Jun 30, 2007 from Telegraph:
Sir Elton John threw his 9th Annual White Tie and Tiara Ball at his Berkshire home on Thursday (June 28) night to raise funds for the Elton John Aids Foundation.

An auction saw items like a Rolls Royce Phantom drophead coupé that went for £800,000, as did Tracey Emin's artwork. An Audi R8 sportscar took £400,000, an hour’s tennis coaching and lunch at Woodside with current Wimbledon champion, Roger Federer - wisely home in bed in preparation for today's match against Marat Safin - went for 300,000, and a trip to South Africa with Sir Elton and David Furnish to see the work of the fund in action, gained a further £800,000.

Jun 29, 2007 from Reuters:
LONDON - Roger Federer barely had his feathers ruffled in a 6-1 6-4 7-6 win over Marat Safin in the third round of Wimbledon on Friday.

The world number one broke in the fourth game of the first set and a combination of some over-hitting on the groundstrokes by Safin and some tricky changes of speed by Federer allowed the him to steam to a convincing lead.

Former world number one Safin fought back early in the second and even broke serve. But the top seed seemed unperturbed. He broke back immediately and again in the seventh game, prompting some characteristic racket-throwing from the volatile Russian before Federer nailed the set with an ace.

Jun 28, 2007 from Wimbledon:
Roger Federer required only 11 minutes on No. 1 Court this afternoon to complete his victory over Juan Martin Del Potro, 6-2, 7-5, 6-1, and reach the third round at Wimbledon.

It was Federer’s 50th win on grass and he continues to dominate the field as befits his world No. 1 status and the fact that he has already won the Wimbledon title four times.

"Fifty is a great number to achieve," said Federer. "I'm delighted about that but I haven't won the tournament."

His match with Del Potro had been halted yesterday by rain. When play resumed today, Federer was serving at 2-0, 30-all. Two quick points saw Federer complete that game. If Del Potro entertained any hope of making a fight of it, they disappeared immediately with another break of serve against him.

Federer looked comfortable on the grass, more so than when he opened The Championships on Monday on the roofless Centre Court where the grass was a little damp at the start.

Jun 27, 2007 from PA:
Roger Federer was on the verge of his 50th straight victory on grass before the Wimbledon weather intervened today. Federer led Argentinian Juan Martin Del Potro by two sets to love and 2-0 in the third when rain forced the players off court one at 4.45pm.

Federer took the opening set of the second round match as the sun briefly shone on the All England Club. He pounced on the first show of weakness from his 18-year-old opponent - by five days the second youngest player in the draw - two unforced errors in the sixth game allowing him to break serve with a superb backhand passing shot. Another break gave Federer the set 6-2 in just 26 minutes as Del Potro faded after a promising start.

Del Potro forced his first break point in the seventh game of the second set, but Federer responded in style to fend off the danger, and then forged a break point of his own in the next game. That chance went begging but the 25-year-old made no mistake in the 12th game, breaking Del Potro to take the set 7-5.

from Daily Express:
Roger Federer has never been a big admirer of Hawk-Eye, but he may have given a silent nod of thanks to the new line-calling system as he called for its services twice.

The world No1 was looking to consolidate a first break of serve, having taken a 4-2 lead in the first set against Juan Del Potro. He wound up a huge first serve to ram home his advantage but it was called wide.

A brusque raising of the hand summoned technology into action and Federer was proved right, giving him his first ace of the match. He held, and broke again to take the first set 6-2.

from Daily Mail:
Four-time champion and Coca-Cola drinker Roger Federer is understood to be one of a number of players not impressed that he can't find his favourite soft drink on tap in the locker rooms unlike in previous years. Coca-Cola have terminated their supply deal as well as their pouring rights at the All England Club as part of a worldwide review of their sponsorship agreements.

from metro:
By Chris Baldwin - Roger Federer’s white dinner jacket in the first round of Wimbledon sure beat Tiger Woods’ nipple shirt in the final round of the U.S. Open. Don’t look now, but Federer is making tennis cool again.

He’s not American. He’s not bombastic. He’s not flashy. He’s not tabloid. He was completely snubbed by Sports Illustrated for its last Sportsman of the Year award. He plays in a sport with TV ratings that makes that snooze-a-thon Spurs-Cavs NBA Finals look good.

Yet Federer somehow rises above it all, hits those pinpoint shots to impossible angles, gives the casual sports fan a reason to pay attention to tennis. In terms of charisma, Federer already blows Pete Sampras off center court.

Even in his prime, Sampras often seemed to invent injuries he had to overcome, taking Michael Jordan’s supposed flu game in Utah to new levels. Federer just stays cool and blows through tournaments.

He’s defying all the conventions of modern media celebrity. If Tim Duncan provides a regular reminder of how to be good and boring, Federer counters with a compelling argument for being low-key and eye-catching.

Federer showed up at Wimbledon Sunday in that white jacket and long pants— James Bond with a high-tech racquet. Even Mike & the Mad Dog couldn’t help but talk about it.

It’s almost as if Federer understands he has to do everything with more grace than most, not just dispatching some overmatched Russian in straight sets. He turns blowouts into theater too. There is a lot of Joe DiMaggio in this Swiss slicer — except for the famous Joe D bristle.

from Globe and Mail:
There have been a few famous Juliettes in history. In recent times, one of the best known was a cow presented to Roger Federer after he won his first Wimbledon title in 2003.

An 800-kilogram dairy animal, Juliette made headlines around the world but it is sad to report she was slaughtered about a year ago. Ruedi Wehren, the farmer in Saanen, Switzerland, who looked after Juliette, said she had grown old, was in ill health and no longer able to produce sufficient quantities of milk.

Jun 25, 2007 from AFP:
LONDON - Roger Federer's bid for a fifth straight Wimbledon title got off to a smooth start with the Swiss maestro easing past Russia's Teimuraz Gabashvili in straight sets. Federer won 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 to advance to a second round meeting with either Juan Martin del Porto or Davide Sanguinetti.

On a cold, blustery day and with Centre Court left treacherously slippy by the rain that had delayed the start of the match by 90 minutes, the world number one would have been keen not to waste any time overcoming an opponent making his debut at Wimbledon in the most intimidating possible circumstance.

That objective was duly achieved with Federer's 49th consecutive victory on grass wrapped up one hour and 32 minutes after he had begun his bid to emulate Bjorn Borg's five-in-a-row with an immaculate service winner.

There was a hint of rustiness as Federer failed to convert three break points in the second game of the match. But normal service was resumed four games later with the champion breaking his opponent to love to open up a 4-2 lead before going on to wrap up the opening set in 32 minutes.

Breaks in the first and fifth games allowed him to ease through the second and, with barely an hour on the clock, the contest was as good as over when Federer over-turned a 40-15 deficit to secure another break in the opening game of the third.

from AP:
In keeping with tradition, Federer was the first player to walk onto Centre Court as defending men's champion. He did it in style, wearing a white customized dinner-style jacket — similar to the cream-colored model he donned last year — with a gold crest on the breast pocket and retro long white trousers. Federer took off the jacket and warmed up with a white sweater vest and the long pants before getting straight down to business.

Federer's mother sat in the Royal Box, while his girlfriend, Mirka Vavrinec, was joined by Italian motorcycling star Valentino Rossi in his supporters' section.

Roger is nominated for the 2007 ESPYS in Best Male Athlete, Best Male International Athlete, and Best Male Tennis Player categories. Vote for Roger today at www.espys.tv.

Winners are determined by a popular vote and the polls will be open until July 8. The ESPYS will be taped on July 11, and televised on ESPN July 15 at 9 p.m. ET.

from Telegraph:
One of the old school of tennis, Roy Emerson, has attacked what he sees as the modern game's cult of personality, arguing that the players are being turned into "performing seals".

"If, as a spectator, you really want to watch a lot of jumping up and down, and screaming and shouting, then why not just go to see some actual seals at Sea World," said the Australian.

Emerson, a winner of 12 grand slam singles titles, said he would much prefer it if there was more attention on the tennis itself, and far less on the players' emotions and opinions...

...Emerson, 70, should not be dismissed as a grumpy old man. He is widely liked and respected in the sport, and should be listened to. Not just that; he is a gregarious and social man, and was far from being a dullard in his time on the tour.

It is just that Emerson feels as though modern tennis personalities are a bit manufactured, a bit forced, a bit put on. What so irks him about the trend of celebrating grand slam wins by leaping into the stands is that doing so means the champion leaves his vanquished opponent on their own on the court. Emerson sees that as deeply unsporting and disrespectful.

"When I spoke to Roger Federer after he won his first Wimbledon title, in 2003, I congratulated him. But I didn't congratulate him on winning his first Wimbledon, I congratulated him on how he behaved after he won the title. He stayed down on the court with his opponent, Mark Philippoussis," said the Queenslander.

"Federer said to me: 'I don't believe in going up into the stands. I know how disappointed I would have felt if I had lost a grand slam and so I stayed on the court.' He was happy to just give his team and friends a wave."

By Sue Mott - Federer had not tuned up for Wimbledon this year with his customary trip to the tournament in Halle. Some experts, notably Boris Becker, had suggested this was due to the emotional hurt of losing the French Open final, and the accolade of holding all four major titles simultaneously.

He answered this point with some vehemence. "Look, my body was hurting after the French, after the claycourt season. What do you want me to say? I'm not going to start risking injury, risking my body. I'd rather play Wimbledon than maybe play Halle, lose there and not play Wimbledon at 100 per cent. I had to take a tough call. I'm not superstitious, like other players are. That's why I can take decisions like that."

from Daily Mail:
Tim Henman is perfectly placed to assess just how good Federer is, having played both the Swiss master and Pete Sampras at their peak. Friends with both, he is unequivocal about their relative merits.

"I would rather play Pete on any surface," he says. "You might go three of Pete's service games without ever laying your racket on the ball, but there isn't that constant pressure with the returning that Roger puts on.

"Roger is an extraordinary man. To be as good as him, you would think he would have to have some arse in his character but, try as I might, I just can't find anything wrong with him.

from The Times:
Jonny Wilkinson: “I have a huge amount of admiration for tennis players’ ability to do what they do. You see them in five-set games, they’ll be two sets up and on the brink of winning and then suddenly they put a couple of forehands in the net, but they can put that behind them while under so much pressure. I draw my inspiration from sportspeople who are in a competitive environment but they still stand out quite a way, and in tennis [Roger] Federer is like that, taking on that superhuman aura.”

Jun 24, 2007 from The Observer:
...Although a few broken bones have limited his mobility in recent years, Jack Kramer has been following the game from the comfort of his home in Los Angeles and, as someone who is better placed than most to analyse players through the ages, he is ready to anoint Roger Federer as the best he has seen.

'I thought Ellsworth Vines and Don Budge were pretty good,' he says. 'And [Pancho] Gonzalez and [Lew] Hoad could play a bit, too, but I have never seen anyone play the game better than Federer. He serves well and has a great half-volley. I've never known anyone who can do as many things on a court as he can.' Aware of the game's past and being the kind of person he is, Federer will no doubt be honoured to shake Kramer's hand when they meet in the Royal Box. Both members of the same club; champions of similar stature, reaching across 60 years of history.

from Independent:
It may come as some surprise to learn that the current top Twag (Tennis Wives And Girlfriends) - Miroslava "Mirka" Vavrinec, girlfriend of world number one Roger Federer - is nearer Laura Bush than Lady Beckham in-waiting, when it comes to style cues. Yes, she's nuzzling up to Federer in Prada and Dolce & Gabbana, complete with big-ish hair, in the current issue of Men's Vogue, but Mirka, a former player who is now Federer's business manager and agent, insists that her job isn't to upstage him: "I'm no crazy, disco-dancing girl who drags Roger shopping," she insists. "I like fashion, but I am the complete opposite of that."

Jun 23, 2007 from Daily Mail:
Borg is the most dominant Wimbledon champion of all time. No-one has matched his five successive men's singles titles between 1976 and 1980.

But seven more match wins and Federer will join him. Borg is thrilled by the prospect. He said: "I'm going to be at Wimbledon and watch the final with my wife. I hope that Roger is going to equal my record. I will be the first one to congratulate him."

"It cannot happen to a nicer person than Roger. He's a great person: a complete tennis player, very professional, focused, always wants to do the best, always wants to win. He has his feet on the ground. I know what's going through his mind. I'm sure he's thinking that he wants to equal my record. That's normal and I hope he's going to do it. Records are supposed to be beaten in any sport. Roger might win five, six, seven Wimbledon titles in succession, who knows. If he continues, if he stays away from injury and if he's motivated and he continues at the same pace he's been going for the past five years, he's going to be the greatest player ever."

from The Sun:
Borg, who plans to be a Centre Court spectator, said: "I hope Roger wins Wimbledon. Maybe he is going to win six or seven times in a row. But it will take many decades for someone to do the same, to do what I and Roger did. That kind of record at Wimbledon, in 100 years, it’s not going to happen too many times.”

No one has won all four majors in one year since Rod Laver in 1962 although Federer has twice come close. Borg added: "It’s tough to win all four in the same year and the French Open will always be a big task for Roger but I hope he does it."

from The Australian:
Bjorn Borg will make a rare pilgrimage to Wimbledon next week as the ultimate mark of respect to Roger Federer. The 51-year-old Swede, disdainful of publicity, dislikes leaving his waterside home in the Swedish summer, but he is going to travel to London because he wants to witness for himself Federer's attempt to equal his record of winning Wimbledon five times in succession.

"We have talked about my Wimbledon victories, and I think Roger's seen them on tapes," Borg said. "He is a keen historian and has a lot of knowledge about players before him. I hope he can win for a fifth time, like me. Roger may become the greatest champion the game has had, if he stays motivated and injury-free."

Borg plans to return for the final weekend to indulge his own sense of history as he expects Federer to be chasing down his record. "I want to be there to see Roger try to win," he said.

Jun 22, 2007 from The Times:
We can only surmise what they will look like in their new garb. In the case of Roger Federer it may be white trousers and collared shirt in the manner of Fred Perry – or perhaps he is going to don elegant designer shorts and braided jacket to go with his golden-flecked shoes. All will be revealed on Monday when the Swiss steps out for what he hopes will be the successful first stage of seven towards his fifth successive men’s singles title at Wimbledon.

Federer and Nike, his clothing company, have collaborated closely on the design he will unveil in 2007 after the success of his Bill Tilden-like jacket last year. He would not be persuaded to divulge all yesterday, except to say that everything would be in the finest traditions of the All England Club. “It will be simple, but nice,” he said.

One could say the same about his approach to tennis, one that will be tested to its ultimate in the next couple of weeks, but has stood the test of grass-court time these past four years and, in his mind, will do so again. “For ten minutes after the French Open final it was ‘what a pity’, but once I got into the press room, I was fine again,” he said. “Life goes on. I went out to dinner with 30 friends that night, then went home to Switzerland and relaxed for a few days.”

Usually, Federer would have gone straight to Halle, Germany, and played the tournament there, admitting it left him sore all over and did not exactly enhance his Wimbledon chances. He could have fooled the opposition. This year, resting his aching limbs, the most energy he used was flicking over playing cards, relaxing in his new apartment in Zurich.

He accepts the expectations this year will be immense. “It is nerve-racking,” he said. “I recall how I did it last year, dropping only one set, in the final, I want to do better and it’s when you get out on the court you appreciate how difficult that was. And the grass is so dangerous, because matches hinge on a few points. Once you get one set, one match out of the way, all the doubts disappear, you focus on each point and you’re in the tournament groove.

from The Sun:
Roger Federer is gunning for Bjorn Borg's record of five successive Wimbledon titles - but he would not want to receive the title from the tennis legend.

The Swiss superstar said: "Bjorn says lots of nice things about me — and that's cool because he was a huge hero in tennis. Obviously, I was only just born when he was about to retire but I have watched lots of re-runs of him playing. He has also come to watch some of my games — and that has been nice."

"But I don't think it would be a good idea for Bjorn to present me with the title, if I won. Just because tradition is tradition. The French Open has Stefan Edberg, Gustavo Kuerten and even Zinedine Zidane making presentations on finals day. That is what the French do. Wimbledon has always been different. It is always Royalty, so Borg would not make sense."

"I first met Bjorn in Monaco. Then I met him again in Dubai. I was in transit and I thought it would be great to play against him. I called him up and said ‘you want to hit? It would be a dream come true for me'. He said: ‘Fine — 10am tomorrow'."

"That was one of the times I got to speak to him at length. It was lovely to meet him properly and play against him. It was very surreal. Like when I played with Pete Sampras. I was warming-up and I was laughing on the inside."

Federer yesterday spent time looking around Centre Court. The showpiece arena has increased in size, although its new roof is yet to arrive. He added: "I liked the old one, obviously. But it looks bigger and is brighter and it will also get more sun. You feel it is a transition period but the atmosphere will be good."

from PA Sport:
Jonas Bjorkman admits he doubts anyone can prevent Roger Federer winning a fifth consecutive Wimbledon title.

Asked whether the Swiss could be beaten, Bjorkman, a former world number four, said: "It's going to be tough. He has been so dominant the last couple of years. At the moment I'm not sure who is the one to do it."

"Obviously we all need a little help in that he does not play at his best because when he is playing his best tennis he is unbeatable on grass. He's had a tougher year than normal. He's had a few let downs this year, obviously it gives all the players a little extra confidence that he can be beaten."

The 35-year-old has faced legends of the game including Stefan Edberg, Boris Becker, Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi during a professional career spanning 16 years. But the world number 31, who has lost all five of the previous meetings between the pair, insists he has never faced anyone like Federer.

Asked if the Swiss was the best player he had ever faced, the Swede replied: "I think so. He is playing with such variety and speed. You know you have to work really hard to win the games. In my semi-final last year it was not about winning, unfortunately it was about fighting for my game because of the way he played."

"I haven't had that feeling against anyone else I have played before. You always felt you could stay with them even though they were fantastic players. I think he has the whole package. Pete (Sampras) was an unbelievable player and a great champion but you still felt you could hold a couple of service games because he was not returning unbelievably well all of the time."

from The Globe and Mail:
How famous is Curtis Blewett in Switzerland? "You get spotted once and a while," is his modest reply. Pressed for specifics, he is asked whether he thought Swiss tennis-playing favourite son Roger Federer would know who he is.

"Roger came sailing with us in Dubai [in February]," Blewett, one member of the Swiss boat Alinghi's crew, answered. "I had to show him how to pee off the back of the boat. He was asking me where the toilet was, and I said, 'You're looking at it.' So I don't know if he'll remember me, but he'll remember the guy who told him that."

Jun 21, 2007 from The Times:
The breeze tugged at his tousled hair and his shirt billowed. The occasional shot skewed far from the heart of his racket, but the grass beneath Roger Federer’s feet felt like a comfort blanket. For five days, the Wimbledon champion has been utilising his membership of the All England Club and there was an air of serenity about his every move yesterday.

During an hour’s hit with Fernando González, of Chile – a repeat of this year’s Australian Open final – Federer showed no sign of the muscle problems that forced him to withdraw from last week’s tournament in Germany, which for the past four years has offered a winning prelude to glory in SW19. Between the odd urgent “C’mon, Rog” were moments of beauty, with one particularly cute angled cross-court backhand winner drawing “that’s the way I want to play that shot” from the world No 1.

from Tennis Week:
There's more than match play on ESPN2's Wimbledon menu. The Grand Slam network will take viewers back to Roger Federer's roots, preview Pete Sampras' approaching Hall of Fame induction and explore Maria Sharapova's efforts to bounce back from a shoulder injury and the Australian Open final loss. ESPN execs revealed the Grand Slam network has reached out to former Grand Slam champions Andrea Agassi and Sampras for future commentary roles.

Both Agassi and Sampras conducted phoned interviews with ESPN2's commentators during the network's Australian Open coverage in January.

Seldom given to demonstrative displays on court during his playing days, Sampras revealed some of the supreme self confidence in his game when asked how he would approach playing Federer at Wimbledon: "I'd bring the heat and try to come in on his serve and really attack him and take his time away," Sampras told ESPN, adding. "It [playing Wimbledon] has crossed my mind — I won't lie to you. Nothing against [Rafael] Nadal who is a tremendous athlete, but that sort of [baseline] game, I'd be licking my chops to come in [to net] and use that grass to your advantage."

Agassi, always one of the best at breaking down the nuts and bolts of a match and players' strengths and weaknesses, exhibited his Las Vegas roots in placing the over-under for Federer's career Slams at 17 1/2.

"If you want me guessing, I put the number of over/under Slams, 17 1/2," Agassi told the network in January. "I don't know, he could do four more this year. You are watching history, there's no question about it."

ESPN2 has already taped a feature on Federer's quest to match Bjorn Borg's Open Era record of five straight Wimbledon titles that will air during Wimbledon. In addition, the network has produced a feature exploring the ebb and flow of Andy Roddick's season as well as assorted player profiles of Nadal, Lleyton Hewitt, Justine Henin, Amélie Mauresmo and the Williams sisters, which will air during The Championships.

Jun 18, 2007 from Businessportal24:
New Chapter Press today announced that The Roger Federer Story, Quest for Perfection – the first U.S.-published book on the Swiss tennis star – will launch on June 25, the opening day of the Wimbledon. The book was written by Rene Stauffer, the esteemed Swiss tennis journalist who has covered Federer since the budding tennis champion was a 15-year-old.

The book chronicles Federer’s life as tempermental junior player, through his early struggles on the ATP Tour and his break-through win at Wimbledon in 2003 concluding with his 10th Grand Slam title at the Australian Open earlier this year. The book also focuses on his values, how he has been marketed, his relationship with the media as well as his numerous charitable pursuits.

The Wimbledon champ’s mother, Lynette Federer, uses the German version as an encyclopedia on her son’s career. “It’s useful for me, because I often am asked about things and I don’t know for sure without checking,” she told Zurich’s Tages-Anzeiger. “Now, I will always know where I can look them up.”

“When I first saw Roger Federer play tennis when he was a 15-year-old, I didn’t think that I would even write his name in my newspaper, let alone a book about him,” said Stauffer, who opens the book with his “Encounter with a 15-year-old” chapter when on Sept. 11, 1996, he first came upon Federer at the World Youth Cup tennis event in Zurich. “I am very happy I wrote this book, since a lot of readers told me that they find it very entertaining and educational about Roger and his career.”

This week's auction is a special fundraiser for two of the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour's players. Austria's Daniela and Sandra Klemenschits are 24-year-old twin sisters who have sadly been diagnosed with a rare form of abdominal cancer that requires extensive medical care. To help raise money for their very costly medical expenses, the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour is hosting this week's auction with the help of the ATP and the ITF. Fans and supporters of the Klemenschits sisters can bid with confidence knowing that all items are genuine and that 100 percent of the proceeds from each auction will go to their medical fund.

Players such as Justine Henin, Roger Federer (signed shirt), Amélie Mauresmo, Marat Safin, Martina Hingis, Ana Ivanovic, Daniela Hantuchova and many more have donated items for auction. Click here to bid on items now.

from Brad Gilbert Official Site:
I was at the Wimbledon practice courts today and saw the two '06 champions Mauresmo and Federer, and both seemed to be loose and fit. Fed looked refreshed after pulling out of Halle.

Jun 17, 2007 from DPA:
Agassi said he always played with heart. "You could see me and know if it would be a good day or not a good day - without even seeing me hit a ball."

With a player like current number one Roger Federer it is different. "When someone plays so easily as Federer it is something people cannot identify with," he said.

Jun 16, 2007 from ASAP Sports:
Q. Do you see or think you see any signs of Federer being less of a player than he was at last year's Wimbledon?

ANDY RODDICK: No. I mean, no. I think it's ridiculous that he has to face questions like that when he goes and makes finals and won in Hamburg on his least favorite surface. I think that's a little ridiculous. I mean, he's been in the final of one Grand Slam this year. I think he won the other one without dropping a set. If that makes someone less of a player, I'd like to know where to sign up for that.

Q. Not playing Halle you don't think will make any difference to him?

Jun 14, 2007 from Forbes:
Roger is No.38 on the Forbes Celebrity 100. The other tennis players on the list are Maria Sharapova (No.51) and Serena Williams (No.69).

Celebrity 100 is Forbes' annual list of the world's most powerful--and best-paid--celebrities. To generate the list, Forbes analyzes celebrity earnings, plus media metrics like Google hits, press mentions as compiled by Lexis/Nexis, TV/radio mentions from Factiva and the number of times an A-lister appears on the cover of 32 major consumer magazines.

Jun 13, 2007 from SI.com:
Roger was listed one of the Most Fun Athletes to Watch by Sports Illustrated: "Simply the best. No matter what the surface or the situation, you're sure to be entertained. The suspense isn't in the outcome of the match. It's in how his genius will express itself."

Jun 11, 2007 from Roger Federer Official Site:
Dear fans

In an attempt to prevent injury after the long final in Paris, I cannot defend my title at the Gerry Weber Open in Halle. Gerry and Ralf Weber have always been so hospitable over the years and I love playing there. I look forward to returning in 2008.

from Gerry Weber Open:
The four-time defending Gerry Weber and Wimbledon champion cited fatigue as the official reason for his decision, and tournament director Ralf Weber admitted he could understand the Swiss star. "Roger feared he could suffer an injury," Weber said. "I know it was not easy for him to pull out of our tournament. In the past seven years he has given everything he could for the Gerry Weber Open. But there are certain things which we cannot influence. Such things happen in professional sports."

Weber said that Federer has already voiced his desire to return next year. At the same time he pointed out that the 15th Gerry Weber Open still boast a "high-class" tournament field with a lot of international and German stars. "I hope for our German players to play themselves into the limelight and make the most of this chance," Weber added. Lucky loser Andrei Pavel has taken Federer's place in the main draw.

from BBC:
Thigh trouble and general fatigue were cited as reasons for Federer's decision to take a short break. Tournament director Ralf Weber said: "We were informed that he had been bothered by adductor problems in the final against Nadal and that he does not want to take any risks. He will return to Zurich, take a few days off, get treatment and then travel to London." Federer is likely to be fined $40,000 (£20,300) under standard ATP rules if he does not undertake a medical in Halle before Wednesday.

Jun 10, 2007 from Reuters:
PARIS - Rafael Nadal captured a hat-trick of French Open titles with a 6-3 4-6 6-3 6-4 win over world number one Roger Federer on Sunday. The Spaniard became the first man since Bjorn Borg to win three successive titles at Roland Garros.

There were no break opportunities for either player until Federer earned two break points in the fourth game of the first set. Nadal saved them both to hold serve. Two games later, the 21-year-old Spaniard survived five more break points in a thrilling, 17-minute game featuring amazing winners from both sides.

In the next game, Nadal earned three break points, his first in the match, and needed just one to capture Federer's serve, the top seed netting a backhand to present his opponent with a 4-3 lead. Nadal broke Federer again in the ninth game with a forehand winner to take the set after 51 minutes.

The second set was tight until Federer earned three break points in the seventh game. Nadal saved one with a superb winner but then dropped serve for the only time in the match with an unforced error. Federer stayed in control until serving for the set, wrapping it up courtesy of an unforced error by Nadal to keep his chances alive.

Nadal was soon back on top, however, managing a break in the second game of the third set. Federer saved a set point in the eighth game but the Spaniard then served for the set.

Nadal took it with a forehand winner and then set himself up with a break in the second game of the fourth set before cruising to victory when Federer hit a forehand long on the first match point.

The key to an eagerly anticipated clash was Federer wasting many break opportunities and Nadal converting the few he was presented with. Federer, who had beaten Nadal for the first time on clay in the Hamburg final last month, now trails his arch-rival 6-1 on the slow surface.

from New York Times:
Federer received the runner-up’s silver platter. His mother, Lynette, had that platter tucked under her left arm while she waited for her son in the players’ lounge. When Federer arrived looking glum, she hugged him as he walked to the locker room, alone.

“For us Federers,” his father, Robert, said, “it was very difficult to see this. But you cannot win them all. It was a game against history, for both of them. Only Rafa was good enough.”

from AP:
"There was pressure on him. There's so much at stake — the Grand Slam, the 'Roger Slam,' the statistics," Federer's father, Robert, said Sunday evening. "He's not just playing for Roland Garros, he's also playing against history, which in my eyes, puts additional pressure on him."

Jun 9, 2007 from New York Times:
Federer’s father, Robert, says that winning the French Open has been an important goal for his son. It is all he has thought about for the past four months.

“You can tell that he is feeling the pressure,” Robert Federer said. “When you have Grand Slam win after Grand Slam win, it’s difficult. It is not as easy as everyone thinks.”

from Daily Express:
Dutch-born Sven Groeneveld, who has coached the young Roger Federer, Michael Stich, Mary Pierce, Greg Rusedski, and Nathalie Dechy amongst others, has been working with Ana Ivanovic since March of this year.

“What I try to do is to have a game plan A and B and try to find answers for her. It is basically simple: Life throws you questions and you have to find an answer. It is the same on the court, what does your opponent offer you and what can you answer with? Through being involved with Federer in the early stage, that is a quality that Roger really perfects.

“He looks at a player and says this guy is doing this and that really well, so I will find an answer and maybe throw an answer to them and see what they have got. Ana is doing that and she is learning how to play the game. For me, it is just a very, very nice way of working.”

Groeneveld is a laidback and extremely likeable soul and his placid nature provides the counter-balance to the characters he has worked with.

Jun 8, 2007 from Reuters:
PARIS - Roger Federer reached a record eighth consecutive grand slam final by overcoming Nikolay Davydenko 7-5, 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (9-7) in a thrilling French Open semi-final on Friday.

Federer bettered the record of seven successive final appearances set by Australian Jack Crawford in 1934 but was made to work for it. The elegant 25-year-old Swiss showed more composure when it mattered to set up a final against either Rafael Nadal or Novak Djokovic.

"Anything could have happened in this match," Federer said with a sigh of relief after snatching victory. "It was tight until the end. I could have lost in three sets but I won. He's an excellent player and that was a good test for me before the final."

Fourth seed Davydenko, who failed to advance to his first final of a major event, gave his all but it was not enough. The 26-year-old Russian bowed out by sending a backhand wide on the second match point after just over three hours of high quality tennis.

Davydenko, who led in all three sets, broke Federer straight away and earned many break points on the top seed's next service games. Federer, who looked sluggish at first, underlined his determination to fight back by saving three break points with as many service winners in the seventh game.

In the next game, the Swiss earned his first break opportunity of the match and converted it courtesy of an unforced error from his opponent to level the set at 4-4. A tiebreak was looming when Davydenko fired a backhand long to drop serve in the 12th game and lose the set after 51 minutes.

The second set was tight until Davydenko broke Federer with a raging backhand winner to move 5-4 up. He then served for the set but Federer raised the level of his game with perfect timing. A tiebreak was needed, in which Davydenko saved two set points before Federer converted a third with a service winner to take it 7-5.

Davydenko refused to give up and managed another break in the fourth game of the third set. He was 5-3 up when he served for the set but wasted two set points before being broken, again on an unforced error.

from AP:
...Things were so one-sided in Davydenko's favor at the beginning that the crowd, desperate for a competitive match, resorted to backing Federer. One voice from the upper deck wailed, "Allez, Roger! Come on!"

Even Federer's parents, watching from the players' guest seats, were getting a tad worried. "When you play well, it's easy. When you're not playing well, those are the big wins, the battles. He battled today," said Federer's father, Robert. "We were nervous. We're not used to these battles so much."

Jun 7, 2007 from AFP:
Roger Federer is enjoying his usual late hours on his two-day break. Federer reached Friday's semi-final against Nikolay Davydenko with a win over Tommy Robredo on Tuesday leaving him a full two days to rest and recuperate.

"I'm not the type that likes going to bed early so it's one or two in the morning, but I can sleep until 10 in the morning so that's okay," he told French television.

He also reavealed that he enjoys watching DVDs in his hotel room though admits that it is his long-time girlfriend and business manager Mirka who chooses the films. "I prefer watching cars," he said.

Turning to his match with Davydenko against whom he has won eight times out of eight, Federer said that he was taking nothing for granted. "He is tough to play because he hits hard on both sides and his serve is better than what it used to be," he said.

from ATP:
Roger Federer won the Orange Prize (Prix Orange) for a record third consecutive year. The prize, which recognizes fair play, was introduced in 1981 at Roland Garros and is voted by the press and fans online. Federer was presented the prize by the FFT president Christian Bimes and the French minister of sports Roselyne Bachelot.

Paul-Henri Mathieu won the Lemon Prize (Prix Citron) for the fighting spirit and character while Novak Djokovic won the Bourgeon Prize (Prix Bourgeon) as the most promising player.

from ESPN:
PARIS - While Court Philippe Chatrier was filling rapidly in anticipation of the women's semifinal matches, an intimate crowd of less than 100 watched a master at work.

In the obscurity of Court 4, Roger Federer, despite cool temperatures and an overcast sky, already was sweating through his white t-shirt. He spent an hour on Thursday -- the second of his two days off between quarterfinal and semifinal matches -- in a spirited workout, trading shots with Edouard Roger-Vasselin, son of Christophe Roger-Vasselin, a semifinalist here in 1983.

John McEnroe, working here for the Tennis Channel and NBC, gives a slight edge to Federer. "If he wins the French Open, he'll be the greatest player of all time, ahead of [Rod] Laver, ahead of [Pete] Sampras," McEnroe said. "If there's a guy that can beat Nadal, it's Roger. He's been sharper than Nadal through most of this tournament."

from Roland Garros:
Q. Three years ago, would you have expected the dream to come true? And who were your inspirational favorite players, male or female?

ANA IVANOVIC: I start playing tennis because of Monica Seles. She was my -- she was the woman I always looked up to, and I always wanted to achieve what she did. And also, later on when I start competing and start playing more tournaments, I really admire Roger Federer. He's a great athlete and great person, so I think we can all learn a lot from him. And he brought so much to tennis.

Jun 6, 2007 from Roland Garros:
Despite the absence of Justine Henin, the traditional champions' dinner, held at the Pavillon d'Armenonville last night, was an unqualified success, with the International Tennis Federation (ITF) presenting trophies to all of the various world champions. Roger Federer and Bob and Mike Bryan certainly looked the part in their tuxedos, and women's mixed doubles legends Lisa Raymond and Samantha Stosur certainly turned heads in their evening gowns. Justine declined the invitation but nevertheless sent her thanks to the ITF by video. John McEnroe also received the Philippe Chatrier prize for "services to tennis".

from The Globe and Mail:
In men's action yesterday, Roger Federer defeated Tommy Robredo 7-5, 1-6, 6-1, 6-2 and will meet Nikolay Davydenko in Friday's semi-finals. Federer was 7-0 against Robredo before yesterday's match, and is 8-0 against Davydenko.

"A stat like 7-0 before a match helps," Federer said, "but at the same time you're thinking 'there's going to be the famous match when he beats me and ends the streak.'

from Telegraph:
Federer sacked his coach, Tony Roche, the week before the Hamburg tournament and, just out of curiosity, he has subsequently asked his manager to keep track of how many people apply for the job. The latest count was 30.

Jun 5, 2007 from AFP:
PARIS - Roger Federer set an Open era record by extending his winning streak in Grand Slam matches to 36 consecutive sets — then lost the next set. He regrouped and hit a series of brilliant shots down the stretch to beat No. 9-seeded Tommy Robredo in the quarterfinals, 7-5, 1-6, 6-1, 6-2.

Federer broke Robredo in the opening game of the first set before the Spaniard levelled at 2-2. Robredo handed the break back in the 11th game and Federer took the opener when Robredo went long with a lob.

But the Spaniard battled gamely in the second set and broke in the second and sixth games to take it 6-1. It was the first set Federer had lost at a Grand Slam since the final of the US Open last year.

However, Federer made Robredo pay for his insolence by racing through the third set with breaks in the second and fourth games to take it 6-1 in just 20 minutes. He finished it with an ace just to hammer home his displeasure.

Federer took a 3-0 lead in the fourth set, having won nine games in 10, with Robredo desperately trying to stay in touch with a break back to trail 1-3.

The top seed, however, shattered any hope of a Robredo revival by breaking again to lead 5-2 before he turned on a mini-cameo of three sumptuous volleys to take the match.

from USA Today:
...Now, the 10-time Grand Slam champion is two wins from the only major missing from his résumé. But even if Federer is starting to sniff the trophy, he won't admit that it is more precious to him than other championships, even though this one is in his relative backyard.

"This is the closest Grand Slam to home for me," admits the Basel native. "I grew up on clay. So this is a huge, huge tournament. You only (get) a chance once a year, so that's the tough part. But at this stage, no, I don't want it any more than any other Slam."

Jun 4, 2007 from The Peninsula:
DOHA - Roger Federer is likely to take part in next year’s Qatar ExxonMobil Open. According to Sheikh Mohammed bin Faleh Al Thani, President of the Qatar Tennis Federation (QTF), negotiations with Federer in Hamburg two weeks ago showed that the world number one is keen to appear at the Doha event in January 2008.

“We are convinced that he will appear at the 2008 Qatar ExxonMobil Open. Federer did not play the Doha event this year, but Federer told us that he is keen to participate in Doha again,” Sheikh Mohammed said yesterday. “He has shown interest to play in Doha and that is good news for us,” the QTF President added.

Jun 3, 2007
PARIS - Roger Federer tied the Grand Slam record for most consecutive sets won, taking his streak to 35 by beating Mikhail Youzhny 7-6 (7-3), 6-4, 6-4 Sunday to reach the French Open quarter-finals.

Federer matched another Open era mark with 11 straight-set Grand Slam victories in a row. John McEnroe set both records in 1984, during Wimbledon and the U.S. Open.

The top seed overcame a lacklustre start against Youzhny before going on to claim his 10th win in 10 meetings with the Russian. Federer was broken in the first game, but he hit back to level at 3-3 before dominating the ensuing tiebreak. He wrapped up the opener after 55 minutes on a subdued Court Philippe Chatrier when Youzhny knocked a backhand return wide.

Federer broke the 24-year-old Russian in the first game of the second set and went on to serve two love games to stretch his lead to 5-3 and take the set 6-4 when Youzhny hit a forehand long.

Federer was ahead again in the first game of the third set but the dogged Youzhny hit back immediately. However, the crucial moment came when the Russian failed to capitalise on three break points in the fourth game and Federer made him pay by eventually nipping ahead to 4-3.

Youzhny was determined to make Federer work for his victory, forcing his opponent to rely on a third match point before making sure of his last eight place after 2hr and 25min on court.

"He's an excellent player, I knew that," Federer said of Youzhny. "He's dangerous on every surface, he moves well, and I knew I had to be careful. He challenged me at first and I had to stay calm and react, which I did. I'm pleased with my match."

from Roland Garros:
Roger Federer won the 100th match on clay of his career on Sunday. The 103rd could go down in history…

Q. Roger Federer says he thinks you're the favorite for the --
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: No. Roger said that he likes to watch me play. He didn't say I'm a favorite, okay? I know that.

Q. What do you think of his compliment anyway?
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: Well, the Russian press told me so, and I thought like, "No, it was a joke." So today I wanted to check it myself. And I went to Internet last night and I read this. And it's if I would have to choose a compliment of anybody of, like, best thing to hear about myself, definitely it's the best I ever heard.

And it's, like, the best you can hear. Like Roger, is legend. He's almost -- it's my dream. It's never going to come true, but Roger played unbelievable tennis. I mean, it's unbelievable to hear this, to hear him say about my tennis. So it's a little bit compliment for me. He's my, like, hero, you know. So it's, like, the best. There's no more words the say about that.

Jun 2, 2007 from Roland Garros:
Bjorn Borg, who celebrates his 51st birthday on 6 June, will be at Wimbledon this year. The five-time winner is rarely seen at the scene of his greatest triumphs, but after seven years’ absence, he will be making the trip to south-west London for the first week of the tournament. Then he plans to return should Federer reach the final. "I’d like to see him equal my record," says the Swedish legend.

from Tennis X:
No tennis players on SI.com's "The Fotunate 50," their ranking of the Top 50 American athlete money-earners. Roger Federer is No. 3 on the "International 20," Maria Sharapova is No. 8.

Jun 1, 2007 from Reuters:
PARIS - Roger Federer sprinted through to the last 16 of the French Open by crushing unseeded Italian Potito Starace 6-2 6-3 6-0 on Friday.

Federer needed just over an hour and a half to brush aside his opponent, ranked 57th in the world. The top seed opened up a 4-1 lead and then broke Starace again with a forehand winner to take the first set after 29 minutes.

The elegant all-rounder stayed on top in the second set, breaking Starace with perfect timing in the eighth game to serve for the set and wrap it up.

from SideSpin:
AUSTIN, TEXAS - SideSpin Productions released a new online video today titled The Golden Bagel Award™ Story. The video explains the origins of this annual accomplishment, and documents the presentation of the inaugural award to current World No.1 Roger Federer.

“Federer received the first award when served up 12 bagels (6-0 sets) to his opponents in one year,” says award co-creator Tom Suhler. “in addition to Federer’s award presentation, The Golden Bagel Award™ Story also reveals the creative spark the zapped Niclas Kroon and I in the head one day in 2004.”

“Last year Roger won the award for a second time when he handed out 18 bagels. We decided to put that feat into perspective by adding a little bit of bagel history. Heck, we even had a little fun with Roger’s Wimbledon attire to help keep the video from getting too stale.”