Dec 29, 2003 from Roger Federer Official Site:
On December 24, 2003, Roger Federer founded his Roger Federer Foundation under the motto ‘chances for young sports talents and children in need’. He had already announced this when awarded the sports prize by the canton of Baselland on December 13, 2003.

A member of cantonal government in the foundation’s council consists of Roger Federer, his parents Lynette and Robert Federer, the lawyer Bernhard Christen as well as the cantonal sports director Urs Wüthrich. Urs Wüthrich sees his role in taking a most broad and independent approach on choosing the projects. The first decisions by the foundation council are expected for the middle of 2004.

Dec 24, 2003 from Mid-Day:
Now “100 per cent fit”, Carlos Moya is practicing everyday, through Christmas, preparing for the “tough year” ahead where he aims to capture the year-ending Masters Cup. His best player of the year is decided, the smooth Roger Federer, ahead of the ITF world champion Andy Roddick. “He (Federer) is a better player,” said Moya, who should know considering he was the No 1 player in the world in 1999.

Dec 23, 2003 from Evening Standard:
John McEnroe has hailed Roger Federer as one of the greatest tennis players of all time. When it comes to sheer talent, the three- times SW19 champion believes Federer is the best in the game today. McEnroe said: "When he plays his best tennis there is no one better. He's already one of the greatest players that ever played."

McEnroe believes Federer has the ability to dominate tennis in the same way Pete Sampras, Ivan Lendl and Bjorn Borg did in the past. "He's a natural. He can do anything," McEnroe said. "How badly does he want to win a lot of majors? He could let it slip away, but it would be nice to see him play at his absolute best for the next five or six years.

"If he does, he's got the ability to win on any surface. He might not win any Grand Slams over the next two years, or he might win eight. The way he ended the year showed that he is a step above the other players in terms of talent. He's got more ability than anyone."

from Independent:
Pete Sampras is following today's players with detachment. "I really don't watch any tennis but I can imagine that [Roger] Federer has the most complete game," he says. "He is the one guy that can do everything. Roddick is a great player but Federer is more complete and will win multiple majors I would think."

Dec 19, 2003 from ATPtennis.com:
The exclusive documentary "Tennis Masters Cup Uncovered," the one-hour documentary, will debut Monday night, December 22, on Eurosport. The film follows the world's top stars both on- and off-court at the Tennis Masters Cup Houston, where the ATP Champions Race 2003 and the sport's biggest payout were at stake.

See all your favorite stars as they chase $3.7 million in prize money and the title of Masters Cup champion in the world's most high-pressure tennis tournament. See Andre Agassi doing his pre-match preparations, follow Juan Carlos Ferrero on his day off, watch Andy Roddick shooting hoops, lounging with Roger Federer and much more.

Dec 18, 2003 from ATP:
Roger Federer was honored December 13th with the prestigious Credit Suisse Sports Award as the most successful Swiss sportsman of 2003. Federer received nearly 50 percent of the first place votes from the Swiss public in beating out, among others, a popular Swiss cyclist and downhill skier Michael von Gruenigen for the award. The tennis star also returned to Wimbledon for the first time since his historic moment, attending the 50th annual BBC Sports Personality of the Year show and making a trip to the All-England Club.

Dec 14, 2003 from News24:
Berne (SA) - Boris Becker did the honours on Saturday night (Dec 13) as Roger Federer won the Swiss sports award balloting during a glittering televised ceremony. The five-time Grand Slam champion Martina Hingis also joined the three-time Wimbledon winner from Germany on stage at the annual event.

Federer received his award from Becker, now based in Switzerland where he has transferred his business interests. "As new Swiss, I have to be very well behaved," said the new economic immigrant. "I've always been impressed with Roger's tennis, he showed how good he is by winning Wimbledon last year." Federer took to the stage with a huge smile on his face. "I was third in the voting two years ago and second last year, it's great to be first," said the 22-year-old.

Dec 10, 2003 from Reuters:
ZURICH - Roger Federer will take his time in choosing a new coach to replace Peter Lundgren. "First, I wanted to get this thing with Peter over and then search for a new coach. Anything else would have been unfair," he told Wednesday's edition of the Swiss newspaper Blick. "I can conceive of going to Australia without a coach. My goal would still be the same," Federer said.

Marc Rosset and Severin Luethi have been touted as possible coaches but Federer dismissed the first as a possibility. "I would certainly not consider Marc as a coach. He still plays and is also (Swiss) Davis Cup captain. I will be training regularly with Severin in the next few weeks...but I am also training with (others)," he said.

"I must get on with (any new coach). We have to speak the same language and I have to have the feeling that I can develop further with him," he said, adding there was no short list. The Swiss daily Tages-Anzeiger said the Swiss player was breaking the cardinal "never change a winning team" sports rule. Lundgren guided Federer from being ranked number 51 four years ago to near the pinnacle of his profession.

from Roger Federer Official Site:
On the evening of December 8 the "Tennis Dream Night" was held in the Arena de Genève (Geneva, Switzerland). In front of a sold out arena the players had to play 2 tie-breaks. In case of equity they had to play 1 more point to decide the winner, with a toss to decide who gets to serve. Here are the results: Roger defeated Boris Becker 2-1, Yannick Noah defeated Marc Rosset 2-0 and Roger defeated Yannick Noah 2-1 in final.

Dec 9, 2003 from Reuters:
ZURICH - Roger Federer has split with his coach Peter Lundgren after the most successful year of his career. The 22-year-old has been working with the Swedish coach, a close friend, since 1998 and Tuesday's announcement came just three weeks after Federer won the season-ending Masters Cup.

"I just had the feeling I should look for something new. I would like new impetus, and after thinking it over carefully I saw this as a solution for next year," Federer said on Swiss television. "We both had a bit of a similar feeling at the end of the season that it was not the same as before and this led me to the decision." No successor has been chosen yet, he said, adding that he wanted to have a trial period with his new coach.

"Peter Lundgren and Roger Federer have gone a lot further than the goals they had set," a statement on Federer's personal Web Site said. "With the success and the skills that Roger has worked on with Peter Lundgren, Roger Federer is very well equipped for the challenges yet to come. But this also meant the desire for re-orientation in his environment in terms of sport." The shaggy-haired, stocky Lundgren was a familiar sight in the stands at major tournaments and the two men were considered inseparable.

from AFP:
BASEL, Switzerland - Roger Federer announced he was splitting with his coach Peter Lundgren in order to give his career "new impetus". "This decision comes after a lot of hard thinking," said the Swiss player. "I felt as if I'd fallen into sort of the same old routine. And over the last few months our relationship has become more strained."

Federer told the Swede of his decision last week. "It wasn't easy and of course Peter was very disappointed," said Federer. The two had worked together since 2000 when Federer quit the coach who had developed his early career, Peter Carter. Under Lundgren's guidance, Federer won 11 titles, including this year's Wimbledon title and the ATP Masters Cup in Texas last month.

Federer dismissed press reports in Switzerland that he was set to work with former Olympic singles champion Marc Rosset. "I've never even considered that option," he said, adding that he was unconcerned about playing next month's Australian Open without a coach.

Nov 16, 2003 from Sportal:
Roger Federer has thrashed Andre Agassi to capture the season-ending Masters Cup title for the first time. The battle between Swiss star and American veteran was expected to be a keenly fought affair at Houston’s Westside Tennis Club. But not even a two-and-a-half hour delay from early in the second set could stop the momentum of Federer, who claimed his fifth win from as many starts and sealed the year-end No.2 ranking in the world with the 6-3 6-0 6-4 victory.

Federer took control of the opening set with an early break, and rode the advantage to a one-set lead, before breaking again in the opening game of the second set. Leading 6-3 2-0 and with Agassi under pressure at 0-30 down in the third game, the heavens opened and the pair were forced from the court, but Federer took up where he left off upon resumption, adding two more breaks to race away with the second set.

Agassi withstood further break points on his serve in the early games of the third set, but was unable to hold out Federer’s challenge in the ninth game as he was broken for a fifth time, before Federer sealed his triumph with an ace.

"This week has been great to me, I thought I was in the toughest group with the toughest opponents, and I came out winning each match against really great players," Federer said at the presentation. "I would also like to congratulate Andre for the finals, you played great, even against me, but you lost to me, in a good way please. I really had a great time. This Masters Cup means very much to me and I really hope I can come back next year to defend the title. And I'd like to thank everybody involved in this tournament for making it work, I really had a great time."

from AP:
By the end, Roger Federer had Andre Agassi shaking his head. Put simply, Federer served too well, returned too well, and struck ground strokes too well. Even Agassi was moved to say his opponent was "as good as it gets out there." Capping a perfect tournament with another sublime performance, Federer beat Agassi 6-3, 6-0, 6-4 in final Sunday to win the Tennis Masters Cup.

"He's doing everything great. He's a great mover, a great striker of the ball off both sides. He's a factor from the back of the court and when he comes to the net," Agassi said. "His serve is very effective. He knows the game real well, knows court position." Not much else, is there? It was the event's most lopsided final since 1997. Agassi never managed one break point. "I'd just like to congratulate Roger, not just for a great match today but great tennis all week. You deserve to win this tournament, and it's an inspiration to watch you move and play. You're going to make me better next year, so thanks for that.," Agassi said during the trophy presentation.

"Everything needed to be right. That's really the only chance you have -- if you're at your best," Agassi said. "Today he just took that away from me. If there's an edge off my game, there's no chance out there. That's how it felt." Credit Federer with having a lot to do with that, before and after a 21/2-hour rain delay. He served strongly, got the best of baseline rallies, and sometimes won a point with a shot that didn't appear to be an option. Repeatedly, Federer would drive a groundstroke to a corner, forcing Agassi wide, and then deposit his next shot into the open court for a clean winner.

Rain fell until about a half-hour before the match started and returned after 38 minutes of play. By then, Agassi was in serious trouble: Federer led 6-3, 2-0 and built advantages of 23-6 in winners and 7-0 in aces. He also won four of the five points with 10 or more strokes -- an area normally ruled by Agassi, the consummate baseline artist.

Federer already was up a set and a break when the rain came with Agassi serving at 0-2, love-30. When action resumed, Agassi promptly made two straight errors from the baseline to get broken at love. After Federer held to 4-0 when his forehand caught the net tape and trickled over, Agassi's four errors contributed to another break. Federer rolled through the first set, never facing deuce on his serve. Federer's serve isn't the fastest, but his placement and pace changes are outstanding.

Any thought that Agassi would turn things around after the delay vanished when he made consecutive errors after they resumed, handing over another break. By creating pressure from the baseline, he never let Agassi get comfortable. And here's a scary thought: Federer and his coach say there's room to get better. "He can still be stronger. He can work on his serve. His volley can get better," coach Peter Lundgren said. "If you look at his whole game, he can improve, for sure. Hey, he's only 22."

When the players came back out after the rain delay, Federer finished off the shutout in the second set, then broke Agassi for the fifth time to go ahead 5-4 in the third. From there, Federer simply had to serve it out, which he did.

Roddick, 21, finishes the season at No. 1, but Federer won one more title and six more matches -- a tour-leading 78 -- and holds a 5-1 head-to-head edge over the American. As Roddick put it after losing to Federer in the semifinals: "The guy has more natural flair and talent for the game than most -- I mean, than anybody really."

from Masters Cup Official Site:
Roger Federer blitzed Andre Agassi 6-3, 6-0, 6-4 in a ruthless victory in the Tennis Masters Cup Houston final on Sunday. Federer charged to the title by winning all his five matches and for the loss of just one set (against Agassi in his first match, when he saved two match points). After his first round-robin match Federer dropped serve just once.

Federer's win gave him an ATP-best seventh title of the season. It also elevated him to No. 2 in the final ATP Champions Race standings. The Wimbledon champion also topped the ATP match wins table with a 78-17 win-loss record on the year. Federer completed a 5-0 sweep at the season finale which netted him a top prize of $1.52 million.

Federer said: "It's one of the best matches of my life. The Masters and Wimbledon are my two favorite tournaments, so I'm very happy." Federer, who last year went undefeated in round-robin play in Shanghai before losing a tough semifinal to Lleyton Hewitt, is the first Swiss winner of a year-end championship. He is now 8-1 lifetime at the event.

Federer struck 11 aces - ending the match with one - produced 39 winners and just 22 errors. The 33-year-old Agassi's off-day included 30 errors and just 13 winners.

The Swiss becomes the fifth undefeated champion at the year-end event since 1986 when the tournament re-introduced the round-robin format. It was the first time in 55 tournaments dating back to 2000 Roland Garros that Agassi had been ‘bageled.' The win was Federer's first title on American soil and fourth hard court title of the year. He has now won 11 career titles.

from Mercedes-Benz Official Site:
"He frightened a lot of professional players during the last few days with the way he can dominate the court," commented ATP executive Mark Miles after the award ceremony for the champion. As unbeaten title holder, Roger Federer accepted the proud sum of 1.52 million dollars and a brand new Mercedes CLK for his well-deserved holiday in South Africa. The car and the silver-glass trophy were presented to the convertible fan on the Center Court by Burghard Graf Vitzthum, DaimlerChrysler's head of alternative communication and sports sponsoring for Mercedes-Benz.

Roger Federer waits out a rain delay called in the second set during the finals of the ATP 2003 Tennis Masters Cup at the Westside Tennis Club in Houston, Texas.

Federer holds the Masters Cup trophy over his head after defeating Andre Agassi in straight sets in the final match. (Photos by Richard Carson/Reuters)

Roger Federer poses with ATP CEO Mark Miles and Graf Vitzthum of Daimler Chrysler.

With Peter Foskin of Waterford at the Westside Tennis Club in Houston.

With ATP Fantasy team winner Louise Beddows. (Photos by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

Nov 15, 2003 from AP:
HOUSTON - Displaying the fluid game that brought him the Wimbledon title, Roger Federer outclassed Andy Roddick 7-6 (2), 6-2 Saturday to reach the Tennis Masters Cup final.

Federer flicked backhand passing shots at impossible angles, stretched into the doubles alley for volleys and chopped a brilliant lob that Roddick could only watch drop in while being broken in the next-to-last game.

"He was reading the game a lot faster than me,'' Roddick said. "The guy has more natural flair and talent for the game than most -- than anybody, really.''

By improving to 5-1 against U.S. Open winner Roddick, Federer completed a hat-trick against the 2003 Grand Slam tournament champions. He beat Juan Carlos Ferrero (French Open) and Andre Agassi (Australian Open) in round-robin action.

Federer will take home $1,520,000 if he beats Agassi again Sunday. He also can overtake Ferrero at No. 2 in the rankings and break a tie with Roddick for the tour lead by claiming his seventh title of 2003. Federer's 77 match wins are a season best.

At 22, Federer will have a decided "age advantage'' in the best-of-five-set final against Agassi, whose first four matches this week all went the distance.

Federer needed to save two match points during his victory over Agassi on Monday. That was much tighter than Federer's semifinal, which he dominated in just about every aspect. He had 30 winners to Roddick's 12, won the point on 84 percent of his trips to the net, and even outaced the American 12-5. Federer never faced a break point -- and converted both that he earned.

Neither player broke in the first set, sending it to the tiebreaker. Three straight errors by Roddick gave the Swiss star a 4-1 lead, and a forehand into the net made it 5-2. Roddick reacted to that mistake by throwing his racket to the court. A crosscourt forehand winner gave a set point to Federer, who converted it with an ace at 108 mph.

Roddick's right arm was massaged by tour trainer Doug Spreen during the changeover after the American held serve for a 2-1 lead in the second set. Roddick -- already assured of ending 2003 ranked No. 1 -- didn't win another game.

Nov 14, 2003 from Reuters:
HOUSTON - Roger Federer crushed Juan Carlos Ferrero 6-3 6-1 to complete round-robin play at the ATP Masters Cup unbeaten on Friday, moving closer to taking over the Spaniard's number two place in the world rankings. Federer will now play either world number one Andy Roddick or Guillermo Coria in the semi-finals.

Federer needed just 54 minutes on a sun-baked stadium court to sweep past a disinterested Ferrero, sending the French Open champion home without a win and his number two ranking in jeopardy.

from Masters Cup:

Roger Federer's confidence is understandably high after winning his three round-robin group matches at Tennis Masters Cup Houston for the loss of just one set. So much so that he was willing to apply a choke hold to 480-pound World Wrestling Entertainment star The Big Show during a meeting in the players' lounge. Fortunately, The Big Show, who was in town for a promotional tour, didn't take offence at Federer's playful grab, and the Swiss did not have his arms broken ahead of Saturday's semifinals. Federer has been a huge wrestling fan since he was a young boy. The Big Show also met with Federer's coach Peter Lundgren. (Photo by Paul Zimmer)

Nov 12, 2003 from Reuters:
HOUSTON - Roger Federer chased away his Argentine bogeyman on Wednesday by crushing David Nalbandian 6-3 6-0 to remain unbeaten at the ATP Masters Cup.

Winless in five previous career meetings with Nalbandian, the 22-year-old Swiss needed just 71 minutes on a sun-kissed stadium court to dispatch his tormenter and move to the top of Blue Group standings with a 2-0 record.

Except for a momentary lapse late in the opening set, Federer dominated every aspect of the contest. The world number three unleashed his full arsenal of shots against Nalbandian. Troubled by a wrist injury over the last few weeks, a below par Nalbandian aided Federer's cause with six double faults and 26 unforced errors.

Until Wednesday, Nalbandian had dominated his encounters with Federer. The Argentine had beaten his Swiss rival three times this season, including fourth-round victories at the Australian and U.S. Opens.

Having registered his first career win over Andre Agassi in his opening match at the season-ending event on Monday, a determined Federer quickly went about adding another new scalp to his collection and stormed to a 5-0 lead in the first set.

But for a brief moment, it appeared the muscular Argentine might yet again haunt Federer when he cut the Swiss lead to 5-3. With the crowd stirring, Federer steadied himself and ripped through the next seven games in devastating fashion to take the opening set and the match.

Nov 10, 2003 from AP:
HOUSTON - Andre Agassi paid quite a compliment to Roger Federer: He likened the reigning Wimbledon champion's on-court grace and cool to Pete Sampras'. Those qualities came in handy for Federer in his opening round-robin match at the Tennis Masters Cup, facing a deficit against Agassi and a partisan crowd.

Federer played through his rough patches Monday night and erased two match points to get past Agassi 6-7 (3), 6-3, 7-6 (7), keeping alive an outside chance of ending the year with the No. 1 ranking.

"His disposition and the way he moves on the court -- you never feel like he's out of control. You never feel like he's panicked," Agassi said. "While any athlete knows that you can't help but feel these things, he does a great job of keeping that gracefulness about him."

Federer pretty much ceded the first set Monday, with three straight forehand errors helping Agassi take a 6-0 lead in that tiebreaker. But the third-ranked Federer kept going for lines with his serves and ground strokes, compiling 20 aces and a total of 63 aces -- overcoming 50 unforced errors.

Federer had fresher legs and crisper shots in the last tiebreaker. He did away with Agassi's second match point at 7-6 with a runaround forehand winner and ended the nearly 2-hour match by smacking a cross-court forehand passing winner on a full sprint.

If he's going to catch current No. 1 Andy Roddick, Federer needs to win another four straight matches, through the round-robin portion, the semifinals and final.

Agassi couldn't muster his absolute best in the clutch against Federer. In the final tiebreaker, he had a double-fault, dumped one easy forehand into the net and wasted a match point with a poor return.

It also didn't help Agassi's cause that Federer hit several spectacular shots. On two, he essentially volleyed from the baseline, swinging away for stinging winners without letting Agassi's shot hit the purple hard court.

Agassi took fewer chances, finishing with 22 winners and 28 unforced errors. And one of the greatest returners in the history of tennis was at times befuddled by Federer's serves, which aren't the fastest around but are quite effective.

"He never misses the serve. If he misses it, it's just out. But it's never sitting in your strike zone, because he's always putting it close to the line," Agassi said. "Like a good pitcher who's working the outside of the plate."

from Masters Cup:

Roger Federer fan Gilles Gustin (second from left) was pleased to play a small part in the Swiss' success in Houston this week. One of six Federer fans to win an all-expenses-paid VIP trip to Tennis Masters Cup courtesy of Mercedes-Benz and Eurosport, the Belgian said that he felt Federer appreciated the support on American soil. “It was great to see his incredible match against Agassi. There were so many people cheering for Agassi so it was good to be there to give Roger some support," Gilles said. But the best was still to come - a private audience with Federer post-match in the players' lounge. "He must have been tired after his match and doing all his media commitments, but he was very gracious and kind. He talked to us, signed autographs and took pictures with us. He told us about the USA, the country. He asked us if we had been into the city. He likes this country. He talked about Switzerland and how he likes to ski, although he can't do a lot because it is dangerous for him.” “He didn't know how we were here and we told him we were flown over by Mercedes. He told us that Mercedes was a great company.” (Photo by Paul Zimmer)

Nov 9, 2003 from BBC:
Roger Federer has led the complaints about the court which will be used for the season-ending Masters Cup in Houston. The elite eight-player tournament begins on Monday, with Federer, Andy Roddick and Juan Carlos Ferrero all vying for the world number one spot.

"We all have the feeling the court is going downhill," said Federer, the third seed for the tournament. "It's leaning and it has waves in it. Sometimes the bounce is a bit off."

Andre Agassi admitted he had also noticed problems with the surface but defended the $10m stadium court. "I don't think it's anything that needs to be focused on in this tournament."

The main focus of the tournament is expected to be the battle between Ferrero and Roddick to end the year at the top of the world rankings, with Federer a long shot. For the Swiss player to come out on top he would have to win the tournament, with Roddick losing every match and Ferrero winning only once.

Ferrero, Agassi, David Nalbandian and Federer were drawn into the Red Group, which will see at least one Grand Slam champion ousted before Saturday's semi-finals.

Oct 12, 2003 from Tennis.com:
VIENNA, Austria (AP) - Roger Federer retained his CA Trophy title Sunday, defeating Carlos Moya 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 for his sixth championship this year. The top-seeded Swiss tied Andy Roddick for the most ATP titles this season. It was Federer's first title in five tournaments since he won Wimbledon in July.

"Today, my game was simply great,'' he said. Federer became the first player to successfully defend the CA Trophy title since Brian Gottfried in 1983. Federer raised his record to an ATP-best 67-14 this season. "I am sure Moya had a bad day because I could dominate from beginning to end,'' he said. Federer capitalized on powerful returns and broke his Spanish opponent in the eighth game of the final set for his victory, winning each set by the same score.

Federer, ranked No. 3 entering the tournament, is vying for the year-end ATP No. 1 spot with Roddick and Juan Carlos Ferrero. "Becoming the ATP No. 1 is my aim,'' he said. "I am not far away and I will hang on and see what happens.''

Oct 10, 2003 from World Radio Geneva:
The Little Dreams Foundation says it’s planning an unforgettable night of tennis and music in Geneva. The Nyon-based charity, set up by local residents Phil Collins and his wife Orianne, aims to give the careers of youngsters who are exceptionally gifted in either sports or the arts a kick-start. Every year, the foundation selects ten children from across the world and supports them in their quest for success. A number of budding stars will be strutting their stuff in the Geneva arena on December 8th. Youngsters will play alongside tennis heroes such as Boris Becker and Roger Federer at the “Tennis Dream Night”. The sporting event will be followed by a concert by young as well as not-so-young performers including Phil Collins himself.

Sep 18, 2003 from BBC:
Roger Federer faces a rematch of the Wimbledon final when he meets Mark Philippoussis on the opening day of the Davis Cup semi-final between Switzerland and Australia. The Wimbledon champion will need to reproduce the form that brought him his first Grand Slam title if he is to lead the Swiss to a surprise win in Melbourne.

Lleyton Hewitt opens proceedings on Friday against underdog Michel Kratochvil, before Federer takes on Philippoussis. Federer will then have to return to the Rod Laver Arena on Saturday for the doubles before playing the first of the reverse singles against Hewitt on Sunday.

"For me it doesn't matter, really, I'm at the point where I don't care," Federer said of the schedule. "I think I've played 70% second. I'm used to that, and I'm going to have maybe two or three hours less of a break before Saturday - that's alright."

Sep 9, 2003 from Roger Federer Official Site:
After US Open, Roger flew back to Switzerland shortly after the game and spent two days at home relaxing and getting ready for the Davis Cup. He left for Melbourne on Tuesday morning and is very much looking forward to the challenge in Australia.

Sep 4, 2003 from US Open Official Site:
David Nalbandian has Roger Federer's number. That number is 5, the sum of victories he has notched as a pro against the Wimbledon champion, without a single defeat. Nalbandian won, 2-6, 7-6, 6-4, 6-3, to advance to the quarters.

Few things make Federer sweat. But this week's three days of stop-and-start play, the suffocating humidity when the skies finally cleared, and, more than anything, his nemesis since junior days combined to knock the No. 2 seed out of the US Open. Nalbandian is one of the few men on tour unfazed by Federer's extraordinary arsenal of shots. The Argentine plays an unyielding backcourt game; he employed his speed, consistency and counterpunching ability to frustrate the flashier Federer, whose smooth playmaking ability may be unrivaled in the men's game.

Originally scheduled for Louis Armstrong Stadium on Tuesday, this Round of 16 matchup got bounced around by a desperate scheduling committee and landed on Arthur Ashe Stadium, first up after nearly three straight days of rain that had produced just two completed matches.

With the stadium lights ablaze in the middle of the afternoon, Federer only briefly looked as relaxed as we are accustomed to seeing him. He raced to a comfortable 6-3 lead, but then lost his concentration and confidence, as he began to make shaky errors.

Nalbandian surged and broke twice at love. As the sun threatened to emerge for the first time in what seemed like a decade, Nalbandian cruised to a 5-0 lead in the second. Suddenly, with everyone in the stadium thinking about the third set, Federer rediscovered his rhythm and roared back to get to 5-5. To complete the set of unlikely twists, Nalbandian reversed the slide and stormed to a 7-1 win in the tiebreak, equaling the match.

In the third set, Federer withstood a barrage of break points in a pivotal game at 3-3, but Nalbandian dug in and broke the Swiss star with a perfect backhand passing shot and a determined fist pump. The Argentine confidently held serve for the set, while Federer looked listless and unsure of himself.

Nalbandian snatched the lead for good in the fourth set by smacking back a Federer overhead and forcing a volley error to break serve at 3-3. With Federer serving to stay in the match, Nalbandian rocketed three clean winners to go up 0-40 and then sealed the victory by smacking a crosscourt backhand return winner.

Sep 3, 2003

Federer and Moya Shake Hands After Practice in The Rain: Roger Federer and Carlos Moya of Spain shake hands after hitting a few balls on center court at Arthur Ashe stadium at the 2003 US Open in Flushing, New York City. Play for the day is suspended due to rain. (Photo by Kevin Lamarque/Corbis)

Sep 2, 2003

Wimbledon Champion Roger Federer, an avid golfer, gently strokes a putt in the upstairs player lounge at Arthur Ashe stadium during the 2003 US Open Tennis Championships while his coach PETER LUNDGREN observes. (Photo by Art Seitz/Zuma Press/NewsCom)

Aug 31, 2003 from US Open Official Site:
James Blake deserves an "A" for his effort tonight against head of the class Roger Federer. Unfortunately for Blake, he didn't make the grade, falling to the artful Roger 6-3, 7-6(4) 6-3.

The pair stayed on serve through the seventh game of the first set. Federer broke Blake in the eighth game to take a 5-3 lead. He then served out the set, punctuated with a cross-court forehand winner on set point.

By the second set both men had found their rhythm and treated the sold out Arthur Ashe stadium to a breathtaking display of artistry, guile and guts. A resurgent Blake staved off 20 break points forcing the set to a tiebreaker. Federer converted his only break point of the set when a flustered Blake double faulted at 30-30 and then again at 30-40.

In the 10th game of the set, Blake capitalized on his second break point of the match, bringing the sell out crowd to their feet. Again Blake was pushed to the brink in the 11th game of set, but would not yield to the master craftsman holding serve to lead the set 6-5. An easy hold by Federer brought the set to a tiebreaker.

The high level of play continued into the second set tie breaker, where fast and furious forehands were traded like two heavyweight boxers exchanging body blows in a title fight. Federer landed the knock-out punch with a 122 mph service winner to capture the tie braker 7-4.

Aug 29, 2003 from US Open Official Site:
After a four set test in the first round against Jose Acasuso, No. 2 Roger Federer was moved to the more intimate Louis Armstrong Stadium and put his game in high gear, defeating Jean-Rene Lisnard of France in straight sets, 6-1, 6-2, 6-0 in 1 hour and 18 minutes.

Reminiscent of his boyhood idol Pete Sampras, Federer dominated the match with a stellar serve and volley game. In the first set, Federer broke Lisnard at 2-1, stormed ahead to 4-1, and closed out the set 6-1 in 23 minutes. Two days earlier, Lisnard defeated Magnus Norman in the first round, 6-2, 6-2, 6-7, 0-6, 7-6 in a match that took three hours and forty-one minutes. Lisnard was ill-prepared to face the number two player in the world.

His serve and volley game brilliant today, Federer was virtually untouchable, winning 85% of points on first serve. Even when forced to backpedal, Federer had the uncanny ability to generate dynamic pace and bite to his forehands and backhands, leaving Lisnard scrambling to scavenge for the return.

The turning point of the match came at the beginning of the second set. Federer broke Lisnard on the first game, beautifully getting on top of Lisnard's serve with one swipe of the racket. Connecting on his shots with acute precision, Federer charged toward the net watching Lisnard's return flutters splash into the net.

Aug 28, 2003

Roger Federer arrives at the practice courts at Flushing meadow, Queens, New York, Thursday 28 August 28, 2003 with Nicolas Kiefer and coach Peter Lundgren. (Photo by Eddy Risch/EPA/Keystone)

Aug 27, 2003 from US Open Official Site:
Roger Federer was tested by charged-up Argentine Jose Acasuso but triumphed when Acasuso retired with cramps trailing, 5-7, 6-3, 6-3, 2-0.

While Acasuso wowed Federer in the first set with a variety of well-struck groundstrokes, the creative Swiss’ all court game gradually came to the forefront, as Federer charged the net, crushed outright return of serve winners and served very well to spots.

The calm and collected Federer, who is looking to win his first title in New York, said that being the reigning Wimbledon champion didn’t scare his foe.

"Once you walk on the court, it doesn't change much," said Federer. "Maybe there is a little bit more confidence, you have that No. 2 seed next to your name. I'm not looking at this whole thing very differently than I used to. I finally achieved a Grand Slam and that makes me feel more relaxed, but I'll fight hard to come close again."

Aug 23, 2003

Roger Federer and girlfriend Miroslava Vavrinec attend Nike's Pre-U.S. Open party at Lot 61 nightclub August 23, 2003 in New York City. (Photo by Sara Jaye/Getty Images)

Aug 21, 2003 from ATP Insider:
MEDIA MONITOR…In an interview with Neue Züricher Zeitung in the run up to the US Open, Wimbledon champion Roger Federer talked about winning his first Grand Slam title and what he hopes to achieve from here. Commenting on the media reaction on his return to Gstaad after Wimbledon, Federer, the No. 2 seed at Flushing Meadows, told NZZ: "It would certainly have been quite different if I had not played a tournament the week after Wimbledon. But this way, it was perfect for the press, Gstaad and everyone. If I had been hiding out somewhere, it would have been totally different, perhaps nicer for me, but not for everyone else. And I did not mind at all that people had questions for me." He added: "The motivation is, of course, huge right now. After the Wimbledon victory and a well-played Montreal tournament, I am extremely motivated. I got to New York early, just like in Wimbledon, and I will do everything to be optimally prepared. My main goal is to play well at the US Open, and if the No. 1 comes with the result, great."

Aug 13, 2003 from Reuters:
CINCINNATI - Wimbledon champion Roger Federer and French Open winner Juan Carlos Ferrero joined the remarkable exodus of seeds in the second round of the Cincinnati Masters Series on Wednesday.

Federer, the Swiss third seed, lost 7-6 (4) 7-6 (5) to Argentine David Nalbandian, whose compatriot Gaston Gaudio had earlier stunned second seed Ferrero 6-7 7-6 6-4. The defeats, under a fierce sun as temperatures in Ohio soared, ended Federer and Ferrero's hopes of overhauling Andre Agassi as world number one by the end of the $2.45 million event.

World number two Federer had saved seven match points in his epic first-round win over Scott Draper but Nalbandian made sure he did not become the victim of another great escape. He took the first set tiebreak 7-4 and then surged into a 5-2 lead in the second set.

Aug 12, 2003 from ATP:
ATP Champions Race leader Roger Federer saved seven match points against free-swinging Aussie Scott Draper in an epic first-round battle at the Western & Southern Financial Group Masters in Cincinnati on Tuesday. The Wimbledon champion saved four consecutive match points to rally from 2-6 in the third-set tie-break, which he eventually won 12 points to 10.

Federer had earlier saved two non-consecutive match points while serving at 5-6 in the final set. Federer, who reached the semifinals in Montreal last week, will become the first Swiss in history to hold the No. 1 ATP Entry Rankings if he reaches the semifinals this week.

Since June, Federer has won 20 of his past 22 matches. He leads the ATP circuit with 58 match wins on the season. Draper, ranked No. 114 in the ATP Entry Rankings, had qualified in both Montreal and Cincinnati. He was chasing his fifth career win over a Top 10 player.

Scott Draper: “Well, I'm obviously disappointed I lost. But as John Newcombe would say, I kept asking the questions, and he just came up with the goods. From 6-2 in the breaker, I felt like I played good points. I mean, the topspin lob was amazing. I played a good match. He's a Wimbledon Champion. I threw the kitchen sink at him, and I didn't win, so... I can hold my head high, though.

“But, look, Roger's just such a shot maker. He's very unpredictable. You don't know what to expect. As it turned out, the unexpected happened. I mean, 6-2 in the breaker and he just was too good. I felt like I played good points, just didn't win them.”

Aug 8, 2003

Jul 9, 2003 from BBC:
Wimbledon winner Roger Federer has been given an unusual homecoming gift to mark his achievement - a cow! The Swiss star received the beast after accepting a standing ovation from a 6,000 crowd in Gstaad's Roy Emerson Arena. "It is a great idea, very funny," he laughed.

Jul 8, 2003 from BBC:
Roger Federer's father has revealed he was not at Wimbledon to see his son's first Grand Slam triumph - because he had to feed the cat. Robert Federer remained at the family home in Switzerland with Roger's pet moggie, Ginger, although he did manage to catch the action on TV.

"I had to feed the cat at home," sales manager Robert insisted. "We had a few friends around and watched the match on television."

July, 2003 from TennisX:
Roger Federer launched his own line of fragrances at a press conference in Gstaad earlier this week. The line, which is called "RF - Roger Federer," was launched at the Allianz Suisse Open with the slogan "Feel the Touch."

Jul 7, 2003 from ITV:
Roger Federer was just delighted to have got his hands on the trophy and refused to be drawn on talk of dominating the game in the way Pete Sampras did. "This is one of his seven. I'm so far away," said Federer. "To compare me to him would not be fair to me or him, but I have the game to win majors on all surfaces."

Following the one-sided final, Sampras claimed that Federer has what it takes to follow in his foot-steps. "Roger doesn't have any holes in his game and he's a great athlete. He's got all the tools," he said.

from BBC:
There was more to Roger Federer's Wimbledon win than met his tearful eye. Not only did the Swiss add his name to a long list of All England Club champions, he also joined a far more exclusive group of stars who have blubbed on the sporting stage.

Federer set his stall out early, putting his head in his hands after sealing an emphatic straight-sets victory over Australian Mark Philippoussis. But he looked to have regained his composure when BBC presenter Sue Barker set to work on him in a live, on-court interview after the presentation.

Jul 6, 2003 from Wimbledon Official Site:
Conducting a breathtaking master class in the art of grass court tennis, Roger Federer became the first Swiss man to win a Wimbledon Singles title when he defeated Australian Mark Philippoussis, 7-6 (7-5), 6-2, 7-6 (7-3) in one hour 56 minutes. It was an occasion when sheer all-round skill and grace was too much for the sort of raw power which has frequently won the day previously on Centre Court.

Philippoussis came into the final having walloped 164 aces in his previous six matches in The Championships. Today he was able to add just 14 to that tally, as his big game was blunted and ultimately destroyed by the player John McEnroe believes is the best to emerge in men's tennis for 10 years. Federer celebrated his 21st birthday last August, but he came of age in tennis terms today with an exhibition to match the brilliance of his semi-final win over Andy Roddick. In those two contests Federer overcame two of the best servers in the sport.

This was Federer's fifth appearance at Wimbledon; three times he has made an ignominious first round exit. He made the quarter-finals in 2001, when he caught the world's attention by halting the winning sequence of defending champion Pete Sampras with a five-set upset on Centre Court. Today, on that same court, Federer burst into tears as he thanked the Swiss supporters who had flocked to London over the weekend to cheer him on. In the competitors' box his coach, Peter Lundgren, was also crying.

Perhaps the tears should have been shed by Philippoussis. Fancied by many to blow away his Swiss opponent with huge serving, the Australian was frustrated at every turn. In fact, Federer outgunned Philippoussis in aces, 21 to 14. Fatally, the 'Scud' did not manage to reach break point on the Federer serve, and got to deuce once just once. It was a stupendous display from Federer; in the first set he dropped just six points on serve, including one in the tiebreak. In the second set Philippoussis scraped another six points against the Swiss man’s serve, and it was the same in the third. It was as good a display of the art of serving as one is likely to see.

The exchanges were frequently brutal in their intensity and extended rallies were rare, especially in the first set as they exchanged games and moved inexorably towards a tiebreak. Along the way, Philippoussis unleashed the biggest ace of the match, at 138mph, but a double-fault in the tiebreak gave Federer two set points. On the first one, Federer struck a forehand wide, but on the second Philippoussis' mistimed forehand service return sailed yards out of court.

Philippoussis was downcast and was immediately punished again, dropping serve in the opening game of the second set. This game demonstrated, perhaps more than any other, the genius of Federer. He opened the door with a top spun forehand pass and moved to break point with a stunning cross-court forehand which was too accurate even for the giant wingspan of the Australian at the net. The bemused Aussie then snatched at a Federer backhand and netted the volley. Federer broke again for a 3-0 lead as Philippoussis' resolve wilted. The Swiss found himself up two sets to love after 71 minutes.

In the third set Philippoussis fought off a break point in the third game, assisted by an overrule from umpire Gerry Armstrong which awarded the Australian an ace instead of what would have been a double-fault and loss of service. Replays showed that the overrule was correct; chalk did indeed fly. It was of little use. Philippoussis got to deuce in the next game but the tide was now flowing strongly in Federer's favour. At 5-5 Philippoussis saved two break points to earn himself another tiebreak opportunity, only to drop the opening point in that, too, by netting a backhand. Federer surged to a 6-1 lead, and five championship points. The Australian saved two of them but then netted a backhand return. Switzerland had a new hero.

"I was always joking around as a boy that I was going to win this," said Federer of his first Grand Slam title. "It's just incredible - I don't know how I did it."

"I always hoped and dreamed about this but it is true now," Federer said. "In the past I've had some difficulty to relax on the court and enjoy it. I felt so calm out there."

"I enjoy my game, watching myself, because it's so different,'' Federer said during the trophy ceremony, drawing laughter from the crowd. "I hope you guys also enjoyed it, because I enjoyed the two weeks.'' Half an hour after Federer won Wimbledon, London oddsmakers made him a 5-2 favorite for the 2004 title.

from BBC:
By Boris Becker - The moment Mark Philippoussis put a backhand into the net at match point down may change Roger Federer's life forever. You could see it meant so much to him to overcome his fears and achieve his dream - he was overwhelmed by his emotions.

Everyone has been expecting him to win Grand Slams since he was a junior, when he was the most talented player around. But to win his first Slam at Wimbledon, the most prestigious one, the most traditional one, the oldest one, is something that I don't think even he could have imagined.

When he won, you saw what was underneath the poker face. He is a very emotional young man and that is probably the reason he has never really played great on the big occasions. He came through with a very convincing performance in the final and he is a very well-deserved champion.

Federer, too, is popular with the other players and with the media - he is a very sociable guy. I am convinced he will be around for a long time and I am convinced he will win many more Wimbledons, US Opens and other Grand Slam titles.

In a way, he has an old-fashioned technique. He does not just play heavy topspin, he is very versatile. He can serve and volley, he can stay back, he can slice, he can play drop shots. That is a good example for any junior watching. You don't need to serve at 135 mph, you don't need heavy topspin to become a complete player.

If Roger Federer's coach looked more relaxed than expected as his charge neared a first Grand Slam title, we can reveal why. Peter Lundgren took a breather after a tense first set and headed to the nearest bar, clutching a water bottle. But it wasn't non-alcoholic refreshment the Swede was after - he asked the waitress to fill the bottle with beer. When the waitress gave him a quizzical look, he explained that it probably would not look good on television if he was seen sipping from a pint glass.

Jul 5, 2003 from BBC:
Swiss and Australian journalists at Wimbledon's impressive press centre have been working overtime ahead of Sunday's men's final.

"Roger, that was phenomenal!" said daily newspaper Blick after Federer beat Andy Roddick.

Le Matin went for the simple but effective "Enormous!"

And Tages-Anzeiger claimed: "Federer represents a cosmopolitan Switzerland.

"He speaks three languages fluently, is self-confident in public and has a reputation as a fair sportsman."

On the other side of the world, the Sydney Daily Telegraph headline read: "Mark of a Champion."

Jul 4, 2003 from Tennis.com:
WIMBLEDON, England (AP) - Andy Roddick's run at Wimbledon was stopped by the closest thing there is to Pete Sampras right now: Roger Federer. With brilliant serving and returning, plus shotmaking so good even Roddick was moved to shout praise, Federer won their semifinal 7-6 (6), 6-3, 6-3 Friday to become the first Swiss man to reach a Grand Slam title match.

"I don't know if I've been beaten that convincingly when I felt like I went into the match thinking, 'OK, I'm playing well,''' the fifth-seeded Roddick said. "I played not great, but by no means was it a bad match for me. He played very well.'' The last time both men's semifinals lasted only three sets was in 1982, when the winners were a couple of guys named Connors and McEnroe. "To raise my game like this for such a big match is incredible,'' Federer said. He outaced Roddick 17-4, didn't double-fault and, remarkably, conjured 61 winners to 12 unforced errors. He serve-and-volleyed on a little more than half his serves, winning 71 percent of those points. And he confounded Roddick by returning serves that consistently came in at 130-to-137 mph.

Add it up, and it was the sort of dominating display of classic grass-court tennis against a top player that hadn't been seen around these parts since Sampras won his record-tying seventh Wimbledon title in 2000. The next year, a 19-year-old Federer announced his promise by snapping Sampras' 31-match winning streak at the All England Club in a fourth-round shocker on Centre Court. But Federer failed to reach another major quarterfinal until now, losing in the first round three times, including at the French Open in May.

As well as Federer played, Roddick had the first chance to gain the upper hand, owning a set point at 6-5 in the tiebreaker. He smacked a strong serve, Federer sliced a short return, and Roddick reared back for an inside-out forehand. But the ball slapped the net tape. "If I would have had about an inch more height on it, the set probably would have been over,'' Roddick said, a baseball cap pulled down over his eyes. "That's the shot I wanted. If I had to do it again, I'd go for it the exact same.''

Federer went ahead 7-6 with a forehand winner and ended the set with a service winner. He faced two break points to open the second set, but erased one with a drop volley, then took care of the second and held serve with this sequence: 120 mph ace, 121 mph service winner, 118 mph ace. And Federer broke in the next game. It closed with a superb point on which Roddick dove to his left for a volley, only to see Federer whip a forehand passing winner. "The wheels just came off, and he started playing unbelievable,'' said Roddick, much more gracious in defeat than at times in the past.

Federer crammed a tournament's worth of pretty shots into one match, among them the crosscourt forehand winner he half-volleyed to win a 16-stroke point that ended the second set. As Roddick went to his chair, he exclaimed: "Too good!''

Federer broke for 3-2 in the third when he played two successive passing shots to put Roddick on the back foot once more. Roddick fell 5-3 behind and Federer achieved his first match point with an assault that included a cross-court backhand winner from outside the tramlines. The American saved two match points with service winners, conceded a third when Federer advanced to play a winning volley, and then missed a forehand. Federer roared in triumph as he claimed the match and that place in the final.

"I remember thinking to myself, 'I played a pretty good game to make him serve it out, and I lost it at love.' The last shot was just ridiculous,'' Roddick said. "I don't know if anybody else can do that shot.'' As the match was dissected across the grounds, one name kept popping up: Sampras, who hasn't played a match this year and missed Wimbledon for the first time since 1988.

Asked if he's ever seen a young player as complete as Federer, Boris Becker said: "Well, compare him with a young Sampras: Maybe he doesn't have the speed on the serve yet, but the rest of the game is very much like Pete's game.''

from Wimbledon Official Site:
Roger Federer will rise one place to No. 3 in the world rankings after Wimbledon, regardless of whether he wins Sunday’s final against Mark Philippoussis. Federer will ascend to his best-ever ranking by overtaking Spain’s Carlos Moya, who skipped Wimbledon this year because of injury. Andre Agassi is still at the top of the pile, but Juan Carlos Ferrero is close behind at No. 2.

In the Champions Race ratings, which determine entry to the Tennis Masters Cup in Houston in November, Federer will take the lead from Ferrero if he wins the final, but will still move from no. 4 to no. 2 if he loses.

Jul 3, 2003 from Wimbledon Official Site:
Roger Federer entered the Wimbledon semi-finals for the first time with a straight sets victory over the eighth seeded Sjeng Schalken on Court Two. Federer's win by 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 came in one hour and 38 minutes and apart from some stubborn resistance from his opponenet in the third set, Federer always looked likely to win in a duel of fierce serving. However, Schalken had beaten Federer in their only previous match on grass and must have had some hope of repeating that today.

There was some doubt over Schalken's fitness for the contest in the light of the problems he has been having with his left foot. He appeared to have difficulties in movement in the first hour and when he lost his serve in the seventh game of the second set, the trainer spoke to him on court.

The match began four minutes short of three hours behind schedule, with Federer starting with a double fault and an ace. But the first pressure came in the fourth game when Schalken began with a missed forehand and went on to lose his serve. Schalken then saved a break point in the sixth game but was unable to threaten Federer's serve with the Swiss maintaining a high level of consistency and variety. Federer took the first set in 24 minutes, reaching set point with an ace and following up with a backhand volley winner in the next rally.

The second set remained in Federer's control except for him having to save a break point in the fourth game. Federer broke serve in the seventh game and with the quarter final coming up to one hour in duration won on his first set point when Schalken missed a backhand.

The third set was only into its second game when, at last, the pattern altered. Federer had a mixed game with his fourth double fault on one hand and a serve of 126 mph on the other. He was also broken for the first time with two errors after the third deuce point.

Schalken, moving forward into the attack with more enthusiasm than earlier in the match, fought off two break points in the third game and another in the fifth game as a sign of his relish for the contest. But Schalken could not sustain his lead and was overhauled in the seventh game as Federer broke back. Even so, Federer did not have an easy run for the finish. He was two break points down in the next game before producing four fine serves in a row. He broke Schalken again,and for the fourth time in all, to serve for the match. Two aces, the second taking him to match point, were followed by a service winner.

Jul 2, 2003 from Wimbledon Official Site:
The Gentlemen’s Singles quarter-finals will be completed tomorrow after rain played havoc with the schedule on Day 9 of The Championships. Play will begin tomorrow, earlier than the usual start of 1pm, in order for the matches to be completed. The quarter-finals between Roger Federer and Sjeng Schalken will also have to be played tomorrow, taking to Court 2 at 12pm.

Jun 30, 2003 from Telegraph:
Roger Federer's powerful challenge for the men's title hung in the balance on the 'graveyard of champions,' as the elegant Swiss player came perilously close to defaulting through injury. Federer injured his back while warming up against the Spaniard, Feliciano Lopez, and feared that he would not be able to continue.

He was fortunate to be facing such an unadventurous opponent as Lopez who was attempting to become his country's first quarter-final representative in 31 years. Lopez, ranked 52 in the world, failed to exploit Federer's lack of mobility on Court No 2 and succumbed 7-6 (7-5), 6-4, 6-4. Federer was receiving intensive treatment on the injury which puts his participation in tomorrow's quarter-final, against the eighth-seeded Dutchman, Sjeng Schalken, in jeopardy. "I'm very lucky to be still in the tournament."

If his match against Schalken had been scheduled for this afternoon, Federer indicated that he might not have been able to play it. The experience drained Federer, who is unbeaten on grass this year, having won the Gerry Weber Open in Halle, Germany, two weeks ago. However, the 21-year-old believes he will be able to recover from the problem, which was dealt with at 1-1 in the first set and not, as is customary, after a change of ends.

The problem was so severe that Federer had to abandon the serve-and-volley approach which has made him such an outstanding prospect to triumph in the final on Sunday. His groundstrokes were still too penetrating, though, for the tactically naive Lopez. It was imperative for Federer's survival hopes that he retrieved the break of serve which he suffered in the ninth game of the opening set, and he duly managed that before taking the ensuing tie-break on his third set point.

Jun 27, 2003 from ATP:
Roger Federer overcame two rain breaks and a spirited fightback by Mardy Fish to reach the fourth round at Wimbledon. The 21-year-old Swiss star came through 6-3, 6-1, 4-6, 6-1 in a minute under two hours to set up a meeting with Spain's Feliciano Lopez.

Federer was in top form from the start of the match, taking a 5-3 lead before rain forced the players off court. When play resumed, Federer held serve to take the opening set and, having saved a break point at 0-1 in the second, took the next six games. Federer looked to be on his way to a quick victory, but rain once again delayed his progress at the end of the second set.

Jun 25, 2003 from ATP:
Swiss star Roger Federer recovered from a shaky start to defeat his good friend Stefan Koubek and move through to the third round at Wimbledon. Federer, a quarterfinalist two years ago, came back from a 5-2 deficit in the first set and saved a set point at 5-4 before winning 12 of the next 13 games en route to a 7-5, 6-1, 6-1 victory.

The match was interrupted mid-way through the second set by the first rain delay of this year's Championships, although the 32-minute stoppage didn't affect Federer's impressive play as he went on to seal victory in 1 hour, 17 minutes on Centre Court. The 21-year-old Swiss star, who has won his last seven matches, has an ATP-best 45-9 match record in 2003 having won four titles, including Halle on grass two weeks ago. He now meets American Mardy Fish, a finalist in Nottingham last week, who defeated fellow countryman Jan-Michael Gambill for the first time in four meetings.

Jun 23, 2003 from Sporting Life:
Roger Federer raced into the second round with an assured display in a straight-sets victory over Korea's Hyung-Taik Lee. Aside from a minor stumble when he wasted three match points at 5-4 in the third set, Federer was impressive, offering a variety of shots and showed willing to attack the net. Federer failed to take another two match points when Lee was serving at 6-5, but it was only a matter of time before he wrapped up the win. He did so in a tie-break, in which Lee's resistance was broken, and Federer wrapped up his 6-3 6-3 7-6 (7-2) win.

Jun 15, 2003 from Tennis.com:
HALLE, Germany (AP) - Roger Federer won his first grass-court title Sunday by defeating Nicolas Kiefer of Germany 6-1, 6-3 in the final of the Gerry Weber Open. The top-seeded Swiss bounced back from his first-round exit at the French Open three weeks ago, winning this Wimbledon tuneup for his fourth title of the year. Federer, ranked No. 5, recorded his 43rd victory of the season, tops on the tour.

"I had eight days off,'' he said. "I was optimally prepared.'' Federer never gave the German a chance. He beat Kiefer at the net and the back line, needing just 25 minutes to race to a 5-0 lead. "I have no excuse,'' Kiefer said. "He was just better.'' Federer won his eighth career title and joined 11 other active players who have titles on all four surfaces - grass, hard courts, clay and indoors. "I believe if you can win on all four surfaces that's something special,'' the 21-year-old Federer said. "Especially if you're as young as I am.''

Federer broke Kiefer on his first service game of this $940,000 tournament and completed the lopsided match in 68 minutes, the shortest final in terms of games in the 11-year history of the tournament. Federer has long been regarded as a player with the talent to win Wimbledon. He was upset in the first round last year, but gets another chance when the Grand Slam event begins June 23.

Federer: "This was my best match here in Halle, probably one of my best matches on grass ever -- as the result shows. I played on a high and consistent level the whole time. 'Kiwi' didn't have one of his best days, but I put him under pressure the whole match."

"I've long been waiting for a grass title. All four titles in one year is very special for me. I'm surprising myself with how all-around my game is."

"For good or bad, I lost early in the French which gave me extra time to prepare here and that really helped. My preparation was perfect. This is not a small tournament at all; it's a big one. I played great in the final and hopefully I'll continue to perform this way at Wimbledon after I take off next week to train and get ready."

Roger Federer poses with his trophy after defeating Nicolas Kiefer, 15 June 2003, during their final match of the ATP Gerry Weber tennis Open in Halle. (Photo by Kai-Uwe Knoth/AFP/Getty Images)

Jun 14, 2003 from ATP:
Two singles semifinals and over five hours of action on court as German star Nicolas Kiefer and top-seeded Roger Federer advanced to a showdown in the final at the Gerry Weber Open Saturday in Halle, Germany.

Federer reached his first grass court final with 4-6, 7-6 (7-4), 6-2, a three-set win over Russia's Mikhail Youzhny. Federer had countless chances to break open the match and was just three of 21 in break point opportunities, but it was still enough to put away the No. 8 seed, who had his left hip treated by the ATP trainer at the start of the third set. Federer threw in 12 aces including three aces in a critical game at 5-5 in the second set.

A victory by Kiefer in Sunday's final will vault him about 10 places in the ATP Entry Rankings when the new rankings come out on Monday, while Federer's performance will vault him two places to fourth in the ATP Champions Race 2003.

Federer: "I missed so many opportunities today, this is not acceptable for me. I'm happy that I won, but in regards to tomorrow's match I need to forget about it right away. It's the first time I reached a final on grass and that is something special for me."

on playing Kiefer last year: "That was a huge disappointment last year. I missed so many chances. In the third set I was up a break and lost in the end. Of course that motivates me."

"I have a lot of confidence and though my head-to-head record is not that good against him it doesn't matter in the final. I am well prepared for everything."

Jun 13, 2003 from ATP:
An exciting day of quarterfinal tennis at the Gerry Weber Open Friday under warm weather and beautiful sunny skies, with top-seeded Roger Federer cementing his place as the favorite to win this grass court event. His 7-5, 7-6 (7-3) straight set win over Younes El Aynaoui included several entertaining points and one point that had fans on the edge of their seats.

Federer jumped on El Aynaoui early and broke the Moroccan in the second game of the match, but El Aynaoui fought back before dropping the set 7-5. Federer went up again 3-0 to start the second, and faced a break point at 3-1, 30-40 when El Aynaoui came up with the goods. In the next point, the rockin' Moroccan hit a groundstroke between the legs while facing the net and after Federer volleyed the ball back, El Aynaoui hit a lob that bounced on the baseline to get back the break. The two went to a tiebreak, where Federer pulled away from the fifth-seed to move into the semifinals. El Aynaoui, suffering from a slight temperature, made a trip to the doctor later in the day, but expects to be ready for The Samsung Open next week. Federer, meanwhile becomes the match-win leader on the ATP circuit with 41 wins on the year surpassing Roland Garros champion Juan Carlos Ferrero.

Federer: "I let him back in both sets. I was really disappointed about this, especially in the second set. He was completely down and I let him back. In the quarters this isn't funny anymore, so I was a little frustrated. But I was happy with how I played the big points."

"From the baseline, I felt consistent. Didn't make too many mistakes and returned well. And I'm optimistic with my volley game. Of course, I have to get more used to it in the upcoming matches, I'm trying to find the right game. But I feel comfortable, and today I didn't give away too many easy balls."

Jun 12, 2003 from Gerry Weber Open:
No. 1 seed Roger Federer reached the quarter final at the 11th GERRY WEBER OPEN in three sets. The surprisingly good playing Fernando Vicente (Spain) was beaten with 4:6, 6:2, 6:1.

As in his first match against Sargis Sargsian the Swiss couldn't find his rythm at the beginning. His returns were floppy, his forehand inaccurate and simple volleys were out of bounds. Vicente, on the other hand, had a very good start and could repeat his fantastic performance of the first round. As soon as in the first game he could reach a break against the Swiss and increased the pressure on Federer with fast and short returns. Federer couldn't get used to this unorthodox technique and wasn't able to use his first break point in the eighth game. Vicente finished the first set quickly, by winning the tenth game with 40:0.

The second set started as the first: Federer played an easy smash far out of bounds - the dilemma seemed to have a sequel, but finally the Swiss woke up. In the fourth game he played as we are used to and gained the leadwith a break. Although Vicente kept on confusing Ferderer, the number six in the Champion Race showed how well trained he is! The spectators were fascinated by lots of spectacular points. After 57 minutes Federer served to win the second set.

In the third round the the spectators saw what they came for: Federer dominated the match and Vicente had not a whiff of a chance. Another 26 minutes and the favourite finished the match.

" I had a very bad start and I couldn't cope with Vicentes technique at first. He plays totally different as other grass-players. Somehow it reminded me Santoro - the ball always returned once more as you expected..." explaind Federer who said that he was quite angry about his performance. Nevertheless, the 21-year-old is still confident tha he is still able to win this tournament. "After all I still need a title on grass."

Federer: "During the first few games I was getting used to it [how well he was playing]; from the first point on I realized he was on fire. It was difficult to get used to his play. I wasn't quite ready early in the first set and I had enough chances to re-break him, but I didn't manage it.

from ATP Insider:

On the opening Saturday at the Gerry Weber Open in Halle, top seed Roger Federer met with singer/actress Mia Aegerter. Aegerter, who like Federer is Swiss, stars in a wellknown soap opera “Gute Zeiten Schlechte Zeiten” [Good Times Bad Times] that runs on the German television network RTL and gave Federer a copy of her latest CD. “It’s always nice to meet a Swiss somewhere, especially as she is famous here in Germany,” said Federer. “I’ve seen her somewhere but I don’t know exactly where. It’s a little strange, we kind of knew each other but not that well. I have her CD now and it’s going to be nice to listen to it.” Aegerter’s song “U Don’t Know How To Love Me,” is also the official song of the Gerry Weber Open 2003. Meanwhile, after his opening round victory in Halle, German star RAINER SCHUETTLER met Yvonne Catterfeld, who also stars in “Gute Zeiten Schlechte Zeiten.” The 22-year-old singer and actress is currently riding the wave of her chart-topping single in Germany, “Komm Zuruck Zu Mir” [Come Back to Me]. Catterfeld played mini-tennis on the show stage and gave Schuettler a copy of her CD in front a packed crowd on the grounds of Gerry Weber Stadium. “It was fun,” said Schuettler. “But I don’t believe that she had never played tennis before. She was just too good for that.” Aegerter and Catterfeld held concerts at the end of the day for the tennis fans in Halle.

Jun 10, 2003 from ATP:
Top seed Roger Federer overcame an early challenge from Armenian Sargis Sargsian to advance to the second round of the Gerry Weber Open in Halle Tuesday. Sargsian led 5-3 in the first set and also had one set point, but Federer steadied to win 7-5, 6-1. The Swiss reached the semifinals here last year.

Federer: "It's difficult to switch from clay to grass. I've been here a while since Wednesday, but the Stadium Court is different from the other courts. The traction on the court is different. But Sargsian let me back into that match, I think. He should have won the first set, but he didn't.

"My clay court season wasn't that long, but it's always great to come back on grass. It feels natural for me. I'm really happy to have reached the second round, because it's sometimes tricky to get used to it. But I felt good on the court.

HALLE, GERMANY - JUNE 10: Gerry Weber Open 2003; Players Night; Roger Federer and Yves Allegro. (Photo by Andreas Rentz/Bongarts/Getty Images)

May 26, 2003 from Roland Garros Official Site:
It took a dismal display by fifth seed Roger Federer to send the shock waves through Roland Garros only a few hours into play on Day One. Federer had gone and done it again – fallen at the very first hurdle. Peruvian Luis Horna (world No72) was the benefactor of a woeful display by the Swiss star, gratefully accepting 82 points in unforced errors by his opponent to win 7/6(6) 6/2 7/6(3).

"It's a big disappointment. Very sad to leave so early. Yeah, it's not fun," said Federer after the shock loss, adding that his average form certainly helped his opponent. "He definitely didn't play a bad match, but I didn't play a good match."

Few would have predicted such a witless display by one of the most cultured exponents of the art of clay court tennis. After all, Federer arrived in Paris on the back of an excellent clay court season; a win in Munich and an appearance in the final in Rome had set him up nicely for an assault on the French Open crown.

The sun even came out to greet the young pretender as he stepped out onto Philippe Chatrier Court, and with the unfancied Luis Horna expecting to put up little resistance in the face of superior class, many fans sat back for a leisurely early afternoon's entertainment.

Horna had obviously failed to read the script, though – or perhaps the pundits had failed to read his CV. Like all South Americans, he is no mug on clay and when Federer began to spray the ball to all parts he had all the inspiration he needed to spoil the party.

"I knew the danger," admitted Federer about Horna. "People are saying 'Who is the first seed you're playing?' I told them 'You guys have to relax a little bit because I'm not playing a bad guy in the first round.'"

Things didn't begin too badly for Federer – he was a break up and served for the first set at 5-4 – but a poor service game let Horna back in at 5-5. Then, at set point in the tiebreak (6-5), he hit yet another unforced error to spare Horna again. Finally, with Herna at 7-6, the man from Basle hit an easy match into the tramlines to forfeit the set.

"I don't think there was any moment when I was really completely satisfied," summed up the Swiss.

Such basic errors are very 'un-Federer-like', and proved very costly. Before he could gather himself he trailed 0-4 in the second set. Two breaks down, the No2 in the ATP Champions Race was forced to concede the set 6/2 and was suddenly in serious trouble.

To his credit, Federer hung on in the third set against a player who by now was attacking at every opportunity, spurred on in the belief that he had a real chance of pulling off a shock victory. Federer returned to his error-ridden ways in the decisive tie break though, going down 7-3, and after just two hours, 12 minutes was gone. With an unbelievable 82 unforced errors beside his name, the Great Swiss Hope had earned the unfortunate tag of becoming the first seed to be dumped out of this year's tournament. "I know it's going to be tough for me to win this tournament. This is no secret," said Federer.

May 15, 2003 from ATP:
Defending champion Roger Federer went out in third round at the hands of Mark Philippoussis, who had never previously won a match in Hamburg prior to this year. The Australian came through 6-3, 2-6, 6-3 having fallen 3-0 down in the opening set. Federer recovered from 5-0 down in the third, saved match points in the seventh game and had break points at 5-3, but Philippoussis held his nerve to set up a quarterfinal clash with No. 12 seed Guillermo Coria.

Federer: "The first set was strange, but good for me. I started well, felt good. I didn't feel good on my serve. I didn't get enough free points and couldn't play as aggressive. I didn't feel comfortable out there after 3-0 until the end. That was tough. I wasn't happy with my game today, but I tried my best.

"To go down 5-0 is the biggest mistake. Maybe I was a bit unlucky, the one break point just didn't go my way. I could have broken back earlier to 4:1 and I missed my chance. I guess 5:0 was too much to come back, but I hung in there, but it wasn't enough.

May 14, 2003 from ATP:
Roger Federer continued his impressive clay court form with a 6-1, 6-1 win against qualifier Sargis Sargsian in Masters Series Hamburg's second-round match. The Swiss star, seeded No. 3 this year, is now 12-1 on clay and moved up to second place in the ATP Champions Race 2003 above Juan Carlos Ferrero. He now meets Mark Philippoussis, who defeated Xavier Malisse in straight sets.

Federer: "It was already dark and the wind made it quite difficult with the eyes. I felt tears coming when it's so cold and windy. So, I am very happy to have made it through, because I knew they were going to put us last if we don't finish…I guess I played it smart; played a lot to his forehand, his weaker side. He missed a lot there. And at breakpoint, I just kept that going and it worked fine. Suddenly the match went fast. I hung in there in the second to get the double break."

May 11, 2003 from ATP:
Felix Mantilla became the first unseeded player to win the Telecom Italia Masters in Rome since Australia's Martin Mulligan in 1963 when he defeated the in-form Roger Federer at the Foro Italico. Mantilla's 7-5, 6-2, 7-6(8) victory in 2 hours, 41 minutes earned the Spaniard his first Tennis Masters Series shield and his 10th career ATP title.

Playing in his first Tennis Masters Series final since losing to Andrei Medvedev in Hamburg in 1997, Mantilla saved 14 of 17 break points against him during the match, breaking Federer's serve six times. After taking the first set, Mantilla found himself 2-0 down in the second before winning the next eight games to lead 2-0 in the third.

Federer, who was on a 12-match winning streak dating back to the quarterfinals at the NASDAQ-100 Open in Miami (l. to Costa), was seeking his fourth title of the year following his victories in Marseille, Dubai and Munich. He is now an ATP-best 36-7 for the season as he begins the defense of his Tennis Masters Hamburg title next week.

The 21-year-old from Basel, who lies in third position in the ATP Champions Race 2003, became the first Swiss player to reach the final in Rome with victories over Paul-Henri Mathieu, Mariano Zabaleta, Tommy Robredo, Italian wild card Filippo Volandri and No. 2 seed Juan Carlos Ferrero, who retired with tendinitis in his right shoulder with Federer leading 6-2, 4-2 (30-0).

Federer: "I'm happy I was the first Swiss player in the Rome final and I'm happy with my tournament here. [Mantilla] beat a lot of good players this week and deserved to win this title."

May 10, 2003 from ATP:
Roger Federer advanced to the final of the Telecom Italia Masters Roma, after Juan Carlos Ferrero retired with the Swiss leading 6-2, 4-2 in their semifinal match.

The Federer-Ferrero showdown brought together two of the world's best clay court players in the high-profile stage of a Tennis Masters Series event, but Ferrero couldn't finish the match as inflammation in his right arm worsened. Ferrero injured his right arm in Valencia, and because of the injury the Spaniard pulled out of the Tennis Masters Hamburg which starts Monday.

Federer is now a match away from claiming his fourth ATP title of the year and his second career Tennis Masters Series trophy. The Swiss also boasts a 36-6 match record for the season, the best on the circuit. With his victory Saturday, Federer also jumped a spot to third place in the ATP Champions Race, edging Rainer Schuettler.

from TennisX:
In Rome Saturday, AIDS activist Gabriele Paolini leapt from his seat while Roger Federer was questioning a line call in his match against Juan Carlos Ferrero and started throwing condoms at the players. Known as the "Prophylactic Prophet," Paolini has disrupted other events, publicizing the use of condoms after one of his friends died of AIDS. Security guards led Paolini from the court amid chants from the crowd of "imbecile."

May 9, 2003 from ATP:
Fourth seed Roger Federer ousted wild card and crowd favorite Filippo Volandri 6-3, 5-7, 6-2, thus winning his 35th match of the 2003 season. The Italian handed Federer his first set-loss since falling to Albert Costa in the Miami quarterfinals in March. Federer's semifinal opponent is No. 2 seed Juan Carlos Ferrero, who improved his 2003 record on clay to 21-1 by scoring a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Germany's Rainer Schuettler.

May 8, 2003 from ATP:
Fourth seed Roger Federer improved to 8-0 on the clay court season with a ruthless 6-1, 6-1 demolition of Spaniard Tommy Robredo. Federer is on a 10-match winning streak and is an ATP-best 34-6 on the season. The Swiss is within reach of a second Tennis Masters Series clay court title, having won in Hamburg last year. Federer next meets Italian wild card Filippo Volandri.

May 7, 2003 from ATP:
There was no problem for fourth seed Roger Federer, who continued his winning form with a 7-6(4), 6-2 victory over Argentina's Mariano Zabaleta. The Swiss star, who captured his third title of the year in Munich last week, has won an ATP-best 33 matches so far in 2003. The 21-year-old from Basel now meets Spain's Tommy Robredo.

May 6, 2003 from AFP:
ROME - Roger Federer defeated Paul-Henri Mathieu in straight sets to advance to the second round of the clay court Rome Masters Series at the Foro Italico here on Tuesday. Federer triumphed 6-3, 7-5 for his 32nd victory of the season. After comfortably securing the first set, Federer came under pressure in the second as Mathieu started to dominate the baseline battle.

But the Frenchman’s serve let him down in the 10th game, allowing Federer to break and draw level at 5-5. Federer held serve and broke Mathieu again to close out the match, setting up a last 16 meeting against Argentine Mario Zabaleta. Federer, who must fancy of his chances of winning in the Italian capital following Andre Agassi’s shock exit on Monday, exhausted the book of cliches, saying he was looking no further than his next opponent. “I know it sounds boring but I’ll take each game as it comes,” he said. “There are so many good players here and every point is difficult that you can’t take anything for granted.”

Federer admitted he enjoyed some good fortune on his way to victory over Mathieu, the last player to beat Pete Sampras before the all-time Grand Slam champion took a break from tennis. “I didn’t feel I dominated the match, not even in the first set,” he added. “I wasn’t serving well and he started playing better. In the end I got lucky.”

May 4, 2003 from Tennis.com:
MUNICH, Germany (AP) - Roger Federer claimed his third title of the season Sunday, beating Finland's Jarkko Nieminen 6-1, 6-4 in the final of the BMW Open. The top-seeded Federer needed just 56 minutes to win the clay-court event for his seventh career title.

"I'm very happy about the way I played and I expect to be back next year,'' said Federer, who also won the Open 13 in Marseille, France, and the Dubai Championships this season. Federer won the first set in 19 minutes and sealed the victory on his third match point when the eighth-seeded Nieminen missed the line with a forehand.

Federer used an impressive display of power, mixed with lobs and drop shots, to win key points. He improved to 26-2 since the Australian Open. "Congratulations to Roger, he was by far the best player the whole week,'' said Nieminen, winless in four finals. "It was tough. I had to play so well every point just to have a chance.''

April, 2003 from TennisX:
Conspicuously absent-but-not-injured from the TMS-Monte Carlo are Lleyton Hewitt, Andre Agassi, Roger Federer, Marat Safin, Jan-Michael Gambill, and Mark Philippoussis.

Mar 29, 2003 from ATP:

Making up for a disappointing singles quarterfinal in which Roger Federer lost to Albert Costa despiting holding three match points, Federer and partner Max Mirnyi won their first Tennis Masters Series doubles title Saturday at the NASDAQ-100 Open, one year after reaching the semifinals here. It is the most prestigious doubles title to date for this particular pair, who won ATP titles in Rotterdam and Moscow last year and reached the final at the 2002 Pacific Life Open, while going 16-4 on the year as a duo. Mirnyi also won the US Open doubles crown with partner Mahesh Bhupathi in 2002. The 6-foot-1 Federer and the 6-foot-5 Mirnyi overpowered the smaller team of Leander Paes and David Rikl, breaking Paes/Rikl at 6-5 to win the first set and breaking again early in the second en route to the straight set win 7-5, 6-3. To reach the final, Federer/Mirnyi defeated the top seeded team of Mark Knowles and Daniel Nestor 6-3, 6-4, and later in the day Fernando Gonzalez and Tommy Robredo by the same score. "Having a partner like Roger is a big deal. He's a guy who understands what you need to do to win, even if it means playing two matches in one day like we did on Friday because of the rain," said Mirnyi. "We were both fit enough to play three matches in two days and we didn't exert ourselves too much since we won both in straight sets." "It's great for us to win because it's one of the biggest tournaments on tour and it's Roger's first Tennis Masters Series wins. It's the big ones like this that you always remember," said Mirnyi. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

Mar 27, 2003

Roger Federer serves during his quarterfinal match against Alberto Costa at the NASDAQ 100 Open. Costa lead Federer 6-7, 6-4, 6-5 when the match was halted due to rain. (Photo by Chris Trotman/NewSport)

Mar 24, 2003 from ATP:
Roger Federer took to primetime Monday night playing in front of an enthusiastic night crowd at the Tennis Center at Crandon Park, moving into the round of 16 for the third consecutive year. Last year's finalist was broken only once, in the second set, and needed three sets to defeat Juan Ignacio Chela of Argentina 6-1, 3-6, 6-1 in a match that was not as close as the scoreline indicated.

Putting Chela on the defensive with his serve, Federer mixed it up from the baseline with his backhand slice while attacking the short ball. He nows faces a tough test in Holland's Sjeng Schalken who has yet to drop a set this week.

Mar 19, 2003 from ATP:
Two-time ATP winner from this year Roger Federer and 2002 Wimbledon finalist David Nalbandian went to Miami's Seaquariam on Tuesday Mar. 18 before the start of the main draw of the NASDAQ-100 Open to enjoy a little marine wildlife by swimming with dolphins They were also alongside WTA players Iva Majoli and Anastasia Myskina. The four swam in the seaquariam's large pool with the friendly mammals after receiving brief instruction and science lesson from the Miami Seaquariam's dolphin trainers.

Nalbandian, who also made headlines earlier this year when he swam Down Under with sharks before the Australian Open really enjoyed his experience. "It was fantastic, these animals are so impressive in the water and such powerful swimmers." Nalbandian let one dolphin take him for a spin around the pool at speeds of up to 20 miles per hour.

Mar 18, 2003

David Nalbandian, Roger Federer, Iva Majoli and Anastasia Myskina pet a dolphin at the Miami Seaquarium on March 18, 2003 during the Nasdaq 100 Open in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

Mar 17, 2003

Roger Federer and Tournament Director Adam Barrett at the unveiling of the 2003 NASDAQ-100 Open draw on March 17, 2003 at the Tennis Center at Crandon Park in Miami, Florida.

Tournament Chairman and Founder Butch Buchholz, Iva Majoli , and Roger Federer with Frances and Larry Jones, founder and president of Feed the Children charity at the NASDAQ-100 Open on March 17, 2003 at the Tennis Center at Crandon Park. (Photos by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

Mar 11, 2003 from Pacific Life Open Official Site:
Fourth seed Roger Federer rallied from a set down to defeat Felix Mantilla to advance to the second round of the Pacific Life Open. Federer, who has now won 15 of his past 16 matches, was leading 6-7(4), 6-4, 4-1 when Mantilla retired with a stomach virus.

"It's always nice to win matches not playing well," Federer said. "It's always difficult, first match of any event. I didn't feel comfortable out there today even though I think I had good practice sessions the last two days. He's tough. He's an all-around player. He's really good from the baseline. That made me struggle a little bit to play my game. Luckily I could break him there in the second. That, if you look back, was maybe crucial."

Mar 2, 2003 from Eurosport:
Swiss top seed Roger Federer continued his incredible winning streak with victory in Dubai, beating third-seed Jiri Novak in an enthralling 6-1, 7-6 (7-2) final victory. Federer, looked eager to finish the match quickly and wrapped up the first set in little over half-an-hour. Novak provided a spirited resistence at the beginning of the second set to lead 3-1, but the 21-year-old broke back immediately and as the pair served towards a tie-break his hunger and desire showed for the $187,500 winners cheque. Since his Marseille Open title two weeks ago, Federer has won 14 of his 15 matches and rises to third in the Champions Race.

"I really try to forget last year. It's been for me a great four weeks. Last year I had the same schedule and couldn't cope with the fatigue. In Marseille I came through as number one seed, and here too. It's really good for your confidence," said Federer.

"Against Jiri the rallies are long and it's tough, because he moves around and gets a lot of balls back deep. I have to work hard against him and at one stage we were both looking for some air. Maybe my advantage was that I served a little better and varied my game a little more. I really focused on a good start today, because if I could take an early lead it was going to help me out and save some energy for the rest of the match."

Novak conceded that he had been beaten by the better player on the day. "In the first set he was playing unbelievable," said Novak. "It was my first match under the lights and it was a huge difference. He had been playing all his matches under the lights and it was a little bit of an advantage for him. He was killing me all the time from all the spots on the court. He won the first set 6-1, but the second set was open. The biggest problem was that I couldn't hold my serve today. I made two breaks in the second set (for 2-0 and 3-1) but I didn't hold my own serve. I just have to congratulate him because he was better."

from Dubai Tennis Championships:
The last word must go to men's champion Roger Federer, who beat Jiri Novak in the final. "It's a pity, I never found my way to the beach!" he said. "But it's so well organised here and you don't have to look far to find help. The site is nice, the centre court is good, the crowd is loud, and that gives a good atmosphere. I love the country too. I enjoyed the ceremony after the final. It's different and really special. There's a little bit of magic in the air, and I like that."

Mar 1, 2003 from Dubai Tennis Championships:
Roger Federer eased into the final of the Dubai Tennis Championships on Saturday, taking just 54 minutes to claim a 6-3 6-2 victory over unseeded Ivan Ljubicic. Federer showed superb control in windy conditions, guiding both his forehand and backhand with pinpoint accuracy, and he was solid on his serve, conceding just three points in the first set and five in the second.

By contrast Ljubicic's mighty serve rarely fired. He was also too casual on his backhand at times, and one feeble attempt allowed Federer to earn the only break of the first set. That came at 2-1, and the Swiss number one immediately stamped his authority on the second set, breaking in the opening game. A netted forehand at 3-1 gave Federer a further break, and virtually ended the contest.

"In my matches this week I wasn't feeling good at the start, but today was much better," said Federer. "I felt I was returning his serve really well. And his second serve was not as tough to return as I thought it was going to be, because he was struggling with his toss in the wind and because of the slow conditions."

"It seems like it (the wind) bothered me less than my opponent. In the beginning of my career, I just could not play in the wind. I would get really frustrated. So now the wind makes me really happy. At one stage, I could play indoors. Most of the tournaments are played outdoors so I'm glad I'm playing so well in the wind."

Feb 28, 2003 from ATP:
Top seed Roger Federer continues his run through the Dubai Tennis Championships, now in his first Dubai semifinal after defeating Moroccan Wild Card Hicham Arazi 7-5, 6-3.

Federer: “Gusty winds came from all directions but I thought I got the rhythm when I broke back. I think I was playing too passive at the start because I just wanted to keep the ball in play. I thought he was not playing as I aggressive as I’m used to. His game can really get to your head, the way it did to me at the French Open (2002) but I really learned from that match and haven’t lost a set since.”

Feb 27, 2003 from ATP:
Top seed Roger Federer cruised through his match against German qualifier Maximillan Abel 6-4, 7-5 at the Dubai Tennis Championships.

Federer: “I’m much fitter (than last year), also when I come home to Switzerland and work hard. I feel much better mentally as well, like I’ve grown up."

from ATP Insider:
IN DUBAI...Roger Federer took a break from the courts to go shopping at the Dubai Duty Free shop floor. Shop officials presented Federer with a glass engraved with an image of his face inside that had been created especially for him. Federer also visited the Irish Village.

Feb 26, 2003 from Dubai Tennis Championships:
Top seed Roger Federer breezed into the second round of the Dubai Tennis Championships on Wednesday, beating Georgian left-hander Irakli Labadze 6-3 6-3. Although Labadze occasionally unleashed some fierce forehands, he was far too erratic to offer any real threat to the world number five. Federer broke serve as early as the second game, and two of the three breaks he achieved in the second set came when his opponent double-faulted.

“It was still a tough match and I really had to watch out because I knew he takes a lot of risks. For me, all I could do was to make sure to have a high first serve percentage, scramble to get balls back, make him play and not give him shoulder high ball. That’s why I used a lot of slice today. I feel strange to win these kind of matches, playing so passive. Normally my game is more to attack, but with a lefty he doesn’t really allow you to do that, especially on his service games. I’m very happy to win this one,” said Federer.

Feb 22, 2003 from ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament and ATP:
Prior to today’s semi-final, Roger Federer had won ten matches in succession. Thinking aloud after his quarter-final victory over Yevgeny Kafelnikov, Mirny commented: "And why shouldn’t I be the one to end Federer’s string of wins". A day later, his words came true. The Byelorussian surprised his Swiss doubles partner by beating him 5-7, 6-3, 6-4 in front of a capacity crowd.

Having won the toss, Mirnyi elected to serve. Obviously not quite warmed up yet, he immediately lost the game. Although Mirnyi won Federer’s third service game, the Byelorussian again handed in his serve in the eleventh game, serving a double fault at break point. Federer went on to take the opening set 7-5.

Federer’s fortunes reversed during his third service game in the second set, which he lost. The Swiss subsequently failed to convert three break points in the ninth game, allowing Mirnyi to deploy his favourite weapon – an ace – to take the set 3-6.

The Swiss started to get tired at this stage. He again ran into trouble during his third service game, but managed to hold on by the skin of his teeth. It proved a stay of execution. Federer, who fell and hurt his elbow during the eight game, lost his service in the ninth. Mirnyi subsequently produced two aces to take the set 4-6.

Roger Federer: "I didn't feel so good out there today. I felt I was under pressure out there. We both know each other's game really well, so when we have to play an important point, we normally know where each of us are going to serve. It is stuff like that which you tend to know if you play doubles together."

"I definitely didn't get the same rhythm. If the balls are in play, I am meant to win the rallies, but the points were very short and I had a problem winning from the baseline."

"I am happy for him to be in the final. Obviously it is disappointing for me, but he played solidly and didn't miss. He deserves to win."

Feb 21, 2003 from ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament and ATP:
Roger Federer has become a real obsession for Sjeng Schalken in 2003. Having lost their Davis Cup encounter in the Netherlands two weeks ago, Schalken suffered another punishing defeat at the hands of Federer (6-2 6-4). "I was really irritated with myself" Schalken confessed afterwards "the Davis Cup match was still on my mind. You see, two weeks ago, I played better than I usually play. But I nevertheless lost in three sets. My only option today was to play better still. Unfortunately, I forced things and ended up making more mistakes as a result."

Schalken never got a grip on the match. Federer broke Schalken’s serve during the sixth game to take a 4-2 lead. Schalken also lost his fourth service game, partly as a result of a double-fault, enabling the Swiss to take the first set 6-2. "Federer played very relaxed. It seems as though he doesn’t need to exert himself" said Schalken.

However, judging by the statistics, Federer was clearly vulnerable during the second set. Schalken finally managed to break his serve in the fifth game, taking a 2-3 lead. He was immediately broken back and - to add insult to injury - lost his next service game, allowing Federer to serve for the match. Encouraged by the crowd, Schalken fought back to 5-4. Federer remained unruffled and used his fourth match point to take the set and the match.

"I feel good at the moment and enjoy playing here in Rotterdam. I was given a wildcard in 1999 and lost to Kafelnikov in the quarter-finals. I am grateful for the help I received from the tournament organisation during my early career, and would like to show my appreciation by coming back to Rotterdam every year" Federer decided.

Roger Federer: "Now I am playing with a lot of confidence. The further I go, the better I play. I'm definitely on a roll. I am not sure if I have had such a long winning streak before."

"I am a different player to a couple of years ago when I was playing very well. I am much more experienced. I know much more about the game."

"The center court here is beautiful. There's a good crowd, the surface... I really like this tournament."

"I have good memories here. I was given a wild card in 1999 to play in the qualifying. I reached the quarterfinals and almost beat Kafelnikov. I like to come back here. I recognise that they helped me out when my career was starting out so that's why I come back every year."

Federer was serving for the match at 6-2, 5-3, but Schalken broke back. "He took chances and risks at the end to break my serve. We were also playing with new balls which are difficult to control. It was important for me to stay focused."

On his goals to be No. 1: "My goal is to be No. 1 in a couple of years. If it comes earlier, I'll take it. As I said before, I have a lot of points to defend until Hamburg, so I will just try and keep my ranking. I don't have many points to defend in the summer, so if I have a good slam or other tournaments, I have a good chance of improving my ranking."

Feb 20, 2003 from ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament:
Roger Federer almost effortlessly made his way to the quarter-finals, beating Fabrice Santoro 6-0, 6-4. The Swiss summarily dealt with the Frenchman, whom he had not played before. "It seemed a lot easier than it was. Although I played a good opening set, I risked getting into trouble from then on. Although that did not happen, it would have been easier if I had broken his service earlier in the second set. As it was, I had to stay on top of the match by producing solid returns and playing aggressive rallies. I took a lot of risk, but was rewarded accordingly."

Roger Federer plays Sjeng Schalken in the quarter-finals. This will be their third meeting in the Netherlands. Last year, Schalken beat Federer in Den Bosch while two weeks ago the Swiss levelled the score during their Davis Cup match. "The crowd will be looking for Schalken to avenge himself, so it will not be an easy match" said Federer.

Feb 19, 2003 from ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament:
Roger Federer is still in form. The Swiss number two seed reached the second round by beating Thomas Enqvist 3-6, 6-3, 6-4. Federer’s joy was all the greater because the Swede had won their last three encounters. Federer: "although I realise that the tournament attracts strong players, it is always difficult to play opponents like Enqvist in the first round".

"I had difficulties getting into my stride during the first set. However, I soon found my rhythm and started playing more prudently," explained Federer. "I also had to get used to the balls and the lighting here in Rotterdam. I occasionally had problems tracking the ball."

Jan 18, 2003 from ATP:
Roger Federer has advanced to the fourth round of the Australian Open without dropping a set after defeating Swede Andreas Vinciguerra 6-3, 6-4, 6-2. Federer reached the fourth round in Melbourne last year and held match point against Tommy Haas, but lost 8-6 in the fifth set.

Federer did not reach a Grand Slam quarterfinal last year. His two career Grand Slam quarterfinal appearances came in 2001 at Roland Garros and Wimbledon. The Swiss enjoyed a strong serving day against Vinciguerra, winning 82 per cent of points on his first serve and 67 per cent on his second serve