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November 9, 2007
Federer reckons he can play another 9 years
By Paul Alexander, Associated Press
SHANGHAI, China - Roger Federer has some bad news for his rivals: Retirement is so far in
the future that he hasn't really thought about what he might do when he
hangs up his tennis shoes for good.
"I hope I play for a very long time," Federer said Friday, mentioning a target of competing until he turns 35.
Considering he's only 26 and already is within sight of Pete
Sampras' record of 14 Grand Slam titles, that could be a very long time
indeed for perennial No. 2 Rafael Nadal and up-and-coming stars like
Novak Djokovic, not to mention talented adolescents whacking balls on
practice courts around the world while dreaming of becoming No. 1 some
day.
Federer already has held that distinction for four consecutive years
and shows no signs of slowing down, with three Grand Slam championships
among his seven titles this year. A victory at the Australian Open in
January would pull him within one of Sampras' mark heading into the one
major that has eluded the Swiss star so far, the French Open.
For now, the target is a fourth title at the Masters Cup that opens
in Shanghai on Sunday for the world's top eight players. With Nadal and
Roddick fighting knee problems and Nikolay Davydenko weighed down by a
match-fixing scandal, the path seems less treacherous than usual.
Federer's hoped-for longevity would clearly be good news for a sport
that already was trying to bolster its popularity even before the
match-fixing broke recently — and even better news for the corporate
sponsors eager to trade on his talent and squeaky-clean image.
That was clear as Federer gave a shaving lesson Friday night to 1,000 male college students.
That's right: a shaving lesson.
For some athletes, this promotion for Gillette — Federer did another
gig for a coffee-maker the day before — could have been an exercise in
farce. But demonstrating the same grace he shows on the court and the
wit he often wields away from the game, Federer somehow pulled it off,
even while spouting lines like: "It's about waking up in the morning
and feeling fresh and confident."
The crowd stood throughout the hourlong program, with occasional
shouts of "We love you Roger!" Many of the 100 or so Chinese
journalists were snapping photos with their own little digital cameras
for souvenirs.
A lot of the guys in the crowd looked like their faces had never
seen a razor. So with a theme of "Boys to Men," Federer described his
shaving routine then demonstrated how to lather up and cut clean. At
one point, he was given a model of the razor that was bigger than a
tennis racket, which he used to shave a grizzled charicature of himself
projected onto a screen behind him.
Then the guys in the crowd followed suit, with mirrors lined up on tables so they wouldn't nick themselves.
The most interesting moments came when Federer was asked questions
submitted in advance by the audience. First up was what he planned to
do when he retires.
The query seemed to briefly put him on his back foot before he said
he would play until he's 35 if his body holds up. While many of the
pretenders to his throne have been hit with a variety of ailments,
Federer has remained nearly injury free.
He did say he hopes to do more work for his charitable Roger Federer
Foundation, might start a family with his longtime girlfriend and hopes
more opportunities will open up to him as he continues to play.
In a multiple-choice offering, Federer was asked to pick which actor
he would like to see portray him, Matt Damon, Brad Pitt, Johnny Depp or
Denzel Washington. He chose Pitt, who has cultivated a reputation as a
tough guy with a soft interior and a sense of humor.
Sounds like perfect casting. Maybe Federer should consider a second career in film production.
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