Mar 31, 2005 from Sporting Life:
Roger Federer was pleased with his performance after powering past Tim Henman to reach the Nasdaq-100 Open semi-finals on Thursday night. Henman found the Swiss ace too hot to handle despite a positive start and went down 6-4 6-2 in Miami.

There was little between the two players in the first set, with Henman even fighting back to earn a break-back point after dropping a service game but Federer was ultimately too strong. Henman fought valiantly for a set and a half but was punished ruthlessly for every lapse in concentration.

Federer first gained a foothold in the match when he broke to move 3-2 up in the first set. Henman battled back to force a break point in the eighth game but Federer responded to hold serve in emphatic style and then took the set comfortably.

Henman started the second set positively but again it was Federer who was the first to break. After four routine service games, Federer forced three break points in the fifth. Henman clawed the first two back but Federer was not to be denied and took the third of them to take complete control of the match.

Mar 30, 2005

Roger Federer seen out with his girlfriend during a break from the NASDAQ-100 Open. The couple spent their time, walking and shopping during an afternoon at the Mall in Bal Harbour, Miami, which is the home to some of the best fashion boutiques, like Prada, Louis Vitton etc. (Photo by Big Pictures)

Mar 29, 2005 from Palm Beach Post:
KEY BISCAYNE - Roger Federer managed to stay alive in the Nasdaq-100 Open, despite back-to-back matches that pushed him to three sets. Tuesday night, it was Mario Ancic, the 18th seed, who nearly bounced Federer from the tournament before Federer prevailed 6-3, 4-6, 6-4.

"I deserve a break," Federer joked. He'll get one, resting today before meeting his close friend Tim Henman in the tournament's quarterfinals Thursday. Federer found himself working hard to earn that day off. Ancic used a powerful serve that kept Federer from fully settling into his game. Federer mis-hit several balls, the thud announcing the trajectory long or wide.

Mar 28, 2005 from AP:
Roger Federer survived a scare and some sloppy play Monday night and beat Mariano Zabaleta 6-2, 5-7, 6-3 in the third round of the Nasdaq-100 Open. Federer extended his winning streak to 18 matches and improved to 44-1 since the start of last year's U.S. Open. But he hardly looked invincible against the unseeded Zabaleta.

Serving for the match at 5-3 in the second set, Federer double-faulted on break point, then lost his next service game as well. Federer certainly didn't look comfortable in the third, failing to convert break chances in the second and sixth games before finally breaking the Argentinian with an overhead to lead 5-3 and serving out the match.

Mar 26, 2005 from AP:
KEY BISCAYNE - Top-ranked Roger Federer began a bid for his first Nasdaq-100 Open title Saturday by beating Olivier Rochus 6-3, 6-1. Federer won his 17th match in a row. He's 43-1 since the start of the U.S. Open last August. The 5-foot-5 Rochus beat 6-10 Ivo Karlovic in the first round but couldn't topple the biggest talent in tennis. Federer steadily wore down his former doubles partner on a muggy afternoon and lost just seven points on his serve.

Mar 23, 2005 from ATP Insider:
Swiss watchmaker Maurice Lacroix unveiled the Roger Federer line of watches on Wednesday at the Brickell Tennis Center in Miami. The event was hosted by James Lipton, the host of Bravo Network's "Inside the Actors Studio." The new line includes three watches.

Roger Federer went poses with James Lipton at the Brickell Tennis Club in Miami, Florida, March 23, 2005. Federer, an ambassador of Maurice Lacroix Swiss Watches, answered questions by Lipton, then played some tennis with invited guests. (Photo by Bob Riha, Jr./Maurice Lacroix/Reuters)

Mar 22, 2005 from ATP:
Miami - Roger Federer received three awards tonight at the inaugural joint ATP and Sony Ericsson WTA Tour awards ceremony. Tennis’ finest players and tournaments were honored at Stars for Stars – A Celebration of Tennis Excellence. The 2004 Pro Tennis Choice Awards Presented by Waterford Crystal featured 19 awards won by 14 different players. Michael Barkann served as emcee, entertaining the 300-plus guests.

Federer dominated the ATP awards as he did the 2004 season. The Swiss was named the 2004 Player of the Year and also won the Fans’ Favorite Award Presented by RICOH, an award selected by fans of ATPtennis.com. Federer received 4,244 of the 15,685 votes cast, or 27 percent of all votes. Marat Safin attracted 2,408 votes, Andy Roddick 2,352 votes, Andre Agassi 1,578 votes and Gustavo Kuerten 1,337 votes.

ATP Player of the Year, Roger Federer, and WTA Player of the Year, Maria Sharapova, pose with their trophies backstage at the Stars for Stars event at the Four Seasons Hotel.

Roger poses with the kid presenters backstage at the Stars for Stars event. (Photos by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

Roger poses with his Deuce magazine cover backstage at the Stars for Stars event. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

Mar 20, 2005 from AFP:
INDIAN WELLS - Roger Federer successfully defended his Indian Wells ATP Masters Series title, defeating Lleyton Hewitt 6-2, 6-4, 6-4 to claim his 26th career singles crown.

"My game has a lot to do with footwork," Federer said. "When I'm moving well, I play well. This week I've played and felt fantastic.," said the 23-year-old Federer, who earned 455,000 dollars in prize money. "The pressure is off and I'm relieved. I didn't sleep that well overnight because Lleyton was coming up, finals, big tournament, you can defend your title (and) hope that the streak is going to last. Once everything's over, it's a huge relief."

In the final game of Sunday's championship he built a 40-0 lead then clinched the victory with his 14th ace of the match. Federer said he would celebrate the win by going to dinner with his girlfriend. "I am not a big party guy that goes crazy," said Federer, who has won four of the last six Grand Slams. "I like to have a party once in awhile but it is not a must after a win."

Federer is off to a personal best 26-1 this year and looks to be as close to unbeatable as anyone has been on the tour in years. He was certainly dominant in this tournament, having not dropped a set in winning back-to-back Indian Wells titles. He beat Tim Henman 6-3, 6-3 in last year's final.

Federer hammered 41 total winners and just three double faults to Hewitt's 18 winners and seven double faults in the one hour, 52 minute match. Federer has won a record 17 straight finals he has appeared in, going back to October 2003 and he is 41-1 since the start of the US Open.

Federer also continued his domination over world number two Hewitt, winning the last seven encounters, including six victories in 2004. This was the first Indian Wells final between the number one and number two players in the world since 1995, when Pete Sampras beat fellow American Andre Agassi.

Hewitt revealed after Sunday's match that he suffered a right foot injury against Roddick. Hewitt also looked tired in the first set and Federer began the match by breaking Hewitt's serve in the opening game. Hewitt's frustration grew as the set progressed as he smashed a ball against the score clock after being broken again in the seventh game. Federer closed out the first set by not dropping a point in a flawless serving game.

from AP:
Roger Federer's skills were evident during an amazing 45-shot rally when he held break point in the third game of second set — even though he lost the point. Toward the end of that rally, the Swiss star chased down a shot near the net, sprinted back and across the court to return a lob, came up again to hit another shot, then scurried back once again to flick the ball over his shoulder to return another lob.

Hewitt then hit a drop shot just over the net far to Federer's right. It looked to be a winner, but Federer raced forward, stretched as far as he could and hit the ball back. Hewitt went sprawling to his right and volleyed for a winner — finally. Both players were out of breath, but smiled broadly. The crowd roared its approval, with the applause continuing for several minutes.

Roger Federer looks at his corner as he pumps his fist after breaking Lleyton Hewitt's serve during the third set. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/AP)

Roger takes a seat after winning the men's championship at the Pacific Life Open. (Photo by Carey Wagner/The Desert Sun)

Roger poses with the winnner's trophy. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/AFP/Getty Images)

Mar 19, 2005 from AFP:
INDIAN WELLS - Roger Federer fired seven aces en route to a 6-3, 6-1 win over Guillermo Canas in the first of two semi-finals of the Indian Wells Masters Series event on Saturday.

The 23-year-old Swiss is off to a personal best 25-1 start this season and has not dropped a set so far in Indian Wells. Federer will meet second seed Hewitt in Sunday's best of five-set final.

Mar 18, 2005 from ATP:
DEUCE, the ATP's official magazine, is now being published on a quarterly basis. The first issue, featuring Roger Federer will be available in late March. To order a subscription, call toll free 866-66-DEUCE or email deuce@skies.com. Just $18.95 buys four full-color action-packed issues.

Mar 17, 2005 from Pacific Life Open Official Site:
The genius that is Roger Federer continues to astound. The world number one made quick work of Nicolas Kiefer, defeating the German in 67 minutes 6-4, 6-1 to reach the semifinals of the Pacific Life Open.

Federer produced 30 winners in the match, almost double that of Kiefer, however Federer took a few people by surprise when he dropped his serve in the first game and in the ninth game. He didn't take long to recover but it didn't impress the world number one.

from Reuters:
"It's like he's Mr Perfect and nothing's going wrong for him at this point," Maria Sharapova said referring to Roger Federer. "He's so talented and just plays so loose. It seems like he's playing without any effort, plays always by instinct."

from Top Billing:
High above the cliffs along the garden route near Knysna, Pezula Private Estate has recently been voted one of the most environmentally successful developments in the world. Developed into a resort and championship golf course, its exclusive location and facilities have attracted the world’s number one tennis player, Roger Federer. He’s selected a prime piece of land and plans to build a luxury home with unparalleled views.

Mar 16, 2005 from AFP:
INDIAN WELLS - Roger Federer held off a stiff challenge from Ivan Ljubicic to advance to the quarter-finals at the Indian Wells WTA and ATP Masters Series event. Federer won 7-6 (7/3), 7-6 (7/4) on Wednesday and has not dropped a set so far in the 4.8 million dollar hardcourt tournament.

Federer already has three titles in 2005 with wins over Ljubicic in all three finals. He has won six of seven tournaments he has entered since start of US Open. Federer's victory sets up a marquee quarter-final at the California desert event featuring six players seeded in the top ten. Ljubicic, who had not dropped a set in the event heading into the Federer match, still leads the ATP Tour with 24 wins this year compared to 23 for Federer.

Federer produced 30 winners and 13 unforced errors while Ljubicic had 24 winners and 16 unforced errors in the one hour, 48 minute centre court match. Federer won 89 percent (41/46) of his first serves and 83 of 149 total points.

Federer stepped it up when it counted the most on the big points in the tiebreakers. There was just one break point chance in the match in the second game of the second set with Ljubicic serving and down 30-40. Federer missed the return to get to deuce and then Ljubicic closed out the game with an ace to make it 1-1.

Mar 15, 2005 from AP:
INDIAN WELLS - Roger Federer won in straight sets Tuesday to advance in the Pacific Life Open. Federer, winning for the 22nd time in 23 matches this year, defeated Gilles Muller 6-3, 6-2 to move into the fourth round.

Federer said he took his usual approach to the match against Muller — believing it was going to be a tough one. Although Muller was no match for the 23-year-old Swiss star, the 21-year-old player from Luxembourg is on the rise. The left-hander vaulted from 189th to No. 68 in the rankings last year. He was the world's No. 1 junior in 2001.

Roger Federer looks at a volley from Gilles Muller during their third-round match at the Pacific Life Open. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/AP)

Mar 13, 2005 from AP:
INDIAN WELLS - Roger Federer opened defense of his Pacific Life Open title with a methodical 6-3, 6-3 victory over Mardy Fish on Sunday. Federer, running his match record for the year to 21-1, broke Fish's serve twice on the way to a 4-0 lead in the first set, then was in clear control the rest of the way.

Federer said gusting wind at Indian Wells that picked up in the second set made it difficult to sustain rallies. After several days of 90-degree heat in the desert resort area earlier in the week, temperatures were in the 70s for Federer's opening match. The 23-year-old Swiss star needed just an hour and 7 minutes to beat Fish.

Anthony Lara jokes with Roger Federer during a wheelchair exhibition match during the Pacific Life Open at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden on March 13, 2005. (Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)

Mar 11, 2005 from AFP:
INDIAN WELLS - The lighter side of the ATP and WTA Tour was on display as Swiss superstar Roger Federer led a star-studded exhibition to raise money for Asian tsunami victims. The ATP All-Star Rally for Relief raised 18,300 US dollars for UNICEF from a series of exhibition tiebreak matches at the Indian Wells WTA and ATP Masters Series tournament.

Besides world number one, other participants included Lleyton Hewitt, Andy Roddick, Marat Safin, Carlos Moya, Andre Agassi, David Nalbandian, Guillermo Coria, Paradorn Srichaphan and Tim Henman. Kim Clijsters, Elena Dementieva, Amelie Mauresmo and Daniela Hantuchova also took part.

The cause was a serious one, but the mood on the court was amusing and humorous as the players joked amongst each other and played to the crowd. Safin stole the show in his tiebreaker against Roddick. The Russian prankster put on a display of trick shots and kept the crowd of 6,000 entertained with a string of one-liners.

Clijsters, Dementieva, Mauresmo and Hantuchova traded in their rackets for running shoes and acted as ball girls for the Roddick/Safin match. Clijsters smiled and joked with Hantuchova until she froze when having to face Roddick's serve from the ball-girl position at the back of the court.

Roger Federer gestures to Andre Agassi during the ATP All-Star Rally for Relief at the Pacific Life Open at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden on March 11, 2005. (Photo by Nick Laham/Getty Images)

Mar 8, 2005 from ATP:
Roger Federer is one of six finalists for the Laureus Sportsman of the Year award. Federer is finalist, for the second year in a row, along with American Lance Armstrong, Hicham El Guerrouj of Morocco, American Michael Phelps, Germany's Michael Schumacher, and Italian Valentino Rossi. A record number of sports journalists from around the world have voted this year to select the nominees for the Laureus World Sports Awards, Portugal 2005. When the ballot closed on February 15, a total of 528 members of the Laureus Media Selection Panel from 82 countries had voted. The names of the winners, as voted by the Laureus World Sports Academy, will be unveiled during a televised Awards Ceremony staged at Casino Estoril on the evening of May 16, 2005.

The ATP's latest documentary, Tennis Masters Cup Uncovered II: Facing Federer, is now available to order online.

Mar 4, 2005 from ATP:
The latest ATP charity auction to benefit UNICEF features signed lithographs of the instantly classic Roger Federer and Andre Agassi photo shoot atop the helipad at the luxurious Burj Al Arab hotel overlooking Dubai. Three unique framed pieces, entitled "New Heights," will be auctioned separately through March 19. The items each had an opening bid of AUD$750 (USD$590, 450 Euro). Go to the ATP Charity Auction to place your bid today.

Mar 3, 2005 from News24:
Johannesburg (SA) - When Roger Federer was growing up in Basel, Switzerland, one of his favourite tennis players was Wayne Ferreira. In fact, when he had the opportunity to be a ball boy on court when Ferreira played in Basel, it was a special moment for the current world number one.

"At that time my idols were Stefan Edberg, Boris Becker and Wayne, particularly because he was from South Africa," said Federer on Wednesday.

"So it was very exciting for me to ball boy for him at the time." But as he progressed through his career, Federer found himself once again on court with Ferreira, this time as his doubles partner. "It was great to finally play together with him and we played very well."

Federer actually regarded Ferreira to some extent as his mentor on the tour. The South African, who is currently a member of the Davis Cup team to play Germany at the Standard Bank Arena this weekend, remembers the incident well.

"Obviously when he was a ball boy I had no idea who he was. But when he started coming up and we became acquainted, Roger showed me a picture of me playing with him as the ball boy," said Ferreira. "We were actually pretty friendly on the tour," he added.

Mar 2, 2005 from Roger Federer Official Site:
Port Elizabeth (South Africa) – The Roger Federer Foundation has been supporting young people in South Africa since May 2004. Roger Federer today paid a surprise visit to children and institutions in the township of New Brighton near Port Elizabeth. Among several activities he planted a tree in memory of his visit and the partnership with the organisation IMBEWU Community Volunteers.

World No. 1 Roger Federer today paid a surprise visit to school children and AIDS victims in the townships near Port Elizabeth in South Africa. Roger Federer’s visit was designed to give him a first-hand look at the children who benefit from a partnership between the Roger Federer Foundation and the South African/Swiss aid agency IMBEWU.

The partnership provides schooling and two meals a day for 30 children across three schools, providing them with uniforms and stationery as well as enabling them to take part in special activities. Furthermore, the Roger Federer Foundation also supports the running of the local IMBEWU office and has helped create three full-time jobs there. Roger Federer also brought joy to AIDS and TB-infected children by visiting the Empilweni Hospital in the township of New Brighton.

Roger Federer’s surprise visit delighted students at three schools supported by the partnership: Daniels Primary School (with 607 students), Mvisiswano Primary School (305) and Ndzondelelo High School (1,300). One lucky student at each school who won an education slogan contest received a gift from Roger Federer. All 2,500 students at the schools received a t-shirt with the winning slogan - ‘I’m tomorrow’s future’ - in an activity sponsored by Nike.

Roger Federer was accompanied by his parents Lynette (a native South African), Robbie and girlfriend Mirka. During the day Roger participated in a soccer match with students and teachers and planted a tree at Mvisiswano Primary School in memory of his visit and partnership. After having enjoyed a very traditional Xhosa meal - samp with beans – together with the children he presented winners of the education contest with gifts and t-shirts before a large school choir sang the national anthem ‘Nkosi Sikelel’Afrika’, releasing 200 balloons in the colours of the South African flag. He rounded off the day by visiting the house of an IMBEWU-sponsored child and joining in a local basketball match.