Jul 31, 2007 from Roger Federer Official Site:
The ultimate exhibition between Roger and Pete Sampras will take place on Saturday November 24th, at the Venetian Arena, Macao. Make sure not to miss this showdown between two of the best tennis players of our time.

Tickets for the event will go on sale on 17th of August from 9:00am Macao time. To purchase tickets, you can log on to the official website where a link will make the on-line purchase of tickets with a credit card possible.

from TENNIS:
By Douglas Robson - At two big tournaments this spring, the Pacific Life Open in Indian Wells and the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami, I meandered around the practice courts and tried to persuade today's pros to hit with some relics from the past – wood racquets. In a few cases, I also arranged (or tried to arrange) hits through their agents.

Roger Federer didn't participate, but the top-ranked Swiss agreed – twice – to do so, bolstering his reputation as a cooperative, go-to No. 1 and a student of the game. A scheduling conflict prevented me from getting to him prior to the Pacific Life Open at Indian Wells, Calif., so I solicited him again in the stadium bowels at the Sony Ericsson Open a couple weeks later.

Jul 29, 2007 from Bob Larson Tennis News:
Last week, Roger Federer was in Horgen, Switzerland and dropped in at exclusive restaurant, L’O, located at the shore of Lake Zurich. He came with 5 people, and they had no reservation. As the tables were either full or empty but reserved, restaurant management sent him away. They didn’t try to fit his party in, and Federer made no scene such as, “Don’t you know who I am?” A couple people asked for autographs, and Federer complied with a smile and left.

Jul 28, 2007 from South Florida Sun-Sentinel:
This had to be one of Jesse Levine's Boca Raton or Gator buddies, bored with a particularly hot Florida summer, trying to pull a caper no one with any sense would believe. The phone message: The world's No. 1 tennis player, Roger Federer, wants you to come to Dubai and practice with him for 10 days.

"Yeah, I thought it was a prank at first, but it was for real," said Levine, a college freshman unknown to many tennis fans. In a half-hour, instant-messaging exchange from Dubai, where he is indeed working with Federer and living the high life in a five-star hotel on the beach, Levine is well over his initial shock. However, he's still star-struck enough to describe the experience as awesome, incredible and, predictably, subject to a little nervousness.

"Right now, I'm just living the dream," said Levine, 19. "When I get back to Gainesville, it's going to feel weird, and then I'll look back on it and probably be like, 'Wow, I just played with the best tennis player in the world for 10 days.' Not too many people can say that."

With the U.S. Open Series under way and ATP players moving from Los Angeles to Indianapolis this week, and then to four other North American cities on the way to the U.S. Open, there aren't many players available for Federer, who enjoys spending time and practicing in Dubai, where the oppressive heat toughens his training regimen.

So he called his management group, IMG, and an agent phoned Levine. Why Levine? He was 21-0 in his freshman season at the University of Florida and known a little to IMG, which owns the Bollettieri Academy in Bradenton, where Levine has been training for several years.

And one other thing. He's left-handed, as is Jonathan Eysseric, the French junior with whom Federer worked in the days before the French Open. It wasn't lost on Levine that Federer is trying everything he can to get an edge over his No. 1 nemesis, lefty Rafael Nadal.

He arrived in Dubai late on the evening of July 19 after 14 hours of riding coach from Atlanta to the Middle East. "He called in the morning while I was having breakfast and left a voicemail. Pretty overwhelming to have Roger Federer leave you a voicemail," Levine said. The first practice would be at 3 p.m. Be in the lobby at 2:30. There was no way Jesse would be even 10 seconds late.

"I've been waking up around 8, going down for the breakfast buffet, then going to practice with him late morning, or working out here at the hotel gym. Then, in the afternoon, practice again, but lately it's been at night because the heat is so unreal during the day it's too much just to stand outside."

On the first day of practice, he admitted to be "pretty nervous hitting the first ball. But we had talked for a little before, messing around about hockey since I love hockey." That helped take the edge off. Although Federer is getting hard work in under heavy heat conditions, Levine is soaking up the tennis experience as well. They're just training, working on certain court situations, not playing sets yet.

"I'm learning how calm he stays, no matter what the situation. Even if a ball is very difficult for him, he looks so effortless and keeps his composure at all times. He never shows if he gets tired, either, even in 125-degree heat. He's either got a good poker face, or just really isn't feeling it."

Levine, who is Jewish, had questions about flying to an Arab country. "For sure I had it in mind, but I talked about that with my parents and people that had been to Dubai, and it's a very safe country. And I know other Jewish people that have been there."

His hotel? "It's amazing. People treat you here like royalty. I open my window to a deck and walk out to see the ocean. It's unreal. Except yesterday," he added. "I left my sweaty clothes outside to dry, and when I went to get them this morning there was a little sandstorm. My clothes got a little sand in them."

Jul 23, 2007 from The Globe and Mail:
As for the player lineups, things are clearer in Montreal because the ATP makes entry mandatory for the top 45 at ATP Masters Series events such as the Rogers Cup.

"Ticket sales are phenomenal," said Eugène Lapierre, the tournament director of the Rogers Cup events in Montreal. "We're already at 92 per cent of our goal and we're sold out the last weekend. People are really excited about [Rafael] Nadal and [Roger] Federer being here."

Jul 22, 2007 from LA Times:
The Bryans, at 29, are firmly entrenched as fixtures on the final weekend at almost any Slam. They truly have this left brain (Bob), right brain (Mike) thing figured out, firing at will on the court and completing each other's sentences in an interview last week. "Combine us together and we're one complete person," said Mike, joking.

This ability to be around at the end — the Bryans earlier made seven consecutive Slam finals in one Open-era record stretch — has afforded them the opportunity to closely observe an artist at work and rest, one Roger Federer.

Nearly more than anyone else in tennis, the Bryans understand the value of promotion of the sport, and they are united in their admiration of Federer's affability and meaning to the game, giving a bit of a peek behind the Wimbledon curtain during the numerous rain delays this year.

"I first remember him in the locker room, singing, yelling at the top of his lungs," Bob said. "Kind of like a school kid. He's still like that."

Mike: "He's one of the most laid-back guys. He's going for his fifth Wimbledon title and most guys would be totally in their own world, nervous. He's just joking around, singing soccer songs. The last five days on the TV, we were watching [Marcos] Baghdatis play [Nikolay] Davydenko.

Jul 20, 2007 from SI.com:
SI: Before you started going out with Anna, did you follow tennis?

Enrique Iglesias: I did, but now I can analyze it a bit. I like watching women's tennis more than men's, though watching Roger Federer is like watching something perfect.

Jul 16, 2007 from Tennis Masters Cup:
Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, and the top-ranked doubles pairing of Bob and Mike Bryan, all have secured their places in the Tennis Masters Cup Shanghai, to be held for the third year at Qi Zhong Stadium from November 11-18.

ATP World No. 1 Federer, who has compiled a 36-5 record that includes titles at the Australian Open, Dubai, ATP Masters Series Hamburg and Wimbledon, has made the final of six of his nine tournament appearances this year.

"I look forward to returning to Shanghai to defend my Tennis Masters Cup title. Winning there was a perfect ending to last season and I love playing in China,“ said Federer, the winner in 2003-04 and 2006.

Elite Traveler, the luxury lifestyle magazine distributed aboard private jets in over 90 countries, just released The Sixth Annual Pure Decadence issue. The July/August issue features the 101 most luxurious hotel and resort suites from around the world. From private Olympic-size pools to en-suite basketball courts, anything and everything goes in these decadent suites catering to guests used to the finer things in life. Nightly rates for these suites range from $1,500-$40,000.

The 101 featured suites were selected by Elite Traveler's editors together with a panel of globe-trotting celebrities and athletes, including Roger Federer, Harry Connick, Jr., Cuba Gooding, Jr., Kim Cattrall, John Legend and more. Beyond the criteria of luxurious details, the suites are judged upon privacy, individuality, location and one-of-a-kind designs.

Jul 14, 2007 from LA Times:
Only two days after Roger Federer won his fifth consecutive Wimbledon title (and 11th Slam title overall), Sampras didn't use the word if but said when Federer breaks his all-time mark.

The two men are planning to play exhibitions against each other in Asia this year — a sign of the friendship that started in the spring when Federer sent Sampras a text message and asked him to hit with him.

"He was going to be in L.A. before Indian Wells, and I said, 'Let me check my schedule; let me see if I can find some room for you,' " Sampras said, joking. "He came by, and we hit for two days, and it was a lot of fun to not only hit with Roger, but to get to know him a little bit.

Jul 12, 2007 from Telegraph:
Meanwhile, the men's singles final wasn't bad either. In fact, such was its level of skill, it tested the hyperbole ability of the BBC commentary team to the very limit. John Lloyd's "what a shot" and "that's incredible" became quickly redundant as Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal took tennis to a level few of those watching at home could ever have witnessed.

By the time the pair produced a rally of such athletic prowess it was previously thought only possible in computer games, in the commentary box they had given up all attempt at articulation, producing a kind of collective cooing, punctuated by Andrew Castle laughing manically at the improbability of what he had just seen.

What made the match even more significant was the character of the champion. As he proved in his interview with Inverdale that ended the BBC's coverage of the tournament, Federer is a man who understands his place in the wider scheme of things and is thus utterly thrilled to be successful at Wimbledon. Whatever the opposite of blase is, that's Federer.

Jul 11, 2007 from Daily News-Record:
For sheer artistry, no painter or photographer surpassed Roger Federer last Sunday as he claimed his fifth straight Wimbledon title.

Winning five Wimbledon titles is tough enough but Mr. Federer’s streak of five straight has been matched only once before – by the equally skilled Bjorn Borg. Borg’s streak was ended by American John McEnroe. No one yet knows who can stop Mr. Federer on the grass courts.

The volleys, lobs, smashes and acrobatic returns on Centre Court Sunday showed the remarkable grace and agility that can come merely by using a tennis racket and a yellow ball.

Some years ago, when Pete Sampras was the reigning king of tennis, columnist Thomas Sowell wrote that one of the pleasures of contemporary life was watching perhaps the greatest tennis player in history and the greatest golfer in history.

from BBC:
The men's and women's singles champions at this year's US Open will receive a record £688,000 ($1.4m) apiece. Last year's winners Roger Federer and Maria Sharapova won £590,000 ($1.2m) for their victories at Flushing Meadow.

The US Tennis Association has also said that the total prize money will pass £9.6m ($19.6m) for the first time. The prize fund of is an increase of £492,000 ($1m) on last year's total and is the largest annual rise in the history of the tournament.

from Hindustan Times:
New Delhi - Describing himself as a "real admirer" of Roger Federer, Bollywood star Aamir Khan has revealed that he watched the Swiss tennis ace win the Wimbledon Championships for a fifth successive time on Sunday night.

"Super match. Am a real admirer of Federer. Love the focus and passion with which he plays", wrote Khan after watching Federer beat Spaniard Rafael Nadal in a nail biting five-set final.

Khan was about to pen down his blog on www.lagaandvd.com website Sunday evening when the lure of a prospective titanic court battle on Wimbledon's famed centre court pulled him away from the computer after just one paragraph.

"Was about to start on my new post, but Nadal just won the second set. One set all, Federer and Nadal beckon, time to get back to the TV. Will be back soon. I'm backing Federer", he informed his fans, who eagerly wait for his blog. He received 120 hits for this one paragraph alone.

After the final when Federer had equalled legendary Swede Bjorn Borg's five successive Wimbledon titles, an apparently overwhelmed Aamir returned to try to translate his feelings for the world number one into words.

"I find that when I watch him play I feel inspired to do better work, though it has no connection. I don't know how to explain it", he gushed in praise of the cool Swiss.

"And he has no extra posturing and no silly attempts to do stuff to grab attention. He just does his thing and goes away. What a guy!" said Khan, who himself is known for his even temperament and quality films he does.

For the record, Khan's post, which was largely about his films, attracted 772 comments from his fans.

Incidentally, Khan himself is a more-than-decent tennis player, as was seen in August 2002 when he played an exhibition match against former Wimbledon champion Boris Becker of Germany in Delhi.

Jul 10, 2007 from MTV:
Justin Timberlake, T.I. and Usher made Stuff magazine's "30 Power Guys Under 30" list, which also includes actors Seth Rogen and Jake Gyllenhaal; athletes LeBron James, Reggie Bush, Tom Brady and Roger Federer; and blogger Perez Hilton. T.I. shares his secret to staying on top in the magazine's August issue, which hits newsstands Tuesday. "You must create a demand and then supply it," he explained. "You make so the market can't function at its best without you."

from Guardian:
The BBC and ITV emerged from Sunday afternoon's ratings scrap with honours just about even. Roger Federer's epic five-set defeat of Rafael Nadal helped the BBC to record the highest overall figure, with a peak of 8 million viewers for the climax of the match, against 5.3 million for Lewis Hamilton's attempt to win at Silverstone. While the grand prix was running ITV claimed victory with 5.1 million viewers still tuned to the race as the Wimbledon final got underway, watched by only 2.2 million people. The average figures were a more straightforward success for the BBC, with 4.7 million against ITV's 3.7 million. The commercial station is taking succour from a 71% increase over last year's ratings, proof that the Hamilton effect has not run out of steam.

from AP:
NEW IN STORES: Roger Federer, Maria Sharapova and 14 other pros go portable in Namco Bandai's "Smash Court Tennis 3," for the PSP.

from San Francisco Chronicle:
By Bruce Jenkins - Just wondering: For pure elegance, performance and comportment at the elite level of competition, is there another athlete in the world to match Federer? Tiger Woods fits the athletic bill, but he rules himself out with his foul language (ask any fan who followed him up close) and ridiculous follow-throughs after poor shots. I'm taking Federer against the world on this count, and let me know if I'm wrong.

Contrast: Winding down after his difficult loss, Nadal removed his shirt. As certain members of the audience whistled their approval, Federer was actually getting dressed, into the long trousers and white sport coat fashioned by Nike. Not everyone noticed it, but he put the pants on backward.

Jul 9, 2007 from PRNewswire:
BOSTON - Gillette today launched the first global advertisement featuring the Gillette Champions -- Tiger Woods, Roger Federer, Thierry Henry.

The television commercial, titled "Today," marks the first time the three global sports icons have appeared together in a commercial. Filmed on location in Orlando, Florida and Rome, Italy, the commercial was directed by Michael Karbelnikoff, and will air in more than 100 countries around the world during the next year.

from The Globe and Mail:
Last night, Federer's father, Robert, was in the players' enclosure, happily holding a glass of champagne. He was asked who was better: his son or Ernesto Bertarelli, the owner/crew member of Alinghi, the Swiss yacht that successfully defended the America's Cup last week.

"You should read today's [Swiss] newspaper Blick," Federer père replied. "Bertarelli said that Roger is the bigger champion. Of course, on a worldwide basis, both of the Swiss gave a hell of a performance."

from 24dash:
Boris Becker believes Roger Federer will be crowned the best tennis player of all time within a year. Wimbledon legend Becker was stunned by Federer's performance in Sunday's thrilling Wimbledon final against Rafael Nadal. And now he believes the Swiss star is just a few more victories short of surpassing the achievements of any player in history.

"He's not the best yet. He's got to get to the French title first, I think. Sampras also has 14 Grand Slam titles overall so he is a bit ahead of Roger who has 11. And don't forget he won seven Wimbledon titles as well. But Roger is really close. He's maybe 12-15 months away from being the greatest ever."

from AP:
Roger Federer's second Wimbledon final against Rafael Nadal drew a TV audience about 10 percent larger than last year's matchup did. The coverage of the men's championship Sunday drew a 3.2 overnight rating on NBC. That's up from 2.9 in 2006. The ratings also increased Saturday, when the men's semifinals and Venus Williams' victory in the women's final drew an overnight rating of 2.8 -- a 27 percent rise from 2006.

Roger Federer, and the first U.S. published book about him, The Roger Federer Story, Quest for Perfection, both achieved victory in Great Britain as the 2007 Wimbledon Championships concluded Sunday. The book, launched during The Championships, finished the fortnight as the No. 1 ranked tennis book in the United Kingdom, according to www.amazon.co.uk.

The book, published by New Chapter Press, is now available in bookstores in the United States and Britain as the Swiss tennis champion now attempts his run at American tennis history. Federer will look to become the first man to win four straight US Open singles titles in New York in September.

from Tech:
According to security vendor Symantec , spam emails with the subject 'Federer and Henin top Wimbledon seeding' were used to get at the inboxes of tennis fans during the tournament. The findings were shown up in the July edition of Symantec's 'The State of Spam' report . The report revealed that the placing of pop and sports star names in email subject lines is an increasingly-used spammer tactic.

Jul 8, 2007 from AP:
LONDON - Roger Federer won his fifth consecutive Wimbledon title Sunday, beating Rafael Nadal in a five-set epic and taking his place in tennis history beside Bjorn Borg. The top-ranked Swiss player was pushed to the limit in a Grand Slam final for the first time, but he held on to win 7-6 (7), 4-6, 7-6 (3), 2-6, 6-2 for his 11th major title.

Federer is the first man to win five straight titles at the All England Club since Borg did it from 1976-80. The Swede watched the match from the Royal Box with other past champions, and applauded as Federer fell to the ground after an overhead smash on match point.

After leaving the court wearing his white sport coat, Federer and Borg exchanged hugs and smiles in front of the board that lists tournament champions. Federer's name had already been added to the list for 2007. "Thank you for coming out," Federer told Borg. "Not at all. Sure," Borg answered.

Federer stretched his record grass-court winning streak to 54 and his Wimbledon winning streak to 34. He is tied for third on the career list with Borg and Rod Laver at 11 major titles, trailing Pete Sampras' 14 and Roy Emerson's 12.

In the first set, Federer converted his third break point in the second game, defensively returning a hard serve from Nadal and watching the Spaniard net a forehand. But Nadal hit back in the fifth game with a backhand pass before he was quickly on terms at 3-3 having served two consecutive love games.

In the tiebreaker, Federer jumped ahead 5-2 and thought he won the set on his third set point when leading 6-5, but Nadal challenged a call and Hawkeye showed his shot was in. Federer wasted another set point at 7-6, but finally won with a backhand volley after Nadal sent a backhand into the net at 7-7.

Nadal broke Federer at 5-4 to win the second set, converting his first set point with a backhand winner. The Spaniard then pulled within two points of doing the same in the third set, coming back from 40-love to deuce. But Federer used a pair of volleys at the net to hold to 5-5. Nadal was again two points from the set while leading 6-5, but after he put a forehand into the net, Federer served an ace and then finished it off with a service winner. In the tiebreak Federer was on top taking a two sets to one lead thanks to Nadal's forehand error.

Federer was broken again to open the fourth set, and Nadal added another to take a 3-0 lead. After taking a 4-1 lead, the Spaniard called for a trainer to treat his right knee. Although he returned with tape below the knee cap, it didn't seem to slow him. Nadal also used Hawkeye to great effect. One time, a call reversal in the fourth set infuriated Federer so much that he complained to the chair umpire after being broken for the fourth time. "It's killing me today," Federer said after sitting down during the changeover.

from New York Times:
Roger Federer and Bjorn Borg are the only men in the past 100 years to win five consecutive singles titles at Wimbledon:

	Borg	Federer
Age at start	20	21
Years	1976-80	2003-07
Matches won	35	34*
Sets record	105-19	102-8
Sets pct.	.847	.927
Games record	746-473	671-398
Games pct.	.612	.628
Tiebreak record	1-3	19-3
Love sets	3	6
Straight sets	23	27
Four sets	5	6
Five sets	7	1

* does not include walkover vs. Tommy Haas in 2007

from CNN:
And after bagging his 11th career Grand Slam, Roger Federer spoke exclusively to CNN's Pedro Pinto, who began by asking him about the severe challenge posed by Nadal.

Roger Federer: Oh absolutely. I have never played a five-setter actually in a Grand Slam final ever. So this is my first time, and against Nadal it is very physical, it's always going to be a tough match against him.

I'm very happy to have come through that test, and to have tied with Bjorn Borg with the 'famous five in a row' world record. It was a great match, great sunny day, no wind, it was perfect for tennis.

Pedro Pinto: What does history mean to you personally? Is it something you pay a lot of attention to, or you just take it in your strideas you are living it at the moment?

Roger Federer: I don't know half of what's going on really, because it's the media that reminds me all the time. It's nice to play for records or against records. It kind of adds something more special to it.

from Miami Herald:
More than an hour had passed since Roger Federer collapsed to his knees and wept after winning his fifth Wimbledon title in a row and the Swiss No. 1 was still sky high -- literally. Federer, wearing white trousers and a white blazer, stood on a walkway between Centre Court and the players' lounge overlooking a throng of squealing fans, tossing down 40 autographed tennis balls. Then he was escorted to a courtyard, where family and friends (and pop star Grace Jones) toasted him with champagne.

from San Francisco Chronicle:
Two pristine eras of men's tennis came together late Sunday afternoon when Bjorn Borg met Roger Federer inside the All England Club. Federer's fifth straight Wimbledon victory was in hand. He was dead even with Borg. They happened to be standing right in front of the large plaque listing all the men's winners, and the two of them took 10 of the slots.

Although they barely know each other, Borg and Federer hugged each other with meaning. No words are necessary when the thoughts are alike. "You were under a lot of pressure," Borg told him.

"You know how it feels," Federer replied. And with that, they had a brief conversation, the perfect signature to Federer's victory over Rafael Nadal in a stirring conclusion to the 2007 Wimbledon.

from PA:
Bjorn Borg has backed Roger Federer to become only the third man in the Open era to complete the grand slam of all four major titles after watching him equal his Wimbledon record on Centre Court.

Borg said: "I think Roger can definitely win the grand slam. Nadal is unbelievably tough to beat on clay but Roger has the game to do it. He badly wants to win the French Open and why not next year?"

from SI:
Federer's now coachless, so who was his warm-up partner before his semifinal match? A player from the junior draw named Alejandro Gonzalez.

from Sunday Times:
If the lawns of SW19 belong to Roger Federer, the streets of London were the property of his countryman Fabian Cancellara yesterday. “It is a good time to be Swiss,” said Cancellara after claiming the most coveted prize in his sport – the yellow jersey of the Tour de France.

“Switzerland is at the head of sport today,” said the 26-year-old Cancellara. “We won the America’s Cup, now I have the yellow jersey and I am hoping that Roger Federer will win a fifth Wimbledon title. It is a big time for sport in our country.”

Jul 7, 2007 from AFP:
LONDON - Roger Federer moved to within one victory of a fifth successive Wimbledon title with a 7-5, 6-3, 6-4 victory over 12th seed Richard Gasquet on Saturday.

The world number one will face Rafael Nadal in Sunday's showdown where a win will make him just the second man after Bjorn Borg to win five-in-a-row at the All England Club. The second seed made the final after Novak Djokovic was forced to retire from their semi-final with a toe injury.

Appropriately, Borg, who set his mark from 1976-1980, was on hand to see Federer edge closer to his record. Saturday's win also put the Swiss star, chasing his 11th major title, into his ninth successive Grand Slam final.

"I was thinking Gasquet was going to put me under pressure and play well but I was ready for that," said Federer. "He should have got to a tiebreak in the first set and maybe even had won it. But I'm happy to be in another final."

Federer said he was not surprised that Djokovic had been forced to default. "I saw him in the locker room before the match and I knew it was going to be difficult for him," said the champion. "Having to hang in there with Rafa was always going to be difficult for him."

Gasquet, playing in his first Grand Slam semi-final, had come back from two sets down to defeat former runner-up Andy Roddick in a marathon last eight clash on Friday. Just 16 hours later, the 21-year-old was back on court to face the top seed.

He showed no signs of fatigue in a closely contested opening set and even had two break points in the 11th game. Federer saved them both and made his opponent pay for his generosity by taking the first set in the next game when Gasquet dumped a backhand volley into the net.

The champion broke to go 2-0 ahead in the second set and then served a love-game to hammer home his advantage at 3-0. He was quickly two sets in front with another love service game as the tie began to slip away from Gasquet whose problems were compounded by requiring treatment on his left ankle during the changeover.

This is an item that may reveal how “cool” Roger is the night before a Wimbledon final….an excerpt from The Roger Federer Story, Quest for Perfection, a newly-released biography of Federer written by Swiss journalist Rene Stauffer (seat143 in the press room)…

Everybody Wants Him

from Telegraph:
The combination of floods and Wimbledon fortnight have been a disaster for the insurance industry. They expect 30,000 flood claims and also know that broken window claims - either caused by 'Federer fever' or wildly mis-hit balls - rise by as much as 20 per cent in June.

Jul 6, 2007 from Reuters:
LONDON - Roger Federer overcome Juan Carlos Ferrero 7-6 3-6 6-1 6-3 on Friday and reach the semi-finals at Wimbledon.

Federer stormed to a 5-2 lead in the first set but the Spaniard clawed back to 5-5 before play was abandoned on Thursday because of rain. The world number one squandered a set point in the 12th but made no such mistake in the tiebreak which he took 7-2 with an ace on the final point.

Some uncharacteristic forehand errors from the Swiss gave Ferrero a break in the eighth game of the next set and the former world number one took the set on his second set point when Federer's return went long. It seemed to be the shock that the top seed needed and he launched a barrage of winners to take the third set in a 19 minutes.

Nike and Tiger Woods have produced a commercial with a cheeky good luck message for Tiger’s good friend Roger Federer as he closes in on a potential fifth Wimbledon victory.

The clip, which builds on the friendly rivalry between the two legends of their respective sports, will be aired for the first time on Friday, 6 July on Channel 4 in between Big Brother and features previously unseen footage and images of Federer from his childhood. Federer’s rise to the summit of men’s tennis is charted through a series of clips from youth tournaments to Grand Slams with a voiceover commenting on each stage of his development and talent.

Jul 5, 2007 from PA:
Roger Federer returned to Centre Court action for the first time in six days and found himself in a tough battle against Juan Carlos Ferrero. Federer raced into a 3-0 lead in the first set, the break coming in the second game when Ferrero dumped a weak backhand into the net.

from Telegraph:
Released this week in Wimbledon High Street is The Roger Federer Story by Rene Stauffer (New Chapter Press, £21.50 or thereabouts), which purports to be the definitive tale of the man who may be, and almost certainly will become, the greatest tennis player the world has known.

The book is subtitled Quest for Perfection, although in the original German it was Das Tennis-Genie, which needs little translation. Genius, perfection, these are words regularly bandied around when Federer is in action at Wimbledon. What we want to know, and what Stauffer sets out to tell us, is how the player's prodigious gifts were developed. Not just from idle curiosity, of course, because we want to know how we can get hold of a British version.

The first point that emerges is that it was all Roger's idea. He is not the product of Tennis Parents From Hell, pushing their reluctant offspring to ever greater efforts on the court. When the teenage Roger was miserable and homesick during his first lengthy training spell away from home at the Swiss Academy, he would telephone his mother, Lynette, for an hour every evening. She would make it clear that he could quit any time he wanted.

But Roger did not want to quit. When he was not the best player in his town, he wanted to be. When he was not the best player in his canton, he wanted to be. When he was not the best player in Switzerland, he wanted to be. And when his gifted contemporaries stated that their ambition was to make it into the world's top 100, young Roger always said that he wanted to be the best. He wanted to be the world's No 1.

This took patience and application, qualities that did not come easily. The young Roger was a stark contrast to his urbane, articulate and sporting adult self. He was a serial racket-buster and umpire-abuser, and his language was so persistently foul that at one stage his parents refused to come and watch him play. What is more, his backhand, that thing of rare beauty, was for many years the weakest element in his game.

There is much here for his opponents to ponder on if they can tear themselves away from Super Mario long enough to consider the tale of Super Roger. The translation is occasionally dodgy ("the Swiss team were in shatters") but Stauffer, a Swiss journalist, has been there from the beginning and this is an intimate and insightful portrait.

from The Sun:
With the help of master toy designer Michael Lau, Nike have created 20-inch figures of Barcelona ace Ronaldinho, tennis legend Roger Federer and basketball star Kobe Bryant. The toys were produced for promotional purposes in Japan and Hong Kong.

A limited number are available via auction but bidders are unlikely to stick pins in these dolls. The Nike Pro figures come in a set of three and only 200 were made. Each model is dressed in authentic Nike clothing and the bidding war is yet to show signs of slowing down.

Jul 4, 2007 from The Times:
For Roger Federer, the past four days have been spent indulging in boats and fast cars. Yes, there has been a little grass-court practice to shake off the mothballs, but as the rest of the field has slogged on and off court, gentle ferment giving way to kick-the-cat rage, the Wimbledon champion has been urging his landlocked country to victory in sailing’s greatest race while fantasising about trying his hand as a presenter of Top Gear.

Federer was invited by Alinghi, the Swiss syndicate who triumphed in the America’s Cup yesterday, to board their yacht when it was being put through its final paces in Dubai, where the world No 1 owns a holiday home. He is also a huge fan of Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond, the hosts of the BBC show, although one wonders if his views on Clarkson would change had the Swiss absorbed his recent reportage on Wimbledon crowds. Clarkson wrote: “I often wonder what these sophisticated people from abroad are going to think of Britain when they see some hysterical fat woman with raspberry ripple arms and American tan tights, fanatically applauding a pigeon that has landed on Court One. They’re going to think we’re all ugly and mad.”

Jul 3, 2007 from Sporting Life:
London is to stage the ATP's showpiece end-of-season tournament from 2009, it has been announced. Currently known as the Masters Cup, the event will be re-named as the ATP World Tour Final in November 2009 when it moves from Shanghai to the O2 Arena, previously known as the Millennium Dome.

The tournament, which will be held in London for four years, showcases the season's top eight singles players and top eight doubles teams on the men's tour and more than US$4.5million will be at stake. The event will be played on a hardcourt with up to 20,000 fans able to watch the action.

from Telegraph:
The man with the sunniest disposition at the All England Club yesterday was Federer, with the defending champion popping by for a quick practice session between the showers before returning to his rented house in Wimbledon Village.

from Reuters:
STOCKHOLM - Bjorn Borg hopes Roger Federer will equal his five successive Wimbledon wins this year and believes the Swiss can add further to the tally.

"I hope he does it. It couldn't happen to a better person," the 11-times former grand slam champion told Reuters in an interview on Tuesday. "I think he will win his 11th grand slam title and if he keeps his motivation and remains injury-free, he will become the tennis player with the most wins ever in grand slams."

Sampras still holds the record of 14 grand slam singles titles as well as the record of seven Wimbledon titles, won from 1993 to 1995 and 1997 to 2000. Borg believes Federer could match Sampras.

"He is incredibly professional in what he does and he keeps his feet firmly on the ground. He certainly sets an example in tennis," Borg said. "If Roger carries on at the same pace he has kept up for the last few years, he will become the absolute greatest ever to have played tennis."

from ASAP Sports:
Q. You are doing the Hall of Fame and also doing a Dellwood tournament in Rockham County, New York, which is also in our coverage area. I wanted to ask you, so you really have been doing quite -- I know you're playing in an exhibition with Federer later this year. What were you thinking when you were putting together -- you really have a schedule this year.

PETE SAMPRAS: Yeah, it is something that was needed, I think, after I retired and I didn't do anything for three years. I think I was getting a little restless, a touch bored. I needed to start to do something. I played in an exhibition in River Oaks 15 months ago, and that was my first exhibition in front of people. So I kind of opened the door to playing some exhibition, and it has been really fun playing TeamTennis. Played a few Courier events. Gets me in shape and gives me something to prepare for, focus on. It is like it used to be. But every few months, I like to have something there to look forward to and playing a little bit.

I still enjoy it and use the technology like I have been doing. When I look at my schedule, it is not too taxing. The trip against Federer is a pretty unique situation going to Asia, which is a long trip. I don't think I would have committed to it unless it was Roger because for us to be competitive with one another is probably getting to an end. So playing some exhibition, playing some TeamTennis, it is not anything I am doing week in, week out, but keeps my hands dirty which is good for every man.

Q. Are you pulling for Federer to win his fifth straight Wimbledon?

PETE SAMPRAS: Well, yeah, I'm a fan. I'm a fan of his game. I am a fan of the type of player that he is. I think he's going to win his fifth. I think he will break any foreseeable tennis record that's out there. He is my sort of guy. He is my sort of player. He is not grouchy. He is not abrasive. He is smooth. He is fun to watch. I don't see anyone really threatening him seriously, so, you know, I am pulling for him. I always pull for the favorite.

Q. What racquet are you using now?

PETE SAMPRAS: I am using a little bigger one, the one that Federer is using, kind of the red and white one.

Q. It is one thing to play Justin Gimelstob in exhibition. It is another thing to play Roger. Can you reflect how you will approach that match and what does it all mean? If you are placing your serve and hitting 65%, Roger will never break you.

PETE SAMPRAS: When I practiced with Roger here before Indian Wells, I was serving quite well and holding serve pretty handedly. If there is anything Roger doesn't like to see it is someone coming in and serving and volleying, someone putting pressure on him. I think my game matched up reasonably well against his. Playing Roger, before I go out, I will have to be practicing a lot and have to be serving and volleying a lot. Really make sure my body is fit enough to go the distance with him.

And just playing, playing a lot and hitting the ball well. Hopefully I can find my game as we go. I think Roger will get done playing four weeks in Europe. So he will be pretty primed and ready where I will have to find my confidence as we go. So that will be tricky. And I am just practicing, hitting the ball well. It is nice to hit with him here and I held my own here at my house. But maybe he won't embarrass me anymore on the road. We'll see.

Q. You really do want to show well there. I don't know if you need to make a statement, but you really do want to play well against him.

PETE SAMPRAS: Sure, sure. People are going to be interested in the outcome. I don't think we want to be too much into the results, but I think for me at this stage of my life, if I could play well and push him a little bit and make it competitive, that's what I am looking forward to. I don't think I am going to win any of these matches. But if I can push him to a few breakers, I would feel ecstatic, I really would. You never know. I have never really practiced really full-time. If I hit every day for two, three weeks and really, really focused on what I am going to do against him before I play him. It will be tricky -- it will be interesting to see how well I do. For me it is a timing issue with my serve and volley, if I really get that timing down and that movement, I think I will be able to hold my own for a little while.

Jul 2, 2007 from The Times:
Roger Federer, his family and closest friends were treated to dinner with all the members’ trimmings at the All England Club on Friday evening. At the same time, Tommy Haas was flying his doctor from Munich in an attempt to preserve his place in a championship in which his misfortune has become depressing legend.

The pair met at the club yesterday, when the German informed Federer that he would be unable to play in today’s fourth round, because of a severe muscle tear in his lower abdominals that had necessitated prompt action to stanch the flow of blood. Federer receives a walkover into the last eight and is within three victories of his fifth successive Wimbledon title.

from The Globe and Mail:
Roger Federer was hitting on adjacent practice court at the All England Club yesterday. He was rallying with Swiss compatriot Yves Allegro on Court 2.

from St. Petersburg Times:
John McEnroe, on whether Roger Federer has an edge playing most of his matches on centre court: "The bigger edge is that he's better than everyone else."

Jul 1, 2007 from AP:
Roger Federer got a bye into Wimbledon's quarterfinals when Tommy Haas withdrew from the tournament Sunday with a torn stomach muscle.

They were scheduled to play in the fourth round Monday. Now the top-ranked Federer will face Juan Carlos Ferrero or unseeded Janko Tipsarevic for a berth in the semifinals.

"To pull out of this match, against Roger on Centre Court -- which is why you play the game -- is obviously very disappointing," Haas said. "Can't even put it in words."

Because Haas pulled out before the match, it goes into the books as a walkover, and Federer will not get credit for a victory. So the Swiss star's winning streak at Wimbledon stays at 31 matches, and his record run on grass courts stays at 51.

Haas said he expects to be sidelined for up to a month with the lower abdominal injury, which flared up during his 1-6, 6-4, 7-6 (5), 6-4 victory over No. 21 Dmitry Tursunov in the third round Friday.

Haas called for the trainer during the second set, when he was treated and given painkillers. The German said the pain felt much worse Saturday and that tests showed the muscle was bleeding.

The match against Federer was to be the 29-year-old Haas' first in the fourth round at the All England Club. "Who knows if this opportunity comes again," Haas said. "I certainly hope so."

from Sunday Times:
Different players deal with rain delays in a variety of ways. Roger Federer may seem calm when he is in control on the court, but see him kill time in the locker room and he is a different personality. He likes to play cards and can dip into the four languages he speaks to complain or enthuse about the quality of the hand. And when he wins he likes to roar lionlike in the manner of the king of the pride.

from San Francisco Chronicle:
By Bruce Jenkins - Federer, musing on the wonder of his game, told reporters, "The nice thing about tennis is that you can always improve your backhand, forehand, serves, volleys, your movement. It never gets monotonous. If your forehand and topspin is great, then you can work on your slice. It never stops, and that's what I like about it." The thing is, too many players lack that variety. They hit the exact same groundstrokes, including the aesthetic disaster that is the two-handed backhand, every single time. I wonder if this may be a reason why so many players retire early, well before they reach their physical prime in their mid-to-late-20s. For someone like Federer, the game truly doesn't get old. You could say the same for John McEnroe, Ken Rosewall, Billie Jean King, Margaret Court, Pancho Gonzalez and so many others who routinely rushed the net, mixed slice with topspin, drop shots with lobs, and showed real ingenuity on the court. For them, the game was an ongoing education, and the more they learned, the more useful they became against younger opponents. If you do nothing but stand at the baseline, whacking away, where's the variety? You're 17, 18 years old and just destroying people, but eventually a new generation comes along, hitting the ball harder with superior equipment, and what's your alternative? You don't have one. Irrelevance leads to boredom, and it was nice knowing you.

from New York Times:
Nate Ferguson and Ron Yu joined together in 2001 and, as a little company called Priority One, they customize rackets for many players and string for nine of them: Federer, Safin, Henman, Novak Djokovic, Fernando González, Andy Murray, Marcos Baghdatis, Lleyton Hewitt and Mardy Fish.

Only a handful of players — almost all of them men, skewed toward the top of the world rankings — have traveling stringers. Most who do not use Priority One use RPNY Tennis, based in New York. Other touring professionals use the in-house stringing services offered at each tournament, including Wimbledon.

The players have yearlong contracts. They pay a flat fee, and all their stringing needs, wherever in the world they need rackets strung, are met. “One guy plays in a tournament, one of us is there,” Ferguson said.

Friends think Ferguson and Yu have the best jobs. They travel the world, hang out with tennis stars, and get daily personal text messages from Federer, who hands over his rackets during the day and sends his tension requests late at night, which is why his rackets are always strung in the morning.

Federer, who carries anywhere from 9 to 12 rackets to every match, likes his with 10 tiny string holders, little clips that keep the strings from sawing each other where they cross.

from Scotland on Sunday:
Steve Adams (master of ceremonies at Wimbledon): I have been doing this job for 14 years, but like the players, I still get butterflies. The thing I live in fear of is the slow hand-clap from an impatient crowd. I hate that because it means I haven't done my job properly.

It is my job to go up to the locker room and collect the players and make sure they get to Centre Court or No.1 Court on time, which is sometimes easy, especially when it is players such as Tim Henman and Roger Federer, who are always ready on time but, typically, when I am dealing with South Americans or even Rafael Nadal, it can sometimes be more difficult.

Rafael is a delightful boy but when I go up to let him know he has two minutes, he always says "OK" with that big smile of his, but then goes through a ritual that always takes longer. It's not on purpose though, and his uncle told me that if I want him ready for 1pm I should get him at 12.30pm. I did tell him a little lie before last year's final because that is the one day, with the whole world watching, when we can't run late.

When the player is scheduled for Centre Court, I bring them down through the doors under the Royal Box which lead onto the world-famous arena that everyone sees on television. The initial view for the players is less glamorous because of the machinery behind the green canvas but then they get to the gap and the court comes into view and the crowd.

It is quite an experience and is exciting for most players. Those who have never played on Centre Court before are usually nervous and I have to tell them not to worry and to enjoy the experience because the British crowd are wonderful at supporting the underdog. Even then, the look on their face sometimes leaves me feeling as if I am leading them to the gallows.

Over the years I have been privileged to meet so many great players. I started in the era of Boris Becker and Stefan Edberg and have enjoyed many walks down to Centre Court with Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi and Martina Navratilova as well as my favourites - Steffi Graf, who was always so sweet and humble and Roger Federer, who is a true gentleman who always takes an interest in what is happening with others. This year he arrived and put a hand on my shoulder and asked what I had been up to in the year since we had last met. He is a lovely man but he did cause some panic when we couldn't find him before one of his matches. Eventually we learned he had made his own way out to No.1 Court and had left a message which I hadn't received.

from Miami Herald:
One of the most heartwarming moments at Wimbledon on Saturday took place away from the court, in front of a kiosk where they sell used tournament balls as souvenirs.

The balls from the previous day's matches sell for $6 a can. Each ball has ''2007 Wimbledon'' stamped on it, and the can has a black ''X'' on the lid to prove it came from the Wimbledon courts. If you're really lucky, your tennis balls will have tiny blades of grass stuck to them. On a typical day, they sell 1,400 balls, and the money goes to charity. Last year, they raised $30,000.

Carol Dimmer and Victoria Hughes were in the booth selling Saturday. They said the most common questions are: ''Did Tim Henman use these?'', ''Did Roger Federer use these?'', and, from young men, ``Did Maria Sharapova use these?''