Aug 31, 2007 from ASAP Sports:
Q. You competed against many generations. What has been the toughest opponent for you?

TIM HENMAN: It's Roger. There's no doubt. And, again, you know, that is a reflection of how the game has changed. You know, that's no doubt when you're playing Sampras on a grass court, a quick grass court, it's incredibly difficult to play against. But the difference is, when you're playing someone like Pete, he could serve, you might not make returns for three or four games, but you just felt like you keep doing a good job on your serve, you could hold serve and get to 4 All, 5 All, 6 All. That's when conditions were quicker. Now with it being I think considerably slower a lot of the times, you know, when you're playing Roger, every game is a struggle. And you look at his scores against some of the players. You know, the number of guys that he's had 6 Love sets against, I think it emphasizes how all around his game is. Yeah, I would definitely say he's the best player I've ever played against.

Q. What's the best you've ever played?

from am New York:
At the bustling stringing room on Sunday, Vince Chiarelli, 62, was close to the end of his 20-minute operation on the main-gut, cross-poly racquet for Nicolas Mahut of France.

"It's the type of blend that Roger Federer uses, and I think that almost everybody is trying it," said Chiarelli, who owns a shop in Largo, Fla., called String Along with Vince. "This string is very durable if it's in the main strings, which are what you really hit with. If it's in the cross strings, all it's doing is kind of deadening the liveliness of the gut," Chiarelli said.

The blend may help Federer, the world's No. 1, but Mahut lost convincingly in the first round, 6-0, 6-4, 6-2, to Argentina's Juan Martin Del Potro on Tuesday.

Aug 30, 2007 from Tennis X:
The International Tennis Federation (ITF) runs the media info desk at the Slams, and does an excellent job, but can we dispense with the pretense that modern-day records should be evenly compared to the 1800s when the Slams began, rather than back to 1968, the official onset of the Open Era in tennis? "Federer is now bidding to become the first man since Bill Tilden in 1923 to collect a fourth successive US Championships title, Tilden going on to win six in a row," states the ITF media notes. "Only three men have won four successive titles in the history of this event: Richard Sears, William Larned and Tilden." The ITF goes on to note that Sears and Larned played during the "Challenge Round" era when as defending champs they only had to win one match to defend their titles. Federer's achievements in the super-competitive modern era are incomparable to an age where only certain players were allowed to compete, and there wasn't such a world-wide influx of players competing at all levels, from tour to challengers, satellites and futures. Federer winning four US Opens in a row would be a first-time feat -- then if you want, throw in some asterisks from some of the years when the event was less of a worldwide phenomenon, go ahead. But let them remain asterisks rather than equals.

Aug 29, 2007
New York - Prince of darkness Roger Federer unleashed his champagne tennis on Chilean Paul Capdeville with an impressive 6-1, 6-4, 6-4 display to rip into the third round of the US Open tennis tournament.

Federer, clad totally in black for the Wednesday night session with dark shirt, socks, shoes and shorts with a tuxedo-like satin stripe running down each leg, extended his Flushing Meadows win streak to 22 matches.

"Why not black at night,' said Federer. 'It's a bit of the tuxedo look. I don't do this every day, so it's something special."

Federer easily won the first set in 23 minutes. In the second set, world number 120 Capdeville managed to break Federer in the fourth game to take a 3-1 lead. The Swiss avenged by breaking Capdeville with impeccable shot placement from unlikely angles in the seventh game to make it 4-3.

Then, with Federer leading 5-4, Capdeville challenged a line call that gave Federer set point, but the chair umpire denied his request because he had taken more than the allowed 20 seconds to issue the challenge. Federer won set point and Capdeville continued the argument afterewards, claiming he didn't know about the time limit.

Federer broke immediately in the third set and went up 2-0. The fourth game was a crowd-pleaser when Federer managed his 35th winner of the game—an airborne overhead with a scissor-kick, reminiscent of Pete Sampras.

He gave me the opportunity, so I took it," Federer later said of the showy shot. Then he backpedalled. "You've got to be careful. It's a Grand Slam after all. I always play to win, not to look nice."

And later, leading 5-3 on Capdeville's serve, he tried a between-the-legs shot that went long. Capdeville followed with a 122-mph ace to closed out the penultimate game of the match. Federer served for the match and nailed a backhand cross-court winner to secure a date with a 184th-ranked American wild card John Isner in the third round.

from The Age:
Of Course, it was at the US Open 12 months ago that the world's best tennis player, Roger Federer, was introduced to the world's best golfer, Tiger Woods. "I've never spoken with anyone who was so familiar with the feeling of being invincible," Federer said at the time. Now they share a kind of kinship, talking to or texting each other regularly and catching up when their tournament schedules overlap. Federer described Woods as "someone I really trust and can go to for advice … He's like an older brother I never had". He also said in a recent biography that he and Woods had arrived at the pinnacle via different paths: "Even as a kid, his goal was to break the record for winning the most majors. I was just dreaming of just once meeting Boris Becker or just playing at Wimbledon some time." But Federer suggested that Tiger was different to his facade: "Like on the golf course, you think he's serious, so focused, a concentrated guy. But then you get little hints of actually what personality he has off the golf course. When he gets a bit angry or laughs or does a joke with other golfers. Off the court, he's so laid-back, it's unbelievable."

from Newsday:
Among the clients of celebrity hairstylist Sally Hershberger is men's No. 1 player Roger Federer. He paid her $800 for a haircut.

Aug 28, 2007 from Globe and Mail:
Jesse Levine of Boca Raton, Fla., drew a crowd of reporters after his 6-4, 6-0, 6-1 loss to fourth-seeded Nikolay Davydenko yesterday on the Grandstand court at the U.S. Open.

Levine, who recently turned professional, got a surprise invitation in July to spend 10 days training with world No. 1 Roger Federer in Dubai. A left-hander like Federer's rival, Rafael Nadal, Levine said many drills began with his hitting his forehand into the Federer backhand, just as Nadal does it.

from New York Times:
Levine is a scrappy player with a two-handed backhand and a baseliner’s sensibilities, so one of Federer’s agents invited him to practice with Federer for two weeks in July in Dubai. The call came as a surprise. “I thought it was one of my buddies playing a joke,” Levine said.

Levine, a 19-year-old Canadian-born American, was one of three players invited to Dubai, but the only left-hander. After beating Scoville Jenkins, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4, yesterday, Federer said he did not know Levine was left-handed “until he pulled out his racket.”

Levine thought his left-handedness was only one factor in his invitation. “They wanted a guy who works hard and who is easy to get along with, and I guess I was that,” he said with a laugh.

During the practice sessions, Nadal was clearly on Federer’s mind. Some of the drills would start with Levine hitting a forehand drive to Federer’s backhand. “If I hit a really good forehand, he would say that it was just like Rafa,” Levine said.

Levine said he came away with respect not only for Federer’s game but also for his conditioning. The three practice partners would take turns against Federer in the 100-plus-degree heat.

“I have never sweat that much in my life,” Levine said. “I would bring two pairs of shoes for each practice because I would be walking around going swish, swish, swish.”

Federer gave Levine advice on his game, and the two bonded by talking about hockey. “Obviously, I was a little intimidated at first,” Levine said. “But he is such a nice guy.”

from Talon Marks:
When Levine showed up at the U.S. Open locker room Monday morning before his Grand Slam debut, Federer greeted him with a high-five, a few words of encouragement and an embroidered "RF" cap from his private collection. It was payback for the two University of Florida Gator T-shirts Levine gave Federer in Dubai.

The unexpected invitation to Dubai came in mid-July and Levine, who had just completed his freshman season at UF, thought it was a buddy pulling a prank. The voice on the other end of the line said: "Hey, Jesse. Roger Federer wants you to fly to Dubai and practice with him."

Levine laughed. "I was like, `Yeah, right. Very funny. Who is this?' " Levine said. "But then he said, `This is Oliver,' and I realized it's this IMG agent I know. I was like, `Oh, sorry. My bad.' "

"It was an amazing experience, something I will carry with me for the rest of my life," said Levine, who took along UF assistant coach Jeremy Bayon. "I got to see how hard he works. I've never sweat so much in my life. I had to change my sneakers midway through the practice because they were drenched. And he gave me tips on my game, which I wasn't expecting. I just thought I'd go and do whatever he told me and he wouldn't pay attention to my game. I was a little intimidated, but he's super nice."

from The Times:
What tennis players do to pass the time away in New York, especially where they like to shop (the female players) and eat (the male ones) is a fascination for American writers, the lady pensmiths to the fore. They would have had a field day on Sunday night had they been present at a Thai restaurant called Topaz on 56th St between 6th and 7th Avenues where Roger Federer, Andy Roddick and Tim Henman all had separate tables.

Aug 27, 2007
NEW YORK - Top seed Roger Federer began his bid for a fourth consecutive U.S. Open title with a 6-3 6-2 6-4 victory over American qualifier Scoville Jenkins in the first round on Monday.

The world number one, going for his 12th grand-slam crown, wrapped up victory in just 92 minutes and now plays either Rainer Schuettler of Germany or Paul Capdeville of Chile.

"It's always nice to come back to New York as defending champion," Federer said in a courtside interview. "I'm happy to have won my first one. It was tough. Scoville is a good player and I'm happy to get through. It always feels like a bit of a relief. Now I can relax a little maybe."

Federer was rarely threatened on serve and broke Jenkins, the world number 319, four times reach the second round. Federer saved a break point as he served for the quick win, then finished with a stinging service winner.

from Globe and Mail:
NEW YORK - Grand Slam tournaments are all about Roger, at least until he is no longer a contender. As he closes in on Pete Sampras's record total of 14 Grand Slam titles, Roger Federer will inevitably be the focal point.

In preparation for his opening-round match at the U.S. Open this afternoon against American qualifier Scoville Jenkins, the world No. 1 was in the Arthur Ashe Stadium yesterday practising with Janko Tipsarevic of Serbia.

In the first few games they played, Federer was whaling everything, taking balls out of the air and driving them for winners. Tipsarevic's only defence was to smile at the maestro's mastery.

As he begins his quest for his 12th Grand Slam title, which would move him ahead of Rod Laver and Bjorn Borg and draw him even with Roy Emerson, Federer is in range of two outstanding achievements.

Last year, he became the first player to win Wimbledon and the U.S. Open back to back three times in a row, breaking a record he shared with American legends Bill Tilden (1920-21) and Don Budge (1937-38).

Now, he has a chance to extend the incredible feat to four years. As well, if he's one of the final two men standing, it will be his 10th consecutive trip to the final in a Grand Slam.

from Style:
On Thursday night an impressive group of New Yorkers gathered to fête tennis ace and Men's Vogue May/June cover star Roger Federer at Wakiya in the Gramercy Park Hotel. No surprise, talk turned to the U.S. Open as the evening's hosts, Anna Wintour and Jay Fielden, greeted designers (Oscar de la Renta, Michael Kors, Vera Wang), actors (Rachel Weisz, Jimmy Fallon), and social swans (Lauren duPont, Amanda Cutter Brooks, Aerin Lauder Zinterhofer) at the popular Ian Schrager eatery. "I used to feel like the country-club square," said Fielden. "I play golf, I play tennis. They're cooler now, thanks in part to the big guy over there." As for Lily Cole's game, the redheaded model, who was raspy after having spent most of the day practicing a yelling scene in her acting class, laughed, "I'm better at watching tennis than playing it." Over in the corner, Federer said he only gets "a little nervous" before his matches and that he experienced more anxiety during his cover shoot. "I'm at home on the court, but when you're sitting for Annie Leibovitz you're always wondering if she likes the shot."

Aug 26, 2007 from Sunday Mirror:
Roger Federer believes Tim Henman was unlucky not to have won a Grand Slam title. World No.1 Federer said Henman, who reached six Grand Slam semi-finals, including four at Wimbledon, had done a great job, particularly at home, where Britain has not had a Wimbledon men's champion since 1936.

Federer said: "He has always been in a struggle with the media to try to prove that's he's not a bad player, that actually he is an excellent player. Honestly, I think he's had great success, many semi-finals of Grand Slams. It's not easy to make finals and win them. You always have some guy on a hot streak."

The closest Henman came to winning a Grand Slam title was at Wimbledon in 2001, when he was two points from beating eventual champion Goran Ivanisevic in the semi-finals.

Federer said Henman had not had much luck with the draw. "At Wimbledon he ran into Pete Sampras a couple of times and maybe he had one chance the year he played Goran but that year I think it was kind of meant to be," he said. "The French Open, you couldn't expect him to win that, and the US Open he played me in the semis."

"Is he the best player never to win a slam? That's a tough call. Other guys maybe got to a couple of finals. Is one, two finals better than four semis? It's hard to say."

Federer said he had always found it difficult to beat Henman. "He got back a lot of returns, kept the ball low, and in the beginning I wasn't good enough," he said. "I was always scared to play against him - thank God I could turn it around in the end."

Aug 25, 2007 from Roger Federer Official Site:
As defending champion of the US Open the interest in Roger's person just before the tournament is huge. One of his many media appearances these days was a public service announcement taping for UNICEF at the Carlyle Hotel in Manhattan (New York) on Friday. On the main photo on the website Roger is busy reviewing a script together with David Koch, UNICEF Producer, Special Projects.

from US Open:
During the stadium show, winners of the Valspar Paint Performance Challenge during the US Open Series and at Kids’ Day itself hit the court in Arthur Ashe Stadium for target practice alongside the likes of the world’s top two players, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, raising $17,500 for charity.

Aug 24, 2007 from Telegraph:
A man who will miss Tim Henman more than most is Roger Federer, the world No 1 and arguably the greatest player in history.

Henman and Federer are close friends and dinner companions and, in a warm tribute, the Swiss has admitted that "it will be difficult" for him when the Englishman is no longer travelling around the tennis circuit with him. So, even Federer was a Henmaniac.

Henman has plainly made friends in high places during his life as a pro. "It is unfortunate that Tim is on his way out, but it's important to realise that he's had a long and great career," Federer said in an interview with Sport magazine.

"I had some great matches against Tim and he's one of my best friends on tour, so it will be difficult when he's not around any more. The arrival of Andy Murray is obviously great for British tennis, but everyone knows that it's still a bit too weak in general."

And Henman will appreciate those words from Federer. Every tennis player wants to hear Federer say that they have had "a great career". This was praise from the top.

from Fashion Week Daily:
Just as temperatures slowly crept back up in the urban jungle of Manhattan, leave it to Men's Vogue to keep things cool. The magazine, along with its editor in chief Jay Fielden and editorial director Anna Wintour, hosted a stylish dinner at Wakiya in the Gramercy Park Hotel honoring U.S. Open champ Roger Federer. With designers in the final stretch before the start of Fashion Week, Vera Wang, Francisco Costa, Marc Jacobs, and the Proenza Schouler boys ventured out of their respective design studios to treat themselves to a well-deserved break. Not to mention to shake hands with the Swiss sports megastar. "I'm a big, big fan of Roger," said Oscar de la Renta, who, along with his wife Annette, made their first public outing since the passing of their dear friend Brooke Astor.

During dinner, Wintour, a self-professed Federer fan, personally took him around the room to introduce him to guests, gushing over her admiration for his athletic prowess and easygoing personality. "He's had fashion highs and fashion lows," she doted to the likes of Jimmy Fallon and Rachel Weisz, laughing. "The high was his Wimbledon look this year, his low a blue top he wore at the U.S. Open." Federer, in return, thanks Wintour for being "his number one fan." And exactly how do you prepare for a private dinner hosted in your honor? For starters, getting a proper haircut. Federer recalled, with a chuckle, how he had left his hotel room at the Carlyle earlier in the day because he needed a quick makeover before his big night and the upcoming U.S. Open media blitz. "But my girlfriend gives me all the pointers," he said, nodding over at Mirka Vavrinec.

from New York Magazine:
While Andy Roddick and Rafael Nadal were preparing dinner at the W last night, Roger Federer was busy eating at the Gramercy Park Hotel, where Men's Vogue put on a dinner in his honor at Wakiya. Federer was there with his girlfriend, Mirka Vavrinec, but he was Anna Wintour's man for the night; she took him on her arm and flirtatiously accompanied him around the room, introducing him to friends like Diane Von Furstenberg, Vera Wang, and Oscar de la Renta. We asked Miss Anna about her favorite tennis couture this season. "Anything that Roger wears," she replied with a girlish giggle. If we were Shelby Bryan, we might be getting nervous.

Aug 23, 2007 from WWD:
With less than two weeks until the start of the New York collections, designers dropped everything for a dinner at Wakiya in the Gramercy Park Hotel hosted by Men’s Vogue, editorial director Anna Wintour and editor in chief Jay Fielden in honor of U.S. Open champ Roger Federer. But everyone agreed a break was in order. “I was in the studio until 1 last night, and until 8 today,” said Francisco Costa, who was joined by Vera Wang, Oscar de la Renta, Marc Jacobs, Diane von Furstenberg and the Proenza Schouler boys.

Even Federer felt that a quick celebratory dinner wouldn’t ruin his game come Monday. “I practice all the time,” he said. “Instead of going to dinner with my girlfriend tonight, I’m going with 70 people.”

It did appear though that, while guests were happy to celebrate Federer, Wintour was the only one in the room aside from with him any skill on the court. “The last time I played was for credit at FIT,” said Costa.

from New York Daily News:
Roger Federer and Tommy Haas gave a NetJets-sponsored tennis clinic in East Hampton yesterday. Vogue editrix Anna Wintour asked Federer what he was going to wear to the U.S. Open. Answer: blue and white togs for day matches, black for night.

Aug 22, 2007 from Donga:
Roger Federer and Pete Sampras will meet on the court in Korea this year. They will be playing in the “Hyundai Card Super Match VI,” an exhibition match at the Olympic Tennis Center at Jamsil Indoor Gymnasium on November 20. Their match in Seoul is a prologue of their Asia Tour, which includes exhibitions in Korea, Malaysia, and Macao.

Federer is returning to Korea a year after his match against Rafael Nadal. “I’m pleased to return to Korea after the incredible encouragement and support I received from 10,000 Korean fans last year. My heart’s racing at the thought of meeting my idol, Pete Sampras.”

from New York Times:
A coming exhibition tennis match at the Venetian arena in Macao between Pete Sampras and Roger Federer sold out in less than a day.

Aug 20, 2007 from AFP:
NEW YORK - World number ones Roger Federer and Justine Henin were named by the US Tennis Association as top seeds for the US Open here on Monday, one week before the start of the year's last Grand Slam tournament.

Reigning US and Australian Open and Wimbledon champion Federer will find out his first opponent in Wednesday's draw. This marks the fourth year in a row that the Swiss star will be the men's top seed at the US Open.

Aug 19, 2007 from AP:
MASON, Ohio - Roger Federer reached another measure of tennis greatness on Sunday, winning his 50th tournament title by beating James Blake 6-1, 6-4 in the Western & Southern Financial Group Masters.

The 26-year-old Swiss star became the fifth-youngest player in history to reach 50 at 26 years, 11 days (replacing Pete Sampras at 26 years, 1 month), and only the ninth overall in the Open Era — since 1968 — to win so many tournaments. Given the way he's playing, he's eyeing the U.S. Open as No. 51.

Bjorn Borg won his 50th title when he was 23 years, 7 months old. Jimmy Connors was four months older when he got to the mark. John McEnroe and Ivan Lendl were 25 when they did it.

Federer improved to 7-0 against Blake, who has won only one of their 19 sets — off a tiebreaker in the semifinals at the U.S. Open last year. Federer has won 35 straight matches against Americans since he lost to Andy Roddick in the semifinals at Montreal on Aug. 9, 2003, an astounding streak of dominance.

Federer served a pair of aces to open the match, then broke Blake's serve in the next game to take control. The 27-year-old American had three break chances in the fifth game of the opening set, which lasted 20 points and ended with Federer's emphatic forehand volley. Deflated that he let it slip away, Blake was broken at 0-40 in the next game. Federer then served it out.

from DPA:
Cincinnati - Roger Federer won his second Cincinnati Masters title in three years here in a successful tune-up for his run at a fourth consecutive US Open crown.

"It was a great week. I was very happy, and I'm obviously very excited going into the US Open," said Federer. "I'm confident going into the Open. I want to try and keep the rhythm and go match by match."

"You need to get ready mentally for best-of-five-set matches. The good thing is that I know how to win it. I know how to prepare. I have the right frame of mind."

"My level lifted through the week. It always felt uphill,' said Federer. "James goes for a bit more and misses more. It's quite simple how you have to play against him. I hit a good ball and served well today. I'm very, very happy."

from Cincinnati Post:
The final three sessions of the W&S set tournament attendance records. For the finals, 10,848 paid to watch Federer battle Blake, while 10,666 saw the Saturday day session and 10,796 viewed the Saturday night session. Overall, the paid attendance was 165,422, slightly ahead of last year's 163,872.

Aug 18, 2007 from Reuters:
CINCINNATI - Roger Federer battled back from a break down in the final set to fend off a rejuvenated Lleyton Hewitt 6-3 6-7 7-6 on Saturday to reach the final of the Cincinnati Masters.

Federer and Hewitt exchanged service breaks in the second and third games before Federer broke Hewitt again in the fourth game with a blistering cross-court shot to take control of the first set.

Both players held throughout the second set, though Hewitt had to save a break point in the third and 11th games. Hewitt then raced to a 5-2 lead in the tiebreak but Federer hit back and forced a match point at 6-5 only for the Australian to save it with a deft drop volley. Riding the momentum, Hewitt clinched the tiebreak 9-7 and then broke Federer to lead 3-2 in the third set.

The Swiss broke straight back and then missed four chances to break in the eighth game and two games later, Hewitt saved two more match points. In the tiebreak, though, a couple of loose errors put Federer in charge and he cruised through it 7-1 to take his place in the final.

from AP:
Excerpts from Roger Federer's interview with The Associated Press this week in Mason, Ohio:

On whether as a kid, like his pal Tiger Woods, he set his sights on breaking records: "Well, when I was young, Roy Emerson had the most Grand Slams, right? I didn't even know who he was. ... So I didn't have that drive. I had Shaquille O'Neal on the wall, you know, and I had Michael Jordan."

On his rivalry with No. 2 Rafael Nadal: "I'm very happy that I have somebody else helping to push the game forward. He's very good with the media, he's very good for the sport. For this reason, I'm happy he's around, you know. Of course, I maybe could have won the French (Open) if he wasn't."

On how many Grand Slam titles he'll finish with: "I still feel like physically I have another five definitely good years in me -- if not more, because I would like to play longer. And so if I just think that maybe I could win a Slam a year or something, which is maybe possible."

On nerves: "Everybody gets nervous, no question -- before a match, beginning of the match, break points. In the heat of the moment, you know? ... That is a good thing -- that keeps me going."

On playing well once he's leading a match: "I'm a great front-runner, no doubt. I mean, once I get ahead, I'm very difficult to stop."

On being without a coach: "Do I really need one? Because I believe I can do it myself, you know. I'm not saying it's totally the right decision, but I think, sort of, coaches in tennis are overrated."

Aug 17, 2007 from Western & Southern Financial Group Masters:
World No. 1 and 2005 champion Roger Federer reached his eighth semifinal of the season as he beat Spaniard Nicolas Almagro 6-3, 3-6, 6-2, in one hour and 22 minutes.

The Swiss superstar improved his career mark to 11-5 in Cincinnati. He will face unseeded Lleyton Hewitt in the semifinals and this will be their 20th career meeting (Federer leads 12-7, winning the last 10).

In Friday's win over Almagro, Federer converted four of six break points, breaking twice in the first and third sets. Federer went up 4-2 in the opening set, was broken in the next game, then broke again for a 5-3 lead. He then served it out with an ace.

from Globe and Mail:
Yesterday, when the subject of her No. 1 counterpart, Federer, came up, Henin was positively effusive. "There's nothing I don't like in his game," she said, "but I like the person most of all. I had the occasion to have lunch with him once and he has an exceptional air about him. He's very intelligent. To be at that level for a long time, you have to be intelligent and serene and calm. And he does everything while remaining very natural and unpretentious."

Aug 16, 2007 from Cincinnati Post:
Roger Federer saved four first set points in his 7-6 (5), 7-5 win over Marcos Baghdatis at the Cincinnati Masters Thursday.

Baghdatis was the hotter player at the start, he earned two break points at 1-all, 15-40, but couldn't convert as Federer mixed up his first serves: fooling Baghdatis with a 91 mph kick serve for an ace then flattening out a 121 mph service winner.

Federer had a set point at 5-4, but he squandered it when he netted a crosscourt forehand. Baghdatis held serve for 5-all and then broke Federer when the No. 1 seed missed a down-the-line forehand.

On his first set point at 6-5, 40-15, Baghdatis double faulted. He fired a 129 mph first serve up the service tee at 40-30, but Federer jumped on the forehand return and Baghdatis couldn't handle the pace of the Swiss' shot.

When Baghdatis earned a third set point, he missed an inside-out forehand and screamed to the sky. Then he double faulted, which was followed by another double fault at deuce and an unforced error on break point.

With new life, Federer started and ended the first set tiebreak with aces, pumping his fist toward girlfriend Mirka Vavrinec in the player's box.

Federer served for the match at 5-4 in the second set, but missed six straight first serves and was broken. Just as in the first set, Baghdatis couldn't consolidate, giving Federer a second chance to serve the match out.

Aug 15, 2007 from Reuters:
CINCINNATI - Roger Federer made a smooth start to his Cincinnati Masters title bid by beating Frenchman Julien Benneteau 6-3 6-3 but Rafael Nadal was forced to retire and Novak Djokovic lost on Wednesday.

An early break put Federer, looking for his 50th career title, on his way and after taking the first set, he broke in the seventh and ninth games of the second to clinch victory. The Swiss top seed will next play Marcos Baghdatis in the third round.

"It gives you a fright when you see some people retiring and others, like Djokovic, who had the tournament of his life last week, losing quite comfortably," Federer said in a courtside interview. "It puts extra pressure on you so I'm happy I am the one to survive."

Aug 14, 2007 from Reuters:
CINCINNATI - World number one Roger Federer said on Tuesday that he was in no hurry to get a new coach, three months after he stopped working with Tony Roche.

Australian Roche helped Federer to win six of his 11 grand slam titles, but the Swiss decided to go it alone two weeks before the French Open. Since then, he has been doing things his own way and said he had not decided what to do next, adding he was not even sure he wanted a new coach.

"That's what I'm asking myself at the moment - what do I want?" he told reporters in Cincinnati on Tuesday. "Do I want a guy running around, picking up balls, do I want someone to give me advice, or do I want someone travelling with me 11 months of the year? I am not sure. But I am happy on my own at the moment."

"It's got to be the right guy," he said. "I am not going to just try someone for a month, then get another one. When you are number one in the world you have to make your decisions more wisely. Maybe by the Australian Open, I'll have someone but maybe not."

Federer is just three grand slam titles short of Pete Sampras's record of 14 but the Swiss said should he reach that mark, he hoped to be around at the top long after that.

from Cincinnati Post:
MASON, Ohio - Earlier this season, Roger Federer did not play tournaments in Doha and Halle, and lost in the early rounds of the Indian Wells and Miami ATP Masters Series events. He was the defending champion at each of those four events, losing 1,380 ranking points along the way.

Federer's lead over No. 2 Rafael Nadal has slipped as the year has progressed: from 3,900 points on Jan. 1 to 1,535 in the latest ATP rankings. With only 35 points to defend at the Western & Southern Masters, Federer has 465 to gain if he is to win the title. Federer shrugged off any significance about the rankings Tuesday.

from ATP:
Fresh off a podium finish (3rd) in this past Sunday's Champ Car World Series open-wheel auto racing event at Road America, 18-year-old Graham Rahal took a break from the twists and turns of his sport on Tuesday to enjoy ATP tennis in his home state of Ohio at the Western & Southern Financial Group Masters.

The son of legendary racer and former Indy 500 champ Bobby Rahal drove from his hometown of New Albany, Ohio to the Cincinnati event where he watched a number of matches and met several top ATP players including Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and James Blake.

Rahal drives the No. 2 Medi | Zone race car for Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing, which is co-owned by actor Paul Newman and businessmen Karl Haas and Mike Lanigan.

"It was a thrill to talk about tennis and racing with these guys, particularly Roger, who is very knowledgeable about open-wheel racing," Rahal said.

"I certainly enjoyed my first-ever ATP tournament, and look forward to coming back to Cincinnati again in the future. Of course, for obvious reasons, I particularly enjoyed watching Andy Roddick drill serves at 140 miles per hour!"

Aug 13, 2007 from AME Info:
Noel Massoud, General Manager, Emirates Palace recently presented the coveted World Tennis Award to tennis legend Roger Federer, holder of five consecutive Wimbledon titles, at the glittering Wimbledon Champions Dinner in London. Massoud said afterwards, 'It was a great opportunity to reach out to an elite audience and establish Emirates Palace as a strong supporter of professional international sport. Abu Dhabi is fast becoming the destination of choice for high caliber sporting events in the Middle East and Emirates Palace seeks to project the city's initiatives in this field onto the global stage.'

Aug 12, 2007 from Reuters:
MONTREAL - Novak Djokovic produced the performance of his career to beat world number one and defending champion Roger Federer 7-6 2-6 7-6 to win the Montreal Masters on Sunday.

The third seed, who had beaten Andy Roddick and Rafael Nadal on his way to the final, saved six set points in the first set before snatching the tiebreak 7-2.

Federer, who made a host of uncharacteristic errors throughout, lifted his game in the second set, breaking the Serb twice to force a third set.

Aug 11, 2007 from AP:
MONTREAL - Roger Federer reached the final of the Rogers Cup with a 7-6 (6), 6-2 win over Radek Stepanek on Saturday.

Federer reached his seventh final in 10 tournaments this year. The Swiss ace has won 16 straight matches at the Rogers Cup, with tournament wins in 2004 and 2006 in Toronto.

Federer and Stepanek held serve through the first set, but Federer was down 0-40 in the seventh game. He took charge and won four straight points, two on aces, and saved the game.

Federer let three set points slip away in the tiebreaker, but then ended it with a return winner. Stepanek was broken twice in the second set as Federer clinched the win.

Aug 10, 2007 from Reuters:
MONTREAL - Roger Federer continued his seemingly inexorable march through the Montreal Masters draw when he beat Lleyton Hewitt 6-3 6-4 to reach the semi-finals on Friday.

The defending champion was close to his fluent best, hitting 13 aces as he swept into the last four where he will play unseeded Czech Radek Stepanek, who upset fourth seed Nikolay Davydenko 6-4 7-5.

One break, in the sixth game, gave Federer the first set but Hewitt gave himself a glimmer of hope when he recovered an early break in the second to level at 2-2.

Aug 9, 2007 from ATP:
Top seed Roger Federer fired past Italian qualifier Fabio Fognini in 45 minutes on Thursday at the Rogers Masters in Montreal to book his place in the quarterfinals and take his winning streak in Canada to 14 matches.

For the second straight day, Federer dropped just seven points on serve. The Swiss raced out to a 5-0 lead before Fognini managed to get on the board, and he held his opponent to 10 points in the 18-minute first set and 17 in the second en route to the 6-1, 6-1 win. Fognini was only able to hold in his opening service game of the second set.

Federer, who won the Rogers Masters title in 2004 and '06, moved through to the Canada quarterfinals for the fourth time in his sixth event appearance and also reached the quarterfinals for the eight time this season. He is chasing his 50th career ATP title this week.

The No. 1 doubles team of Bob and Mike Bryan pulled through in a challenging second round opener against World No. 1 Roger Federer and partner Yves Allegro, prevailing over the Swiss duo in the Match Tie-break on Thursday at the Rogers Masters.

Federer and Allegro won two more points than the top-seeded tandem and defending doubles champions during the 1 hour, 38 minute match, but still fell to the Americans 7-6(7), 6-7(8), 10-7 (Match Tie-break).

Aug 8, 2007 from Globe and Mail:
MONTREAL - It may not necessarily have seemed like it, but birthday boy Roger Federer played a fine match yesterday to defeat Ivo Karlovic 7-6 (2), 7-6 (3) in his Rogers Cup opening round.

On the day he turned 26, the five-time Wimbledon champion failed to reach break point in any of the 6-foot-10 Croat's 12 service games. The difference came in the tiebreaks, with Federer executing impeccably and not losing a point on serve.

"Obviously, both of us had no problems on our serves," said Federer, who also faced no break points, "so logically it wound up like that. I played two very good tiebreaks, so I'm very happy."

It marked the second time that Federer had celebrated his birthday in Montreal (2003) and enthusiastic fans tried to give him premature best wishes when they sang Happy Birthday during the end-change when he led 5-4 in the opening set.

After the match, the tournament spokesperson, actress Sophie Prégent, led the crowd in the singing of birthday wishes, with lyrics adapted from the Quebec nationalist anthem 'Gens du pays.'

"That was really 'sympa' [nice] when they sang on the centre court," Federer said. "I like to share my birthday with my fans. I have a lot of fans on my website who write to me, and send me messages."

from Roger Federer Official Site:
Dear fans

Warm greetings from Montreal, Canada! Another year has passed and it is a great honour to still be leading the world rankings in tennis, being healthy, having a great team by my side and terrific fans around the whole world.

My birthday is definitely a special occasion as I receive all your greetings in the shape of letters, pictures, cards and presents from all corners of the world. I would like to thank you for these creative gifts in dozens of languages with all my heart. One could hardly ask for more beautiful gestures.

We were heading for 80’000 registered users on my website exactly a year ago. Today the counter stands at over 130’000! Thank you for your interest and your loyalty throughout the entire year. It really means a lot to me.

I’ll be celebrating my birthday this evening with Mirka and some friends here in Montreal. Thanks to Mirka, I already had the pleasure of partying together with many friends and my family end of last week. She had promised me a romantic dinner just for the two of us – but it turned out to be a lot different. As we entered the restaurant a crowd of over 30 persons greeted us with a loud ‘Happy Birthday’. It was an enormous surprise and a wonderful evening as well as farewell that Mirka had organised for me. We are, after all, away from home for five weeks.

Aug 7, 2007 from ATP:
ATP World No. 1 Roger Federer set up a showdown with World No. 1 doubles team Bob and Mike Bryan after partnering Swiss countryman Yves Allegro to a 4-6, 6-3, 10-8 (Match TB) win over Spaniards Nicolas Almagro and David Ferrer at the Rogers Masters Tuesday.

The Bryans, who are on track to finish as the year-end No. 1 team for the fourth time in five years, have played Federer four times, but not since he became World No. 1 in February, 2004 or since they became the world's No. 1 team.

from Montreal Gazette:
...Conversation was not a problem on the No. 1 court next door, where another superstar was making a doubles appearance.

And, from the size of the crowd and its reaction, Roger Federer definitely won this popularity contest. It was a much better match, too. Federer was playing with Swiss countryman Yves Allegro against Spaniards Nicolas Almagro and David Ferrer, going to 10-8 in a super tiebreaker before they pulled it out.

Allegro said that because the two are friends, he gets the sense Federer might care a little more about winning in doubles than when he plays with other partners. But he also said people overestimate the impact of having a Federer who doesn't play much doubles on the court.

And it's tough on him, too. "He's so good, so I tend to be more conservative playing with him," Allegro said. In other words: "Yours, Roger," is Allegro's phrase of the day.

from USSA:
Roger Federer and Venus Williams were named the United States Sports Academy’s Male and Female Athletes of the Month for July following their historic wins at Wimbledon.

Federer edged out British Open champion Padraig Harrington of Ireland in the voting. Brazilian swimmer Thiago Pereira finished in third place after breaking Mark Spitz’s 40-year-old record of six swimming gold medals in one Pan American Games.

Aug 6, 2007 from Globe and Mail:
Montreal is caught up in Federer-Nadal fever and the organizers of the Rogers Cup are reaping the benefits.

As of Saturday, Tennis Canada had already met this year's goal of $9.5-million in ticket sales, so the 2007 edition is guaranteed to be a financial success. Yesterday, both players were swarmed as they went to, and returned from, practice sessions.

Federer relaxed for only one week after Wimbledon before heading for Dubai to train for two weeks. "In Dubai, it was 40 or 45 degrees every day," he said. "That's what I was after. I didn't used to feel comfortable in the heat, so that's what I've done once a year for the last three or four years."

At a round-table discussion yesterday, Federer was asked about the scandal arising from irregular betting patterns during a match in Poland last week between No. 4-ranked Nikolay Davydenko, who retired (foot) trailing 1-2 and in the third set, and No. 87 Martin Vassallo Arguello of Argentina.

He was not aware of the incident, but said: "I know Nikolay and to me he doesn't seem like the guy to do something like this. I don't know what round he lost, or if he lost.

"Of course it's disappointing talking about stuff like this. I'm sure many fans bet on stuff and they hear inside scoop from some angle. It must happen eventually that some stuff gets out of the locker room. Whether it's his mistake or somebody else's, I don't know who to blame. I guess it's good to have an investigation and hopefully it's going to go Nikolay's way and he can prove his innocence."

Speculation about Federer potentially playing Nadal in this year's Rogers Cup final is widespread in Montreal, and the five-time Wimbledon champion knows it.

from Montreal Gazette:
Contrary to popular belief, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal aren't the only two tennis players on the planet. But if the fans and media concentrate overtime on two, the principals involved know there are others who deserve respect. No. 3 Novak Djokovic has already stated his intention to grab the top spot.

"I hope not soon," Nadal said yesterday. "He's a very young player - one year less than me - having a very good season. He has the potential, but so do a lot of the young players: (Tomas) Berdych, (Marcos) Baghdatis," he said. "And me, too. I am young." Federer, who spent more than two hours on court with doubles partner Yves Allegro, then went back in the late afternoon in the company of another Swiss player, Stanislas Wawrinka, expanded the list even more.

"There are quite a few: Gasquet, Berdych, Murray, Djokovic. And the usual suspects like Hewitt, Roddick and Blake," Federer said. "That's why it's so surprising that we have dominated the Masters Series and Grand Slams." Of the two, Federer has by far the more resplendent record against the eight players he mentioned. He's 11-7 against Hewitt, but has won the last nine. Against the others, he's 38-4. Nadal is more up and down. The players who have given him trouble are Blake, against whom he is 0-3, Berdych (3-3) and Hewitt (3-4), although Nadal has three wins and one retirement in their last four meetings.

Federer hasn't been in Montreal since 2003. But he hasn't forgotten. "This is where I first had an opportunity to become No. 1 in the world. I missed the opportunity, the only time I ever lost to Roddick. I was nervous," he said. "Five or six months later, in the Australian (Open) semis, came my second opportunity, and I haven't given it up since. It really started here, and I'd like to win a match on my birthday," he said.

Nadal is ahead of Federer in the 2007 ATP race, a statistic helped by the fact he has played five more tournaments this year (as opposed to the overall ranking, which runs on a 12-month rolling system). But there can't be two No. 1s, even if Nadal has more computer points as the current No. 2 than many former No. 1s had when they were on top.

"I'm going to try my best to see if I can end the season (at No. 1). I would love it, it's a possibility, but it's going to be very, very difficult," he said. "After the U.S. Open, we will talk." Federer has always said he'd rather be the chasee than the chaser. "It doesn't get any easier with all the years I've been No. 1, but I still prefer it to the reverse," he said.

Neither likes his draw much, Nadal may have the tougher half: Roddick, Gasquet, Berdych and Djokovic all stand in his way. Federer will face either Ivo Karlovic or Max Mirnyi - huge servers posing a tough challenge for Federer's first hardcourt match since March.

He called the draw "pas évident," literally "not obvious," meaning "no cakewalk." "You look at getting your rhythm in the first round, and I certainly won't get it," he said. Here's why you can't take the field. Any winner other than Federer or Nadal will likely have to beat them in the same week.

Aug 5, 2007 from Boca Raton News:
Boca Raton resident Jesse Levine recently got the call of a lifetime, when Roger Federer requested he fly to Dubai to help him with his training. It was an offer Levine gladly accepted.

The University of Florida sophomore spent 11 days in the country, and he got to know the world’s No. 1 player quite well. “He was the nicest guy,” Levine said. “He was so down to Earth and very classy, not what you would expect from someone like him.”

Levine, who went 21-0 as a freshman at UF last year, was brought in as Federer’s preparation for the U.S. Open, which will be played Aug. 27-Sept. 9 in New York. “A big thing was that I’m a lefty,” Levine said. “His No. 1 nemesis is (lefthander Rafael) Nadal.”

Aug 2, 2007 from USTA:
The USTA today announced that chart-topping singer/songwriters Kat Deluna, Lil Mama & The Jonas Brothers will join special guest action sports legend Tony Hawk and tennis superstars Roger Federer, Andy Roddick, James Blake, Serena Williams and others for the annual Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day presented by Hess. The full-day tennis and music festival for children and families – including interactive games, musical entertainment, and free clinics – will be hosted by Daisy Fuentes and Quddus. The festivities are set for Saturday, August 25, at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, N.Y., from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Tickets are on sale now through Ticketmaster (1-866-OPEN-TIX), usopen.org and at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center box office. American Express is the official card of Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day. General admission promenade tickets cost $10 and loge tickets are $20. Admission is free for the Grounds Festival, open from 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. on the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center grounds. The Arthur Ashe Kids' Day stadium show starts at 2:00 p.m. and is broadcast by CBS on Sunday, August 26, from 12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. Kids 12-and-under with stadium show tickets will receive a free Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day hat from the USTA and Hess on a first-come, first-serve basis.

from Examiner:
Cliff Drysdale on Federer: “I am not one to give out praise easy but in my mind, Roger Federer is the best player to ever pick up a racket. I have seen all the big names in tennis from, Rod Laver to Bjorn Borg, and Roger is the best because he is the most complete player I have ever seen.”