Jan 31, 2005 from ATP Insider:
ATP stars ANDY RODDICK and TOMMY HAAS helped Jim Courier and others raise more than $500,000 for the Bush-Clinton Tsunami Relief Fund in a special exhibition in Houston, Texas on Monday night. Courier and his InsideOut Sports & Entertainment Group teamed up with two-time Tennis Masters Cup Houston tournament promoter Jim McIngvale to assemble a cast of current and former tennis greats along with celebrities for the fundraiser. Others participating included John McEnroe, Chris Evert, Anna Kournikova, TV celebrity Dr. Phil, NBA legend Clyde Drexler and former U.S. President George Bush. More than 8,000 fans attended the event. Players entertained fans with a mix of great tennis and light-hearted banter. A auction during the event included racquets donated by ANDRE AGASSI, McEnroe, Roddick and Kournikova; signed Roger Federer programs, t-shirt and original painting from the 2003 Tennis Masters Cup; a tennis date with Steffi Graf; and a trip to Acapulco to attend the Abierto Mexicano de Tenis (provided by Aeromexico).

Auctions of ATP player gear to benefit tsunami relief closed in recent days, with three separate auctions generating several thousand dollars for the disaster relief efforts. An auction arranged around the visit by TAYLOR DENT to the "Ellen DeGeneres Show" in which Penn donated USD $50,000 to tsunami relief. That day Dent and Kevin Kempin, the Vice President of Penn Racquet Sports Worldwide, presented Ellen with an autographed ANDRE AGASSI racquet and an oversized Penn ball autographed by Dent, Roger Federer and Jim Courier. The ball netted USD $1,525 in an ebay auction while the racquet sold for $4,000. In addition, AUD 10,200 was the final bid for a trio match-used and autographed racquets from Federer, ANDY RODDICK and LLEYTON HEWITT. An auction in Australia of Federer memorabilia brought in an additional AUD $10,000. His 2004 Wimbledon shirt sold for $3,000, his 2004 Tennis Master Cup clothes went for $3,525 and his 2005 Kooyong Classic racquet fetched $4,275.

Jan 28, 2005 from AP:
Melbourne - Serena Williams isn’t just a tennis player, she’s also a fan — especially of top-ranked men’s player Roger Federer. So she was watching TV nervously as Federer and Marat Safin fought it out for four hours on Thursday night in a classic match that featured eight match points before Safin emerged victorious.

"I was dying," Serena said. "I couldn’t watch at one more point. I turned (the channel) when Federer was down 5-2 in the fifth, and then I turned back, and I was like, ‘Oh, I hate to see him lose.’ I turned back, and it was 6-6. I’m like, oh, my God. But then I turned again because I couldn’t bear to watch."

Jan 27, 2005 from Reuters:
MELBOURNE - Marat Safin beat Roger Federer 5-7 6-4 5-7 7-6 9-7, squandering six match points before finally toppling the defending champion. Federer needed treatment for back problems during the four-hour-28-minute match which he could have won in the fourth set tiebreak had he converted a match point on his serve.

After taking a two sets to one lead, Federer led 6-5 in the fourth-set tiebreak only for Safin to snatch it 8-6 before breaking in the sixth game of the decider on his way to a 5-2 lead. Federer showed amazing mental strength to save six match points in the deciding set but Safin finally ended the Swiss run of 26 victories.

For the first time in the tournament, Federer was pushed to the limit as Safin matched him both on serve and from the baseline. A packed Rod Laver Arena were treated to a real spectacle with both players crunching winners from every angle, but Federer snatched the opening set thanks to one break in the 12th game when Safin missed a backhand.

The Russian stepped up his game, breaking in the third game of second set on his way to levelling the match. Having been pegged back from 3-0 to 3-3 in the third, a missed forehand from Safin handed Federer the vital break in the 12th game and gave the Swiss the advantage once more, but the first three sets were just a prelude to an incredible finale.

As the tension mounted in the fourth set, Safin looked down and out when Federer moved to a 6-5 lead on his own serve in the fourth-set tiebreak only to play a wondrous lob over the Swiss's head before an audacious attempt at a between the legs shot found the net.

Roger Federer sits in a linesman's chair during his semi-final match against fourth seed Marat Safin at the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne January 27, 2005. (Photo by Reuters)

Federer receives medical treatment from a trainer during the mens singles semifinal match against Marat Safin on Rod Laver Arena at Melbourne Park. (Photo by AP)

Jan 25, 2005 from Reuters:
MELBOURNE - Roger Federer humbled Andre Agassi 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 on Tuesday to keep his stunning grand slam record intact and reach the semi-finals of the Australian Open

The Swiss triumphed in a surprisingly one-sided match on Rod Laver Arena in 99 minutes after dominating the American with his impenetrable serve and winning virtually every key point in a nerveless performance. Eighth seed Agassi was not far from his best but Federer was able to grab one service break in each of the three sets and successfully fought off the few challenges the American was able to mount.

The 23-year-old will play fourth seed Marat Safin in the semifinals in a repeat of last year's final here. The win over Agassi means Federer now has a 24-0 record against top 10 players since October 2003 and is unbeaten in his last 26 matches stretching back to the August Olympics.

Federer was at his best from the outset, winning the first game of the match on his serve to love in barely a minute. Agassi began more tentatively. Federer set up his first opportunity to break Agassi's serve in the sixth game with a stinging forehand service return for 15-40.

The American saved those two break points with strong serves and then another two before ceding Federer the break on his fifth chance with a double fault for the Swiss to lead 4-2. Agassi got his first break opportunity in the ninth game when Federer pushed a backhand wide but Federer hit back with an ace to level the game.

The American got another two break opportunities, the first on a double fault, but Federer responded again with another of the 22 aces he hammered past Agassi in the match. Federer finally served out the set on his fifth set point and quickly began the second set in the same fashion.

He broke Agassi's serve for a second time in the first game as he mixed up baseline rallies with net attacks. Agassi had the chance to get back on serve when he whipped a return past Federer for break point in the fourth game but Federer responded by slamming another service winner and went on to hold serve for 3-1 lead.

Roger Federer stops play to try and catch an insect along the baseline during his men's singles quarter-final match against eighth seed Andre Agassi at the 2005 Australian Open tennis tournament. (Photo by AFP)

Jan 24, 2005 from Eurosport:
Roger Federer faces the first real challenge to his Australian Open crown when goes toe-to-toe with Andre Agassi in the pick of Tuesday's quarter-final action. Agassi came through a barrage of blows against Thomas Johansson on Sunday and enters the arena battle-hardened.

Federer, by contrast, has played well within himself thus far, and will need to raise the level of his game a few notches. "I'm worried about every match I go into," a modest Federer exclusively told Eurosport. "I have to play better if I want to win."

That shouldn't pose too much of a problem. The Swiss maestro is undoubtedly one of the finest players ever to have wielded a racket and his reserves as far as talent is concerned are unquestionable.

He has the ability to match his opponent at whatever type of game they throw at him before, through sheer force of talent, systematically destroying them. It all stems from his huge reserves of self-confidence.

Just ask Marat Safin, who fell to the Beast of Basel in last year's final, at the start of his remarkable rise to the summit of the professional game. Or Andy Roddick, who can outgun anyone else on the men's cicuit but has seemingly reached the limit of his powers when confronted with his Wimbledon nemesis.

What is more, it seems Federer is getting more efficient. He is yet to drop a set in this year's tournament. In fact, recent history does not paint a pretty picture for Tuesday's opponent. After all, Federer has come a long way since losing to Agassi as a 17-year-old in Basel.

from ATP Insider:
IN MELBOURNE: World No. 1 Roger Federer put on pads and gloves to face balls from a different kind of sport: cricket. He was uncertain of which way to bat, right- or left-handed as this was his first time to try cricket. He finally decided to go with right-handed. He was a genius and faced about 12 balls of different speeds and spins where he finally gave a thick edge but was caught behind.

Jan 23, 2005 from AP:
Roger Federer advanced to the quarterfinals of the Australian Open, extending his winning streak to 25 matches with a 6-2, 6-2, 7-6 (4) defeat of Marcos Baghdatis on Sunday. Federer has won 48 out of his last 50 matches, and hasn't lost since the second round at the Athens Olympics last August. He next faces Andre Agassi.

Federer was broken in the fourth game but didn't face another break point. Baghdatis stunned Federer with some whipping crosscourt forehands and had support from a small but vocal group of Greeks and Cypriots who'd let off flares after his third-round win.

Federer beat Baghdatis at the last U.S. Open, the 19-year-old Cypriot's only other appearance at a major. After falling behind 3-0 in the tiebreaker, Federer reeled off five straight points and then clinched it on two forehand errors from the 2003 Australian Open boys champion.

Roger Federer shares a laugh with former US player and present television commentator, Jim Courier, during the post match interview following his victory over Marcos Baghdatis in their men's singles fourth round match at the 2005 Australian Open tennis tournament. (Photo by AFP)

Jan 22, 2005 from Australian Open Official Site:
To date 1.1 million different people have already logged on to the Australian Open Web site, up 53% on the same period last year (end of day 5). The most popular sections of the website are IBM's on demand scoring and schedule of play which attract in excess of 70% of the traffic. Among the most visited player biographies, Roger Federer holds the top spot for the men, while Maria Sharapova is attracting the highest level of interest among the women.

Jan 21, 2005 from ABC:
Roger Federer has advanced to the round of 16 at the Australian Open after his third round opponent, Finland's Jarko Nieminen, was forced to retire late in the second set.

Federer won the first set 6-3 and was leading 5-2 in the second when Nieminen called his good Swiss friend to the net and announced his retirement with a stomach injury.

Nieminen, ranked 87 in the world, started brightly enough, breaking Federer's serve in the first game of the match. He held his own serve and took a 2-0 lead, before Federer came to life, breaking back in the fourth game, then again in the eighth. A solid service game gave the Swiss ace the set.

from AP:
Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova acknowledged that she only watches tennis on television "when I'm feeling really, really bored." And if she does, it's nearly always men's matches. "I always like exciting matches, I always loved when (Andre) Agassi played Pete Sampras, I thought those were classic matches where the tennis is unbelievable. Obviously Roger (Federer) is playing out of his mind right now, you can never get bored watching him. As for the women, I don't really watch the women too much."

Jan 20, 2005

Coach Tony Roche chats with Roger Federer during practice on court 16 at Melbourne Park this week. (Photo by The Age)

Jan 19, 2005 from Sydney Morning Herald:
Roger Federer was forced to work harder than anybody could have predicted as he eliminated spirited qualifier Takeo Suzuki on Wednesday night to move into the third round of the Australian Open.

Many were freely predicting Federer would take little more than an hour to dispatch a 28-year-old qualifier ranked 203 in the world, instead he had to call on some resolve to down the never-say-die Japanese 6-3 6-4 6-4 in 113 minutes.

Suzuki kept the world no. 1 on court for over two hours and won plenty applause from the crowd, having given them value they would not have been expecting. The tone of the match was set early, with Suzuki rushing the net at every opportunity, hoping against hope that Federer would not find a passing shot.

Suzuki broke Federer's serve in the fifth game of the first set and there was the faintest whiff of an extraordinary upset. After all, it was the first time this year that the Swiss master had dropped his serve. But Suzuki relinquished the advantage in the very next game and did not win a game for the rest of the opening set.

However he showed spirit to maintain the fight and had a break point to go up 5-4 in the second set and serve for the set. Instead it was Federer who broke decisively in the next game with what may well ultimately be the shot of the tournament as he somehow ran down a drop volley and hit a shot around the net post - never more than 30cm off the ground - for a winner.

Roger Federer runs down a ball he hits around the post for a winner to take the second set against Takao Suzuki in their men's singles second round match at the 2005 Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne, 19 January 2005. Federer was leading 6-3, 6-4, 2-2 as play continues. (Photo by AFP/Getty Images)

from KOTV:
BASEL (AP) - Roger Federer said Friday that he is confident he can defend his title in the Australian Open. In an interview with his hometown newspaper Basler Zeitung, the world No. 1 said he has found an "equilibrium'' on the eve of the season's first grand slam event.

"I know what I can do - and I know that I can call on my strengths when it is necessary,'' he told the paper. "I proved that to myself last year.''

The Swiss star said his main challengers for the Australian Open title will be Marat Safin, Lleyton Hewitt, and Andy Roddick and Andre Agassi, "if he in fact plays.'' Agassi pulled out of his Kooyong Classic match Thursday against Andy Roddick with muscle tightness in his right hip.

Jan 18, 2005 from Tennis Week:
Roger Federer is contributing his racquet and tennis clothes to UNICEF’s tsunami relief effort. The world No. 1 is one of several players donating items to a tennis memorabilia auction to benefit the victims of the tsunami tragedy.

One of the lots, Federer's Wilson match racquet used last week at the Kooyong Classic in Melbourne, has attracted the attention of former World No. 1 Jim Courier. The Swiss also has donated a Nike match shirt worn during his Wimbledon title run last year and the match outfit worn during his successful 2004 Tennis Masters Cup Houston campaign.

"I've never heard of or seen a disaster of this magnitude before," Federer said. "Shortly after it happened I could not get my eyes away from the TV. I feel terrible for all the people. If I can help in any way I am going to. I feel very privileged and I’ve had a lot of good luck in my life. As such, I’d like to be able to give something back."

Proceeds raised through the Roger Federer Tsunami Charity Auction are to flow directly to UNICEF. ATPtennis.com has a link to the auction page, which can also be accessed at the auction site. The auction closes on Monday, January 31st.

Courier has submitted an opening bid of $3,000 for Federer's racquet. "This has been a massive, massive tragedy and I'll do whatever I can to help this cause. It's the least I can do by bidding on one of Roger's items," Courier said. Courier is also participating in the January 31 "Serving for Tsunami Relief"' Houston tennis fundraiser, which will include Andy Roddick, John McEnroe Chris Evert and Anna Kournikova.

from Reuters:
MELBOURNE - Roger Federer swapped his racket for a cricket bat on Tuesday and showed he might have a fruitful alternative career if he ever gets bored with tennis.

Federer has spent several weeks in Australia preparing for his Melbourne title defence and began in grand style on Monday with a 6-1 6-1 6-2 defeat of Frenchman Fabrice Santoro. During that match he made several practice swings which looked suspiciously like forward defensive strokes a cricket batsman would play, suggesting that his time in sports-mad Australia was starting to leave an impression.

Intrigued by Federer's air swings, a local television station decided to offer him a few quick lessons on a roof-top court. Federer struggled as he put on a pair of gloves and a batting pad but quickly showed the kind of hand-eye coordination of which any cricketer would be proud.

The Swiss hit several deft cut shots, pulls and even an off-drive to tennis balls bowled to him by a Seven Network television reporter. He was pleased with the way he had managed to pick up the game and wondered if Switzerland might not one day be able to challenge the likes of world champions Australia in cricket.

Roger Federer has a hit of cricket at his hotel during day two of the Australian Open Grand Slam at Melbourne Park January 18, 2005 in Melbourne. (Photo by Getty Images)

Jan 17, 2005 from Reuters:
MELBOURNE - Roger Federer hit the ground running when he opened the defense of his Australian Open crown with a 6-1 6-1 6-2 demolition of Fabrice Santoro Monday. The top-seeded Swiss raced through the first set in 17 minutes and, with Santoro complaining of an upset stomach and fatigue in the heat, cruised through to a meeting with Japanese qualifier Takao Suzuki.

"I was quite nervous before today's match," Federer said. "But I started fantastically. I think I won the first 12 points, and once I'd won the first five games I was OK."

Santoro was simply outclassed as Federer left him reeling with several stunning shots. Once Federer had taken the first five games in 11 minutes, the result was never in doubt, especially with Santoro struggling from the after-effects of taking anti-inflammatories to treat a wrist injury.

The Frenchman competed well in the second and third sets but Federer had an answer to everything and clinched a comfortable victory in just over an hour and a half on his first match point. Federer is bidding to become the first man since Pete Sampras in 1993/1994 to win three consecutive grand slam events, having also triumphed at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open.

from Sports Illustrated:
Roger Federer is featured in the Sports Illustrated magazine January 17, 2005 issue - Article - He Stands Alone: It's not surprising that Roger Federer's fans put him on a pedestal. What is shocking is how many of those fans are his fellow competitors, who feel that Federer has taken his game -- and their sport -- to a higher level.

from Roger Federer Official Site:
The last calendars are still available - make sure you get a copy for yourself or a friend. With your purchase of the Fan Calendar 2005 you are also helping others by supporting the Roger Federer Foundation. Place your order here and enjoy! (European customers are offered the special price of CHF 20 + postage (resp. 14 €), using the direct link).

Jan 16, 2005 from AP:
When Jim Courier asked Roger Federer about his chief threat at the Australian Open, the Swiss star responded with a stock answer: the next three men in the rankings — Lleyton Hewitt, Andy Roddick and Marat Safin — plus Andre Agassi.

Courier, a former No. 1 who has replaced John McEnroe as this year's color commentator for Australia's Seven Network, was having none of it. He pressed Federer, who initially resisted. Courier then said if Federer gave him a straight answer, he would bid nearly $2,300 for a racket that is among three items Federer donated for an auction for tsunami relief efforts.

Jan 15, 2005 from Reuters:
MELBOURNE - Roger Federer issued an ominous warning to his rivals for the Australian Open title as he beat Andy Roddick 6-4 7-5 to win the Kooyong Classic on Saturday. Roddick hammered down nine aces but one break of serve in each set was enough to give Federer his ninth win over the American in 10 meetings.

The 23-year-old Swiss said he was better prepared for the year's first grand slam event than ever before. With Australian Tony Roche now in his corner on a part-time basis, Federer is the overwhelming favourite to win at Melbourne Park.

Once Federer had saved a break point in the fourth game against Roddick he was always in control, breaking in the fifth game on his way to the first set in 26 minutes.

Sitting in a court side box, Tony Roach watches Roger Federer win over Andy Roddick. (Photo by The Age)

Roger smiles as he holds his trophy for photographers after winning the Kooyong Classic. (Photo by AP)

Jan 14, 2005 from AFP:
MELBOURNE - Roger Federer has sounded a warning to his rivals at next week's Australian Open after blasting into the final of the elite Kooyong Classic with a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Tim Henman.

The smooth Swiss said he was looking forward to a trophy clash with hot rival Andy Roddick. With just hours to go before the start of Grand Slam hostilities at Melbourne Park, Federer pronounced his form close to ideal.

Security guards walk with world number one Roger Federer as he shares a joke with Tim Henman after their match at the Kooyong Classic tennis tournament in Melbourne January 14, 2005. Federer defeated Henman 6-4 6-2 and will play Andy Roddick in the final. (Photo by Reuters)

from AP:
MELBOURNE - Roger Federer and Andre Agassi could meet in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open after both landed in the top quarter of Friday's draw for the season's first Grand Slam event. The 23-year-old Swiss star will open against Fabrice Santoro and could meet Paradorn Srichaphan in the third round, Agassi in the quarterfinals and Marat Safin, seeded fourth, in the semifinals.

Jan 13, 2005 from The Age:
Roger Federer has taken issue with Lleyton Hewitt's call to change the Open surface. In a surprising attack on Hewitt's criticism of the playing surface at Melbourne Park, Federer said yesterday the courts must be prepared for all players, not just the local hope.

The usually mild-mannered Federer said it would be unfair for the Open's organisers to radically alter the speed of the courts to suit the needs of the best Australian player.

"I know that he likes it quicker but he shouldn't forget there are 500 or 600 other players playing the tournament as well. (With) 'qualies' and main draw, women's and men's, for everybody the same, it's just not the one court where he is going to play on," said Federer, who won Wimbledon and the US Open last year on much quicker surfaces than he will experience here.

The 23-year-old Swiss star will have his first practice session at Melbourne Park today. Last year's Australian Open champion believes he should be allowed to defend his crown in similar conditions to which it was obtained.

"I think it has got to be fair. For me, it doesn't really matter if it's quick or it's slow, but I think it is not fair if one guy defends, is the titleholder and he comes back and the conditions are very different," Federer said. "It's OK, I don't know if it is quick or it is fast, I feel it's all right and that is important."

So far this summer, Hewitt has been vocal regarding the court surface at Melbourne Park, saying it is too slow for his liking. He says he has complained to Australian Open organisers about their failure to consult him regarding the issue.

Jan 12, 2005 from Mail and Guardian:
(Sapa-AP) - Roger Federer closed with an ace and then a rifling forehand on Wednesday, starting his fine-tuning for an Australian Open title defence with a 5-7, 6-1, 6-4 win over Gaston Gaudio at the Kooyong Classic exhibition tournament.

Federer lost a service game for the first time this year in the first set against Gaudio. He upped the tempo in the second, breaking Gaudio's serve twice, and then went a break up in the seventh game of the deciding third set.

Jan 11, 2005 from swissinfo:
Roger Federer, who hails from Basel, posted a message of support for the victims of the Asian tsunami disaster on his website within 48 hours of the catastrophe. He said he had developed a strong bond with the region, having won the Thai Open in Bangkok and holidayed in the Maldives and the Thai resort of Phuket, which were both struck by tidal waves.

"I would like to give expression with all my heart to my hope that the situation in the affected areas can get back to normal as soon as possible," he wrote. "I wish that all those suffering and left homeless find the necessary strength to get over this dreadful situation."

Roger Federer poses with Gaston Gaudio, Andy Roddick, Tim Henman, Andre Agassi, David Nalbandian and Nicolas Massu after a press conference on the eve of the Kooyong Classic tennis tournament in Melbourne, Australia. Federer will play the Kooyong as a lead up to next week's Australian Open. (Photo by AFP)

Roger Federer signs a book fans book during the unveiling of the 2005 Official Guide to Professional Tennis at Reader's Feast Bookstore January 11, 2005 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Getty Images)

Jan 10, 2005 from ABC:
Roger Federer has arrived in Melbourne ahead of next week's Australian Open. He will prepare to defend his Open title by competing at this week's Kooyong Classic.

Currently in superb form, Federer says he is looking forward to getting another successful season underway at the first grand slam of the year. "I have to get used to different courts and this is why I arrive early and play Kooyong and [I am] really looking forward to it," he said.

from ATP Insider:
Bidding has begun on the trio of racquets from the past three year-end World No. 1s that is being auctioned off on www.ATPtennis.com. Autographed match racquets from the top three players in the world, No. 1 Roger Federer (a Wilson racquet), No. 2 Andy Roddick (Babolat) and No. 3 Lleyton Hewitt (Yonex) will be mounted in one frame and accompanied by a letter of authenticity. The one-of-a-kind piece of tennis memorabilia is being auctioned off to benefit UNICEF’s tsunami relief effort. The bidding, which is being hosted by IMG eCommerce, will continue until Jan. 28.

from ATP:
Roger Federer will unveil the first available copies of the Official Guide to Professional Tennis 2005 in Melbourne, Australia tomorrow. The 2005 edition of the book features Federer on the cover.

Federer will sign a limited number of copies of the book – the most comprehensive look at the players and statistics of the professional game – on Tuesday, January 11, at Reader's Feast Bookstore at 3:00 p.m. The bookstore is located at Midtown Plaza on the corner of Bourke and Swanston Streets.

"I'm honored to be featured on the cover of the Official Guide to Professional Tennis for the first time in my career," Federer said. "It has traditionally featured the game's No. 1 player, so I'm glad to join that elite group of players. The Guide is a great resource for the media and fans to learn more about the players, tournaments and the game."

Jan 9, 2005 from Reuters:
PERTH - Hopman Cup organisers have targeted Roger Federer for next year's competition after the 2005 event was dogged by a shortage of big names. Tournament director Paul McNamee has already started thinking about next year and may recruit Federer, who won the Hopman Cup in 2001 with Swiss team mate Martina Hingis.

"Obviously Roger is the number one player in the world and he won his first tournament here, so he's got fond memories of Hopman," McNamee said.

Jan 8, 2005 from ATP:
Roger Federer wins his 23rd career ATP title, in his 31st final, defeating Ivan Ljubicic 6-3, 6-1 in one hour, three minutes. It’s the eighth title from the past 10 tournaments Federer has played.

In the final, played in front of a packed house, Federer broke Ljubicic’s serve in the sixth game and then served out the set to 6-3. The Swiss dominated the second set, taking only 27 minutes, including breaking the Croat’s serve on three occasions. Ljubicic won only four points in the last four games.

Federer wins his 21st consecutive match going back to last season, and is one of only three players (Pete Sampras, Stefan Edberg) since 1990 to win 20 or more matches at least twice. He also extends his Open Era (since 1968) record of being unbeaten in his last 14 finals going back to Vienna in 2003.

The Swiss held serve all 43 service games this week en route to the title, saving seven of seven break points. In addition to the 50 Race points Federer picks up US$142,000.

"I think it’s a great start to the season coming here to Doha. I’m very happy to lead the Race already after the first week."

"In a way this victory is surprising. Of course I was the big favorite so I knew that if somebody beats me here it’s a big upset. But it’s the first tournament of the year, you never know what is going to happen. Now to have won it is a relief. Also I feel the pressure coming into these tournaments being a huge favorite."

"By winning the first set, I think I broke his belief and that’s exactly what I wanted. For me the match went like planned, I never lost my serve, I won the first set, like this I put more pressure on my opponent."

"There are many questions before your first round match. Once your first match is over you get into the rhythm, where you don’t actually ask yourself those questions any longer. I think it’s good that this is gone now, so when I approach the Australian Open now I’m fine. I know that I’m playing well, I know how to play. Because in the beginning of the season there is always this little doubt in your mind."

"I was expecting a tough match because he (Ljubicic) is a big guy with a good serve," Federer told reporters. "He has been a dangerous proposition to all big players. But as it turned out, it was an easy match for me."

"Winning the game from love-40 down at 4-2 was important, and there was another opportunity for him at 5-3. These were moments when I thought this is not the direction I want to be going in. But after I had won those games I think I broke his belief which is exactly what I wanted. I never lost my serve and I put pressure on my opponent."

"It's always special to win somewhere for the first time, but I just hope I can keep it up," he said. "Because I have a very important title to defend in Melbourne."

Roger Federer receives the trophy from the Sheik Mohammad bin Faleh Al-Thani, the Head of Qatar's Tennis Federation after he beat Ivan Ljubicic during the final match of the Qatar Open.

Federer shows the sword that was presented to him. (Photos by AP)

Jan 7, 2005 from AFP:
DOHA - Roger Federer continued his impressive preparations for the defence of his Australian Open title the week after next by reaching the final of the Qatar Open without dropping his serve. His delivery has now survived four matches and eight sets, following his professionally taken 6-3, 6-4 victory over Nikolay Davydenko, the eight-seeded Russian.

Federer was again impressive but in a different way. Even though he was sometimes below his best, he always controlled the match and made only a positive analysis afterwards.

"I’m always happy when I win my matches. If I walk off the court and I’ve won, and I’m not happy then something is wrong. Of course, you can always play better at times and today was one of these days I thought. I could have played better, that was very clear. I missed many forehands, which I usually make. But again, I never lost my serve during this year, during this tournament. That’s great. You have to do something right if you don’t lose your serve. For this reason I’m happy."

"He [Davydenko] makes it hard for you. He relies on his ground strokes a lot, then he tries to dominate the rally, which he is very good at. This whey you don’t get your chances too often, even though it looks like you are going to get one every time but you don’t."

Part of the reason for Federer's sombre expression and relative loss of fluency was the cold evening, which made it harder to generate pace and easier to mistime the ball. But he achieved breaks of serve at timely moments - the fifth game of the first set and the opening game of the second set - which left the determined Davydenko playing catch-up almost all of the time.

There was just one break back point, at 30-40 in the second game of the second set, which Federer dismissed with a solid first serve, and thereafter Davydenko was unable to threaten. The victory gave him a chance of extending his long winning streak in finals.

Jan 6, 2005 from ATP:
Roger Federer continued his impressive form by defeating No. 7 seed Feliciano Lopez 6-1, 6-2 in 51 minutes in the quarterfinals of the Qatar ExxonMobil Open. The 23-year-old reeled off five straight games twice in the match; at 1-1 in the first set and at 0-1 in the second set. The Swiss closed out the match with a service game to love.

"I think I played better than Wednesday against (Greg) Rusedski. I always had the feeling I could put the pressure enough and I wasn't missing. Again, I got off to a good start, which was very important. I really served well and just concentrated not to lose serve and it worked again, which is very satisfying. I think we were all surprised of how much he was missing, but my performance was good."

"If I'm continuing to play really well then I can come up with some really great shots, like the forehand up the line, or one of the last backhands I hit in the last game," Federer said. "It was an entertaining match I thought. Right now let's hope I can keep the level that I played with all of last year. If I can do that then I think I'm going to finish pretty good this year."

Jan 5, 2005 from AFP:
DOHA - Roger Federer continued his unbeaten run since the Athens Olympics with another overwhelming performance and a win over former US Open finalist Greg Rusedski which carried him to the quarter-finals of the Qatar Open.

Federer's 6-3,6-4 success looked for a while as though it might be more one-sided, because he won the first seven points, broke serve at once, and raced to a 3-0 lead in less than ten minutes. But having achieved such a comfortable cushion, he found it difficult to maintain his highest standards and had to be satisfied with only flashes of his brilliant best.

"There is only so much which you can do yourself," Federer said. "But I kept him under pressure all the time and I took my opportunities. I can play better but I can play worse as well, so I am happy with the start to the season because it has been two consistent matches in a row, and I haven't lost my serve. It couldn't be better."

from Reuters:
Roger Federer said after the match with Greg Rusedski: "It was a good day out there for me. But I know I can play better that I did today. The important thing is that I didn't lose my serve. I took the opportunities that came my way and I felt quite comfortable on this surface."

Roger Federer poses with Argentine soccer player Gabriel Batistuta, who plays for Qatar's Al-Arabi club, during the the Qatar Exxon Mobile Open. (Photo by Sipa)

from Roger Federer Official Site:
The largest French sports-newspaper L'Equipe has chosen the Sportsman of the Year 2004. Roger came second after 30-year old Hicham El Guerrouj, an outstanding track-and-field athlete. Morocco’s Hicham El Guerrouj won gold at the Olympic Games in Athens over 1500m and 5000m. He won this contest by just 8 points before Roger (569). 182 journalists and correspondents participated in the election.

The ranking: 1. Hicham El Guerrouj (Mar/Leichtathletik) 577. 2. Roger Federer (Sz/Tennis) 569. 3. Michael Phelps (USA/Schwimmen) 418. 4. Valentino Rossi (It/Motorrad) 357. 5. Lance Armstrong (USA/Rad) 216. 6. Michael Schumacher (De/Automobil) 189. 7. Kenenisa Bekele (Äth/Leichtathletik) 96. 8. Hermann Maier (Ö/Ski alpin) 87. 9. Manu Ginobili (Arg/Basketball) 84. 10. Vijay Singh (Fidschi/Golf) 41.

Jan 3, 2005 from AFP:
DOHA - Roger Federer began the new year with a surprise by announcing a new coach, Tony Roche, and also with more of the same - a thunderous attacking performance to extend his unbeaten sequence to 18 matches.

The world number one overwhelmed David Ferrer in less than an hour in the Qatar Open winning 6-1, 6-1 against the Spaniard who had just finished a season in the world's top 50 for the first time and is hoping to make further progress this year. But positively though Ferrer tried to play, he was given very little chance to display the extent of his abilities, and near the end was driven by frustration into hurling his racket violently down on the court.

Despite this Federer was in no doubt that it would be an asset to have Roche's services for around ten weeks of the year. "It's good to know that there will be help there because I need someone to analyse and help improve my game. I have no clue what I would do (without him)," Federer added rather surpsingly. It's relief that there will be help at times when I want it."

The arrangement with Roche will last for one year for the time being, and represents a change of mind for the Australian, who originally turned down the opportunity to coach the world's best player when Federer asked him in February last year.

On today's evidence the triple Grand Slam title holder will continue to carry all before him with or without Roche's help, although his performance suggested that a greater emphasis on net play has already been discussed between them.

Ferrer played a large number of entertaining rallies, including arguably the shot of the match, a perfectly timed and placed topspin backhand lob in the sixth game which lurched diagonally for a winner as Federer came threateningly in. But it merely spurred Federer to further aggressive efforts, including a second break of serve in that game and an increasing ratio of attacks from the net, despite the cool, slightly slow conditions.

Federer had already set out to hit many of his groundstrokes at a pace higher than his opponent's in order to intimidate him, and the greater his lead became the more he took liberties in attempting to attack. In closing out the first set he served and came in to the net on every point, still winning the points when he was twice obliged to make half volley pick-ups from dipping Ferrer returns.

All this convinced Ferrer, who had set out to impose his forcing ground strokes upon Federer from the start, to take a few more chances in attack, with the result that he dropped serve again in the third game of the second set after over-hitting with two ambitious forehand drives.

For a while Ferrer set out to contain a little more, but that was less successful than attack, with Federer hitting several rampant backhand winners down the line as accompaniment to his fearsome forehand and his menacing forays forward.

from AP:
DOHA, Qatar - Roger Federer began his Australian Open preparation by beating David Ferrer of Spain 6-1, 6-1 Monday in the first round of the Qatar Open. "I am extremely happy with my performance today. The win has given me great satisfaction because I was keen to start the season with a win," Federer said.

"Everybody knows that the tennis break between two seasons is a short one and there isn't much time to rest adequately and start afresh. I am glad I got into my groove straight away despite playing a long season in 2004."

from ATP Insider:
A private media screening of the documentary, Tennis Masters Cup Uncovered: Facing Federer, will be held in Melbourne, Australia on Sunday, January 16. Following the screening of the behind-the-scenes look at the 2004 circuit finale, ATP CEO Mark Miles will be available to discuss the upcoming 2005 season, answer questions and conduct interviews. Refreshments will be served and there will be special giveaways. The event will begin at 6 p.m. in the Arthur Streeton Auditorium at Sofitel in Melbourne on 25 Collins Street. The film has been broadcast on numerous stations around the world and will be shown in March on Emirates and Singapore Airlines flights.

Former Argentine Star Soccer Player, Gabriel Batistuta, now playing in Qatar, visited the QATAR EXXONMOBIL OPEN on numerous occasions during the week. He met with countryman Gaston Gaudio and Roger Federer.

ATPTennis.com had an impressive year in 2004 by registering over 160 million page impressions, which represents an increase of 22.7% from 2003 (124,906,103). During 2004, ATPTennis registered back to back record breaking months with May (17,440,482 page impressions) and then July with 18,421,381. July is now the most trafficked month in the history of the website. For the first time, ATPTennis surpassed 1 million page impressions on a single day in September 13th, 2004 (Day after US Open final) with a total of 1,017,586 page views. The most "visited" player was Roger Federer with a total of 2,103,686 page impressions (profile, biography, head-to-head, & points breakdown). Roddick (1,830,981), Hewitt (1,317,426), Agassi (1,067,573) along with Federer were the four players to attract over 1 million page views in 2004.

Jan 2, 2005 from Reuters:
DOHA - Roger Federer is content to rely on his own instincts to stay on top of the world rankings and has decided against taking on a coach.

"I don't think I am going to have a full-time coach right now. I think I have become good in analysing my own game," the runaway world number one said on Sunday ahead of next week's $1 million Qatar Open. "Maybe I will seek some coach's help at specific tournaments."

Federer had been linked with Tony Roche before the Australian's aversion to overseas travel scuppered any plans of a deal. Rumours of a compromise persisted, though, until Federer's announcement on Sunday that he would go it alone.

Federer will be the overwhelming favourite to win the Qatar crown although history will be against him. Only once in the 12-year history of the tournament has the top seed triumphed -- Stefan Edberg in 1995.

from AP:
DOHA, Qatar - The spotlight will undoubtedly be on No. 1 Roger Federer when the new ATP Tour season starts at the Qatar Open on Monday. Federer will begin 2005 by facing David Ferrer of Spain in Monday's first match.

"I am keen to start my season on a positive note. Last year I lost in the quarterfinals here in Doha, but I definitely want to better that performance this time over," Federer said. "I know I must start 2005 with as many wins as possible to go into the Australian Open with confidence."

Roger Federer and French Open winner Gaston Gaudio pose while wearing Qatari traditional dress with Sheikh Mohammad Bin Faleh al-Thani, President of the Qatar tennis Fedration, during a desert trip to the outskirts of Doha Sunday Jan. 2, 2005. Both players are in Doha to participate in the Qatar Open scheduled to start on Jan 3. (Photo by AP/Polfoto)

Poses with Tariq Al Siddiqi, General Secretary Qatar Tennis. (Photo by Rex)

Drives a desert buggy during a desert trip. (Photo by AFP)