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November 23, 2004
Get 2 Know Roger Federer!
By Scoop Malinowski, TheBioFILE
Status: 2004 Australian Open, Wimbledon and U.S. Open champion. Current world ATP TOUR no. 1 ranked player.
Ht:6-1 Wt: 177
Born On: August 8, 1981 In: Basel, Switzerland
Childhood Heroes: "Stefan Edberg - actually my favorite of
all-time. Boris Becker - first favorite when I was small. Pete Sampras
- I won't go up to him and say, I like your game [smiles]. You can't
say it. I never talked to him. Just like to see him play. Now that I
play against him, can't have idols anymore."
Nicknames: Rogie, Federer Express.
Hobbies/Interests: "Sports in general, cinema, deep sea fishing,
relaxing in the beach, friends, music, skiing, PlayStation, playing
cards, all that kind of stuff."
Early Tennis Memory: "I remember always loving to play against the
cupboards, against the doors at home. With any kind of ball...soft
ball, tennis ball. My mom (Lynette) always got pissed off at me,
because, Bang, bang, bang!, all day long [smiles]."
Favorite Movies: "Good Will Hunting, Entrapment, Enemy of the State."
Musical Tastes: "Anything on top of the charts all over the world, AC/DC, Metallica, Lenny Kravitz."
Pre-Match Feeling: "As always, before an important match, always
very nervous. It's a good feeling. It shows I think that match is very
important to me. Once I'm on the court, that's not so much the
pressure, that's the easy part. It's what I love to do. In the
beginning of the match, you hope you just play okay. Which is, start to
play, get the rhythm and everything. And after two or three games,
you're not nervous anymore."
First Job: "Never had one. I stopped school at 16 and started playing tennis."
Funny Tennis Memory: "I was playing a friend named Marco when I was
14. Playing in Basel. And it was like six o' clock. And this bird just
goes on the net [smiles]. My friend - he didn't see the bird - and he
starts serving. And he serves...and the little bird, Boom! Right on the
body. The bird fell on my side of the net. And it was on the ground,
like shaking, then, Boom, dead. Feathers all over the court. He didn't
know what happened. I'm like, Stop, stop! There's a bird on the net.
And he goes, Boom, and just hits it. That was unbelievable."
Childhood Dream: "Always had tennis in my mind. Tennis was my
dream. To me, Wimbledon was always the special one. Because my heroes
were Becker, Edberg and Sampras. I just hope that I always be healthy
and not injured.
Greatest Sports Moment: "I think I have so many [smiles]. I think
the three Grand Slams are fantastic and each has a special place for
me. Australian - I became number one in the world. Wimbledon - I
defended my title. The U.S. Open - I played a fantastic final, so I
think those are the three best moments of my career."
Most Painful Moment: "One good thing about me is that I forget
matches, even bad matches, very quickly. I get sad about not having
played well but I don't really get (upset). By the time I get back to
the hotel, it's completely forgotten and I'm fine."
Favorite Meal(s): "Tomatoes and mozzarella di buffala. And gnocchi and gorgonzola, sausage, cheese, salad."
Favorite Breakfast Cereal: "Rice Crispies [laughs]."
Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: "Strawberry."
Closest Tennis Friends: "I am lucky to speak three languages, and
this opens many doors to making friends with other players. I reckon I
have an excellent contact with many other players on the Tour. I do
spend a lot of time with the other Swiss players when they are also at
the tournaments."
Toughest Opponents: "Safin. Agassi. Roddick. Ferrero - I'm
impressed by his game. How he can accelerate the ball. Hewitt - runs
down the ball. And he's tough to beat. Nalbandian. Henman. Moya."
Favorite Athletes To Watch: "FC Basel. Zinedine Zidane. Francesco
Totti. Michael Jordan. Lennox Lewis - the best. Big and strong. I liked
his game. Peter Forsberg. More and more hockey. American football was
not too interesting to me. Too many breaks in the action. Plus I don't
understand the rules too good.
Favorite Tennis Players To Watch: "I just like to watch tennis. I'm
flippin' through the channels and see a match - really no matter who is
playing - I just like the game very much. One player I would really
like to watch is Bjorn Borg. Because I never really had the chance to
see him when he was at his best. And from what I've seen and heard, he
is a very special player and obviously a great champion."
People Qualities Most Admired: "That they smile a lot. Friendly.
Helpful. I have a motto that I like: It's nice to be important, but
it's important to be nice. And don't lie. I don't like it when somebody
lies. Because I never lie."
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