Oct 30, 2006 from Reuters:
PARIS - Roger Federer has pulled out of the Paris Masters tournament on Monday due to exhaustion. "He called us this morning to tell us he was extremely tired," said tournament joint director Alain Riou.

World number two Rafael Nadal also pulled out on Sunday, joining world number three David Nalbandian, four Ivan Ljubicic and six Andy Roddick. The highest-ranked player left in the draw is world number five Nikolay Davydenko.

The official said Federer would not be sanctioned because the rules allowed him to miss two Masters Series a year. "We have the greatest respect for Roger Federer and we have no complaints about his attitude," Riou said. "He was ready to come here to answer questions from the media and to pass a medical but we told him there was no need."

from ATP:
The ATP will auction memorabilia signed by players past and present on the online auction and shopping web site eBay from Monday, October 30. All proceeds from the charity auction will go to UNICEF.

Roger Federer has provided two items of clothing that he wore in competition on the ATP circuit in 2005. He has signed a Nike tee-shirt which goes on offer from 500 €, while bidding for a pair of shorts belonging to Federer starts at 300 €.

Oct 29, 2006 from Reuters:
BASEL - Roger Federer celebrated a first title in his home town on Sunday after comfortably beating defending champion Fernando Gonzalez in the final of the Swiss Indoors tournament.

The runaway world number one wrapped up a 6-3 6-2 7-6 win to complete an unlikely journey from Basel ball boy to tournament champion.

"It's one of the most beautiful moments of my career and also one of the most important to me after Wimbledon," an emotional Federer told the crowd. "It's just insane."

"Although I always wanted to be a professional tennis player, I never dreamed as a ball boy that I would one day be the champion here. It's also my one thousandth day as world number one, so it's a very fitting day for this to happen."

"It is indeed magnificent," Federer said. "Different countries, different titles, they all have a different meaning. Winning Basel, my home tournament, it's one of those moments I'll never forget."

Federer opened the match with two aces and held at love. The Swiss then took control of the first set breaking Gonzalez with a backhand down the line in game six. He had five aces in taking the first set in less than 30 minutes. Federer tore through the second set after taking a 4-0 lead with two further breaks.

Gonzalez, the world number seven, managed two break points on Federer's serve when 2-1 up in the third set but the nine-times grand slam champion saved both, first with a forehand winner and then with a service winner. As the forehand winner left him hopelessly stranded, Gonzalez playfully slung his racket across the court.

There was little else for the Chilean to smile about as Federer continued to confound him, producing six break point chances of his own which Gonzalez did well to defend. Though unable to kill the match off at those points, Federer stepped up a gear in the subsequent tiebreak, earning a mini-break with a fierce return on the opening point before going on to win it 7-3.

"It's always tough to play Roger, especially in front of his home crowd," Gonzalez said after leaving the court. "He's playing unbelievably, which is really good for the game -- even if it's not so good for the rest of us."

from AFP:
BASEL - Roger Federer will decide on Monday whether or not to push his body through the Paris Masters after fulfilling a boyhood dream by winning the Swiss Indoors.

Federer is not sure he wants to test his physical limits starting on Monday for another week with the season-ending Masters Cup in Shanghai looming on November 12. "I'll wait until Monday, I've got to give myself a day of thought," said the No. 1.

After winning his last four events played over the last five weeks - including ten matches in a row to lift Madrid Masters last week followed by Basel, Federer added: "I've played a lot. This is my 92nd match of the season, I have to be careful."

"It all depends on how I feel," said Federer who hasn't played the tournament since 2003. "I will go to Paris - if it's to play or to pull out, I'll decide tomorrow."

Former ballboy Federer celebrated his hometown success, sharing pizza with the current crop immediately after his win in just under two hours.

"Winning at home, it's one of those moments which I'll never forget. it's an incredible feeling, when I look at the ballboys and realise I was one 12 years or more ago. Suddenly, I'm standing there with the trophy.

"It's quite incredible, come back from winning Tokyo and with the indoor season coming. You just hope it will go well. To win Madrid and then here is a hard thing to do."

from ATP:
For the third consecutive year Roger Federer captured his 11th title of the season. He extended his winning streak to 24 matches and moved to a personal-best 87-5 match record on the year. The Swiss long ago was declared winner of the INDESIT ATP 2006 Race and improved his record Race points haul to 1,524 points.

Federer won his ninth consecutive tie-break to close out the match. In the semifinals he defeated Paradorn Srichaphan 6-4, 3-6, 7-6(5) and in the quarterfinals he defeated fifth seed David Ferrer 6-3, 7-6(14), ending the match with a 30-point tie-break.

Federer has now played 603 career matches, winning 478 of them, or 79 percent. His match record from 1998-2003 was 236-110 (.683) with 11 titles, but over the past three years he is 242-15 (.941) with 33 titles.

Federer's current 24-match winning streak is his fifth streak of at least 20 wins (see chart below). Basel marks his fourth tournament victory in a row and his 11 titles on the year is more than double that won by James Blake and Rafael Nadal, who are tied for second with five.

Oct 28, 2006 from AP:
Roger Federer rallied in a third-set tiebreaker Saturday to reach the Swiss Indoors final, beating Thailand's Paradorn Srichaphan 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (5) for his 23rd straight victory.

The top-ranked Swiss will play for the title Sunday against Fernando Gonzalez, who beat Stanislas Wawrinka 6-4, 6-4 in the other semifinal.

"He's the best player in the world and it's going to be really tough," Gonzalez said. "I'll need to be at my best against him because when you play Federer you maybe get one good chance when other players might give you ten."

Federer hit two straight forehands for winners to break at 3-3 on the way to taking the first set and was untroubled on his own serve until the eighth game of the second set. He then hit two balls into the net to allow Paradorn to break, and the Thai then held to even the match. Federer dropped his first set in 11 matches.

Federer regained his serving dominance in the third set, but missed two chances to break, including one at 5-4, which would have given him the match. Federer then was twice a mini-break down in the tiebreaker. Paradorn, the world number 54, could have won by taking two points on serve while leading 5-4. Federer hit a forehand winner and then the Thai made an error, allowing the Swiss to close the match.

"I was thinking then (after being down in the tiebreaker) that I'd always have a chance here next year. My thoughts are always clear and I have no illusions," said Federer. "I knew I was not in good shape at that point."

"It was unbelievable. I've played him a few times now so I knew he was a good player but I definitely needed a bit of luck today."

Check out Tennis for Africa eBay Auction, items include Roger's tennis shoes.

Oct 27, 2006 from Reuters:
Roger Federer reached the semi-finals of the Swiss Indoors tournament on Friday after a stuttering 6-3 7-6 win over Spanish fifth seed David Ferrer.

Federer began badly, dropping serve in the opening game, but had a lucky reprieve when Ferrer double-faulted twice in the following game to restore a nervy equilibrium.

Breaks of the Spaniard's serve late in the first set and early in the second seemed to hand Federer control but the Swiss suffered an uncharacteristic wobble as he dropped serve again with a couple of unforced errors to leave the second set at 4-4.

The subsequent tiebreak was a close affair, with Ferrer looking likeliest to break the deadlock. Further errors by both players saw the Spaniard fail to convert six set points and Federer missing three match points before finally taking the tiebreak 16-14 when Ferrer slammed the ball into the net.

Federer is now 33-14 on the season in tie-breaks and that's the most tie-breaks won of any player in 2006. The Swiss improves his Basel record to 17-6. He will now meet Paradorn Srichaphan in the last four, following the unseeded Thai's 7-6 6-3 win over Argentine seventh seed Jose Acasuso.

"I think I was trying to risk a bit more in front of my home crowd today, so I'm just lucky that it paid off in the end," said Federer. "It's been a while since I dropped serve at the start of a match, so it was important that I reacted well."

"I had to adjust, I couldn't play free in the tiebreaker," said the Swiss, 85-5 this season. "My serve was not helping me out that much. But I played some great points under pressure. In the end it was a great match."

Oct 26, 2006 from Reuters:
Roger Federer crushed Spain's Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 6-2 6-0 in front of a 9,200 sold-out crowd in the second round of the Swiss Indoors on Thursday. He next plays another Spaniard, fifth seed David Ferrer, in the quarter-finals.

Garcia-Lopez elected to concentrate on Federer's backhand but the tactic was ruthlessly exploited as the Swiss sprayed the ball around the court at will. He won the final eight games and sealed victory in 52 minutes.

"It's unbelievable how I'm playing at the moment," Federer told reporters after clinching his 21st win in a row. "I was surprised myself about how quickly the match went."

Oct 24, 2006 from AP:
Roger Federer easily advanced to the second round of the Swiss Indoors, beating Tomas Zib 6-1, 6-2 Tuesday. In Thursday's second round, he will face 75th-ranked Spaniard Guillermo Garcia-Lopez.

Federer won 12 of the first 15 points, including four aces in the third game. "I'm hitting the ball real well right now," said Federer, who finished with 11 aces. "It's good if it stays like this."

Federer conceded only six points on serve against the 151st-ranked Zib and closed it out in 49 minutes. "The result was fantastic, the standing ovation was beautiful. You couldn't ask for more," Federer said. "It's a court I know very well."

With Zib trailing Federer 4-2 in the second set, the Czech appeared to take the point with a backhand volley, but Federer raced across court and jabbed a forehand winner. Zib double-faulted the next point and was broken. "It shows you it's worthwhile running for balls," Federer said.

from Reuters:
MELBOURNE - Roger Federer will fine-tune his preparations for the opening grand slam of 2007 at the Kooyong Classic in Melbourne, Tennis Australia said on Tuesday. Federer head the line-up for the select eight-man field at the January 10-13 event. Joining him will be defending champion Andy Roddick, David Nalbandian, Radek Stepanek, Tommy Haas, Ivan Ljubicic, Andy Murray and Marat Safin.

Oct 23, 2006 from ATP:
Roger Federer arrived in Basel and practiced for one hour on center court with good friend and fellow Swiss Yves Allegro. He will play his opening match at 5.45 p.m. Tuesday against Czech qualifier Tomas Zib.

from Reuters:
BASEL - Roger Federer will be looking to fill a rare gap in his trophy cabinet this week as he sets out to win his hometown tournament for the first time.

Federer has made six previous attempts to win the Swiss Indoors tournament in his native city of Basel. The only place he has worked harder for a win is at the French Open where he has made eight unsuccessful appearances.

Federer was confident of playing in the Basel event, which starts on Tuesday, despite turning his right ankle during his straight-sets win over Fernando Gonzalez in the Madrid Masters final on Sunday. "I will see how it reacts tomorrow but I'm confident and feel no pain right now," Federer said.

"Obviously the Masters Cup final in Shanghai is my top priority for the rest of the season because that's where you have the top eight guys all taking part," Federer told Reuters. "But when it comes to emotions, Basel is number one because of growing up there and working as a ballboy at the event."

The last three seasons Federer emerged as the dominant force in men's tennis but he was unable to capitalise on this in his own backyard with a back problem contributing to an early exit in 2003 and further injuries forcing him to pull out in 2004 and 2005.

"I don't think there has been any pattern to it because first it was the blocked back and then it was a thigh muscle tear and then last year I ripped a ligament," Federer said. "I've just been kind of unlucky because all you can do is be as professional as you can and I try pretty hard not to make injuries happen. I'm not expecting any problems this time, though, and I'm definitely hoping to play well."

The field in Basel should throw up a few interesting obstacles for the world number one. Rafael Nadal decided not to come to Basel after losing in the quarter-finals of the Madrid Masters but world number four David Nalbandian is expected to play. Defending champion Gonzalez, Tomas Berdych, and Andy Murray will also take part.

from The Times:
Roger Federer practised every day with Mirka Vavrinec, his girlfriend, not bothering to interrupt the preparation of his fellow players. Yesterday, Federer won his twelfth Masters tournament, his first in Spain, his nineteenth successive match and his tenth title of the year, without dropping a set.

Oct 22, 2006 from ATP:
Roger Federer further entrenched himself in the tennis record books Sunday when he crushed Fernando Gonzalez 7-5, 6-1, 6-0 to win the Madrid Masters final.

"It's been a fantastic week, it's a great day in my career," said the winner. "I missed here in 2004 with fatigue and I was injured last year. I finally made it back here and I'm able to win it.

Federer won his 10th title of the year and became the first player in the Open Era to win 10 or more titles in a season for three consecutive years. The ATP World No. 1, who claimed a career-best 82nd match win of the season, improved to 8-0 in career meetings with Gonzalez and extended his winning streak to 19 matches. He also extended his record INDESIT ATP 2006 Race points total to 1,474.

In the first set Gonzalez matched Federer with breathtaking shotmaking. Neither player offered up a break point opportunity until the final game of the set. On the first set point Federer turned his right ankle when the side of his right shoe slipped and rolled as he planted his foot while reaching for a backhand after being slightly wrong-footed.

But the Swiss immediately showed that he had escaped injury, scurrying from side-to-side with confidence during a spirited baseline exchange on the next point. Despite losing the point Federer recovered to win the next three to close out the first set 7-5.

Federer, who now tapes his ankles as a precaution before his matches, called the trainer at the conclusion of the set to add extra tape to his right ankle. Early in the second set Federer broke for 3-1 with a round-the-net backhand flick after chasing down a Gonzalez deftly-angled, short half-volley backhand at the net.

Federer would go on to win the last 11 games of the match. (He won the last eight games of his semifinal encounter with David Nalbandian.) He faced - and saved - just two break points in the match, both in the final set. He dropped just three points on his first serve in the first two sets and just nine point on his first serve for the match. He hit 10 aces through the first game of the second set and 11 aces for the match.

Federer was aggressive on the return, standing in on the second serve. He hit 37 winners to 29 unforced errors and unleashed a number of powerful forehand blasts.

Federer won a record-equaling fourth ATP Masters Series shield for the season and became the first player in Masters Series history (since 1990) to win four shields in back-to-back seasons. He has now won 12 career Masters Series titles, second only to Andre Agassi's 17. During his career Federer has won six of the nine different Masters Series titles. Only Agassi (7) has won more different Masters Series titles.

His career total of 43 crowns already puts him 12th on the all-time Open Era list, and at 25 years of age, he is only one title away from No. 11 Thomas Muster. Federer's career record in finals is 43-13. This was Federer's first ATP final on Spanish soil and he claimed a title in his 15th different country.

Oct 21, 2006 from Madrid AMS Official Site:
Roger Federer hammered out a win over David Nalbandian for the seventh time in eight matches Saturday, dominating 6-4, 6-0 to power into the final of the Madrid Masters.

The Swiss world number 1 showed his pedigree with his 18th straight match victory. He boasts a season record of 81-5. Federer will contest Sunday's best-of-five-set final against Chile's tenth seed Fernando Gonzalez.

Federer took the match by the throat with a 4-1 lead as he began with two aces and a love game. But the momentum took a slight detour as Nalbandian got the break back for 3-4 from Federer's volley error. The Argentine than had to work out of a jam as well, which he did by saving three break points to square for 4-4.

Federer lifted to claim the set two games later as Nalbandian fired a return into the net, then tried to claim a computer challenge - which he lost - by saying Federer's return had been long.

Oct 20, 2006 from Reuters:
Roger Federer stayed on target for his 10th title of the year with a 6-3 7-6 (7-4) win over unseeded American Robby Ginepri in the quarter-finals of the Madrid Masters on Friday.

Although Ginepri played high-quality tennis, he was unable to match Federer on the big points. Federer pounced on the first break opportunity to go 5-3 up before serving out to take the opening set.

Oct 19, 2006 from AP:
Roger Federer rallied in two tiebreakers to beat Robin Soderling 7-6 (5), 7-6 (8) to advance to the quarterfinals of the Madrid Masters on Thursday.

Neither Federer nor Soderling lost serve in their match, but Federer correctly challenged — using the Hawk-Eye video replay system — a cross-court forehand from Soderling that was initially ruled in during the final rally. It was the second straight point in which Federer had successfully challenged a shot by Soderling.

Oct 17, 2006 from Zee News:
Roger Federer cruised into the third round of the Madrid Masters with a comprehensive 6-3, 6-2 victory over Nicolas Massu.

With the schedule delayed by a leaky roof at the Madrid Masters on Tuesday, the crowd had to endure quite a wait until they got their first look at the world number one.

Federer gave Massu little chance in the match, breaking the Chilean's serve in the sixth game and going on to take the first set 6-3. It was the same story in the second set, the top seed broke twice and closed out the match in one hour 25 minutes.

Oct 15, 2006 from AP:
MADRID - Roger Federer has won 42 career titles in 14 different countries. None of them have come in Spain. He is hoping to reverse that trend at the Madrid Masters, which begins Monday, but it won't be easy. The Madrid field includes 18 of the world's top 20 players, including Rafael Nadal.

"I think Rafa is the player with the advantage at home," Federer said Sunday. "He holds the title and he will defend it, so all I can hope is this year I can play well because it's going to be a difficult tournament for everyone."

"The key for me is to get through the first rounds," Federer said. "I really like this surface and I play well on it. Though it's been three or four years since I played here, I had a good time, and if things smile on me I hope to go and win one match at a time."

from Real Madrid C.F.:
Making the most of his stay in the Spanish capital for the Masters Series of tennis, Roger Federer found some time to make his way to Valdebebas to visit with the Madridistas. A big football fan, the Swiss star had the opportunity to watch the team train and visit the facilities.

Federer took advantage of a few hours of free time to go to Valdebebas to get to know the "magnificent facilities" that play home to Real Madrid's training sessions and to personally greet players of the first team. Ronaldo, Raúl, Van Nistelrooy, and Beckham were just a few of the player who met with the ATP's number one.

Federer also had the chance to watch the opening minutes of the final training session before the White expedition heads to Bucharest for Tuesday's Champions League match against Steaua. Federer was also introduced to Fabio Capello, who he invited to go watch some of the Masters Series tennis matches later in the week.

The tennis player was delighted with his football outing and he even confessed to wanting to have been a footballer. "I'm a huge football fan. I never had the chance to meet any of the players during my first two trips to Madrid. I am thrilled that I finally got the chance to meet them and to visit the facilities. This is a dream come true. I would have liked to be a footballer had I not become a tennis player. This is very special," he said.

Not only does Federer love football, according to him, Real Madrid "is one of the best Clubs in the world. It's amazing how they organise everything. Unfortunately, I have never had the chance to see the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, but it's on my list.". He also invited to the squad to go cheer him on during the Masters Series, stating, "I would love it if they could come to a match. It's a great tournament. I hope they can enjoy a good tennis match some day. There's a great atmosphere in Madrid."

Oct 12, 2006 from Roger Federer Official Site:
A quarter of all kids between the age of 6 and 12 in Switzerland are too corpulent. To make physical activity more interesting for this age-group the Cleven-Becker Foundation has launched a projects called Fit-4-Future.

All primary and secondary schools in the area of Basel can apply to take part in the initiative to promote physical activity. 50 schools will be chosen in the end and will receive toy-containers, containing sporting equipment such as soccer balls, Frisbees and tennis rackets. "We would like to give children the possibility to play with the sets and become active", said retired businessman Hans-Dieter Cleven (60). The main ambassador for the Foundation, which is now two years old, is ex-tennis star Boris Becker.

Oct 10, 2006 from The Globe and Mail:
Roger Federer's consistency is remarkable, particularly when stacked up against the last dominant player, Pete Sampras, during his best years.

Sampras's run between 1993 and 1995 pales in comparison to the formidable Federer over the past three years. Sampras's win-loss record in the three peak years was 234-44; Federer's record has been 232-15 from 2004 to 2006. It is startling that Federer has almost the same number of wins but almost two-thirds fewer losses.

Oct 9, 2006 from UEFA:
Roger Federer is among four national celebrities who will be Swiss ambassadors for the UEFA EURO 2008™ finals.

The Swiss Football Association, which will co-host UEFA EURO 2008™ with its counterparts from neighbouring Austria, has enlisted Federer along with three other top sporting personalities to help generate positive feedback and promote the event. Federer is currently Switzerland's most celebrated sportsman. He is joined in his new role by former Formula 1 Sauber-Petronas team chief Peter Sauber, who was named as Switzerland's Man of the Year for 2005.

Oct 8, 2006 from Daily Yomiuri:
Roger Federer served up a steaming portion on his world-famous tennis to rout Henman 6-3, 6-3 in the final of the AIG Japan Open.

Federer was at his masterful best in carving out a 1-hour 7-minute victory before a crowd of 13,519 that packed Tokyo's Ariake Colosseum on the clear but windy day.

"It was excellent, of course, I'm really happy with this tournament. It's been a great season so far," Federer said. "I've had a great experience visiting Japan and the fans are really friendly to me, so this has been a great week for me."

"I definitely got lucky against (Takao) Suzuki (in the quarter-finals). It was a very close match and I could have lost it easily, but I came through and gained the opportunity to win the title," said Federer.

"I'm a bit surprised, because I had a lot of jet lag, and to always keep winning, it's a very hard thing to do. I'm very tired now mentally and physically. I really hope to come back next year and defend the title."

The title in his Japan debut was the ninth of the year for Federer. His 42 career titles ties him with Stefan Edberg for 11th on the all-time list. Federer now holds a 7-6 career edge over the 55th-ranked Henman, but has beaten the Briton in their last six meetings.

"I knew what he was going to do, serve and volley or serve and come in on the next one, so that puts a lot of pressure on your return. It was harder to serve today with the wind and sun," Federer said.

"I've played Tim this year at Wimbledon and the US Open and I thought this may have been the most dangerous one because it's best of three sets and the surface is faster. I had to come up with some good passing shots and come up with great points at the right time."

"We chatted for a long time in the locker room before and we kind of warmed up together, so it was a good and relaxed atmosphere."

Federer never looked threatened, combining his trademark groundstrokes with an overpowering and dependable serve. He had just two double faults, early in the match, and ended up the tournament with just three in 11 sets.

Henman did three straight double faults to lose serve and go down 4-2 in the first set. The top seed then closed out the set by slamming his fifth ace past the Briton.

"I thought it was hard for him after those three double faults because if he wants to win, that's just the thing he can't do," Federer said. "In the end, if you look at it very harshly, it cost him the match."

In the second set, Federer broke Henman's serve in the third game, then again while up 5-3 to close out the match. Henman saved match point twice, but hit a return long on the third one.

"His ability to hit passing shots so well and so consistently is what it makes so difficult to play against," said Henman. "At times I felt like I was playing some great tennis and still end up losing the point. And that's where you have to say he's too good."

"I'm not the first guy to lose to Roger and I won't be the last," said Henman. "He has a more complete game than Sampras. Sampras had a bigger first and second serve. In the conditions Pete was playing, it was easier to be more aggressive all the time. Now with the courts and the balls much slower, Roger is so effective because he has so many attributes to his game."

Asked how long Federer can sustain his reign at the top of tennis, Henman said it could be a few years. "I think it will still be a few years. One question when you get older is health," Henman said. "His game is economical. It doesn't take a lot of stress out of him. So I wouldn't be surprised if he's on top of the game for a few years yet."

Federer also proved he's the biggest draw in the game, as the total attendance of 72,386 represented a 36 percent increase over the 2005 tournament and was 23 percent more than when Maria Sharapova played in 2004.

Which leads organizers and fans to ask: will he be back next year to defend his title? After the match, Federer indicated such a desire in an on-court interview. Pressed later by the media, he replied, "I said, 'I would love to come back' [actually he said, "hope to"]--and that's very close to coming back."

Federer said in principle that he tries to defend every title he wins. "Of course, if I keep on winning 11 tournaments like I did last year, it's hard sometimes to come back for every one," he said. "But I had a great stay, a great time. It's been a great experience for me."

Oct 7, 2006 from Reuters:
Roger Federer blasted past Benjamin Becker 6-3 6-4 to reach the Japan Open final on Saturday. The stylish Swiss never fully extended himself, taking exactly one hour to repel the 14th-seeded Becker with a supremely confident display.

Federer made light of the swirling wind and deafening noise from helicopters buzzing over center court as he broke the German in the second game and tore through the first set in 36 minutes.

The second set was even quicker, the Swiss forcing Becker into an errant forehand to break again in the third game of the second set.

Becker simply had no answer to Federer's bewildering arsenal of shots. Federer finally put the German out of his misery with a blistering serve on his first match point to move to within one victory of his ninth title of the year.

"The big difference was I got a break behind early (in the match against Suzuki), so once I got a break, I was in control and make sure I can hit a lot of first serves in, because that is the big factor if you win or lose a point here," said Federer. "Because if you make your first serves, the chance is so big to win the game comfortably. That's what I tried to do."

"But I didn't make many mistakes on my own serve and actually today was just I served well and take my chances. That's what happened today," added Federer.

"I'm happy with the level of my play throughout the week. Some people might think I'm struggling, but I don't think so and am happy to be in the final."

Federer will meet Tim Henman in Sunday's final at Ariake Colosseum. "That will be fun," said Federer. "He's a good friend of mine. I think playing Henman will be a little bit more exciting for myself."

Oct 6, 2006 from AFP:
Roger Federer got off to a slow start before rallying to a 4-6, 7-5, 7-6 (7/3) victory over local hope Takao Suzuki, ranked 1,078th in the world, for a berth in the Japan Open semi-finals.

"He played too quick, too good at the beginning to get on top on me, simple as that, and he had a better start, so that definitely helped him," said Federer. "He's ranked top 1,000 and we all know he doesn't play like 1,000. I can see the headline 'Federer losing to a guy in top 1,000.' That's not so much fun, so I'm happy I won to save my image."

Federer saved two break points in the opening game, but he failed to save a 15-40 break point against him in the third game when the Japanese employed some successful chip-and-charge tactics, It eventually cost him the set.

But Federer soon found his feet and never gave Suzuki another break opportunity. Federer broke Suzuki for the first time in the final game of the second set after being down 30-love.

The Swiss finally booked a place in the last four with a dipping forehand return that forced Suzuki into a volley error to give Federer the third-set tiebreak 7-3.

"I was kind of relaxed in the third set, because I was up all the time, and I felt I was holding my serve more comfortably, and I had many chances on his serve. I actually played a solid match in the end," said Federer.

"I knew going into it it was going to be difficult to play against him with his fans here, his attacking style. The surface is really quick and it's perfect for him. At the beginning he was playing perfect tennis.

"His serve was really incredible for a little guy, and the way he volleys and moves made it hard for me. I'm not surprised at all," added Federer.

"It was a difficult match and I was afraid I might lose it," Federer said. "He mixed up his serves well and hit all the corners. I got a bit of luck here and there in the third set, which helped."

"Not returning more of his serves was the only part of my game today that I maybe wasn't happy with," Federer said. "But that had a lot to do with my opponent and how well he hit the ball."

Oct 5, 2006 from Reuters:
Roger Federer quickly ended Wesley Moodie's reign as Japan Open champion with a clinical 6-2 6-1 win to reach the quarter-finals on Thursday.

Razor-sharp from the opening point, the Swiss took 52 minutes to blow away the South African, 73rd in the world, behind a blaze of winners, improving his win-loss record this year to 74-5.

Federer won seven straight games from 3-2 in the first set with an awesome display of stroke-making that left Moodie shaking his head in disbelief.

One angled backhand return from Federer that drifted away from Moodie and on to the line to give him a break for 2-0 in the second set even brought a wry smile to the world number one's face.

Federer closed out the match by winning the final three games. He wrapped up the formalities on his first match point with a kicking second serve that brought a wild backhand from his deflated opponent, who looked relieved his ordeal was over.

Federer's match with Moodie was played under a closed roof in Tokyo as rain washed out much of Thursday's play. He next plays Japanese wildcard Takao Suzuki in the quarterfinals Friday.

"I had my troubles returning yesterday so I expected actually it was going to be worse today because of the opponent--he's someone who is famous for a good serve and volley and he played well here last year," said Federer. "That I came through so convincingly is for me quite surprising, but I played great."

"I picked up the serves really well and came up with some incredible shots," Federer said. "For me it was a very entertaining match."

"There were a few really, really great shots out there today. But you always have to have the opponent, too, that makes you hit that shot. You're always going to hit more winners when the guy's at the net."

Moodie won the second game of the first set with three aces but couldn't keep up with Federer after that. "I knew his serve was big. He hit two great serves and then got another ace, but I don't remember his getting many more aces after that."

from AP:
MADRID - Roger Federer will play at the Madrid Masters for the first time in three years. "Roger will arrive in Madrid (next Friday)," tournament organizer Manolo Santana said Thursday. "We are very happy to count Roger in the tournament this year."

Oct 4, 2006 from Daily Yomiuri:
Roger Federer was taken to two tiebreakers by unheralded Serbian qualifier Viktor Troicki before notching a 7-6 (7-2), 7-6 (7-3) second-round win Wednesday at the 765,000 dollars AIG Japan Open at Tokyo's Ariake Tennis Forest Park.

"I didn't know his game at all," Federer said. "I didn't know if he [had a] one-handed or two-handed backhand...That always takes time to figure a player out."

Troicki, a 20-year-old playing in the main draw of an ATP tournament for the first time, fearlessly matched the world No. 1 stroke for stroke, firing nine aces with a booming serve that hit 205 kph on the speed gun.

"I'm really proud of myself that I could get to two tiebreaks against the No. 1 player in the world," said the 1.92-meter Troicki. "I will never forget this day in my life and I hope it will be the start of very good things for my career."

Federer said he was impressed by how Troicki kept his cool against him. "I think he handled the situation very well," Federer said. "I was very impressed with the way he played. I think he has a good future."

After Federer took the first two games of the match before the Ariake Colosseum crowd of 9,438--twice the number on the same day last year--Troicki broke serve and the two held serve up to the tiebreaker.

"I was little bit nervous at the beginning and I got broken, but when I broke back I got into the match and I didn't feel nervous anymore," said Troicki, ranked 276th in the world.

Federer said the break in the third game changed the tone of the match. "The match might have looked different if I stayed up a break in the first set," he said. "But he broke me back at 2-0 and after that it was a really even match."

"He came up with good shots, had hardly any unforced errors and served well," Federer said. "It made it hard on myself to get a grip on the match. Thank God I have the ability to play well when it really matters and that's what got me through in the end."

from Ai Sugiyama's Tokyo Blog:
We had the player party last night in hotel. There was a VIP reception I went to. Roger Federer, Tommy Robredo, Paradorn Srichaphan, Gisela Dulko and Maria Kirlilenko were there with me too. I know most of those guys but it was the first time I've talked to Roger. I had pictures with him. He's so cool and nice. I was asking him what kind of food he was eatng and told me he likes Japanese food and is eating sushi and Kobe beef. When I heard that, I didn't need to give him any advice! He's eating the best food we have in Japan.

Afterwards we went to the main party, and Roger, Tommy, Gisela and I took part in the 'kagami biraki' crashing or breaking of the saki drum with wooden hammers. I think it's a traditional ceremony for good luck for the beginning of an event. Those were the real saki drums. They make the saki in those drums and sometimes they're even bigger. I love saki. It's made from distilled rice. You can have sweet, dry, hot and cold. I like cold the best. With sushi, dry is nicest. There are so many kinds and they're all different. The taste of it depends on the soil where the rice grows.

Oct 3, 2006 from Bob Larson's Tennis News:
Tennis fans have logged on in record numbers to read Roger Federer's personal first-hand account of his first visit to Tokyo. The Swiss' blog on ATPtennis.com eclipsed 100,000 page impressions since Federer made his first post Monday morning in Japan, a first-day record for ATPtennis.com player blogs this year.

Federer's blog also is featured on RogerFederer.com, which is registering its own independent hits. He will attempt to join Rafael Nadal, Bob and Mike Bryan, Ivan Ljubicic, James Blake, Tommy Robredo and Mario Ancic as players who won the title the same week they wrote the ATPtennis.com blog.

Oct 2, 2006 from Kyodo:
TOKYO - About 1,000 spectators turned out at center court to watch Roger Federer practice ahead of his match in the main draw of the Japan Open at Ariake Tennis Forest Park. He faced unseeded players Simon Greul of Germany and Japan's Satoshi Iwabuchi in an hour-long practice, complete with ball boys and scoring. The only thing missing were the line judges and chair umpire.

"I think it was a nice thing to do," Federer said. "I can't remember ever having an official practice. People came and they had ball boys. I think it was great idea. I enjoyed it. You can feel the excitement here."

"My preparation has been very good. I arrived here very early Friday morning and I'm playing Wednesday, so I have plenty of time. I'm not going to try out many things. I'm going to play to win. I have great motivation to do well."

Getting a feel for the surface here in Tokyo was the idea behind Monday's practice. "The most important thing now is to get a good feel for the court and the ball. You get the eyes ready to play for points and that was one of the main objectives of the practice today."

from Reuters:
TOKYO - Roger Federer's first practice session before this week's Japan Open drew a squealing crowd of over 1,000 fans eager to see the world number one on Monday. Organisers pampered the Swiss by laying on ball boys as he hit with star-struck Japanese players for a little over an hour in preparation for his first tournament in Japan.

"It was really great fun to have my practice announced officially at 10 a.m. on centre court," Federer told reporters. "I can't remember ever having that. We had ball boys and everything. The only thing missing was the umpire!"

Federer is scheduled to meet Andy Murray in the semi-finals but he said he had not even seen the draw. "If somebody gives me the draw I'll have a look at it," smiled Federer. "I always look maybe two or three rounds ahead and then I'll know who'll still be around. But I try not to get too excited. My focus is not on Andy -- it's the entire tournament."

"It's been a fantastic year and I don't want to break a fantastic year by not being professional," he said. "Motivation is not a problem. You always find ways to motivate yourself."

Federer is unlikely to play until Wednesday after rain in Tokyo washed out qualifying on Sunday. The centre-court roof was closed for Federer's practice on Monday because of rain, while further showers have been forecast for the coming week.

Federer won his third straight U.S. Open last month in a record sixth straight grand slam final appearance but ominously he warned that he was still hungry for more major success.

from AP:
TOKYO - On Monday, Roger Federer took part in a practice session that was open to fans. "I've never seen anything like that before," said Federer, who played against Japan's Satoshi Iwabuchi. "They even had ball boys and I think it's a great idea."

Federer said he has no trouble getting motivated for smaller tournaments like the Japan Open. "Motivation is never a problem," said Federer. "I have fans all over the world and when you come to a place for the first time you always want to play your best and hopefully win the tournament."

from AFP:
TOKYO - Roger Federer says his season hinges on top performances at the four premier events in tennis, but the world number one plans to brings his A-game to the Japan Open this week.

"It is usually where a best season or a bad season can be decided for the best players," Federer said of the Grand Slams. "That's why for me the last few years have been fantastic. But for me, it's not only for these tournaments. I try to play well in every tournament."

"My preparations have been good again. I came off playing very well in the Davis Cup and I had a few days off, arrived here very early -- arrived here Friday morning and I'm playing on Wednesday," said Federer.

"Obviously I'm taking every tournament seriously. You can see by my results, especially this year in finals in every tournament except Cincinnati. It's been a fantastic year.

"You don't want to break such a fantastic year by not being professional, so I'm going to play to win. I try to do well. Obviously I will try to produce the best tennis for Japanese fans," he added.

Federer is expected to play defending champion Wesley Moodie in the third round and could face Murray in the semi-finals. But Federer said he would take the tournament one match at a time.

Oct 1, 2006 from AFP:
TOKYO - Roger Federer said he was looking forward to playing in front of his first Tokyo crowd at the Japan Open tennis tournament, which gets under way on Monday.

"I'm getting to know the people of the city and my first impression is very good. I'm very excited being in Japan and I hope the excitement will be in the crowd when I play next week," said the Swiss top seed.

"Japanese foods are one of my favourite foods - teriyaki, sushi and sashimi - and my girl friend has been in Japan in the past and she always loves to be in Japan," added Federer.