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August 28, 2004
Federer Offers Views On Tennis And Time
By Richard Pagliaro, Tennis Week
The
head popped out of the top-floor apartment window quicker than the
inhabitant of a cuckoo clock alarmed by an early wake-up call. It was
joined by a second head and then a third with three sets of eyes all
riveted to the action on the roof top below. As the world's top-ranked player
casually completed his service motion the spectators watching from the top-floor
window of the adjacent apartment building erupted in Roger Federer's favorite
sound: spontaneous applause. The two-time Wimbledon winner didn't hear them,
he was too busy obliging his guests' requests for photos and conversation.
Even when he finds himself on a Manhattan
rooftop surrounded by a crowd of admirers, Federer remains remarkably well grounded,
cooperative and polite. A man so comfortable with his place at the top of the
sport — and on this night, the top of a building — Federer strolls
around the clay court of the as if he were hosting a backyard barbecue.
Last night, the man who plays timeless
tennis appeared on the rooftop courts of the Town Tennis Club on East 56th Street
in Manhattan to talk about time. Federer, who signed an endorsement deal with
respected Swiss watchmaker Maurice
Lacroix as the brand's international ambassador in June, appeared at the
three-hour launch for the company's new Roger Federer signature watch for a
private gathering of conversation, tennis and time. The Swiss stylist said the
fact that Maurice Lacroix is a Swiss brand appealed to him.
"Without a doubt, Maurice Lacroix
is a Swiss company and the Swiss are known for a great watch tradition was definitely
part of the reason," Federer said. "They are very beautiful watches
and I'm proud to have two."
Hosted by James Lipton, who who also
serves as host of the Emmy-award nominated Bravo series "Inside the Actors
Studio", Federer sat on a director's chair bearing his name ("you're
now officially allowed to direct films," Lipton quipped) bearing his name
next to the Lacroix logo on the back.
Looking fit and casually clad in
tan khaki pants and an untucked blue polo shirt, Federer, who smiled regularly
and laughed frequently, was in good spirits both throughout the interview and
in interacting with guests on the rooftop courts afterward. Guests dined on
some of Federer's favorite food — Japanese — and as part of a Lacroix-sponsored
contest, Federer hit a couple of serves with guests invited to follow suit.
The guest approaching the service speed closest to Federer, who kindly served
at half speed yet still made the strings pop, earned two tickets to the U.S.
Open final.
During an interview, the man who
owns a 14-match Wimbledon winning streak revealed one of his earliest childhood
memories is a vividly painful Wimbledon loss.
"I remember crying in my living
room when Boris Becker, who was my big idol then, los the Wimbledon final to
Edberg in 1988, I think," Federer said. "I was probably seven at the
time and I remember crying."
A decade later, Federer would make
his mark at the All England Club by winning the Wimbledon junior singles and
doubles titles (he beat Irakli Labadze to claim the singles championship and
partnered Olivier Rochus to win the doubles title). When Federer beat Mark Philippoussis
to win Wimbledon last year he joined an esteemed collection of champions —
Bjorn Borg, Pat Cash and Edberg — as the only players to win Wimbledon
as both juniors and professionals. His success came at the expense of a conventional
childhood as Federer left school early to pursue his tennis career.
"Sometimes I do (miss the fact
I didn't have a traditional childhood)," Federer said. "I miss the
easy life — the parties and things — that people experience growing
up. I have friends who are totally normal. I travel too much to be normal (smiles),
but through this life I have learned a lot about many different cultures so
I wouldn't change it."
The artistry Federer exhibits as
a pro was crafted on the canvas that were the years of childhood training on
the court. One of Federer's greatest strengths is the lack of a discernable
weakness — he owns one of the most formidable forehands in the game, serves
with power and precision, he is a highly skilled volleyer capable whose leaping
ability gives him an explosive overhead on both forehand and backhand sides,
covers the court with such graceful anticipation he sometimes seems to barely
break a sweat and can impart both slice and topspin off his one-handed backhand
— Federer believes the vast variety in his game that is now a strength
is born from weakness he had as a child.
"I had very little power on
my backhand when I was younger," Federer said. "I could only slice
the ball, I could not drive it and I think because of that it helped me develop
other options and figure out other ways on the court. Sometimes now, when I
play someone with a strong double-handed backhand it can still be tough. Of
all my shots, my backhand maybe looks the nicest, but it doesn't always work
the way I would like it to."
Asked to assess his greatest strength,
Federer did not not hesitate in identifying the weapon opponents have long sought
to avoid. If Federer's backhand his the scalpel that can slice apart opponents,
his forehand is the sledgehammer that can slam holes in their defense.
"My forehand is always there,"
Federer said. "It is my best shot, I think, and the one that is most dangerous
to my opponents. I think the my overall game, that I try to hit mix it up and
can hit all shots, is a good thing too."
About the only shot Federer doesn't
enjoy hitting is the drop shot.
"I'm not a big fan of the drop
shot — it's like a panic shot to me," Federer said with a smile.
"Look at my matches and you'll see I only do it when I'm not feeling well
or tired."
Former Wimbledon runner-up David
Nalbandian (who is 5-2 against Federer) and Tim Henman (6-2 against Federer)
are two of the players who have enjoyed the most success against Federer. Asked
to assess his two toughest opponents, Federer cited a pair of former U.S. Open
champions he could face during this Flushing Meadows fortnight — Andre
Agassi and Lleyton Hewitt — as the toughest to beat.
"Andre Agassi and Lleyton Hewitt,
for me, are always the toughest because they always play to a high level so
you know they will always be there fighting in the match until the end,"
said Federer, who has split his six career meetings with Agassi and is 5-7 lifetime
against Hewitt. "So for me, mentally, they are the toughest to play."
Eight-time Grand Slam champion Agassi
brought out the best tennis of Federer's life when they met at last November's
Tennis Masters Cup in Houston. The pair played a classic opening-night match,
which Federer won 6-7, 6-3, 7-6 and met again in the rain-delayed final that
saw Federer surrender just seven games in sweeping Agassi, 6-3, 6-0, 6-4, playing
the best set of his career in the second set of that encounter.
"Against Agassi, the second
set in the Masters Cup I won 6-0 and that is the best set I probably ever played,"
Federer said. "I could not believe I could dominate a great player this
way. Everything went my way in that set."
Both Federer and the sixth-seeded
Agassi reside in the same quarter of the U.S. Open draw and are on course for
a quarterfinal clash. In their lone U.S. Open meeting, Agassi beat Federer,
6-1, 6-2, 6-4 in the fourth round of the 2001 U.S. Open. Should they meet again
in the quarters, the winner would be favored to move through to the final.
Despite the fact he leads the ATP
Tour with eight tournament titles on the year and is undefeated in finals this
year, Federer says he still feels the freeze before finals.
"Yes, I still get nervous,"
Federer said. "Even before doing TV interviews, I still get nervous. Before
finals, I get cold hands. It's just a different feeling unlike any other match.
But you play two games and it usually goes away."
The 23-year-old Federer came face
to face with his favorite player — 14-time Grand Slam champion Pete Sampras
— for the only time in his career in the fourth round of the 2001 Wimbledon.
Wielding a Wilson Pro Staff and playing an aggressive all-court style similar
to Sampras, Federer shocked Sampras, 7-6, 5-7, 6-4, 6-7, 7-5 to snap Sampras'
31-match Wimbledon win streak in what some spectators saw as a passing of the
torch between the former and future champion. Federer said Sampras is the best
player he's ever seen.
"I'd go with Pete Sampras (as
the best player I've seen)," Federer said. "I was lucky enough to
face him at Wimbledon and break his streak. People like to compare me to him,
but what he's accomplished — 14 Grand Slams and six straight years at
No. 1 — is an amazing achievement and hard for anyone to live up to that."
The fourth-round has been the final
stop for Federer in his past three U.S. Open appearances and while he is a strong
favorite to reach the final this year, Federer politely declined to offer a
pre-tournament prediction last night.
"No thanks, that's not my style,"
Federer said. "I was a little disappointed with my Olympic results. I am
looking forward to the Open and I'll do the best I can."
If Federer does reign at Flushing
Meadows next month, don't expect him to celebrate the championship with the
emotional drop to his knees that culminated his first Wimbledon triumph. The
hard courts of the Open that have been less responsive to Federer's game than
the grassy grounds of the All England Club, can also be a lot tougher on the
knees.
"At Wimbledon, if you win you
do it because it's a nice grass court and it feels soft," Federer said.
"At the Australian or U.S. Open, the court is too hot — you burn
your knees if you try it."
Among the other Federer-revelations:
he speaks "three and a half languages — French, German, English and
Swiss-German" (his girlfriend, Mirka Vavrinec, said when Federer talks
in his sleep he speaks in English); is an avid soccer fan, but rarely plays
anymore due to the risk of injury; and loves the music of Lenny Kravitz.
The interview concluded with the
10 questions Lipton asks at the end of "Inside the Actor's Studio"
based on the questions French host Bernard Pivot popularized at the end of his
talk show. Lipton's questions and Federer's responses are reprinted here:
James Lipton: What
is your favorite word?
Roger Federer: Please.
James Lipton: What
is your least favorite word?
Roger Federer: Bad
words.
James Lipton: What
is your favorite sound?
Roger Federer: Applause.
James Lipton: What
is your least favorite sound?
Roger Federer: Air
planes, jumbo air planes.
James Lipton: What
turns you on creatively, spiritually or emotionally?
Roger Federer: Holiday
resorts, fashion.
James Lipton: What
turns you off?
Roger Federer: Dishonesty.
James Lipton: What
is your favorite curse word?
Roger Federer: No
way! (laughs).
James Lipton: What
profession other than your own would you like to attempt?
Roger Federer: Soccer
player.
James Lipton: What
profession would you not like to do?
Roger Federer: Pilot
of a jumbo plane.
James Lipton: If
Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly
Gates?
Roger Federer: Welcome,
Roger, welcome.
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