Mar 30, 2004 from ESPN:
KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. - Looking at the draw sheet for a tournament has become something of a nightmare for Andrei Pavel. Every time, he sees Roger Federer's name. The hard-hitting phenom has lost four times to Federer this year, and only twice otherwise. So don't be surprised if Pavel sends a thank-you gift to Rafael Nadal, who knocked Federer out of the Nasdaq-100 Open on Sunday night with a 6-3, 6-3 victory. Or at least gives him a thumbs up.

Thus far, Pavel has lost just six matches this year -- four to Federer: Davis Cup in Pavel's home in Romania, in Rotterdam, Dubai and at Indian Wells. Pavel's not even one of the seven players who have managed to force Federer to drop a set this year.

So when Pavel looked at the draw for the Nasdaq-100, there was Federer lurking in a potential quarterfinal match. Pavel says the other players give him a hard time about it. "But you know, what can I do?" Pavel asked. How about communicate? Pavel said when he sees Federer in the halls, he good-naturedly salutes him.

"I always go like (this)," he said, smiling as he crosses his arms and flips a double bird, then crossing them the other way for another salute. "He's a very cool guy," Pavel said. "He laughs."

Pavel's only problem has been that a backhand naturally plays right into the Federer forehand. Earlier, Pavel indicated that his only hope was beyond hope -- for Federer to lose early. "I hope he's getting tired of winning," Pavel said, smiling. On Sunday night, at least, Federer did.

Mar 28, 2004 from AP:
KEY BISCAYNE - Rafael Nadal, a 17-year-old Spaniard, closed out the biggest victory of his career last night by beating the top-ranked Roger Federer 6-3, 6-3 in the third round of the Nasdaq-100 Open.

Federer lost for only the second time in 25 matches this year. The loss was an upset but no fluke: Nadal has been touted as a future top-10 player and showed shotmaking skills worthy of the hype. "I was afraid he could win 6-1, 6-1,'' Nadal said. "I played almost perfect tennis.''

"I served extremely well,'' he said. "Probably I never served like this in my life. That was the key.'' Federer's practice time during the week was curtailed by a bout with the flu, although he declined to use that as an excuse. "Obviously, he didn't play his best tennis,'' Nadal said. "If he had played his best tennis, I would have had no chance.''

Mar 27, 2004 from AFP:
KEY BISCAYNE, Florida - World number one Roger Federer, fighting off illness and a determined Russian rival Nikolay Davydenko, struggled into the third round of the WTA and ATP Masters Series here. Federer won his 12th match in a row and improved to 23-1 on the season by rallying from a break down in the third set for a 6-2, 3-6, 7-5 victory. He will face Spain's 34th-ranked Rafael Nadal on Sunday for a round of 16 berth.

Federer, 22, has won three ATP titles this year, including Dubai and Indian Wells this month and his second Grand Slam crown at the Australian Open, while 54th-ranked Davydenko, 22, had won only three matches all year. Federer, who missed three days of practice with fever and vomitting, hit seven aces and 27 winners but his 36 unforced errors were 22 more than the Russian, who lost their only prior match 6-3, 6-7 (4/7), 7-5 in 2002 at Milan.

Federer netted a backhand to surrender a service break and give Davydenko a 3-1 lead in the final set, but broke back in the fifth game and once more in the crucial 11th game. Federer squandered two break points with forehands beyond the baseline but fired a forehand winner on his third break point to seize a 6-5 edge, then held at love to escape after one hour and 57 minutes.

Mar 26, 2004 from AP:
No. 1-ranked Roger Federer's opening match against Nikolay Davydenko was postponed until Saturday because of rain.

Mar 24, 2004 from ATP:
INDESIT ATP 2004 Race leader Roger Federer clinched the ATPtennis.com Fans’ Favorite Award after finishing narrowly ahead of three-time Roland Garros champion Gustavo Kuerten. More than 19,700 fans voted in the poll. Federer attracted 3,372 votes, just 110 more than Kuerten (3,262). Andre Agassi (2,595), Andy Roddick (2,143) and Guillermo Coria (1,801) rounded out the Fans’ Top 5.

The ATP Awards Presented by Waterford Crystal also acknowledged milestones achieved by players in 2003, Federer won his fifth and tenth titles last year. He was also nominated for Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award.

from The Nation:
Defending Thailand Open champion Taylor Dent and world No 6 Carlos Moya are two of the worldclass players who will be contesting the US$ 555,000 (Bt21.9 million) 2004 Thailand Open at Muang Thong Thani from September 25 to October 3. Brian Marcar, the managing director of BEC Tero Entertainment, the organisers of the richest tennis tournament in Asia, revealed yesterday that as well as Thai star Paradorn Srichaphan, titleholder Dent and the Spaniard Moya will battle it out for the trophy in Asia’s premier tennis competition.

He said there is also a strong possibility that world No 1 Roger Federer, who won the season opening Australian Open, and American heartthrob Andy Roddick, who made a last minute withdrawal from the tournament last year, might also play in this year’s tournament. “Dent and Moya are two worldclass players who have accepted our invitations. Now I’m negotiating with Federer and Roddick’s agents. I will bring the world’s No 1 tennis player no matter how much the appearance fee costs,” he said.

from Palm Beach Post:
Gustavo Kuerten, seeded 18th, sees a common objective among the men pros. "I think right now it's all about trying to catch Roger (Federer)," Kuerten said of the world's top-ranked player. "The success he's had the past three months has been phenomenal. We had that with (Pete) Sampras and Agassi, but he's (Federer) been as dominating as anyone in a long time."

Mar 21, 2004 from Pacific Life Open Official Site:
Top seed Roger Federer captured his second ATP Masters Series shield and first in Indian Wells with a comprehensive 6-3, 6-3 victory over Britain’s Tim Henman to win the Pacific Life Open. Federer, the first Swiss man to win in Indian Wells, took just 1 hour, 6 minutes to claim his third title of the year and extend his INDESIT ATP Race lead to 221 points over Marat Safin in second place.

With temperatures reaching 106 Fahrenheit (41 Celsius) in the final, Federer made just five unforced errors while hitting 12 winners and winning 78 percent of his service points. He also broke Henman’s serve three times and did not face a single break point on his own serve. He got the first break to lead 3-1 in the opening set, before breaking in the third and final game of the second, as Henman’s backhand approach hit the net on match point.

The Swiss star has now won 27 of his last 28 matches dating back to his Tennis Masters Cup victory. He is 22-1 so far in 2004, having suffered his only loss of the year at the hands of Henman in the quarterfinals at Rotterdam. His victory in the Indian Wells final was only Federer’s second win over Henman in eight career meetings.

This Pacific Life Open final was the fourth ATP Masters Series final for both players, with Federer winning in Hamburg in 2002. Federer dropped only one set in his six wins en route to his 14th career ATP title, that coming in his three-set semifinal victory over Andre Agassi. Federer has now won his last five ATP finals (Indian Wells, Dubai, Australian Open, Tennis Masters Cup, Vienna), and he also becomes the third consecutive World No. 1 to win the Indian Wells title.

"I'd had difficulty with Tim in the past and I'm really happy to have won today to get one of the biggest titles in the world," said Federer. "He proved he's the best player in the world right now. It's one of those occasions where I didn't perhaps play my best, but I wasn't allowed to," Henman said. "He's a great athlete," Henman said. "He's quick, but I think it's his balance that is good. You can move him out of position, but he's very good at holding his balance, hitting a good shot and getting back into position."

Upon being presented on the court with a 30 centimetre high bronze statue of a mother whale and her young, Federer joked, "I have a cow and it is going to be jealous."

Roger Federer looks at his girlfriend as he celebrates. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/AP)

Roger Federer poses with the trophy. (Photo by Robert Galbraith/Reuters)

Mar 20, 2004 from Pacific Life Open Official Site:
Top seed Roger Federer moved through to his first Pacific Life Open final after a thrilling three-set victory over former champion Andre Agassi. The current INDESIT ATP 2004 Race leader came through 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 in 1 hour, 53 minutes, to record his third consecutive victory over the American and will now meet Britain’s Tim Henman. The reigning Wimbledon and Australian Open champion has now won 21 of his 22 matches so far in 2004 and is 26 of 27 dating back to the Tennis Masters Cup in Houston - a streak that began with a three-set victory over Agassi in the round robin stage.

Federer, who began his sixth career meeting with Agassi looking to reach his fourth ATP Masters Series final and continue his bid for a third title of the year, struggled to find his rhythm in the early stages as Agassi broke to lead 3-2 in the opening set. Agassi continuously attacked Federer’s backhand as the 22-year-old Swiss star made 16 unforced errors from that wing during the match, three of which came as Agassi served for the opening set. In contrast, the American was firing on all cylinders and produced a trademark crosscourt backhand winner of his own to take the first set.

But Federer soon put that disappointment behind him to break Agassi’s serve in the second game of the second set and quickly opened up a 3-0 lead before taking the match into a decider. Federer, who defeated Agassi twice en route to claiming the Tennis Masters Cup title in Houston last year, was starting to find his game as he continued to put pressure on the Agassi serve in the first game of the final set. After saving three break points, Agassi finally held on his fifth game point as the crowd sensed the American was beginning to take control.

With Federer serving at 4-3, Agassi created two break opportunities with some breathtaking play, only to see Federer produce two stunning forehand winners to prevent the danger. In the next game, Agassi then led 40-15 and hit what seemed to be a winning volley until Federer came up with another crushing forehand that Agassi could only deflect mid-court to present an easy winner for the Swiss. In no time at all, Agassi found himself break point down and hit a backhand wide to hand Federer the chance to serve out for the match. He wasted little time, holding to love with a 114 mph out wide to book his place in the final. Federer had 11 aces, hammered 30 winners and registered a 82 percent success rate on first serve points.

Mar 18, 2004 from Pacific Life Open Official Site:
Top seed Roger Federer became the first Swiss man to reach the semifinals of the Pacific Life Open with an impressive 6-2, 6-1 victory over Juan Ignacio Chela. Despite having his serve broken for the first time in the tournament in the third game of the match, the INDESIT ATP 2004 Race leader fired 24 winners as he booked his place in the last four in just 62 minutes. Federer had a 74 percent success rate on first-serve points. He won 63 of 102 total points.

The 22-year-old, who is attempting to win his third title of the year and his second career ATP Masters Series shield, extended his 2004 record to 20-1. The reigning Wimbledon and Australian Open champion also has won 25 of his last 26 matches dating back to his Tennis Masters Cup victory in Houston and has dropped just 15 games en route to the semifinals this week.

Chela, who ended Lleyton Hewitt’s two-reign in Indian Wells in the third round earlier this week, was broken in his opening service game as Federer raced into a 2-0 lead. But the Argentine immediately broke back, stopping the Swiss star’s run of 26 consecutive service holds this week.

At 2-2, Chela again had a break point but Federer saved that and won the next nine games in a row to lead 5-0 in the second set with his typical style of breathtaking tennis. After Chela held to get on the scoreboard, Federer closed out the match after chasing down a drop shot by the Argentine to book his place in his sixth ATP Masters Series semifinal.

Mar 17, 2004 from SignOnSanDiego:
Off the court at Pacific Life Open Indian Wells: Roger Federer was scheduled to sign autographs for 20 minutes on the tournament grounds. He stayed for 40 minutes.

Roger Federer of Switzerland signs autographs and poses for pictures during the Pacific Life Open, March 17, 2004, at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden in Indian Wells, California. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

Mar 16, 2004 from Pacific Life Open Official Site:
Top seed Roger Federer moved through to the quarterfinals of the Pacific Life Open for the first time after a comprehensive 6-4, 6-1 victory over American Mardy Fish. Federer has now won 24 of his last 25 matches dating back to the Tennis Masters Cup Houston, and has won an ATP-best 19 of his 20 matches so far this year. Federer, whose best performance in Indian Wells prior to this year was a third round showing in 2002, took just 1 hour, 11 minutes to defeat the No. 18 seeded Fish, who was the only player to win a set against the Swiss star at Wimbledon last year.

After a close first set in which neither player managed to find any rhythm, it was Federer who made the breakthrough in the 10th game. After eight deuces and four set points, Federer finally clinched the set and never looked back from there. With his confidence flowing, Federer demonstrated his full repertoire – including a backhand winner around the net post – and broke twice in the second set to cruise into the last eight. Federer made just 11 unforced errors to Fish's 28. Fish also had five double faults.

Fish, who has now lost all three of his matches against Federer, said: “He just puts so much pressure on you. He's just constantly, just constantly pressuring you. That's why he's so good. He's definitely the best player in the world. He's obviously showing it. I mean, he just consistently beats guys he should beat. I'm ranked 19. I didn't play that badly today, and he beat me 4-1. He consistently beats the guys that he should beat relatively easily every time.”

Roger Federer arches his back as he serves to Mardy Fish during their match at the Pacific Life Open at Indian Wells, California, March 16, 2004. Federer is the tournament's top seed. (Photo by Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)

Roger Federer returns against Mardy Fish during the second set of their fourth-round match at the Pacific Life Open tennis tournament Tuesday, March 16, 2004, in Indian Wells, Calif. Federer won 6-4, 6-1. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/AP)

from Reuters:
After her victory against Czech teenager Barbora Strycova 6-3, 6-4, Justine Henin-Hardenne said that she learned a great deal from watching Roger Federer play. "Him and Agassi are my favorite players. I think I watch them a lot. I watched the match this afternoon. And I learned a lot of things. I'm very impressed the way Federer is playing right now," said the Belgian, who is world number one and can boast an equally impressive 17-1 record this year.

"The confidence he got, I think now he is the best for sure. He's playing unbelievable tennis. He believes in himself. It's going to be tough for the others, I mean, to come back on him in the ranking. I think that he's going to have a pretty good season if he keeps going on this way."

from ATP:
Roger Federer has been nominated for the prestigious 2004 Laureus World Sportsman of the Year Award. Federer has been nominated along with some of the biggest names in world sport. Also nominated are Lance Armstrong, Michael Phelps, Michael Schumacher, Valentino Rossi and Jonny Wilkinson.

The winners of the fifth Laureus World Sports Awards, as voted by the Laureus World Sports Academy, will be unveiled during a TV ceremony staged at the Centro Cultural de Belem on the Lisbon Coast on May 10, 2004.

from The Desert Sun:
Evaluating Roger Federer: Tennis reporter Leighton Ginn asked some of the Coachella Valley’s top tennis experts to look at the strengths and weaknesses of some of the top players at the Pacific Life Open:

Tommy Tucker (Renowned coach): “At his best, in full flight, he’s one of the best I’ve ever seen. When he’s in full flow, confident, it doesn’t matter who he plays. I think he’s up there with the greats, the (Rod) Lavers, the (Pete) Sampras. Every era has a great champion … You go through every year, I can name the great champions. I put Federer in that category in his time frame at his best.”

Rod Laver (Two-time Grand Slam winner): "In many ways, he’s the best player on tour. He’s able to pull off almost any shot he wants to. He has good timing and his serve is a relaxed motion. It doesn’t look like he’s doing much, but people aren’t returning it."

Mark Woodforde (Former top doubles player): "You can’t deny he’s the most talented player. His tendency to lose focus in certain matches is becoming less and less of an occurrence, which is why he’s the No. 1 ranked player."

Charlie Pasarell (Former ATP player, Open tournament director): "A talent beyond belief. In terms of gifts and talents, I put him with the Rod Lavers, John McEnroes and Pete Sampras. He’s got everything. The guy is a genius on the tennis court. He can play on every surface. If he continues the way he’s going, with the way he’s playing and with the confidence he’s playing with, he’ll end up being one of the great ones of all time."

Jose Higueras (Former player, world-renowned coach): "Like everyone has been saying, it’s obvious he’s a great talent. I would say he’s the most exciting player to watch because of what he can do with the ball and how complete of a player he is with great instincts and a great repertoire of shots."

Peggy Michel (Wimbledon, Australian Open doubles champ, VP Sales for PLO): "He’s one of my favorites. I love his all-around game. He has every shot in the book. He’s fun to watch. I love his game, because people see every different stroke.He has every shot in the book and it’s fun to watch him play."

Mar 15, 2004 from The Desert Sun:
INDIAN WELLS - Roger Federer continued his winning streak in the third round of the Pacific Life Open. The No. 1 ranked player in the world will advance to the fourth round at Indian Wells Tennis Garden for the first time following Monday’s straight-set victory over Fernando Gonzalez. Federer’s hot streak extends to 23 of his last 24 matches dating back to the Tennis Masters Cup. The Australian Open and Wimbledon champion, who won last week in Dubai, is seeking his third title of the year.

The 22-year-old Swiss made it look easy, coasting to a 6-3, 6-2 triumph in 62 mins. In the first meeting between the two, Federer ripped six aces to one for Gonzalez. He made 16 unforced errors while the No. 25-seeded Chilean finished with 22. And, while many players said they were bothered by the triple-digit heat, Federer said that hasn’t been a factor for him due to the low humidity level. Federer is on top of the rankings, but he knows there will be no easy match. His next opponent is American Mardy Fish.

Roger Federer warms up before his match against Fernando Gonzalez at the Pacific Life Open in Indian Wells, Calif. on Monday, March 15, 2004. (Photo by Laura Rauch/AP)

Laureus World Sports Awards nominees Justine Henin-Hardenne and Roger Federer pose with tennis legend and fellow nominee Martina Navratilova after being notified of their nominations during the Pacific Life Open, March 15, 2004, at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden in Indian Wells, California. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Laureus/Getty Images)

Mar 14, 2004 from Pacific Life Open Official Site:
Current INDESIT ATP 2004 Race leader Roger Federer claimed his seventh successive victory and fourth this year over Romanian Andrei Pavel to move through to the third round of the Pacific Life Open. The top seed from Switzerland broke Pavel’s serve five times en route to a 6-1, 6-1 win in just 63 minutes. Federer was the far superior player on the day, confusing the Romanian with a wide variety of serves, gunning his forehand to all angles of the court and returning Pavel's serve with ease. Federer hit five aces to Pavel's one and smashed 27 winners, 18 more than Pavel, who struggled with 18 unforced errors and made three double faults.

Federer has now won 22 of his last 23 matches dating back to the Tennis Masters Cup Houston. The Australian Open and Wimbledon champion, seeking his second ATP Masters Series shield and third title of the year, is 17-1 in 2004. Federer, who defeated Pavel earlier this year at the Davis Cup tie in Bucharest, in Rotterdam and two weeks ago en route to the title in Dubai, admitted it’s never easy playing someone so many times in such a short space of time. Federer will now meet Fernando Gonzalez for the first time for a place in the fourth round.

Mar 13, 2004 from SignOnSanDiego:
INDIAN WELLS – A day at the Pacific Life Open without the men's seeds hitting tennis balls became a day on which they instead delivered themselves of a different variety of hot shots. Such as this: Roger Federer: "The Tennis Masters Series events (such as this one) to me are maybe the toughest tournaments to win because from the first round on, you're playing very good players."

Tim Henman, Lleyton Hewitt, Andy Roddick and Federer were presented in separate news conferences at the Tennis Garden of Indian Wells as a means of heralding their appearances in the $2.77 million men's phase of the Pacific Life Open. Henman, Roddick and Federer all pronounced their games at a high level. Said Roddick of Federer: "He has an awesome feel for the game. People didn't want to play him in the juniors because he would make them look foolish. He doesn't beat himself. Roger always had the game; he always has had the shots. Maybe he just tightened it up. I think that may be mental. But it's not a two-man race."

Said Federer, 16-1 this season after winning recently in Dubai: "Obviously, with such a start and with the great tournament I had in Dubai, my confidence is very good. It's a really good feeling."

Mar 12, 2004 from Roger Federer Official Site:
The calf of Roger’s cow Juliette is doing just fine. While Roger is preparing on the courts in Indian Wells, she is drinking her mother’s milk or is being fed by the farmer family. Soon she will be outside, running around on the willows of Gstaad and getting used to life at a dairy. Swiss idyll just like in the story books…

Mar 10, 2004 from SignOnSanDiego:
The men's phase of the Pacific Life Open, beginning Friday, yesterday lost Goran Ivanisevic and with his withdrawal lost what would have been an opening-round feature – Ivanisevic against Todd Martin. Instead of Ivanisevic, Antony Dupuis will be engaging Martin. Lleyton Hewitt is the defending champion here, but he is only the No. 8 seed, which places him in the same quarter of the draw with No. 1 seed Roger Federer.

"In almost any conditions, Federer is the guy to beat," judged Martin. "It's easy to say, considering he is the No. 1 in the world, but he's the most complete player and he responds well to all conditions. Other than that, I think Andre Agassi is always a threat." Martin doesn't discount himself. "If I can get started well, I think I have as good a chance as most of the guys," he said. "Not as good as the Federers and the Agassis, but I've got my shot."

Mar 7, 2004 from AFP:
World number one Roger Federer became the first man to successfully defend the Dubai Open title when he defeated unseeded Spaniard Feliciano Lopez 4-6, 6-1, 6-2 in Sundays final.

The top seeded Swiss player claimed his second title of the year, after the Australian Open, and the 13th title of his career. It also ensured that Federer would maintain a cushion of at least 400 points at the top of the world rankings over Juan Carlos Ferrero, and edge further ahead of the third-placed Andy Roddick, who lost in the semi-finals in Scottsdale.

But Federer was given a tough time for a set and a half by the 22-year-old left-hander. The Wimbledon champion showed his growing maturity as he weathered a storm of tremendous attacking from Lopez, before taking control.

"I'm very happy - it's been a great week for me," said Federer. "He started really well and it was difficult to come back and I had to fight hard. I had a little more experience but I think he is definitely going to win his first title soon."

Federer made an indifferent start, and ultimately it was this which cost him the first set. He put a backhand volley wide, without being under great pressure, to go 30-40 down, and followed it with a forehand drive over-hit to lose his serve.

It did wonders for Lopez's confidence in his first ATP final, particularly after he managed to cling on to his first service game after a shaky couple of points. Soon he was striking inside out forehands which had great speed and good disguise and put Federer under pressure almost every time he connected with them. He also showed quickly that he could win points from the forecourt or the back with about equal facility.

When Federer got a dreadful call in the sixth game - a Lopez delivery on the sideline was so long that even the sporting Swiss player protested - it created the feeling that the fates were not aligned in his favour. But he made a big attempt to break back in the eighth game. It had seven deuces and Lopez survived five break points, though he might not have survived the first had Federer not sliced a disappointing backhand down the line into the tramlines.

The other four however were superbly saved by Lopez, who was building up some assertive serving, especially to the backhand court, and beginning to move around as if he felt he could win. When serving for the set he slipped to 30-40 down but retrieved it with a winning smash-forehand drive combination despite some wonderfully athletic defence by Federer.

But the match changed direction after four games of the second set. Lopez had a winning opportunity at the net and missed an open court to go break point down, and Federer converted it by working his way to the net and putting away his volley. Soon it was 4-1 as Federer held and 5-1 as Lopez played an indifferent service game, with the mood of the match shifting markedly as well. Federer closed out the set easily and looked more relaxed.

He continued into the final set by applying steady pressure while ensuring Lopez played plenty of balls. It paid dividends. From a medium paced ball the young Spaniard put an attacking forehand into the net to go 30-40 down, and from a quiet little rolled backhand Lopez volleyed into the net to drop serve again. That put Federer 2-1 up, and soon he had a double break, this time gifted to him by an opponent who was starting to feel the pressure and was responding erratically.

In his next service game at 40-30 Lopez slashed a high forehand volley into the net from right on top of it, and followed it with a half volley wide and another missed forehand volley in his next two net attacks. It ended the match as a contest. Lopez saved a match point in his next service game, but 22-year-old Federer closed out the match on his serve without fuss.

"Once again today I realised why Roger is the best player in the world," Lopez said. "Your first final is always very special," Federer told Lopez. "I'm sorry to beat you today, but I think you are going to win many more finals."

Federer was presented with his second silver dhow trophy. "I now have two cows and two boats," he said. "But the cows won't fit into the boats."

"I thought he might keep it up," said Federer. "He definitely played good tennis and it was difficult to come back against him, especially to give him the lead like I did after I got broken in the very first game. I knew right away when I gave him that start it would be difficult. I had many, many chances to come back but I felt it (the match) could swing away so I was happy to change some things in the second set and from then on it went really well. I changed my return, because every time I had break chances on the ad court and every time I thought I played a good point but I lost it. So I had to take more risks. It helped me to have played a left-hander the day before. But Lopez looked more aggressive and dangerous than Jarko Nieminen."

"He played unbelievable tennis, I thought. I played good tennis except for that first game, and he came up with some unbelievable shots, unbelievable power, great serving and he totally deserved that first set. This means very much to me, to come back from a set down in a final. I don't remember if I ever did this before. Except for that first game I thought I played a perfect match," added the 22-year-old Wimbledon champion.

Federer on how he rates this win and title: "Very high! Especially to come back from a set down and to win; it's very difficult in general in tennis, especially in the finals. I thought experience could play a role, and it did a little bit because he probably got a little frustrated. This (title) is very high in my rankings; defending a title is something else than winning the first time."

Lopez said: "Well I'm happy because I had a great week. I was playing so good especially at the beginning of the match. I was close today; I almost beat the best player in the world, so I have to be happy. He (Federer) was returning my serve so good and then he served unbelievable in the second and third sets. He was getting better and better as the match went on but I was getting a little down as the match went on. The thing is, I was playing wonderful tennis in the first set but it's not easy to keep it going."

Roger Federer from Switzerland, holds the trophy next to Spain's Feliciano Lopez after Federer defeated him, 4-6, 6-1, 6-2 during the final match at the Dubai Open tennis Tournament in Dubai, UAE. Sunday, March 7, 2004. (Photo by Victor Romero/AP)

Mar 6, 2004 from Reuters and ATPtennis.com:
DUBAI - Roger Federer fought off three set points before beating Finnish left-hander Jarkko Nieminen 7-6 6-2 Saturday and booking a place in the Dubai Open final against unseeded Spaniard Feliciano Lopez.

Nieminen severely tested the Wimbledon and Australian Open champion in the opening set, often forcing the world number one into errors. Federer broke in the fifth game, but the setback merely inspired the Finn to become even more aggressive, and he got back on level terms by winning the next eight points. The set then moved to a tiebreak, with Federer's only double fault of the match giving Nieminen a 6-4 lead. Federer saved the first set point with a forehand winner and then forced two errors on the second and third before he clinched the set 9-7 in the tiebreak on another Nieminen error.

The second set was more comfortable for the Swiss after he broke for a 2-0 lead, but at 3-1 Nieminen nearly broke back, getting the champion love-40 down before he pulled it back. At 5-2, Federer then hit an astounding cross-court forehand after running the length of the baseline and striking the ball almost from the stands. "That was almost a semi-tank shot. It was such a low percentage shot. But I enjoyed it a lot," said Federer. A stunned Nieminen could only put his hurried response into the net, and before he could recover his composure he was down 0-40. The Finn saved the first two match points, but Federer closed out the match with a winning forehand.

WHAT THE PLAYERS SAID
Federer: "It was really difficult. I'm almost happy playing a leftie again tomorrow because to face those different spins all the time is not easy. I thought about the last time I played against a leftie and it was Jarkko last year in Vienna. I'm really not used to it, there's not many around and we could see clearly that I was struggling and missing a lot of easy shots. That's because you think the ball is going one way and it goes another, and it took me some time. Once again, my serve saved me out of some trouble and I had to play aggressive."

"He deserved to win the first set - I thought he was the better player. It was really difficult. But I sneaked up on him and in the end it was a good match for me. In the second set he became more aggressive. He was going for more which suited my game better."

(Against Lopez) "It's going to be a different match because he (Lopez) plays with a one-handed backhand so he's going to slice his backhand more and this will change the whole tactic of the game. I've never lost to him on the Tour but I'm looking forward to a difficult one, because he must be very confident."

Nieminen: "I had three set points in the tie-breaker and on two of those I had pretty good chances but I went for a little too much with two unforced errors. It's a shame I couldn't take the first as it would have been interesting how the match would go after that. Then the second set I had chances to break but I couldn't then he just played too good, and if you don't take chances against Roger then you lose."

Lopez: (Playing Federer in the final) "I played Roger twice last year. When we played in Wimbledon, I played really good, but he was playing unbelievable at the time. Then we played in Madrid (indoors), I was really close to winning. I had 64 44 and 0-40 on his serve and then got out of it and I lost my opportunity. It's not easy to play against Roger, he's the best player in the world. I told everybody two years ago that he would become number one. I just have to go on court and do the best I can and to put him in trouble. If he plays good everybody knows he will be difficult."

Mar 5, 2004 from Reuters:
DUBAI - Roger Federer reached the semi-finals of the Dubai Open on Friday with a comfortable 6-3 6-3 victory over Romania's Andrei Pavel, after 68 minutes. The defending champion made a few simple errors early in the match but he was never threatened and soon took control against a frustrated opponent. He is the only seeded player to reach the semifinals and now moves to 9-1 in his career in Dubai.

"I'm very happy that I won. I played well from the baseline but I need to play more agressive, that's my game. In the early rounds I tend to play more passive because I don't want to chase the lines too much and now (in the semis) I feel I can and I feel now my level of game has picked up," said the Australian Open and Wimbledon champion. "He's a very tough opponent because he can play all-round tennis."

"My opponents are now attacking me more than they normally would because they know if they don't attack then I will attack them, so I feel they come in (to the net) on balls which are not great and I have the chance to pass them."

Pavel held his own until the sixth game when Federer broke to love, the pace of a cross-court rally forcing a forehand error on break point. Pavel had to hold off a further two break points at 5-2 and two more at 1-1 in the second set before Federer claimed a break for 3-2 with a backhand winner on the run.

Federer felt there was still room for improvement. "I'm definitely not playing my best and I'll always miss a few forehands because of the opponents and the circumstances and my serve is not where I want it to be. It's just a feeling for the ball. But the most important thing is that I'm playing better than in the first few rounds," said the Swiss, who broke serve again for the match.

"I'm going into the next match as the definite favourite and I'm looking forward to it. They're both nice guys, I get on well with them off the court, it's going to be a good match."

Mar 4, 2004 from Independent and AFP:
Dubai - Roger Federer, the defending champion, advanced to the last eight by defeating Tommy Robredo, 6-3, 6-4. The Swiss Wimbledon champion has now beaten Robredo in all five of their matches. Federer rarely looked in danger last night - Robredo was unable to convert any of six break points - but the obdurate Spaniard kept him on court for an hour and 28 minutes.

Robredo hit some spectacular winners in the rallies - his running backhand down the line in the fifth game of the opening set to create his first opportunity to break was one of the shots of the match - but his anxiety to serve well enough to put Federer on the back foot cost him dearly.

Three double-faults in the fourth game handed the momentum to Federer, who broke after a breathtaking rally on his second break point. Although Federer double-faulted to 30-40 when serving for the set at 5-3, he won the next three points with an ace, a service winner and an unstoppable forehand drive.

Robredo double-faulted to lose the fifth game of the second set, and after Federer held comfortably for 4-2 the match seemed as good as over. But Robredo staged a one-man Alamo in the fifth game, saving seven break points and battling through 10 deuces before converting his fifth game point.

Federer held to 15 for 5-3 and did not seem averse to his opponent winning the next four points before making the kill. Robredo saved the first match point, at 40-0 - this time with a superb running forehand down the line - but his parting shot was a forehand over the baseline on the second match point. "I feel like I'm finding my rhythm," Federer said without fear of contradiction.

"If he can stay hard mentally he can go on to become an all-time great for sure," said Robredo. "It's tough to play against Roger because he's playing at such a good level and all the time he's pushing you, but I played a great match in everything except my serve," he said. "I couldn't put one first serve inside, and against the world number one it's difficult then. When I was playing at the baseline I was playing really good and I won a lot of the points."

Federer was as relaxed afterwards as he had appeared throughout his fluent performance, which he put down to improved self-discipline. "Sometimes I tend to over-hit and overplay, and I told myself to play simple and I will win," he said. "It's when I start messing around that things can go wrong."

Federer said: "I thought I played pretty well. Today I was consistent and I always felt if he was going to come back that I could have controlled the match which was a good feeling and took pressure off my serve."

"I served well again at the moments I had to and I played aggressive on break points. Obviously I would like to minimize the break points because right now there are too many so that has to improve for the next few rounds."

"I don't think he (Robredo) played his best match today. He wasn't hitting his shots as cleanly as he usually does even though the conditions are extremely slow here so I'm sure that has something to do with it."

"It's important to be aggressive against these guys," Federer said. "If you let them start to play, then this is when you start to run a lot."

Mar 3, 2004 from Dubai Tennis Championships:
Roger Federer visited Jumeirah Primary School, where he spent an hour answering questions from the pupils and said it was one of the most enjoyable things he had ever done off the court.

Roger Federer is "adopted" by 8-yeah-old Emily Kirton of Jumeirah Primary school Dubai. Emily won an essay competition of 1000 entrants on an "Adopt an Idol" theme. Emily said "Roger is my hero." (Photo by Roger Parker/Fotosports)

Roger signs a drawing for Emily Kirton who won a quiz on tennis organized for local school children.

Roger poses with school children at Dubai's Jumeirah Primary school March 3, 2004. (Photos by Goerge Ferrari/AFP)

Mar 2, 2004 from AFP:
Switzerland's world number one Roger Federer won a repeat encounter on Tuesday with Marat Safin. Federer had a one-sided straight sets victory over Safin at the Australian Open final in Melbourne in January, but this time, in a 7-6, 7-6 success in the first round of the Dubai Open, the outcome was in doubt till the end.

It was one of the toughest opening round match-ups in the history of the ATP Tour, and the wildcard Russian came back from 3-0 down in the first set and had Federer in trouble at 15-40 on his serve at four-all. But Federer suddenly launched four superb serves as though a rocket had been hidden in his pocket, and in the tie-break he was full of relaxed concentration and athletic strokes, taking the first five points before Safin could reply.

Federer again got an early break in the second set, but Safin broke back for 5-5 with some obstinate and gallant returns, saving a match point in the process. In the tie-break, however, the defending champion combined a sharp-eyed return of a Safin serve at 4-3 with a forehand drive follow-up which eluded his opponent's reach. That mini-break was the crucial thrust which Federer consolidated for victory. "I thought we were both hitting the ball well," said Federer. "And I managed to find something when I needed it."

"I thought I was putting myself in trouble with my serving, I was serving much better in Australia. But I served well when it got important. It was tough on the body, we had some long rallies. The conditions are very heavy, and it's tough to hit winners here. But I thought it was a good match, good crowd."

On his position as number one Federer put his status down to confidence. Federer said: "I was very close to No.1 last year but now it feels different as I've won so many big titles and I'm more confident. I think I'm handling the pressure pretty well. Grand Slams are the priority, but I wouldn't have come here if I didn't want to win this too."

Federer improved to 5-1 lifetime against Safin, who missed much of 2003 with a wrist injury. "He's had a great start to the year," Federer said. "For me, he's already back, but on the computer he is not back quite yet. But that will happen soon."

"All the young guys that are already at the top of the rankings. There will always be surprises. Dominik Hrbaty already who has won three titles which is amazing and then you never know with some youngsters who could break through in the Grand Slams and be at the top of the rankings."

Roger Federer enjoys some local hospitality at the Dubai Tennis Championships. (Photo by Ammar ABD RABBO/ATP)

from Independent:
"I think it's catching on in the men's game. It used to be only the serve, but the players got used to it and they return better now, and it's becoming a more exciting game. At the Australian Open it was amazing. The men's matches produced the best tennis I've ever seen. I like watching [Marat] Safin, [Andy] Roddick, and Roger [Federer], of course. It's always nice to watch him, not only because I know him so well, but also because of the beauty of his game," said Martina Hingis.

Mar 1, 2004 from Dubai Tennis Championships Official Site:
The world No 1 Roger Federer paid a visit to the Dubai Duty Free shop floor on Monday morning to meet senior officials from the company and browse through the award winning facility. Federer, the overwhelming favourite to retain his Dubai Duty Free Men's Open crown, spent over an hour shopping and was welcomed by Colm McLoughlin, Managing Director of Dubai Duty Free, and Tournament Director Salah Tahlak.

"I came here last year and it was one of the things I wanted to do as soon as I arrived back for this year's tournament," said Federer. "Dubai Duty Free treat the players extremely well when they come here and make us feel very welcome." Federer will begin his title defence against Russia's Marat Safin on Tuesday night.

from Khaleej Times:
Dubai has been very special for world men's No1 Roger Federer of Switzerland. He won his first outdoor tournament here and went on to win nine titles including the prestigious Wimbledon. "Dubai is very special to me. I won my first championship here at the start of the 2003 season which was a great year for me. I did not play well a year earlier but after winning the final in Dubai, it motivated me to reach where I am now," he said.

The 22-year-old Swiss, speaking at a round-table conference at the Aviation Club VIP lounge yesterday, said he expected this year's event to be equally competitive. "Some of the good players are here. It looks to me like a Masters Series and I could not believe it".

He described the draw, where he takes on Russian Marat Safin in the first round, as 'exciting for the tournament.' Federer is determined to emulate Justine Henin-Hardenne by retaining his title in the men's event. The Belgian, who is also the world women's No1, defeated Russian teenager, Svetlana Kuznetsova on Saturday to retain her title.

"Henin-Hardenne's win has given me a lot of confidence. I will try to play well which puts a bit of pressure on me but that gives me some motivation," he said. Federer was also astounded to find players coming from far away as Argentina to compete in the DDF men's Open. The two Argentines here are Guillermon Coria and David Nalbandian.

Touching on the men's game overall in the world No1 said: "it has a great future. Some good players are coming up and we all getting on well." Personally, he was satisfied with his performance over the past year as he played on all courts and did not lose any match.

Federer's recent rise has even surprised him as he was voted last year as the Swiss Personality of the Year. But his achievement and recognition from the people has in a way helping to promote the game in Switzerland. "Many kids are now following tennis and many youngsters are now joining tennis clubs. It is nice to see such developments," he said.

The men's No1 is now looking forward to do well in the forthcoming season, starting first with French Open which he described as a very difficult a tournament. "This is a difficult tournament as the matches can get very long but hopefully it is a great grandslam to start the season with," he added.

from Independent and The Guardian:
Roger Federer said: "I think it would be better if the [Rusedski verdict] came out now, then we wouldn't be talking about it all the time, which is why I would rather not speak about the subject." He added: "I guess he knew that when he came out with that [statement] himself. I don't feel bad for Rusedski, because he knows what he's doing."

"I think the testing is done very aggressively," he said. "And done in a good way because it's important to me that tennis stays clean. That is what everyone wants and I think we have a good record as far as I remember."

"I have no problems with the testing. I have been negative every year, which is nice, but I am not concerned because I have not been doing anything wrong. Now they are testing more blood. I am not a big fan of that but I understand it. It's in your own power what you're taking. I am not going to drink water I find on the table. If I take vitamins I have to be sure it's nothing to do with doping."

from Sports Illustrated:
Jon Wertheim: Which male players do you enjoy watching? You like [Roger] Federer as much as everyone else does?

Monica Seles: Oh yeah. He's a genius. You know, the first time I really watched him was last year in Rome [at the Telecom Italia Masters, where the men's event was immediately before the women's] and the guy is just amazing. Also Andre [Agassi] is unbelievable, still in great shape.