia Challenger, Washington, and failing to qualify for both Long Island and the US Open seemed to bring Federer back down to Earth.
He scored a win in both Tashkent and Toulouse following the US Open, but Federer just couldn't get any consistency. At that point, he had turned 18 and received a wild card into Basel. It was there where he got his mojo back. A quarterfinal loss to Tim Henman followed by a semifinal run in Vienna the following week got Federer back on track and his ranking shot up to 67th.
In Lyon, as a special exempt, he won the first round but lost another tight three-setter to Hewitt. With his confidence on high, Federer went back down to the Challenger tour and won the title in Brest, France. A failed qualifying attempt in Stockholm ended his year. His results were up and down and his ranking was 65th at the close of the year. It was a great first year on the tour for Federer, all things considered.
2000 opened with losses before the Aussie Open but his best slam result of his career with a third-round showing in Melbourne. Federer's game looked solid as he beat Mark Philippoussis in a tough four-setter in Davis Cup before once again falling to Hewitt in the reverse rubber. The Swiss was up 2-1 but lost the final two rubbers to lose the tie.
Federer's indoor season was once again fantastic. In Marseille he had a great run to the finals but lost in a third-set tiebreaker to Marc Rosset. Quarterfinals in London and semis in Copenhagen cemented this time of the year as Federer's best thus far in his career. After Copenhagen, Federer's ranking was up to 49th.
Like the previous year, Federer didn't make much of an impact in either the US or the clay season, going 1-7 until the French Open. He came out of nowhere to make the fourth round there, beating out fellow Swiss Michel Kratochvil 8-6 in the fifth for his first five-set win. He lost to Alex Corretja in the fourth round, and followed up this fine tournament with a quarterfinal run in Halle on the grass, bumping his ranking up to 35th.
With the young Federer, for every up, there was a down. After Halle, he went 1-6 until the US Open. The one win was over Vladimir Votchkov in five crazy sets to get Switzerland back into the World Group. One of the losses was to Hewitt in Canada in three sets. Federer then made the third round at the US Open before losing to fellow young gun Juan Carlos Ferrero in four tight and exhilarating sets.
Roger's next three events bumped the recently turned 19-year-old into the top 30. It was at the Olympic games in Sydney where he not only met his longtime girlfriend Mirka, but also made the semifinals, losing to Tommy Haas. A tough loss to Arnaud Di Pasquale meant Federer would go home without a medal. The hunger for wins seemed to get to Federer, as he returned to the Euro indoors with a semifinal run in Vienna and a finals appearance in his home Basel event. In the semis in Basel, Federer scored his first win over Hewitt, a tough three-set victory that ended 8-6 in a third-set 'breaker. He then went on to lose in the final to Thomas Enqvist in five sets. Reports allege that the young Swiss maestro cried profusely after the final.
Mediocre appearances for the rest of the season saw Federer finish the year ranked 29th. His first win over Hewitt, a few tour finals, and a bunch of five-setters marked his performances prior to turning 20. Federer would enter 2001 as one of the players many people pegged as a future star.
http://www.tennistalk.com/en/news/20...talent_emerges
http://www.tennistalk.com/en/news/20...1_photo_finish
Federer part 4: 2003-
The year end #1 photo finish
- Federer ended 2002 with a rough loss against Lleyton Hewitt in the Masters Cup. Hewitt ended the year #1 again, but his 2003 was marred with injury and poor play. He finished that year at 17th. Federer came into 2003 ranked #6. It would be a new generation coming of age that year.
Federer went 2-2 before the Aussie Open and lost there in the fourth round to David Nalbandian. This would become a trend. He rebounded with yet another stellar indoor swing. After a pair of wins for Switzerland in Davis Cup, he won Marseille, made the semis in Rotterdam, and won Dubai. These results pushed him up to #4 in the world as he headed to the US for Indian Wells and Miami.
Federer actually won a match in Indian Wells, but fell in the second round. He was unable to defend his finals points from the previous year, losing in the Miami quarterfinals and dropping back to #5. He scored a pair of wins against France to send Switzerland to the Davis Cup semis that September. But the clay season was beckoning before.
Federer’s 2003 clay season was great to start, but got worse as it progressed. A win in Munich and a finals run in Rome were great results for Federer as he looked poised to make a good French Open run. Unfortunately, he was unable to defend his Hamburg title from the year before when he lost in the third round. He once against bombed out in the first round of Roland Garros, this time to Luis Horna. Juan Carlos Ferrero went on to claim the title.
Once Federer got back to the quicker surfaces, he looked more at home. He fought through a tough field in Halle to take his first grass title and carried that momentum into Wimbledon. The Swiss breezed through his draw, losing a single set as he arrived into the semis. Fellow young gun Andy Roddick blazed through his draw as well to set up a semi showdown with Federer on the 4th of July. Many saw the American winning, but Federer took it to his opponent, winning in straights before beating Mark Phillippoussis for the title.
Federer had finally won his first slam and his rank jumped up to a career high #3. The week after Wimbledon, he contested the Gstaad event in Switzerland, but lost in the finals to Jiri Novak in five. Federer just couldn’t win on his home soil.
Once he won Wimbledon, the race to #1 was heating up. Andre Agassi, then 33 years old, was on top after going 23-1 to start the year, winning the Australian Open, Miami, San Jose, and Houston. Ferrero was an Aussie Open quarterfinalist, won Monte Carlo, won Valencia, enjoyed semifinal runs in Barcelona and Rome, and won the French. Federer had won Halle, Marseille, Wimbledon, Munich, Dubai, and had a finals appearance in Gstaad and a semi run in Rome. Needless to say, all three men had great years.
That summer, Roddick thrust his name into the equation as well. After the finals in Gstaad, Federer didn’t play again until Canada. Meanwhile, the other three were hard at work. Ferrero had to defend from last year in Kitzbuhel and Sopot over the summer and came into Canada just over 200 points behind Agassi. The American only had a semifinal run in Los Angeles before Canada, and Roddick won Indianapolis before losing to Tim Henman in the Washington semis. Roddick was 1400 points behind Agassi but made it up pretty quickly.
In Montreal, Ferrero lost first, falling to Karol Kucera in the third round. Agassi lost the next round while the other two made the semis and faced off with each other. After Roddick got thumped in Wimbledon a month prior, the American was out for revenge. It was a crazy match and Roddick took it in a third-set 'breaker, his last win over Federer for another five years. Roddick then went on to win the event, getting himself to #4 in the rankings, just over 1000 short of Agassi. Federer jumped to #2 after a great week, just 120 points shy of Agassi. Had Federer won the match against Roddick, he would have had the #1 ranking. He later would remark that he wasn’t ready to be #1 at that point.
The following week in Cincinnati, all four men were again in action. Ferrero lost in the second round to Gaudio in a high-quality bout, while Agassi pulled out of the event before it began. Federer didn’t do much better, losing again to Nalbandian, this time in the second round. Roddick, with all three top rivals out before the third round, went all the way to the title, breaking the race wide open right before the US Open.
As the US Open was starting, Agassi had the top seed, but by a mere 95 points over Federer. Ferrero and Roddick were close behind. All four players were within 505 points of each other. Federer equaled his 2002 performance, losing to Nalbandian once again in the fourth round in almost a carbon copy of their Australian Open match. The other three made the semis. Ferrero beat Agassi while Roddick beat Nalbandian in the other semi in five sets. Right after Roddick dusted off Ferrero that Sunday, everyone knew the #1 race would go down to the wire.
Agassi ended up not playing again until the Masters Cup in Houston that year, effectively taking himself out of the equation. After Roddick won the US Open, he was within 100 points of Ferrero, who was top dog. Federer was over 400 points back but had some Davis Cup work to do.
Hewitt was still #7 when he and Roger battled in the Davis Cup semis that September. Federer and his team were down 2-1 in the fourth rubber when he and Hewitt took the court. Federer won the first two sets but lost the final three as Hewitt took the match. This would be the last time Hewitt beat Federer.
Ferrero had to defend some points that fall and made the finals in Bangkok to do so. Federer defended his Vienna title from the year before as all three men went into Madrid that year within 370 points of each other. Roddick lost to Nicolas Massu in the second round, a shocking result for the American. Ferrero and Federer made the semifinals and played a high-quality match. Ferrero won with the help of the Spanish crowd and went on to take the title. Ferrero was now 300 points clear of Roddick and 600 from Federer.
Ferrero took the next week off but Roddick and Federer were in Basel looking for points. Federer bowed out in the second round after a tight match with Ivan Ljubicic. Roddick made the semifinals before losing to Nalbandian. Neither man gained points that week.
Paris was the final event of the year, with the exception of the Masters Cup a few weeks later. Ferrero lost in the second round to Jiri Novak, while Federer and Roddick both fell victim in successive rounds to the run of Henman, who went on to take the title. With those results as well as the previous year’s Masters Cup points coming off, Roddick took the #1 ranking on November 3. All Roddick needed to do was have a better TMC than Ferrero to clinch. Federer was just about mathematically eliminated.
Ferrero ended up losing all three of his round-robin matches while Federer and Roddick went 3-0 and met in the semis. At that point, Roddick had already clinched the year-end #1. Federer went on to beat Roddick and destroy Agassi in the finals, landing a mere 160 points shy of #1.
Federer may not have ended 2003 as #1, but his dominating performances at Wimbledon and the Masters Cup would be a precursor to his next four years, during which he destroyed every player in his path and compiled the longest consecutive #1 streak in history.
http://www.tennistalk.com/en/news/20..._of_domination
Federer part 5: 2004- The first year of domination
12/7/08 4:07 AM | Jonathan Morgan
- Federe may have gotten snuffed out of the #1 ranking at the end of 2003, but he made it clear very early in 2004 who the real #1 was.
The previous year, Andy Roddick, Juan Carlos Ferrero, and Federer had ended the year within 400 points of each other and many people believed the top spot would change hands quite a bit in 2004. Yeah, right.
The first big event of the year was the Australian Open. Roddick was top dog, Federer #2, Ferrero #3. Roddick made the quarterfinals and lost to a resurgent Marat Safin in five sets. Ferrero lost to Federer in the semis while Federer took his second slam over Safin in the finals. This bumped Federer up to #1 by almost 900 points over Ferrero, with Roddick right behind.
Ferrero came down with a case of the chicken pox in 2004 and has never really recovered to play anywhere near his 2003 level. The Spaniard was never the same while Roddick, on the other hand, still believed in 2004 that he could match Federer.
Both Roddick and Federer won a pair of Davis Cup matches before heading to their respective continents for tournaments. Roddick had some decent results in February but nothing too special. Federer lost for the first time that year in Rotterdam, but rebounded to defend his Dubai title before both men went to Indian Wells with Federer's points lead at 710.
Roddick made the quarters before losing to Tim Henman while Federer won the event dropping just a single set. Federer's game was really coming together. The next week in Miami, however, he lost to a young Spaniard by the name of Rafael Nadal while Roddick took the title. The gap was a mere 745.
Both men then advanced in Davis Cup, winning a pair of singles rubbers in straights as they set the standard for the rest of the tour. Roddick made the finals of the Houston event in mid-April, and both men lost early in Rome. The lead was now down to 350. Neither had done well in Roland Garros and both were defending massive points in the grass season. Federer knew this and did his best to take the Hamburg title, like he had done two years prior. Roddick lost in the second round at the French while Federer lost in the third to Gustavo Kuerten, the Brazilian's final great performance.
The gap coming into the grass season was 915. Federer easily defended his title in Halle while Roddick worked hard to defend his Queen's title. At Wimbledon, the Swiss had won it the year prior, beating Roddick in the semis. They knew the only time they'd meet this year would be in the final. And that is how it happened. Roddick made the final dropping a single set as did Federer, who lost one to a resurgent Lleyton Hewitt.
The 2004 Wimbledon final was where Roddick came oh so close to beating Federer and didn't get another close chance for over two years. After taking the first and being up a break in the third, Roddick lost it. Several rain delays which stopped Roddick's momentum also helped deliver the Swiss maestro a victory. Federer's play that day was impeccable; a great Wimbledon final from both men. Federer took it in 4 tight ones.
After the final, Federer led by 665, but with Roddick defending a bunch of points that summer and Federer playing better than the American, this was as close as Roddick got to getting back to #1. You couldn't fault him for trying, however, as he was still a contender.
Roddick won Indianapolis that summer again while Roger finally took Gstaad. Both made the finals in Toronto that year. Andy knew he was going to lose ground on Federer but wanted to stop the bleeding. It was 720 before that week and after Roger beat Andy in straights that day, it jumped up to 975. Andy caught a break the next week as Roger disappointingly lost to Hrbaty early in Cincinnati and then to Berdych early at the Olympics. These would be Roger's last losses for some time. Federer losses became much less common and Roddick's hope of somehow getting back to #1 seemed impossible.
Roddick only made the semis in Cincinnati and the 3rd round at the Olympics, so Roger's lead remained large. Roger led by 1390 going into the US Open. This was Roddick's last stand. He couldn't let Roger win 3 of 4 slams and take #1 so easily, especially after the previous year's tussle. Roddick was ruthless in New York, winning his first 4 matches in straights, including a bagel over a young Nadal. In his quarterfinal match against Joachim Johansson, he lost the first two sets, won the next two, but lost 6-4 in the 5th. Federer got to the quarters and had a 5 set, 2-day wind-war with Agassi that Roger took in 5 sets. He went on to beat Henman and Hewitt in the finals to take the title.
Roddick's spirit was crushed. Roger was on top of the world. Roger had nearly 3000 points over Roddick and even worse for the American, Hewitt was hot on his trails. Roger became a single entity after that US Open win, and the battle was only for second place. Federer, for fun it seems, went to Bangkok for a tournament in September, and ended up beating Roddick pretty soundly, including a bagel. Roddick looked fatigued and not his best while Roger was in full flight. The message was clear.
Federer, unfortunately, missed the indoor season with a slight injury and only came back for the Masters Cup in Houston. Fed's lead was 2230 after he lost a few hundred, but still a massive lead. Roger went on to win the Masters again, going undefeated. Hewitt and Roddick ended at 2 and 3, with Roddick finishing just 90 points ahead of the Aussie.
Federer ended 2004 with a 2680-point lead over Roddick and had won three slams of four that year. He looked untouchable.
Enjoy!!
its a must for any Federer fan.. just see the extraordinary talent of the greatest tennis player ever to have picked up a tennis racquet..
Roger Federer Points Part 4
http://www.megaupload.com/nl/?d=QJS02Q5A
Part 3 link - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=GHO2BDO6
Part 2 link - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=138V6RU3
Part 1 link - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=2M8FXWHC
Not sure if its already posted,
Wonderful match between Federer n Tipsarevic Australian Open 2008 highlights
http://in.youtube.com/watch?v=zHkSU-vklfU
http://www.tennistalk.com/en/news/20...o._5_on_Forbes
Federer No. 5 on Forbes
World #2 Roger Federer earned a his place in Forbes Magazines illustrious list of “Best-Paid Celebs Under 30”. The swiss superstar came in at #5, raking in an estimated $35 million dollars from a successful combination of endorsement deals and on-court victories.
Federer, who turned 27 this summer, surpassed the $10 million dollar mark in 2007, his season marked by a trio of Grand Slam titles in Melbourne, London and New York. Endorsements deals inked with companies like Emmi, Gillette, Jura, Mercedez-Benz, Nike and Wilson helped the star bring home an extra $25 million dollars in earnings.
The magazine included Federer on their “Celebrity 100” list earlier in the year. Forbes editors gave Federer the #23 spot, counting him among the worlds most richly compensated and most powerful public figures.
To date, Federer tops the list of all-time ATP tour money earners. As of the Masters Series tournament in Madrid, he had collected more than $44 million in prize money, surpassing Pete Sampras's previous tally of $43 million.
http://www.tennisgrandstand.com/archives/2435
The following is the Prologue for the book “THE ROGER FEDERER STORY, QUEST FOR PERFECTION” ($24.95, New Chapter Press, www.rogerfedererbook.com) written by Swiss tennis journalist Rene Stauffer, which documents Stauffer’s “Encounter with a 15-year-old” who would go on to become who many consider the greatest tennis player of all-time. THE ROGER FEDERER STORY, QUEST FOR PERFECTION makes for an ideal gift for the Holidays. To order the book, go to www.tennistomes.com.
It was September 11, 1996. I was on assignment for the Tages-Anzeiger and was supposed to write a story about the World Youth Cup, a sort of Davis Cup for juniors that was being played in Zurich, the location of our editorial office. I was skeptical. A story about a team tournament involving obscure 15 and 16-year-old tennis players-who would be interested in that? I viewed this assignment as a tiresome task, thanks to the Swiss Tennis Federation since they had charitably taken on the tournament for its 100-year anniversary. No, this certainly would not be an interesting assignment.
05 Roger Federer as a 15-year-oldOn this day, I met Roger Federer for the first time. He played on a far away court surrounded by wire mesh at a tennis and recreation facility called Guggach. Officials from the Swiss Tennis Federation told me that Federer was a pretty good player and that there was little to criticize except that he was sometimes very temperamental. He just turned 15 and was actually too young for this tournament, but his credentials were impressive-he had already won five Swiss national junior championship titles, was the best Swiss player in the 16-and-under age bracket and was already ranked No. 88 nationally.
On this day, he played against an Italian named Nohuel Fracassi, who since this encounter with Federer, I never heard from again. Fracassi was more than a year older, bigger and stronger than Federer and he had already won the first set when I arrived. The mood was reminiscent of an insignificant club tournament. There were three or four spectators, a referee and no ball boys. The players fetched the balls themselves. However, I was instantly fascinated by Federer’s elegant style. I had already seen some players come and go in my fifteen years as a tennis journalist but it appeared to me that an extraordinary talent was coming of age here in front of me. He effortlessly put spins on balls so that the Italian-even on this slow clay court-would often just watch the ball fly past him for winners. With hardly a sound, he stroked winning shots from his black racquet, moved fast and gracefully. His strokes were harmonious and technically brilliant.
His tactics were also quite unusual. There were no similarities to the safe and consistent “Swedish School” of baseline tennis that was very common back then and usually resulted in promised success on clay courts. Federer would have nothing of that. He looked to end points quickly at every opportunity. He appeared to have mastered every stroke, which was quite unusual for juniors in his age group. He dominated with his serve and his forehand, but his powerful one-handed backhand and the occasional volley also looked like something taken from a tennis textbook.
Roger Federer was a diamond in the rough, no doubt. I was astonished and wondered why nobody had yet seen him or written about him. Was it perhaps because the media had so often prematurely written in superlatives about talented young players only to discover later that they did not measure up to the task of international tennis? Not every Swiss tennis player could be a new Heinz Günthardt, Jakob Hlasek or a Marc Rosset, perhaps the three best Swiss men’s players ever. Perhaps because hardly anybody was scouting for new talent in Switzerland since our little country was already over-proportionately well-represented in professional tennis with Rosset, the 1992 Olympic champion, and the up-and-coming 15-year-old Martina Hingis, already a Wimbledon doubles champion and a semifinalist in singles at the US Open.
But perhaps the reason was also that Federer’s athletic maturity stood in stark contrast to his behavior. He was a hot-head. On this September afternoon, his temper exploded even from the smallest mistakes. On several occasions, he threw his racquet across the court in anger and disgust. He constantly berated himself. “Duubel!” or “Idiot!” he exclaimed when one of his balls narrowly missed the line. He sometimes even criticized himself aloud when he actually won points but was dissatisfied with his stroke.
06 Roger Federer as a 15-year-old
He didn’t seem to notice what was going on around him. It was only him, the ball, the racquet-and his fuming temper-nothing else. Being so high-strung, he had to fight more with himself than with his opponent across the net this day. This dual struggle pushed him to the limit and I assumed he would lose despite his technical superiority. I was wrong. Federer won the match 3-6, 6-3, 6-1.
I found out later that Federer already won a hard-fought, three-set match the day before against a tenacious young Australian player by the name of Lleyton Hewitt, with Federer fighting off a match point to win by a 4-6, 7-6, 6-4 margin. This Federer-Hewitt match occurred in front of a crowd of 30 people who purchased tickets for the day-plus the four people who bought a tournament series ticket for all sessions. Nobody could have known that these two players would become two of the greatest players-both earning the No. 1 ranking and going on to compete on the greatest stages of the sport in packed
stadiums and in front of millions of television viewers around the world.
I wanted to know more about Federer and asked him for an interview. He surprised me once again as he sat across from me at a wooden table in the gym locker room. I feared that the young man would be reserved and taciturn in the presence of an unfamiliar reporter from a national newspaper and he would hardly be able to say anything useful or quotable. But this was not the case. Federer spoke flowingly and confidently with a mischievous smile. He explained that his idol was Pete Sampras and that he had been training for a year at the Swiss National Tennis Center at Ecublens on Lake Geneva. He
also said that he probably was among the 30 or 40 best in his age class in the world and that he wanted to become a top professional but still had to improve his game-and his attitude.
“I know that I can’t always complain and shout because that hurts me and makes me play worse,” he said. “I hardly forgive myself on any mistakes although they’re normal.” He looked in the distance and said almost to himself-”One should just be able to play a perfect game.”
Playing a perfect game-that’s what motivated him. He didn’t want to just defeat opponents and win trophies, even if he liked the idea of becoming rich and famous or both, as he admitted. For him, instinctively, the journey was the reward and the journey involved hitting and placing balls with his racquet as perfectly as possible. He seemed to be obsessed with this, which would explain why he could become frustrated even after winning points. He didn’t want to dominate his opponent in this rectangle with the net that fascinated him-he wanted to dominate the ball that he both hated and loved.
Federer had great expectations-too many at that time that he would have been able to achieve them. His emotions carried him away in this conflict between expectations and reality. He seemed to sense his great potential and that he was capable of doing great things-but he was not yet able to transform his talents into reality.
03 Roger Federer as a 15-year-old
His unusual attitude towards perfection had a positive side effect in that he did not consider his opponents as rivals who wanted to rob the butter from his bread, as the sometimes reclusive Jimmy Connors used to say. His opponents were more companions on a common path. This attitude made him a popular and well-liked person in the locker room. He was social and someone you could joke around with. For Federer, tennis was not an individual sport with opponents who needed to be intimidated, but a common leisure activity with like-minded colleagues who, as part of a big team, were pursuing the same goal.
He became terribly annoyed at his own mistakes but he had the capacity to question things, to observe things from a distance and to put them in the correct perspective after his emotions had abated. He was also willing to admit weaknesses. “I don’t like to train and I also always play badly in training,” he casually observed during this interview. “I’m twice as good in the matches.”
This sentence surprised me as well. While many players choked under pressure, he apparently maintained a winning mentality. This strength that abounded in the most important matches and game situations really drove many opponents to distraction and enabled Federer to escape from apparently hopeless situations. It also helped Federer establish one of the most unbelievable records in sports history-24 consecutive victories in professional singles finals between July of 2003 and November of 2005-double the record held by John McEnroe and Björn Borg.
Federer’s triumphs at this World Youth Cup were in vain. The Swiss team, lacking a strong second singles player and an experienced doubles team, finished the tournament in defeat in 15th place. Roger Federer won but the Swiss lost-a scenario that was to repeat itself many times over years later at the actual Davis Cup. The hot-head nonetheless received a compliment from the coach of the Australian team at the World Youth Cup, Darren Cahill, the former US Open semifinalist, who was in charge of Lleyton Hewitt at the time. “He’s got everything he needs to succeed on tour later,” said Cahill.
I was able to return to the office with enough material for a nice story. It was to be my first about Roger Federer-but it would not be the last. The story’s title was “One Should Be Able To Play A Perfect Game.”