 Mar 3, 2012 from Reuters:
DUBAI - Roger Federer swatted aside Andy Murray 7-5 6-4 to win the Dubai Championships on Saturday, the Swiss maestro's 72nd tour title, as he abandoned the baseline to dominate from the net.
The 30-year-old claimed his fifth Dubai title without dropping a set all week.
"Against Andy I knew I had to stay aggressive but not overly - you don't want to overhit," Federer told reporters. "I think I found the right balance out there tonight."
The Swiss has now won five of his past seven tournaments since reaching the semi-finals of last year's U.S. Open.
"There is no substitute to confidence," said Federer. "I'm defending much better than I was in the middle of last year where I felt like I couldn't come out of tough defensive positions anymore. I was able to turn it around. Now, I just have to keep it up."
Third-seeded Murray went into Saturday's final with an 8-6 winning record against number two seed Federer, although the Swiss has won both of their grand slam encounters.
Murray, 24, did beat world number one Novak Djokovic on Friday to reach the final and gain revenge for his semi-final defeat by the Serb in January's Australian Open.
But he was strangely lacklustre against Federer and struggled to get his service going with his first serve percentage dipping from a modest 58 in his opening four service games to a lamentable 38 over the next five.
Federer, in response, switched tactics to no longer hug the baseline and instead prowled the net at every opportunity on both his and Murray's serve.
He broke the Briton at 5-5 in the first set and again early in the second to take a seemingly decisive 3-1 lead but the Briton produced two brilliant lobs to square the set at 3-3.
Federer remained unfazed by his opponent's fightback and attacked Murray's second serve to force the Briton to net a backhand for a decisive 5-4 lead.
Serving for the match, Federer hit a series of stinging forehands into the left side of the court to earn match point and sealed victory with a blistering winner past a subdued Murray.
At 3-2 down in the first set, Federer had netted a backhand to give Murray two break points but the Swiss had won 58 successive service games going into the final and he was nerveless, forcing Murray into a long backhand and then a scuffed forehand into the net to eventually hold.
At 5-5, the Briton hit a double fault as Federer went 0-40 up for three break points, his first of the match. Murray saved all three, the best when he came to the net to play a backhand volley winner past a flat-footed Federer.
But the Swiss was not to be denied, pounding a fierce forehand to Murray at the net that the Briton got his racket on but could not control to take a 6-5 lead, Federer clinching the opening set as Murray hit a backhand wide.
Feb 26, 2012 from Gulf News:
Dubai - Roger Federer says he is still hungry for more success as he targets an elusive gold medal at this summer's London Olympics.
Federer also dismissed talk that one of his goals for the season was to regain the World No 1 ranking he held so emphatically two seasons ago.
"I'd love an Olympic gold, everyone knows that," he told members of the media at the iconic Burj Al Arab on Sunday.
"I've had an amazing experience at all the three Olympics I've played. But this is big milestone for tennis at the Olympics, for all players of my generation. I'm really happy that it happens in our lifetime to be quite honest.
"I'm still in my prime to actually have a shot at not only playing in the Olympics, but to do well.
"That combination obviously drives me a lot to make sure I'm in good shape and a good position when I enter the tournament.
"It will be a very, very big and special atmosphere there, I'm really looking forward to it and I hope I can have a good result there."
When asked by Gulf News if one of his goals was to regain the World No 1 ranking, Federer said: "Sure, getting to No 1 again is a long-term goal, but it doesn't drive me on a daily basis.
"I feel that if I play really well between now and through the US Open there is a shot. But then again, there's a shot for probably ten players to do that as well. So I'm aware that I'm not the only one.
"But I feel like I'm in a good run right now, won a lot of tournaments in a short period of time which obviously gives me a lot of confidence.
"But like I said the focus right now is to try to play well day by day and make it sure I get through a tough stretch here from Dubai to Miami and then we'll attack the clay eventually. So that's the plan for now.
"World No 1 will probably be decided for the majority of the players between the French Open and the US Open period, where there are so many highlights."
Federer launches his bid for a fifth title in Dubai when he plays longtime friend Michael Llodra, a player he has beaten in two previous meetings, in the first round.
"It's a tough draw against him," said the Swiss great. "He's playing well and is a funny guy. I hope he's going to put on a good show."
Jan 26, 2012 from AP:
MELBOURNE — Rafael Nadal beat Roger Federer 6-7 (5), 6-2, 7-6 (5), 6-4 in an Australian Open semifinal on Thursday night.
Though the stars who have met in eight Grand Slam finals were on the same side of the draw for the first time at a major since 2005, they played as if the title were at stake.
Nadal made the key service break in the ninth game of the fourth set, making an incredible cross-court forehand winner from well behind the baseline, then watching as Federer hit a backhand wide to give Nadal a 5-4 lead.
Serving for the match, Nadal moved two points away from the win when Federer sent a backhand long. He won on his second match point when Federer floated a forehand long.
At the end, Nadal smashed a ball up high in the stadium, almost clearing the roof. He then applauded along with the crowd when Federer walked off.
The 25-year-old Spaniard won the 2009 Australian title but lost in the quarterfinals in his next two trips to Melbourne Park. Federer hasn't added to his record 16 Grand Slam titles since he won the 2010 Australian Open.
“I thought Rafa played well from start to finish,” Federer said. “It was a tough match physically as well. I'm disappointed, but it's only the beginning of the season. I'm feeling all right, so it's OK.”
When the often enthralling play was suspended for 10 minutes late in the second set for an Australian Day fireworks display, Federer seemed to be affected most. Nadal led 5-2 at the time, and Federer lost his serve in the next game to give the Spaniard the set. In all, the Swiss dropped 11 points in a row.
“It's tough, it's not helpful, that's for sure,” Federer said of the break for the fireworks. “They told us before, so it was no surprise. But I knew it was a lot of points in a row that I lost.”
The capacity, 15,000-strong crowd was evenly split in its support, with the names seeming to blur after the R in rival chants.
Each time somebody called out for Rafa, it was met by a response for Roger. The cheers were just as loud for Nadal's scrambling, sometimes astonishing, passing shots as for Federer's deft winners.
With the players on serve in the second set, Nadal went so far wide on a Federer return that he was near the side wall of the arena. Incredibly, he stretched wide and returned the ball crosscourt for a winner. That set up three break points and Nadal clinched the game to take a 4-2 lead in the second set.
Federer saved a set point in the 11th game of the third set that eventually forced a tiebreaker. But Federer made three unforced errors in the tiebreaker to give Nadal a 6-1 lead, and the Spaniard eventually clinched the set on his last opportunity of five set points.
Jan 6, 2012 from CP:
DOHA - Defending champion Roger Federer pulled out of his semifinal match against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga at the Qatar Open because of a back injury on Friday.
However, the 16-time Grand Slam champion says he expects to be ready for the Australian Open, which starts Jan. 16.
In a news conference 30 minutes before his match, Federer said his back muscle spasms had not improved since beating Andreas Seppi in three sets on Thursday.
Federer apologized to organizers but said he didn't want to risk further injury ahead of the Australian Open. It is only the second time the 30-year-old Swiss has pulled out of a tournament because of injury in his illustrious career.
"I don't feel a whole lot of improvement for today, and I just don't think it's the right time to risk anything more right now," Federer said. "I still have pain, and that's why it was the only right decision, a difficult one for me ... So it's a sad moment for me and for the tournament and for the fans, but health goes first."
Federer said he has tried several treatments including massage and baths after he first felt the injury Wednesday during his second round match against qualifier Grega Zemlja. He played against Seppi the next day but struggled to a three-set victory, trailing 5-1 during the second set and looking out of sorts. But afterward, he said nothing about the injury.
Federer said the injury started in the first set against Zemlja.
"Then I wasn't able to serve properly anymore," Federer said. "Had the same thing yesterday. I was really playing, you know, with the hand brake on, and I was just trying to manage the situation, really. So it wasn't very easy to deal with."
Federer said he plans to fly out of Doha on Saturday as scheduled and is hopeful he will recover with rest and treatment by the end of the week.
"For Australia, I'm optimistic, just because it's not very good but it isn't crazy bad," Federer said. "I have had bad backs in the past. This is definitely not very good; otherwise I would be playing. But I feel without play and the right treatment, I will get through it in the next few days."
Federer said he was physically and mentally fresh coming into this season and sounded confident that he would end his two-year Grand Slam title drought this season.
For that reason, Federer said he wanted to be cautious and not attempt to win the title in Doha.
"I've already played two matches in pain now, and it just gets a bit too much for the body," he said.
Dec 31, 2011 from AP:
ABU DHABI — Rafael Nadal beat Roger Federer 6-1, 7-5 Saturday for third place at the World Tennis Championship exhibition tournament.
The second-ranked Nadal has been nursing a sore shoulder since the end of last season. He was routed by David Ferrer in the semifinals Friday, but looked back to his old self against Federer.
He took a 3-0 lead in the first set and was never seriously threatened by his Swiss rival.
The third-ranked Federer struggled with unforced errors and an inconsistent serve. His game improved in the second set, but Nadal ended the match with a blistering forehand into the corner.
Federer downplayed the two losses this week, insisting he was feeling good and the time on court will serve him well ahead of the season's first tournament in Qatar next week.
"It's about getting ready and feeling fine out there and enjoying a great atmosphere here and having the chance to play world class players," Federer said. "Trying a few things, see where you are at and see where the other guys are at."
"Obviously, I could tell Novak and Rafa are playing really well," he added. "That is not a surprise to me. I expected them to be in good shape for next year and they proved that to me this weekend."
Dec 30, 2011 from AP:
ABU DHABI — Top-ranked Novak Djokovic swept aside Roger Federer 6-2, 6-1 Friday and will play David Ferrer in the final of the World Tennis Championship exhibition.
The 24-year-old Serb twice broke No. 3 Federer in the first set and ran off nine games in a row in a one-sided affair that lasted only 44 minutes.
Federer apologized to the crowd for disappointing them with his quick exit and promised to play better Saturday when faces Rafael Nadal for third place.
He said he felt "good overall" and "was moving well" but that he just was unable to chase down Djokovic's groundstrokes that repeatedly caught the corners.
"It's surprising when it goes quick and you are on the losing side. It's not so comfortable sometimes," Federer said.
"You try hard and try different things and it's not working. He was playing really well," Federer said. "Unfortunately, it was a short-lived match but we know he is a very good front runner. He took the lead in both sets quite early and that made it difficult because conditions were pretty quick and my game was not good enough today to make it more competitive."
Nov 10, 2011 from AFP:
PARIS - Roger Federer closed on a first ever Paris Masters final when he beat Richard Gasquet to reach the quarter-finals on Thursday.
Federer, the third seed, broke the home favourite in the opening service game of their evening match at Bercy Arena and secured another break when Gasquet double-faulted at 2-4 down, before clinching the set with a nonchalant volley.
After an early exchange of breaks in the second set, Federer broke again and went on to complete a 6-2, 6-4 victory with an inside-out forehand winner on his first match point.
"I feel very good," said Federer, who has reached the final of every Masters tournament except the one in the French capital.
"It's always at the end of the season and you've played a lot of tennis. In the past, I've maybe not come in with the best possible preparation.
"The draws are really difficult here and it's not so simple to cruise to a final. I hope I can make it this year."
Nov 8, 2011 from AFP:
PARIS - Roger Federer said on Tuesday he was delighted to have refreshed the batteries with a six week break from tennis as he prepared to launch another assault at winning the Paris Masters for the first time.
The 30-year-old Swiss, who plays unheralded Frenchman Adrian Mannarino in the second round having like the other seeds had a bye for the first round, warmed up for the tournament with his fifth Basel title win last Sunday.
He said he didn't feel any additional pressure because he had yet to win the Masters event here.
"It's just the normal nervousness before a first round," said the third seed, who had until Basel been undergoing his lengthiest title drought since 2002.
"It's feeling the pressure. When you're on vacation and when you're in practice you never feel that kind of pressure."
The 30-year-old showed few signs of rustiness last week after his lengthy rest.
He took it after helping Switzerland beat Australia in September's Davis Cup clash as his body started to show signs of wear and tear.
"There were several little things," said Federer. "I had a problem with my wrist, I hurt myself playing against (Jo-Wilfried) Tsonga (US Open quarter-finals), and in Australia (Davis Cup) also I hurt myself.
"It was the thigh, and I had something new with my ankle.
"They were all little things, nothing very serious except maybe my wrist. It scared me because it's dangerous there. But I just needed two or three weeks, so that seemed normal not to go to Asia at all (in October).
"I was disappointed, but it was great for me to have, for once, six weeks in a row. It gave me a chance to do everything I wanted to do in practice, outdoors, also holidays and my family. I've been playing 10, 12 years in a row from January to November."
The 16-time Grand Slam champion said that careful planning will also dictate his 2012 schedule in a year packed with the usual tennis plus the London Olympics.
"I've already said yes for Qatar (early January) and Rotterdam (mid-February)," said Federer.
"I'm talking with Dubai to see whether I'm going to play there as well, and then there will be Davis Cup (against the US in Switzerland on clay)."
He has yet to officially commit to the Davis Cup tie but appears to be leaning towards playing in the match, which runs from February 10-12.
"Davis Cup will be announced as soon as I will make a decision for Dubai. I hope it will be decided within two weeks. Then after that, the programme is clear until the US Open almost.
"I can be a bit more aggressive in my planning because I feel really good."
Nov 3, 2011 from AP:
BASEL — Switzerland has chosen to host the United States on an indoor clay court at Fribourg in the 2012 Davis Cup.
The Swiss tennis federation says the first-round series will be played Feb. 10-12 at the 7,200-capacity Forum Fribourg arena.
Switzerland's biggest indoor arenas in Geneva and Zurich were unavailable to stage the match.
The Swiss team did not say whether Roger Federer will play in the series, scheduled two weeks after the Australian Open.
Federer has not played in the first round of the Davis Cup since 2004.
The teams last met in 2009 in the first round, when the Americans won 4-1 in Birmingham, Ala.
Nov 2, 2011 from AFP:
BASEL — Roger Federer needed ten aces and a fighting finish in a 6-1, 4-6, 6-3 win over Finland's Jarkko Nieminen which secured his place in the quarter-finals of the Swiss Indoors on Wednesday.
Out of action for six weeks, the Swiss third seed was tested for the first time by his longtime rival in a series which began in 2002. Since they began in Moscow nine years ago, Federer had won all 11 matches in straight sets.
Fellow 30-year-old Niemimen, a finalist two weeks ago in Stockholm, achieved a personal goal as he finally won a set off the Swiss, taking the second with two breaks of Federer's serve and despite double-faults on two of four set points.
It took a big effort in the third set for 16-time grand slam winner Federer to re-establish control. But he still needed three match points to end with a cross-court winner after just over 90 minutes.
"I'm really happy to go through, said Federer, the four-time tournament champion and holder. "The second set was really tough and Jarkko played very well.
"He was also great at the end of the third (set). I found it tough to get my rhythm, it's a result of not playing for six weeks. To stay at your highest level you have to play consistently and I didn't manage to do that all the time today."
Federer's hard-fought victory took him to 26 wins from his last 27 matches in Basel, where his only loss in that period came in the 2009 final to Novak Djokovic.
Oct 31, 2011 from AP:
BASEL — Roger Federer made a winning return from a six-week break, beating Potito Starace of Italy 7-6 (3), 6-4 in the first round of his hometown Swiss Indoors event on Monday.
The fourth-ranked Federer took time to find the rhythm in his ground strokes, and saved a break point at 5-all before winning the first-set tiebreaker comfortably.
The 30-year-old Swiss then broke the 54th-ranked Starace's serve in the opening game of the second.
Federer last played on Sept. 18 in a Davis Cup match on grass in Australia where he beat Bernard Tomic in four sets. After opting to rest and recharge, Federer played his first match ranked outside the top three since winning the 2003 Wimbledon title as the No. 5.
Oct 30, 2011 from AFP:
Tennis hero Roger Federer will hope to again steam through the field at his home Swiss Indoors starting on Monday after having a railway locomotive named in his honour.
Federer was honoured with his bigger-than-life-sized likeness on the loco, which will enter regular passenger service, with one of his sponsors donating to the player's charity based upon the number of kilometres the engine travels in service.
Oct 29, 2011 from Reuters:
ZURICH - Tennis ace Roger Federer has said retirement is not imminent and that he will continue playing as long he has fans' support.
In an interview with his home town newspaper the Basler Zeitung, the 30-year-old responded to a question about when he might stop playing.
"It will be a while before it's time. So long as I'm well supported, I'll participate." he said.
"It will likely be my body that decides when it's time."
Oct 4, 2011 from AFP:
Tiger Woods and baseball's New York Yankees lead Forbes magazine's lists of top sports brand values released on Tuesday.
While Woods was down from last year's value of $82 million, he still ranked $29 million ahead of second-place Swiss tennis star Roger Federer with US golf rival Phil Mickelson third at $24 million.
English football star David Beckham of the Los Angeles Galaxy was fourth at $20 million, just ahead of NBA Miami Heat star LeBron James, whose value jumped to match Beckham from $13 million last year.
Sep 23, 2011 from Roger Federer Official Site:
After consultation with my team, I've unfortunately decided to pull out of the Shanghai Rolex Masters in order to take some necessary time to rest and recuperate after a long summer. I have some nagging injuries that I need to address and I look forward to returning to the ATP World Tour as soon as possible. I have very fond memories of Shanghai so I will miss this amazing tournament and all my loyal Chinese fans, but I look forward to returning to China next fall.
Yours,
Roger
Sep 21, 2011 from AP:
BANGKOK — The United States has been drawn to play at Switzerland in the first round of the 2012 Davis Cup.
Switzerland will be at home for the best-of-five series from Feb. 10-12.
The teams last played in the opening round in 2009, when the Americans beat Switzerland 4-1 in Birmingham, Ala. Roger Federer did not play in that series and has not played in the first round since 2004.
Spain and Argentina, the 2011 finalists, were the top seeds at Wednesday's draw. Spain will host Kazakhstan and Argentina will travel to Germany.
In other first-round World Group ties, it's: Austria vs. Russia; Canada vs. France; Czech Republic vs. Italy; Serbia vs. Sweden; and Japan vs. Croatia.
Sep 19, 2011 from AFP:
SYDNEY - Switzerland will return to the elite Davis Cup World Group next year after Stanislas Wawrinka sealed a 3-2 victory over Australia on Monday by wrapping up a five-set defeat of Lleyton Hewitt.
The pair were level at two sets each with Wawrinka leading 5-3 in the decider when the match referee decided it was too dark to continue late Sunday on the grass courts of the Royal Sydney Golf Club.
The pair resumed Monday with the Swiss breaking Hewitt in the first game back to close out the match 4-6, 6-4, 6-7 (9-7), 6-4, 6-3, putting the visitors in the 16-team World Group in 2012.
Hewitt came to the court on Monday with a heavily strapped right knee and was cheered by a small group of spectators who had turned up for the unexpected extra day.
He raced to a 30-0 lead but appeared to be struggling on court, with two double faults and two unforced errors ultimately costing him the game.
World number three Roger Federer had levelled the best-of-five tie at 2-2 when he beat Bernard Tomic in four sets 6-2, 7-5, 3-6, 6-3 on Sunday.
It followed Federer and Wawrinka losing their doubles rubber to Hewitt and Chris Guccione. In the opening matches, Tomic beat Wawrinka while Federer won his clash with Hewitt.
from ATP:
Roger Federer's reputation as a respected, admired and trusted personality is second only to that of former South African president Nelson Mandela, a new global study of more than 50,000 people in 25 countries shows.
Federer finished ahead of the likes of Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Oprah Winfrey and Bono in the 2011 Leader RepTrak, which assesses the reputations of the world's 54 most visible public figures in politics, business, culture and sports. Derek Jeter was the second highest-rated athlete on the list at No. 16, while David Beckham finished at No. 24, one place behind LeBron James.
“The results of Reputation Institute's study confirm that people respect leaders that participate in philanthropic activities outside of their own celebrity,” said Reputation Institute Chairman, Dr. Charles Fombrun. “The public's top two on our list, Mandela and Federer, have emotional ties to South Africa, and donate both time and money to the betterment of the region and its people. They get praise for their efforts.”
The 30-year-old Swiss, a winner of a record 16 Grand Slam titles, has been actively involved in charitable activities on the ATP World Tour - including the Rally For Relief to support Queensland flood victims earlier this season - and through his own foundation. The Roger Federer Foundation supports education and sports projects in Ethiopia, South Africa, Malawi, Tanzania, Zimbabwe and Switzerland.
| Rank |
Name |
RepTrak Pulse |
| 1 |
Nelson Mandela |
78.5 |
| 2 |
Roger Federer |
72.1 |
| 3 |
Bill Gates |
71.7 |
| 4 |
Warren Buffett |
69.7 |
| 5 |
Richard Branson |
68.3 |
| 6 |
Steve Jobs |
68.3 |
| 7 |
Oprah Winfrey |
67.7 |
| 8 |
Bono |
67.7 |
| 9 |
Ratan Tata |
66.3 |
| 10 |
Elizabeth II |
64.9 | * chart courtesy of Reputation Institute
Sep 18, 2011 from Davis Cup:
SYDNEY - It's a cliffhanger ending in the Australia-Switzerland Davis Cup by BNP Paribas World Group play-off, with darkness halting play in the fifth set of the decisive fifth rubber between Lleyton Hewitt and Stanislas Wawrinka, the Swiss leading 5-3.
With no lights at the Royal Sydney Golf Club, play was suspended amid uproar, less at the decision than the late timing of it - six minutes past the scheduled halt time of 5.45pm. Play will resume at 11am tomorrow, with Wawrinka leading 46 64 67(7) 64 5-3, needing only to hold serve to clinch the tie. Hewitt will serve first on resumption.
Australian captain Pat Rafter remonstrated several times with referee Javier Moreno from Spain, calling for an earlier halt to play. From the early stages in the fifth, according to Rafter, Hewitt was bothered by the dying light. In the fifth game, he dropped serve from 40-15 up.
At 4-3, even the crowd was struggling to sight the ball. Chants of “Op Suisse!” were echoed back by Aussie fans as “Can't see!” The referee ordered play to continue but only one more game was completed.
It was a tumultuous end to a gripping contest, Aussie hero Hewitt adding lustre to his Cup legend by braving five set points (four in the tiebreak) to rip the third set away from an increasingly dangerous Wawrinka.The Aussie strode back on court for the fourth set shirtless, like a prizefighter.
But Wawrinka was no less heroic, fighting on against a tigerish Hewitt, with a backhand as photogenic as that of his compatriot Roger Federer, and landing massive serves as the match wore on. To consolidate the break for 4-2 in the fifth set, Wawrinka sent down a 220km ace - his biggest bomb of the match.
Wawrinka has played all weekend with a leg inflammation, and in the post-match gloom of Switzerland's doubles loss last night, hinted he may not get up for the reverse singles. On the day, Swiss captain Severin Luthi decided against throwing Marco Chiudinelli or Stephane Bohli into the fire of a fifth rubber against Australia's Cup warrior.
Earlier, Roger Federer levelled the tie at 2-all by mastering Aussie young gun Bernard Tomic 62 75 36 63. Loser to Rafael Nadal in the epic 2008 Wimbledon final which finished in darkness, Federer conceded making the decision to suspend play is always a tough call but added “It's the worst feeling in the world to lose in conditions you shouldn't be playing in.”
With his Sunday night air-ticket out of Sydney in the shredder, Federer will be a support to his teammate Wawrinka instead. “If Stan wants me to do push-ups to pump him up I'll do that. If he wants me to sleep on the floor of his bedroom, to keep him warm as we're both missing our children... Whatever he wants me to do. I'll be here tomorrow - except if he doesn't want me, if he tells me ‘Go to Bondi Beach and relax, I'll take care of the rest'”.
A service hold by Wawrinka would seal Switzerland's first-ever Davis Cup win over Australia, in a series stretching back to 1930. As for Hewitt – “He's pretty flat, pretty tired,” Rafter revealed. The 30-year-old, Australia's leading Cup match winner, had set himself for a live fifth rubber - the first of his decorated Cup career - but does the battered warrior have one last heroic push left in him? We'll find out tomorrow.
Sep 17, 2011 from Davis Cup:
SYDNEY - The Aussies have surged ahead 2-1 in their Davis Cup by BNP Paribas World Group play-off against Switzerland, with Lleyton Hewitt and Chris Guccione stunning Roger Federer and Stan Wawrinka, 26 64 62 76(5) in unseasonal heat at Royal Sydney Golf Club.
Outclassed in the first set by the Beijing gold medallists, the Aussies rode a wave of momentum as irresistible as the breakers on nearby Bondi Beach. A crazy sea-change began in the middle of the second set with two lob winners from Guccione and Hewitt, which landed a break of the Wawrinka serve for 3-2. From 15-30 down in that fifth game, the Aussies swept seven of eight points and the tide had turned.
The Swiss were using the I formation, Federer poised to take over the middle of the net, forcing the Aussies to go down the wings on their returns. The Australians responded by staying back on their opponents' first serves, forcing the Swiss to play more volleys rather than risk rapid-fire duels.
Hewitt withstood two breakpoints on his serve at 4-3 - one a volley gaffe by Federer that brought a wry smile from the maestro - and Guccione thumped down his biggest serve in the match, a 217km bomb, for the set: 64. Up and animated now, the Aussies broke Federer in the first game of the third, charged to 4-0, and Guccione boomed down an ace for the set: 62.
Swiss resistance stiffened in the fourth set, but the Aussies were playing virtually error-free doubles - a heroic Hewitt in his element. The Swiss led 4-2 in the breaker but the Aussies landed all their first serves and finally, a Hewitt backhand return on match point drew a long Wawrinka volley.
Federer lamented the ‘horrendous call' at 2-all, 30-all that brought up breakpoint on Wawrinka's serve. “A huge turning point in the match,” Roger rued. “It's unfortunate some of this was necessary to give the Aussies momentum.” But he complimented the Guccione serve – “virtually impossible to return” and paid tribute to Hewitt's lion-hearted play: “At times I thought we were playing Pat Rafter at the net.”
With the traditional swing match under their belts, the Aussies now have serious momentum heading into the reverse singles, especially given the strong hints post-match that Wawrinka may not get up for a fifth rubber. The world No. 19 has played with a leg inflammation carried since the US Open, while a downcast Federer revealed, “I‘m completely beat-up too.”
Any chink in the Federer armour was more likely to be exposed in doubles, and so it proved again. The Swiss superstar's last loss in Davis Cup was to Czech pair Tomas Berdych and Radek Stepanek four years ago; his last loss in singles eight years ago against the Aussies at Melbourne Park. Now 29-6 in Cup singles, Roger is a more beatable 11-6 in doubles. In the six ties that Federer has won two of three rubbers, the Swiss have prevailed just once.
Spirits are decidedly lower in the Swiss camp. “Chances to win now are extremely slim,” a dark Federer noted. “Gonna be tough day tomorrow. We'll believe, but it's tough.”
Should Federer level the tie and Wawrinka be outed by injury, the Swiss will have to send in cold for the decisive fifth match either Marco Chiudinelli, ranked 217, or Stephane Bohli, No.196.
Sep 16, 2011 from Davis Cup:
SYDNEY - Roger Federer has scored his first-ever win over Lleyton Hewitt in Davis Cup by BNP Paribas, beating the Aussie warrior 57 76(5) 62 63 to level the World Group play-off in Sydney at 1-all.
Eight long years since their last Davis Cup stoush at Rod Laver Arena, an epic five-setter Hewitt won from two sets and 5-2 down, the Swiss maestro got the Aussie back on his own turf, at the Royal Sydney Golf Club.
In the wake of Bernard Tomic's upset of Swiss No.2 Stanislas Wawrinka, Hewitt threatened an Aussie sweep of the first day by jumping to a 75, 3-1 lead. The Swiss star lacked his usual dazzle but turned it on in the tiebreak, firing three aces and a backhand winner to reach set point.
Breaking for 1-0 in the third, Federer swept the set in 28 minutes, his unerring serve booming down a stream of aces - 22 for the match, to Hewitt's three. The Aussie continued his unflagging fight in the fourth set, but Federer held Hewitt off on five breakpoints and broke serve for the match, ending the day's play at Royal Sydney with a regal backhand pass after 2 hours 46 minutes.
‘Halfway through the second match I was thinking, ‘I want two-nil,' admitted Aussie captain Pat Rafter. ‘But you expect Roger to lift, and he did. That's why he's been at the top so long.'
‘It was a big victory for me, after a rough last week,' said Federer, alluding to his semifinal loss to Novak Djokovic in the US Open, after holding two match points. ‘Definitely one of the biggest wins of my career.'
Hewitt, Australia's leading match winner in Davis Cup, is the only player to twice defeat Federer in Cup singles, and in brilliant Sydney sunshine looked a good thing to continue his streak to three. ‘Moving was difficult. I felt a bit tired early on - that's what a grass court does to you,' admitted Federer, who only had two days' preparation after a long-haul flight from New York.
‘In the beginning I all of a sudden realised that this is much more difficult than I expected. I was a bit afraid of hitting my shots,' Federer noted of adjusting to the soft, ‘old-school grass court.'
Aug 19, 2011 from AP:
CINCINNATI – Roger Federer got knocked out of the quarterfinals of the Western & Southern Open on Friday.
The third-seeded Federer struggled with his groundstrokes during a 6-2, 7-6 (3) loss to a sore-shouldered Tomas Berdych, who has won three of their last four matchups.
Federer had trouble with his groundstrokes and never had a chance to break Berdych's serve. The Swiss star had an uncharacteristic 29 unforced errors and hit three forehands wide during the tiebreaker.
Twice during the second set, Berdych got the side of his right shoulder rubbed by a trainer. He kept going and closed it out, then dropped out of his doubles match scheduled for later in the day because of the shoulder problem.
Aug 18, 2011 from ATP:
CINCINNATI – Roger Federer extended his Cincinnati winning streak to 11 straight matches, easing past American James Blake 6-4, 6-1 in a rematch of the 2007 final. The two-time defending champion capitalised on five of the 14 break points he created to close out the win in 54 minutes.
"Against James it's always a fast paced match from start to finish," said the Swiss. "You hope you get on a roll and he doesn't. I was able to counter his attacking style. I was able to play clean on my service games. In the second set he didn't play so well, and the scoreline shows that."
Federer is a four-time winner of this ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournament, and claimed his first pair of Cincinnati titles in 2005 and '07.
Aug 16, 2011 from ATP:
CINCINNATI – Roger Federer defeated Juan Martin del Potro 6-3, 7-5 in a highly anticipated second round match Tuesday night at the Western & Southern Open.
Though Federer entered the match with a 6-2 lead in FedEx ATP Head 2 Head meetings, del Potro had won their two most recent encounters - in the 2009 US Open final, when the Swiss was two points away from victory, and at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals.
In their first meeting since del Potro's return from a lengthy injury layoff, Federer needed just a break of serve in each set to clinch the one hour, 32-minute victory. He won 83 per cent of his service points and came under pressure just once in the second set, successfully saving a break point in the sixth game.
The 30-year-old Swiss has won this ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournament four times overall, joining Mats Wilander as the only players to accomplish the feat, while Del Potro made his only previous event appearance in 2007 as a qualifier and reached the third round (l. to Moya).
Federer goes on to play American wild card James Blake in a repeat of the 2007 Cincinnati final. The Swiss holds a 9-1 record against the former World No. 4, with his only loss coming in the quarter-finals of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.
Aug 12, 2011 from Intersport:
CHICAGO – Mercedes-Benz teamed with Intersport, a leader in brand-integrated television programming, to activate its sponsorships of the 2011 US Open and 5-time US Open Champion Roger Federer. Game! Set! Match!, a one-hour television special that provides shoulder programming for the 2011 US Open, will air at 1 p.m. ET on CBS this Sunday (Aug. 14). Federer grants a rare sit-down interview with Justin Gimelstob, former professional tennis player and current broadcaster. Pete Sampras, Chris Evert and Lleyton Hewitt are among some of the other tennis greats participating in the program, which is hosted by Bill Macatee. The program will reair multiple times on the Tennis Channel.
Mercedes-Benz serves as the title sponsor of the original program and receives branding throughout that extends its larger sponsorship of the US Open and Federer. The program provides viewers an insight into Federer's career and examines his history in the US Open. Historically significant moments of the US Open, along with the passion and pageantry of the prestigious event, are highlighted throughout the show.
Aug 11, 2011 from ATP:
MONTREAL – Roger Federer had said his previous two losses against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga were “not normal” - both matches in which he let sizeable leads slip away.
On Thursday night, the pair met again at the Rogers Cup in Montreal two years after that first uncharacteristic loss, and this time Federer found himself playing catch-up before falling to the Frenchman 7-6(3), 4-6, 6-1.
Federer was unable to convert his three break points in the opening set, including one set point, allowing Tsonga to seize the lead in the tie-break after 57 minutes of play.
He quickly countered to go up a break, 2-1, in the second set and saved three break points in the eighth game. He could not hold Tsonga down for long, however, as the Frenchman decisively took control in the third set, rolling out to a 5-0 lead before serving out the victory.
Aug 10, 2011 from Canadian Press:
MONTREAL - Roger Federer defeated Canadian Vasek Pospisil in straight sets Wednesday in the men's draw of the Rogers Cup.
It was a dream matchup for the 21-year-old Pospisil, who has idolized the tennis great since childhood.
But after a close first set on centre court at Uniprix Stadium, Federer disposed of the 155th-ranked native of Vernon, B.C., 7-5, 6-3.
Pospisil fired eight aces against the world's former No. 1, who was playing his first match since turning 30 on Monday.
Following his match with Pospisil, Federer said it's not the first time he's heard of a younger opponent's admiration.
"For me it was important to have role models to look up to, such as (Pete) Sampras and (Stefan) Edberg and so forth," the Swiss tennis star said after beating Pospisil.
"Then to be able to also play Pete at Wimbledon was very big in my career, it gave me a huge lift to be able to play in a big stadium against a big player — and I hope it does the same for him."
Federer said he was impressed with Pospisil's performance.
"He had good variation on his serve," said Federer, who also remarked how surprised he was by Pospisil's height — which is six-foot-three.
"It was somewhat tricky getting to know his patterns a bit more."
Pospisil said it felt like a dream when he walked out onto the stadium's biggest stage — where the crowd roared around him and his idol stood at the other end of the court.
"After that I concentrated on my game and I tried to forget that I was playing against Federer," Pospisil said.
When a reporter told him that Federer was impressed by his level of play, Pospisil blushed, let out a nervous giggle and stumbled on his words a little bit.
"To hear that from Roger, for me it's incredible," the starstruck Pospisil said. "He's been my favourite player for eight years, so it's someone I watched on television every week, so yeah, it's nice to hear that."
Pospisil's strong service game kept things close in the first set and the players were tied 5-5 when Federer finally broke the Canadian.
But Pospisil struggled at times and he volleyed a seemingly routine shot right into the net during a crucial game point that put Federer up 6-5.
Pospisil said his plan was to stick to his own game and shift his focus away from the big occasion and his notable opponent.
"I thought I did pretty well to do that, maybe except for a few games that I kind of lost my concentration or made a few mistakes," he said.
"I knew (Federer) plays fast, but it's another level of fast, to be honest. I've never felt the ball go through the court as fast as his does."
Showdowns against Canadian tennis players have been a rare event for Federer, as this was just the third time he's played a Canuck opponent in 966 career matches.
And no Canadian has ever taken a set off the former world No. 1, who earned each of those victories in straight sets after downing Pospisil, Daniel Nestor at the 2000 U.S. Open and Frederic Niemeyer at the 2009 Rogers Cup.
With the win, Federer's overall 2011 mark improves to 40-9 and he now has a 27-7 career record in Canada.
Aug 8, 2011
Jul 12, 2011 from AFP:
LILONGWE, Malawi — Roger Federer on Tuesday launched a $3.3-million (2.4-million-euro) project that seeks to put 54,000 children in school in impoverished Malawi in the next 10 years.
"As the father of two little girls, I observe every day how incredibly fast children learn if their environment is a stimulating one," the 16-time Grand Slam winner said in a statement.
"It is a great privilege for me and my foundation to help give children in Malawi the chance to reach their full potential," the Swiss star added.
The programme, through the Roger Federer Foundation, will be implemented in collaboration with development organisation Action Aid Malawi and will aim to build 80 community-based child care care centres in six of the country's 28 districts.
The centres, aimed at three- to five-year-olds, will be equipped with classrooms, education supplies and play areas and also provide a "nutritious meal to every child in attendance," said Martha Khonje, country director of Action Aid.
"In a country where nearly half of all children under five are chronically malnourished and over three million children under eight are out of school, the initiative could not have come soon enough," Khonje told AFP.
She said Federer's foundation had been "looking to work with organisations who specialise in early child development, and we fitted into their requirement after submitting a concept paper."
Khonje said every day her organisation "witnesses devastating impacts of children missing out on school, from low literacy rates to early pregnancy."
Malawi is one of Africa's poorest countries, with half its 13 million people living below the poverty line.
Jul 10, 2011 from Davis Cup:
In Bern, the Swiss team whitewashed Portugal despite giving a well-deserved break to Roger Federer on the final day. "It was a very intense week for Roger, so we don't want to take any risks," captain Severin Luthi said, who is also Federer's coach on tour (together with Paul Annacone).
Federer's substitute, childhood friend Marco Chiudinelli, gave the Swiss the fourth point with a 63 64 against Joao Sousa in 77 minutes. Stanislas Wawrinka then beat Leonardo Tavares 76(1) 60 in the final match to give a fitting end to the party.
Of course, the interest in Bern in the days leading up to the tie and during the weekend as well, was mostly focused on Federer. The superstar was once again very generous with his time and satisfied as many wishes as possible. The Swiss are now anxiously waiting for the World Group play-offs draw on Wednesday and hope for another home game, which would likely be held in the French part of the country. While Federer hasn't confirmed his participation yet, the odds seem to be very good that he'll be part of the team again.
Jul 9, 2011 from Davis Cup:
BERN — Switzerland advanced in the fastest possible manner to the Davis Cup by BNP Paribas World Group play-offs. The Swiss defeated Portugal 3-0 at the end of day two.
In Bern, the third point was given to the Swiss by the Olympic doubles champions Roger Federer and Stanislas Wawrinka, who beat Frederico Gil and Leonardo Tavares 63 64 64 in exactly two hours.
As in their respective singles matches on Friday, the Swiss had a slow start. Wawrinka was broken immediately and the Portuguese won the first seven points of the match. After that, however, the favourites found their rhythm and sealed the win of the first set, winning five consecutive games.
Under the eyes of Swiss sports minister Ueli Maurer and stars like Mark Streit (NHL, New York Islanders) and Thabo Sefolosha (NBA, Oklahoma City Thunder), the Swiss then had everything under control and only in the last game the visitors had five break chances against Federer's serve, who then secured his 39th win in 50 Davis Cup maches with a service winner.
The fans in the Postfinance-Arena saw a very relaxed and entertaining Swiss combination, which not only showed spectacular points but often had to smile between points. "It's not always easy to concentrate when you play with Roger," Wawrinka smiled.
Captain Severin Luthi was very happy with the performance of his team: "Everyone has expected it but to win as smoothly wasn't obvious". The Portuguese weren't too disappointed as they had known how difficult it would be to beat this star line-up away from home and on a quick surface. "The matches were close but in the decisive moments, they were just better," Gil admitted.
Jul 8, 2011 from Reuters:
BERN — Roger Federer came from a set behind to beat feisty Portuguese Rui Machado, ranked 90 places below him, as he made his Davis Cup return for Switzerland after an absence of nearly two years on Friday.
Federer, playing in front of a crowd which produced the occasional yodel but where cow bells were noticeably absent, faced 14 break points and produced 48 unforced errors in his 5-7 6-3 6-4 6-2 win.
His win gave Switzerland a 2-0 lead on the first day of the European zone tie after Stanislas Wawrinka had beaten Frederico Gil in the opening match.
Federer, who has won 38 out of 49 rubbers (singles and doubles), last played for Switzerland in a playoff against Italy in 2009, when he won both his rubbers in a 3-2 win kept the Swiss in the world group.
Machado was quick off the mark as he broke Federer's serve in the opening game although the world number three quickly returned the compliment in the fourth.
Quick around the court and strong on his forehand, the 27-year-old Portuguese, who has never won an ATP title, refused to be overawed and continued to cause Federer problems.
He broke again in the eleventh with a pinpoint crosscourt forehand after Federer had saved two previous break points and wrapped up the set in the next game as the Swiss over-hit a forehand.
Machado, however, lost his way in the fourth game of the second set when two unforced errors helped Federer break serve before going on to level the match.
Finally finding something like his best form, Federer began the third set with another break, although he had to save three break points in the fourth game and two more in the final game as he went 2-1 ahead.
The Swiss broke again in the third game of the fourth set after the Portuguese, by now losing his nerve, had missed a flurry of chances in the previous game.
"I really enjoyed myself out there," he said. "I was happy at the end that we got the second point for Switzerland."
"In practise, I didn't have any problems but now I was surprised how difficult it was to control the ball. Overall, it's still a marvellous start for us into the weekend," Federer said.
Jul 5, 2011 from AP:
BERN — Roger Federer says it's good for tennis that Novak Djokovic won Wimbledon and became the top-ranked player.
"He deserves to become No. 1 after an immense start to the year," said Federer. "When you lose so rarely, your confidence carries you a long way."
The third-ranked Federer said it wasn't a big surprise that Djokovic dethroned Rafael Nadal after having beaten the former top-ranked Spaniard in four previous finals in 2011.
"And he's proved before at Wimbledon that he can play on grass," said Federer, a few days before the start to Switzerland's Davis Cup match against Portugal. "It's good for tennis that it happened."
Despite Sunday's final promising to write a significant chapter in tennis history, the six-time Wimbledon champion did not watch it at home in Switzerland.
"Unfortunately, I wasn't able to watch the final, but for sure it was being played at a very high level," he said.
Federer lost in the quarterfinals to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France. The five-set defeat was the first time he blew a two-set lead in a Grand Slam singles match, and just the third time in his career.
The first came against former No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt in the 2003 Davis Cup semifinals against Australia — the closest Federer has come to lifting the trophy.
Since then, Federer has won all 12 singles matches on national duty, the most recent against Italy in September 2009 to help keep Switzerland in the elite 16-nation world group.
The Swiss were relegated after losing last year to Spain and then Kazakhstan, when national hero Federer received rare criticism for skipping the match.
"If I'm playing, it's a priority," Federer said. "Our priority is to get back into the world group."
Switzerland must beat Portugal over five matches on indoor hard courts at PostFinance Arena to earn a playoff spot in September.
Federer and 15th-ranked Stanislas Wawrinka are heavily favored to beat clay-court specialists Frederico Gil and Rui Machado, ranked 90th and 93rd respectively, in Friday's opening singles.
"One thing they have is that they have nothing to lose," Portugal captain Pedro Cordeiro said of his team. "Everyone expects Switzerland to win the match."
Jun 23, 2011 from Daily Mirror:
WIMBLEDON — Roger Federer's quest to reclaim the Wimbledon title from Rafael Nadal gathered pace with a clinical straight-sets annihilation of Frenchman Adrian Mannarino.
The six-time champion prevailed 6-2 6-3 6-2 on Centre Court and the second-round match had an air of inevitability from the moment it started. It was cruel to watch at times as world number 55 Mannarino was swept aside with breathtaking ease.
Incapable of making any real headway against Federer's serve, the height of Mannarino's ambition was avoiding being broken by the third seed - and that was often beyond him. "It took me some time to get used to him but I played a really, really good match," said Federer. "I hope I would still have won the second set even if he had come back."
He added: "That was his chance when he was snapping at my heels. You don't get many against top players. He did well, showed signs of good potential like many of the French players have."
The match was over in one hour and 22 minutes, to maintain Federer's serene progress through Wimbledon, with Argentina's David Nalbandian the next hurdle for the 29-year-old to clear. "David is tough, he used to be my dark horse, I didn't use to enjoy playing against him so often," said Federer.
"I've been able to turn around the head-to-head but he's still one of the great players from my time - Lleyton Hewitt, Marat Safin and Andy Roddick and so on. It's nice to see him still around and I expect a really difficult match."
Federer was immediately into his stride, winning the first three games after only eight minutes but encountered stiffer resistance in the fourth when Mannarino was finally able to trouble the scoreboard. Federer had failed to drop a point on his serve as he raced to a commanding 5-2 lead and in the next game he broke once again, a forehand winner the pick of his shots.
Another break arrived early in the second set, and Mannarino, playing in only his second Wimbledon, fired into the net as the onslaught continued. Federer finally dropped a point on his own serve in the third game, although he immediately responded with his second ace to prove it was only the most fleeting of setbacks.
It was Mannarino's turn to dazzle Centre Court in the fourth game as he saved break point with a string of classy shots, matching Federer blow for blow before delivering a volley at the net. The pendulum swung in the ninth game when Mannarino secured three break points. A seemingly unstoppable cross-court rocket was scooped back by Mannarino, but Federer showed his class as he reeled off five successive points topped by a sumptuous backhand to clinch the set.
Federer was immediately on the front foot in the third set when he secured a break. Serving for the match, Federer was briefly delayed by a Mexican wave but a heartbeat later he was celebrating a victory completed with an acrobatic hanging smash.
Jun 21, 2011 from Daily Record:
Tim Henman last night tipped Roger Federer to win his 17th Grand Slam title at SW19 this year - because he reckons the Swiss superstar is now more relaxed than ever.
And after seeing 29-year-old Federer bring Novak Djokovic's winning streak to an end in Paris last month, the former British No.1 is backing him to triumph again.
Henman said: "I would be surprised if the winner came from outside the top four seeds and I would go for Federer.
"I have never seen him play better at Roland Garros which is ironic as he didn't win it.
"Because he is getting older, and I experienced this, the consequences become less and therefore you are prepared to take more and more risks.
"That is the way he played in Paris, he was really going for his shots and he played so well.
"With how cleanly Federer is hitting the ball and how well he is attacking, I think he has to be the favourite."
The Swiss has not won a title since Qatar in January but Bjorn Borg is also picking him to reign supreme in SW19. He said: "I fancy Federer to show he is far from finished. You just can't discount what he has achieved in the game, especially at Wimbledon. He is a class act."
Jun 15, 2011 from AP:
WIMBLEDON — The draw for Wimbledon, which starts Monday, is scheduled for Friday. Defending champion Rafael Nadal was seeded No. 1, followed by Novak Djokovic at No. 2, Roger Federer at No. 3 and Andy Murray at No. 4—in line with their rankings. For Federer, it's the first time he's been outside the top two seedings at Wimbledon since 2003.
Jun 13, 2011 from Reuters:
Adam Helfant will step down as executive chairman and president of the men's ATP Tour at the end of the year.
The American has also overseen a shortening of the men's calendar which will come into force in 2012 and is designed to avoid the top players burning out.
Roger Federer said Helfant had made an important contribution to the success of the men's game which is enjoying a golden period with Rafa Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray and Federer himself all vying for Grand Slam titles.
"On behalf of the player council and all the players, I would like to thank Adam for his excellent leadership and contributions during his time at the ATP," Federer said in a statement.
"We achieved a lot together and will be sorry to see him go at the end of the year. The sport is in great shape and we look forward to helping to identify a new leader for this important position."
from AFP:
Lady Gaga, 25 years old, recently dethroned Oprah off the top of Forbes magazine's Most Powerful Celebrities list and now the pop star, with $90 million, has booted Beyoncé off the top spot on the annual Best-Paid Celebrities-Under-30 list, released June 13.
In second, teen heartthrob singer Justin Bieber debuted on the strike-it-rich-quick list: the 17-year-old raked in $53 million. Miami Heat basketball star LeBron James, 26, came in third with $48 million.
Tennis star Roger Federer hit the fourth spot on the list with $47 million, just making it at 29 years old. In fifth place, 21-year-old country-pop singer Taylor Swift collected $45 million.
Jun 3, 2011 from AP:
PARIS — Dusk was descending, wind was swirling and full-throated chants of "Ro-ger! Ro-ger!" from 15,000 or so fans finally were hushing as Roger Federer stepped to the baseline to serve - one point from returning to the French Open final and one point from ending Novak Djokovic's 43-match winning streak.
Federer rocked back, unfurled his body and whipped an ace, his 18th Friday, to seal a 7-6 (5), 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (5) victory over Djokovic, then roared and wagged his right index finger, as if telling the world, "I'm still No. 1!"
So what if the official ranking says otherwise? This was Federer showing he's still got what it takes.
He'll go for a 17th Grand Slam title, and second at Roland Garros, in Sunday's final against longtime nemesis and five-time French Open champion Rafael Nadal, who eliminated Andy Murray 6-4, 7-5, 6-4 to improve to 44-1 at the clay-court major tournament.
By summoning all of the strokes and resolve required to win a taut, tense contest with a lot on the line, Federer also managed to do what no one else had in quite some time: defeat Djokovic, who entered the day 41-0 in 2011 and unbeaten since losing to - guess who? - Federer in late November.
Nadal's victory over the fourth-seeded Murray was far more compelling and competitive than a typical straight-set sweep, yet still paled in comparison to what Federer and Djokovic produced later. Because Nadal-Murray lasted more than three hours - and because the tournament pushed back the start of the men's semifinals from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. to accommodate TV - Federer and Djokovic didn't set foot on Court Philippe Chatrier until early evening. It was nearly 6 p.m. when the first point was played, and the heavy gray clouds clustered overhead limited the light.
By the end of the match, at 9:36 p.m., it was tough to see. Both men knew that if Djokovic managed to push their semifinal to a fifth set, play would have been suspended for the night and resumed Saturday.
For portions of the first two sets, Djokovic's timing was a tad off, perhaps a result of not having played since Sunday. It was an unusual four-day break in the middle of a Grand Slam tournament, one that came about because Djokovic's quarterfinal opponent withdrew with an injury.
Nevertheless, Federer and Djokovic produced riveting tennis, particularly in a 70-minute first set filled with lengthy exchanges, plenty of defense and terrific shotmaking.
As he approaches his 30th birthday on Aug. 8, Federer might no longer be at the height of his powers. But he's still awfully good. A couple of shots he conjured up in the first set - a volley that landed right on a corner; a forehand winner on the run that caught a line - were so superb that Djokovic felt obliged to join fans in applauding.
Djokovic missed early chances to nose ahead. He held two set points at 5-4, but Federer saved both. Djokovic led 5-4 in the tiebreaker before a real lapse: backhand long; forehand wide; forehand into the net. Three unforced errors by Djokovic gave three points - and that set - to Federer.
Djokovic spiked his racket on the court and caught it, then cracked it against his green bench on the sideline. Many in the stands started chanting Federer's first name, drawing a response of "No-le!" - Djokovic's nickname - from the couple dozen loud, raucous supporters in the Serb's guest box. Those choruses would return throughout the match.
"The first set was huge," Federer said.
When he also took the second, things looked bleak for Djokovic. Federer began the day 174-0 when ahead by two sets in a Grand Slam match.
But Djokovic did, indeed, work his way back to win the third, the only set of the 19 Federer has played that he has dropped in the tournament.
Djokovic then broke to lead 5-4 in the fourth when Federer shanked a forehand off his frame. That let Djokovic serve for the set, but Federer broke right back with a forehand winner that he punctuated by shaking his fist.
In the next game, Federer faced two break points but saved both, the second with an ace.
Federer's coach, Paul Annacone, said later: "He reminded me a little of the guy from California that I used to work with" - a reference to Pete Sampras, whose record of 14 major titles Federer broke.
Another ace, followed by a service winner, put Federer up 6-3 in the fourth-set tiebreaker. Djokovic served - and won - the next two points. But then came Federer's chance to end it with one serve, and he did.
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