Oct 31, 2007 from ATP:
ATP World No. 1 Roger Federer is a scary sight with a tennis racquet in his hand. But there's no telling how much damage he could do with a sword.

Thankfully an armor-clad Federer was only playing to the camera when he unsheathed a sword recently. Dressed as King Arthur from "The Sword in the Stone" for Disney's "Year of a Million Dreams" promotion, Federer was photographed by renowned photographer Annie Leibovitz.

The finished photo, entitled "Where You're Always King of the Court," shows Federer, red cape flowing, beside a roiling sea.

"I always think it's cute when little kids dress up as Robin Hood or Tarzan. So when they approached me to do King Arthur I thought the idea was absolutely great. Now that you're older you don't get dressed up for a birthday party any more, so to be in armor was a special thing.

"I did feel strong on that rock. Everybody is looking at me. I'm higher than everybody. I got the sword, I got the armor and I got the longer hair going. It was a lot of fun."

The tennis champ's photo was taken at a studio in Zurich earlier this year, and the background was shot separately at Tintagel Castle in Cornwall, England. The historic spot, which is rumored to be King Arthur's birthplace, is "one of the most beautiful landscapes in Europe from a land-to-water perspective," Leibovitz said.

"He's sort of replacing the tennis racket with the sword," Leibovitz said. The sword used was actually taken from a Disney park display. "There's one in every park, and on occasion the sword is actually released."

"It's great to see these athletes realize there's a lot of actor in them," said Leibovitz. "He just loved it."

Also photographed recently for Disney Park's 'Year of a Million Dreams' were actresses Rachel Weisz (as Snow White) and Julie Andrews (as the Blue Fairy from "Pinocchio") and Abigail Breslin (as Fira from "Disney Fairies")

They join Scarlett Johansson as Cinderella, Beyoncé as "Alice in Wonderland" twirling in a teacup and David Beckham atop a steed as Prince Phillip from "Sleeping Beauty" in a 14-page insert appearing later this year in several Condé Nast publications. Johansson, Beyoncé and Beckham also starred in the first flight of Leibovitz images last January.

Tennis ace Roger Federer, who has been the #1 ranked men's tennis player in the world for four consecutive years, looks over images shot by world-renowned photographer Annie Leibovitz (right) during a Disney Parks photo shoot July 13, 2007. The finished image features Federer in a setting that is reminiscent of Disney's animated film 'The Sword in the Stone,' in which a young King Arthur follows the wizardly teachings of Merlin. It's part of a new series of images that Disneyland Resort in California and Walt Disney World Resort in Florida commissioned Leibovitz to create for Disney Parks' 'Year of a Million Dreams' celebration. The finished image features Federer in a setting that is reminiscent of Disney's animated film 'The Sword in the Stone,' in which a young King Arthur follows the wizardly teachings of Merlin. (Photo by Disney)

from Tennis Channel:
LOS ANGELES – Tennis Channel is letting fans decide who makes the cut and who gets left out on a special episode of Open Access Sunday, Nov. 18, at 7:30 p.m. ET. The show will be hosted by former French Open champion Murphy Jensen, who will use humorous interview sequences, match footage and off-court highlights to reveal the results of www.TennisChannel.com’s Fan Favorites poll, open to Web visitors now.

The network received thousands of online nominations for the fans’ favorite tennis players of all time. The finalists – 10 men and 10 women – are online now, along with career facts and stats for fans to consider when voting prior to the polls’ close. The top five men and women, and individual appeal of each will be profiled on the Nov. 18 program.

Oct 30, 2007 from Tennis Week:
Pete Sampras and Roger Federer are participating in a special charity online auction benefiting the Make-A-Wish Hong Kong/Macao Chapter and preceding their Venetian Macao Tennis Showdown set for November 24.

"We are delighted to have taken an active role in contributing to the mission of The Make-A-Wish Hong Kong and have joined with the players and IMG in arranging a charity component to this exciting tennis challenge," said Mark Brown, President of Sands Macao and The Venetian Macao-Resort-Hotel. "I am sure Pete Sampras and Roger Federer would wish to join myself and IMG in encouraging fans to view the new charity auction area and bid whatever they can for these special prizes so that the magic of this event brings a little magic to those who could use the magic most."

The Venetian Macao Tennis Showdown online charity auction prizes include:

• A Venetian Macao Tennis Showdown Diamond Package for two. Enjoy the ultimate two night Venetian Experience with deluxe accommodation at one of The Venetian Macao’s 70 sq. m. Bella Suites or Royale Suites with welcome cocktails for two at the Bellini Lounge (for guests aged over 18 only) plus two tickets for the Sampras-Federer match at The Venetian Arena on November 24.
• Signed Roger Federer shirt, framed with signed photo from his 2006 U.S. Open win. The wining bidder will be presented personally with the framed photograph in front of attending media at the post-match press conference after The Venetian Macao Tennis Showdown on November 24. An email copy of the resulting photograph will first be provided to the successful bidder.
• Match coin toss experience and photo. The winning bidder or his/her nominee will be invited on-court by the match umpire to participate in the coin toss procedure to determine which player starts serving first in the match. The bidder will actually toss the coin and will then participate in a group photograph with Federer and Sampras at the net and in front of a capacity crowd and watched by millions on television around the world.
• Wilson [K] Six-One Tour 90 racquet signed on the frame by Federer and Sampras.

Oct 29, 2007 from DPA:
Paris - Paris Masters organisers are grateful for a nearly full player contingent as a wave of high-profile dropouts in past seasons has subsided at this year's key edition. With the race to the Masters Cup winding up at the Bercy arena and up to 18 players at least mathematically still in with a qualifying chance for the last two spots, no-shows are few and far between.

Roger Federer arrived as promised on a rainy Monday just hours after lifting his seventh trophy of the season at home in Basel.

The Swiss has a limited record at Bercy, last playing the event in 2003 after withdrawing with various injury and fitness concerns in recent years. But Federer is keen to kick-start his Shanghai title defence with a strong Paris showing.

"This is a tough event, I have an incredibly tough draw," said the world number one who leads the ATP on seven titles. "I hope I can get through the first match (after a bye) and find my form."

"I need to get used to the new conditions. I haven't played in Paris for a long time, so I am really excited to go back there."

Oct 28, 2007 from ATP:
BASEL - Roger Federer successfully defended his title at the Davidoff Swiss Indoors Sunday to clinch the year-end No. 1 ranking for the fourth consecutive year.

The Swiss superstar improved his perfect 8-0 record against Jarkko Nieminen with a 6-3, 6-4 victory in 62 minutes.

Federer required one break of serve, in the second game, to wrap up the opening set in 27 minutes. The No. 29 left-hander fought hard in the second set, but dropped serve in the ninth game. Federer now has a 63-7 season record and improves to 7-4 in finals this year.

Federer is the fifth man since the inception of the ATP Rankings in 1973 to be year-end No. 1 four times (after Connors, McEnroe, Lendl and Sampras) and the fourth to do it four or more years consecutively (after Connors, McEnroe and Sampras).

As well as securing the end of season No. 1 slot, Federer is also in line to secure a $1.5 million payout from the ATP Masters Series Bonus Pool. The $3 million ATP Masters Series Bonus Pool pays $1.5m, $750,000, $500,000 and $250,000 respectively to the world's top four players in the year-end ATP Race standings (released after Tennis Masters Cup) provided they have played eight of the season's nine ATP Masters Series tournaments, including Madrid and Paris.

"It's been a fantastic week, having the support of my home crowd behind me all the way," said Federer after receiving a standing ovation."Securing the number one ranking for the year and doing it here is particularly special."

"In a way it's a shame for the fans when the match only lasts for an hour now it's no longer a best-of-five final, especially after they have travelled from all over the country and even down from the mountains. But I think they were all wanting me to win so hopefully I sent them home happy. The public really helped me, especially at 4-4 in the second when I was able to break Jarkko."

"It's always emotional at the end," Federer said. "I remember being here as a ball boy myself. I know 50 percent of the people working at the tournament. It's nice to win again and go into the next year as No. 1 again."

"The big goal for me of the season – protect the No. 1 ranking and as well win Wimbledon — I’ve achieved basically all of that, but there’s still a bit left to make it an even more incredible season by hopefully winning Paris and Shanghai," Federer said. "I know it’s very difficult; I have to go through many Top 10 players to do that. But the season so far has been excellent, and of course it’s even nicer to have clinched [the year-end No. 1 ranking] in Basel."

"I'm not worried about any fitness or fatigue. I'll leave on Monday, there's no pulling out now," said the Swiss. "It's great not to have to find my game, I can go and try to back this win up right away. It's a hell of a field and a tough draw. But I'm very excited to be going back."

"Finally, you won something," Nieminen joked to the Swiss during the presentation ceremony. "I don't have to say what a great player Roger is. Everyone knows that. I've known him since he was 14 or 15. He's still the same person and he respects all the players and all the people. He's a great person off the court."

Oct 27, 2007 from Reuters:
BASEL - Roger Federer brought down Ivo Karlovic 7-6(6) 7-6(5) on Saturday to reach the final of his hometown tournament.

Federer is 11-0 in his semifinal matches this year. He will now face unseeded Finn Jarkko Nieminen who defeated Marcos Baghdatis 7-6 6-2.

Giving away 23 cms in height to the 2.08-metre Karlovic, Federer struggled against the Croatian's formidable serve early in the match and was forced to defend a set point at 4-5 in the opening set.

Federer then missed a set point of his own in the subsequent tie-break but was offered a second chance when Karlovic slammed an easy-looking volley into the net. The Swiss converted the point with a serve and volley to take the tie-break 8-6.

Karlovic continued to pound away at the number one, dropping just three points in his next four service games. There was a momentary wobble at 4-5 when Karlovic offered Federer two matchpoints but he saved both with the help of his serve.

The tiebreak swung Federer's way when Karlovic produced his first double fault of the match to surrender an early mini-break. Federer then made a mistake of his own, hitting a backhand into the net, but was back in command when Karlovic made an almost identical error on the next point.

Offered his third and fourth matchpoints of the encounter, the world number one converted the latter thanks to a further backhand mistake by his opponent.

"It's an almost perfect scenario," said Federer. "I’m extremely happy after the bumpy ride I had in the first round where I got a bit of a fright, but came back and played really well in the last few matches. I’m really happy with the way my games has progressed obviously this one is always a tough one to play, not having any opportunities to break it’s always kind of hard and it’s frustrating but you can’t let it affect you, I did well today."

Federer will be a heavy favourite against Nieminen who has lost all seven of their previous encounters, failing to take a single set.

Oct 26, 2007
BASEL - Roger Federer cruised into the semifinals of the Swiss Indoors by beating Nicolas Kiefer 6-3, 6-2 Friday.

It was his 544th career victory, which sees him overtake Carlos Moya (543) as the most active match wins leader on the ATP circuit.

The world number one broke Kiefer's first service game to take an early 3-0 lead. The German world number 64 put up some stiff resistance, breaking back to 3-2 with a brave run into the net.

But Federer regained his advantage on Kiefer's next service game with a perfectly struck passing shot from deep behind the baseline.

The second set followed a similar pattern with Federer breaking ahead in the opening game. Kiefer, who had lost his last eight meetings with Federer, continued to plug away, grabbing three break points off his opponent's next two service games but failing to convert any.

The Swiss had no such difficulty when Kiefer next came to serve, winning three break points with a beautifully disguised drop shot and successfully converting the first with a fierce forehand winner.

Federer served his first ace on second serve to gain three match points and won on his first when Kiefer mishit a shot into the roof of the hall. He will face either fifth seed Tomas Berdych or Ivo Karlovic in Saturday's semi-finals.

Oct 25, 2007 from Reuters:
BASEL - Roger Federer eased into the quarter-finals of his hometown tournament on Thursday, brushing aside Juan Martin del Potro 6-1 6-4 in the Swiss Indoors second round.

The 19-year-old world number 49 was already 5-0 down before managing to hold his first service game.

"I was happy with how the match went," said the winner. "I got out of the blocks fast and when he made errors I took advantage. I kept my errors to a minimum. Today I felt much more comfortable than in the first match."

The closest Federer came to embarrassment was during the on-court interview afterwards, when quizzed about the increasing physical stature of his opponents.

Giving away five centimeters in height to his first-round opponent, Michael Berrer and ten to Del Potro, Federer was asked if he was starting to feel small when he looked around the locker room.

"I try not to look too closely," the world number one managed to splutter before giggling his way through the rest of the interview.

"It's part of what makes playing at home different, having the chance to speak to the crowd in my own language," Federer later told a media conference.

"We don't do that many live interviews on court apart from some of the big tournaments and even there it's usually just a question about how I feel.

"But I've known (interviewer) Heinz Guenthardt for a long time now and we've had a few good conversations like that so hopefully we can keep it up tomorrow."

from ComingSoon.net:
Q: What about the two actors? Was it very different working with Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe [in "American Gangster"] ?

Ridley Scott: When you're that good, it's a bit like playing tennis. Roger Federer is Roger Federer. You get both of them on the bloody court, you never quite know who is going to win. They're consummate actors and at the absolute peak of their career, so it's very similar working with them in that sense because it's that level.

Oct 24, 2007 from ATP:
The ATP today unveiled its new advertising campaign - ‘FEEL IT’. The multi million dollar campaign, featuring ATP stars including Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Andy Roddick, Andy Murray and James Blake, will showcase the sport’s core values as a one on one gladiatorial battle, full of intensity and passion. Developed following extensive consumer research, ‘FEEL IT’ will pre-launch at the prestigious BNP Paribas Masters tournament in Paris before rolling out globally throughout 2008.

Created as a flexible and adaptable central resource that can be utilised in any of the ATP’s 63 tournament markets globally, the campaign has been specifically designed to include any player featured on the ATP Tour. The campaign has developed a full suite of above and below the line executions including TV spots, billboards, online banners, virals, merchandise, fan giveaways and PR stunts. Created by Canadian agency TAXI 2, the multi-media campaign uses wild animals, fire and waves as well as special effects to produce spectacular visuals and video footage that emphasises the power and intensity of the ATP Tour.

“Anyone who has sat a few yards away when a player like Andy Roddick or Roger Federer serves a tennis ball knows there are few sports that can rival men’s tennis for sheer excitement, intensity and power,” said Phil Anderton, ATP Chief Marketing Officer. “‘FEEL IT’ is a new global campaign designed to help our 63 tournaments use the raw excitement of our sport to connect with fans and encourage them to experience the unique sensation of live men’s tennis.”

ATP stars are featured in an eight-page spread in the Spanish edition of Glamour magazine. Roger Federer, Bob and Mike Bryan, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, James Blake and Fernando Gonzalez are all pictured in formal attire for the feature “Tennis Players and Gentlemen.”

Oct 23, 2007 from Reuters:
BASEL - Roger Federer beat Germany's Michael Berrer 6-1 3-6 6-3 in the opening round of the Swiss Indoors on Tuesday.

The world number one began the defence of his hometown title with two aces and two service winners, he dropped just three points on serve while twice breaking his left-handed opponent in the opening set.

But Federer then found himself trailing 4-0 in the second set after a string of uncharacteristic errors combined with some bold strokes by the world number 56. Federer broke back in the next game but was unable to salvage the set.

Faced with the prospect of losing two successive tour matches for the first time since May 2003, the Swiss was rescued when Berrer double-faulted at break point to fall 4-2 behind in the third set.

Federer still struggled to kill the match off and was taken to deuce at 5-3 before finally serving out with an ace and a service winner.

"It's almost laughable that I have to explain why I lost a set," Federer said in an on-court interview. "The balls are quite a bit slower here than in Madrid but I'm sure I'll get used to it and play better in the second round. Now I'm through the first round and I have a day off on Wednesday -- so everything is perfect really."

from e-Travel Blackboard:
The Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum is amassing quite a collection of Roger Federer memorabilia as he presented yet another winning outfit this year. Along with the tennis racket he used to defeat Rafael Nadal in the 2007 Gentlemen’s Singles final, WLTM has also acquired Roger’s complete outfit worn when winning his fifth consecutive Wimbledon title. The outfit includes his signature gold trimmed white jacket with personalised crest and shoes featuring four Swiss flags, representing his wins prior to the 2007 Championships.

Roger Federer has been ranked as the No. 4 manliest man of 2007 by the readers of AskMen.com.

After a month-long voting period which saw over 1 million votes cast worldwide, stylish soccer phenom David Beckham emerged as the world’s No. 1 man’s man of 2007. Screen actor Matt Damon was the Top 49 runner-up, followed by Timbaland, the music producer extraordinaire. The rest of the top 10, in order, are: tennis star Roger Federer, musician and actor Justin Timberlake, actor Daniel Craig, tech mogul Steve Jobs, actor (and 2006 winner) George Clooney, Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton and actor Christian Bale.

Oct 22, 2007 from AFP:
BASEL - Top seed Roger Federer refuses to become flustered as he heads into a title defence beginning Tuesday at his home Swiss Indoors.

The former ballboy at the St Jakobshalle says he won't carry any lingering bad memories forward into his opening match on Tuesday against 56th-ranked German Michael Berrer after losing to David Nalbandian on Sunday's Madrid Masters final.

"Usually I play better in finals, but I didn't have my best day," confessed the 12-time Grand Slam champion. "It must have had to do with his great game."

Oct 21, 2007 from Reuters:
MADRID - Unseeded Argentine David Nalbandian claimed a 1-6, 6-3, 6-3 victory over world number one Roger Federer to clinch his first Masters Series title in Madrid on Sunday.

Nalbandian, who beat world numbers two and three, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, on his way to the final, became only the third player since Boris Becker in 1994 to beat the top three at the same event.

Federer had beaten Nalbandian in eight of their last nine meetings, but the Argentine was the last man to beat the Swiss indoors when he won the Masters Cup in Shanghai in November 2005.

The top seed made his customary polished start on the ultra-fast court at the Madrid Arena. He broke in the fourth game with a superb backhand pass and again in the sixth with a fierce forehand drive as he wrapped up the first set in half an hour.

But Nalbandian fought his way back into the match by breaking Federer's serve in the second game of the second set. The match was interrupted briefly when the watering system for the courtside flowers sprang a leak, but Nalbandian maintained his concentration and withstood some heavy pressure on his serve to take the set 6-3.

Federer looked uneasy at the start of the decider and gifted Nalbandian another break in the third game after two uncharacteristically loose shots that drifted beyond the baseline.

The world number 25 kept Federer on the ropes with some excellent serving and deep returns and broke again in the ninth to claim the sixth ATP title of his career and make up for the disappointment when he lost to Marat Safin in the 2004 final.

"I usually play better in the finals, but it had something to do with the way he played today," said Federer. "I guess when you beat Djokovic and Nadal back-to-back, you come into the final here very ready."

"His serve surprised me some and I couldn't play as offensively as I hoped, and when I had a chance I didn't play it as I liked," Federer said. "Today, I'm not too disappointed because I had a good tournament. I played the first four matches well."

"He came back strong, played really well. In the end I think he was a better player all in all. I thought I was more aggressive in the first set and he was more aggressive in the next two sets. I was really struggling to play aggressive. After that first set for some reason he played more tough, more long, never missed that many balls."

from The Times:
It will make little difference to Federer’s end-of-season plans. He goes to Basle this week to keep his home-town fans content, is expected to play a part in Paris the week after and then defend his Masters Cup crown in Shanghai. “I don’t practise as hard as I used to,” he said. “There is not much point trying to improve your game after the US Open, it is about staying healthy and being ready for the new year to begin.”

Oct 20, 2007 from Eurosport:
MADRID - Roger Federer cruises into the finals of the Madrid Masters with a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Nicolas Kiefer. He will face David Nalbandian in the final.

Federer required only one break in each set to record the victory and advance to the final of the Madrid Masters. The match opened with several competitive games, though a poor service game by Kiefer enabled Federer to break in the third game of the match.

From that point, the set was a display of Federers service consistency, not giving any break opportunities to Kiefer. The second set followed in a similar fashion, with Federers constant pressure on Kiefers serve combining with Kiefers inability to threaten Federers serve culminating in an epic ninth game on Kiefer's serve.

Quickly falling behind 15-40, Kiefer battled back to deuce and eventually reached several game points. However, Federers effort was too strong and would realize a break, followed by a quick service game to close out the match.

"I did what I had to do well," said Federer. "He knows my game as well as anybody because he’s the only player I’ve faced in all four Grand Slam events, but the court here is fast and I’m serving well, so that’s good."

"I think he ended many points in errors. Tried to get the rhythm going. In the 2 nd set I think the level picked up a bit. Then I hit some nice shots. I'm serving well. The court's really fast so it's hard to get the ball back when you serve. I haven't been broken yet so far in this tournament so it's been good for me."

"Playing Nalbandian again is of course special and even though he’s been in a bit of a slump lately, I’m expecting a tough battle like so many we had in the past. The most important thing is I’m feeling very healthy."

"This one is definitely bit more special. We played in the U.S. Open junior final. So we know each other for a long time and then we had some tough battles with the years. I'm really excited to finally being able to play against him again. He's been playing fantastically well here so I expect him to play great against me tomorrow too, because he's proved in the past that he can do it."

Oct 19, 2007 from Reuters:
MADRID - Roger Federer shook off a determined challenge from Spanish wild card Feliciano Lopez to advance 7-6(4) 6-4 in the Madrid Masters on Friday.

Lopez put up a brave fight against Federer, weathering five break points in a marathon eighth game and also saving a set point, but there was nothing he could do to stop the Swiss seizing the opening set.

Federer then broke serve in the ninth game of the second set as he claimed his 57th win of the year. He next meets last year's losing finalist Fernando Gonzalez or Nicolas Kiefer.

"I think I played a very good match today and of course I am happy that I won," said Federer.

"I couldn't break early on, I was starting to get a bit concerned. But I think I got the upper hand quite early, after five or six games. I was playing well from the baseline, but would have been nice to break."

Oct 18, 2007 from CP:
MADRID - Roger Federer overlooked his recent history against Guillermo Canas, routing the 14th-ranked Argentine 6-0, 6-3 Thursday in the third round of the Madrid Masters.

Canas, who beat Federer in consecutive tournaments in March, was broken at love in the second game. Two more breaks of serve gave Federer the first set in 21 minutes.

"I played aggressively, took my chances and felt in control," Federer said. "It was nice to beat him, that's for sure."

Canas held serve for 1-1 in the second set. But Federer, the defending champion, abandoned the ground strokes and came to the net. He scored 14 of his 17 overall winners at the net in the second set.

Federer, who won 32 of his 41 service points, broke Canas again in the sixth game before holding serve for the rest of the way.

In the quarter-finals, Federer will play the winner between Spanish wild card Feliciano Lopez and Austrian qualifier Stefan Koubek.

"I think the court was slower at Indian Wells and Miami and that would have helped his game," said Federer. "I had to defend points at those two events, so it was tough to lose, it was big news. I didn't feel that I played badly, that's why I was able to turn around the season."

from DPA:
Madrid - Roger Federer says that insiders should not be betting on tennis matches as the sport moves to clean up an image problem which re-erupted over the summer. "I don't think that match-fixing is happening in our sport," said the world number one on Thursday after powering into the quarter- finals of the Madrid Masters. "I hope if there is anyone doing it they will be caught."

Federer said that limits should be placed on what those associated with the sport can and cannot do when it comes to wagering.

"Fans can bet but, it should not happen on the inside world of tennis. This is the problem that we have," he said.

Federer said that he had never been approached by anyone attempting to influence an outcome, but he warned that it was not impossible to imagine.

The controversy sprang to life in July when number four Nikolay Davydenko, quit a match in the third set with a foot injury, with up to seven million dollars bet online against him as favourite in Sopot, Poland.

Since then, charges and counter-charges have flowed, with other players chiming in with confessions that they had been asked - and refused - to throw matches over the years.

As a result, the main sanctioning bodies met last week in London in crisis session. "It's good that the ATP, ITF and WTA are getting together to try and stop people from fixing," said Federer."

"We had the issue a couple of years ago with speculation about (retired Russian Yevgeny) Kafelnikov. It was quickly resolved and no one spoke any more about it.

"Now the subject is open again. More players are being asked this time around since this is a case involving a top player. Many players are giving different answers, it's become a story.

"If a player has been approached, he must make it public immediately. He can do it anonymously, of course. I hope that this isn't happening. I think I would have heard something sooner if it had been.

from New York Times:
Tennis fans may lust after Roger Federer’s racket strung with Roger Federer’s string. But if they bought a racket customized to his specifications, they might regret the choice.

For one thing, such a racket would be hard to control. "You either have to have a real Roger Federer fetish or really good skills," said Nate Ferguson of Priority 1, based in Florida, who does customization work for Mr. Federer and other top professionals like Novak Djokovic. "Of the 100 guys out there at the top of the game, none of them play with Roger’s racket."

Ordering a racket strung the Federer way is a bit like ordering a Starbucks coffee. Just ask for "a Wilson 16 gauge gut main string and a Luxilon Big Banger ALU Power Rough cross string," and then hope you won’t have to say it again. The racket itself is a Wilson K Factor Six One Tour with a 90-square-inch head. The precise weight of his customized racket is a secret.

Assuming you’ve overcome the hurdle of ordering the strings, you would also need a bit of cash.

At the Madrid Masters tournament this week in Spain, Mr. Federer is playing with 12 rackets, swapping on or near every ball change and alternating string tension depending on the bounce of the ball (and his mood), so a full arsenal of customized Federer rackets would cost about $3,500, including the cost of the rackets.

from The Times:
Andy Murray has not looked fitter for a long time, Rafael Nadal is unsure of his fitness and to make sure that he is strong enough for the demands of the months ahead, Roger Federer, the world No 1, has asked for the assistance of Johan de Beer, the South African who helped to keep Tim Henman’s fire burning through the travails with his body as his career slowed to its recent close.

from Tennis Week:
SRO Sports, the exclusive distributor of Wimbledon DVDs, will release Wimbledon: The 2007 Official Film on Oct. 30. Narrated by Benedict Taylor and written by Andrew Longmore of the Sunday Times, the 60-minute 2007 Wimbledon official film features a behind-the-scenes look at the tournament and retails for $24.99.

In addition, will release four more Wimbledon DVDs on Oct. 30 featuring the following classic matches:

• Wimbledon 2001 Final: Patrick Rafter vs. Goran Ivanisevic (running time: 195 minutes, retail price: $14.99)
• Wimbledon 1975 Final: Arthur Ashe vs. Jimmy Connors (running time: 120 minutes, retail price: $14.99)
• Wimbledon 2007 Final: Roger Federer vs. Rafael Nadal (running time: 180 minutes, retail price: $14.99)
• Roger Federer vs. Pete Sampras: The Changing of The Guard (running time: 52 minutes, this is not the complete five-set match, retail price: $14.99).

Oct 16, 2007 from Reuters:
MADRID - Roger Federer returned to action with a 7-6(2) 6-4 win over American qualifier Robby Ginepri in the Madrid Masters second round on Tuesday.

Federer took the first set in a tiebreak and did not break serve until the fifth game of the second when he lured Ginepri to the net and beat him with a delightful backhand lob. Ginepri continued to battle away but was unable to prevent Federer serving out for the match.

"It's tough to find the match rhythm, it's easier in training where you have nothing to lose," said the Swiss. "In a match it's different."

"At the start I didn't feel great. I had to adapt. Thank God I served my way out of trouble. I'm happy I won, it was not easy. Robby was playing well. He already played three matches here. All in all I'm pretty happy with my performance."

"I think the organization is very good. The atmosphere, the way it’s in the court is a very nice way to play for the players. The catering and everything is very well done. They try very hard and a beautiful city."

Oct 15, 2007 from The Age:
Roger Federer might well be the best tennis player in history but he is also one of the nice guys of the sport, a fact noted by recently retired Australian Wayne Arthurs at the AAMI Classic launch. Arthurs said Federer was so nice it could scarcely be true. "He's just got everything, and the way he goes about it on and off the court, and he's just a great fella, which is kind of disappointing in a way, because he's so good on the court and all of a sudden he's in the locker room and he's says, 'Hi, how ya going?' and all this sort of stuff, and I'm thinking, 'Is there something bad about you or not?' It's sort of painful!"

Oct 14, 2007 from Tennis X:
Roger Federer will be able to ease into the Masters Series-Madrid after an opening-round bye, then a match against either Jurgen Melzer or a qualifier.

In the third round the Swiss would likely face either No. 13 Guillermo Canas or unseed Dmitry Tursunov. No. 7 David Ferrer or No. 12 Ivan Ljubicic could await Federer in the quarterfinals.

"I really love the indoor season, it's been my first love as a tennis player," Federer said. "I won my first matches on this type of surface. It was always my best surface."

"It has been a month and half since I last played an ATP tournament, since the final of the US Open in August, and I have taken advantage of this time to rest and train, and as such I think I arrive in Madrid in a good moment."

"Madrid is a city that I like, I have good feelings and I am here to defend the title I obtained last year. Everything is positive, at least at the moment. Then the competition will dictate that verdict."

"In the Masters Series you need to take it step by step. The first game is very difficult and then you need to carry on seeing how you feel day by day."

"The differences between the top 10 in the rankings, for example, are minimal and anyone can beat anyone in a particular game."

Oct 12, 2007 from Mutua Madrileña Masters Madrid:
Madrid - Roger Federer awaits eagerly for a possible Mutua Madrileña Masters Madrid final versus Rafael Nadal. On the occasion of his visit to the last floor of the Mutua building, world nº1 said "it would be spectacular to play a final between the two best players in the world before the Spanish spectators, who are so enthusiastic. I really like the fact that Rafael has been able to come back to the circuit and that most of the best players arrive to Madrid."

The Swiss player met his terracotta sculpture, made by the French Laury Dizengremel on the occasion of the Shangai Masters Cup. He also met his creator, who he described as a "great artist, and very nice". Afterwards, he accepted to be taken some pictures in one of the balconies, 240 m high.

"It's always nice arriving to defend the title. I've rested a lot after the Davis Cup, and my idea is to end the year the best way possible", considered the world nº1, who considers Serbian Novak Djokovic as a threat in the tournament. "He is really confident, and, just as Rafa, willing to take the first place of the rank away from me".

from AP:
MADRID - Roger Federer is stunned by all the talk of match-fixing and gambling in tennis.

"I'm surprised by all of these stories, shocked really that this might be happening," the top-ranked Federer told The Associated Press on Friday. "I've been around for the last 10 years and have never been approached or ever heard anything about it until these comments came out."

Andy Murray said corruption in the game was common knowledge earlier this week, but then backtracked.

"Before I make any serious comments about this I'm going to speak with Andy," said Federer, who is in Madrid for next week's Masters tournament. "I'm going to speak with the federation and all the bodies so I can get a better idea of just what exactly is going on with this right now."

ATP Player Council president Ivan Ljubicic and second-ranked Rafael Nadal have doubted Murray's claims. Nikolay Davydenko, the player at the center of the sport's biggest match-fixing scandal, criticized Murray.

Davydenko withdrew from a match in Poland in August against 87th-ranked Martin Vassallo Arguello in the third set because of a foot injury. An online betting site, in an unprecedented move, then voided bets on the match.

from Deseret Morning News:
Cliff Drysdale: "(Roger) Federer is the best I've seen. But I've been saying that for years."

Oct 11, 2007 from AAP:
Roger Federer will again fine-tune his Australian Open preparations by headlining the field for the AAMI Classic at Kooyong in January.

The Swiss superstar will be joined in the eight-man field for the round-robin event by Fernando Gonzalez, Andy Roddick, Tommy Haas, Ivan Ljubicic, Andy Murray and Marat Safin. The final spot in the draw has yet to be allocated.

Oct 10, 2007 from Roger Federer Official Site:
Here's your chance to win an all-expenses paid trip to meet Roger at the Australian Open in Melbourne next January!

All you have to do is take part in the Gillette 'Challenge the Champions' contest, which will is running until 30 November. To enter the competition simply click the link and give your best – good luck!

Oct 4, 2007 from Reuters:
ATP announced a new-look calendar and significant extra investment for the 2009 season on Thursday. Ten cities will host revamped "500" series events which are currently one tier below the nine Masters Series tournaments.

The Masters Series events will become known as "1000" tournaments, offering 1,000 rankings points to the winners. The "500" series offers 500 points. Prize money for the "500" series will rise to $20.7 million, an increase of 118 percent on the same events in 2008.

The 10 cities granted "500" series tournaments are: Rotterdam, Dubai, Acapulco, Memphis, Barcelona, Washington DC, Beijing, Tokyo, Basel and Valencia. Hamburg, in litigation over its Masters Series status, has been reserved as an 11th tournament in the "500" series.

"This is fantastic news for the ATP Tour and I am delighted in particular that my hometown Basel has been awarded "500" status for 2009. The ATP is making some exciting changes to ensure the sport continues to grow on a global level," said world number one Roger Federer.

Oct 1, 2007 from ATP:
ATP World No. 1 Roger Federer has been voted No. 30 in a list of the 100 most influential people in the world of sports.

American magazine BusinessWeek, in partnership with ESPN The Magazine, has released its 'Power 100' list. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell tops the list, followed by Tiger Woods and NBA Commissioner David Stern. The list is dominated by league executives, media power brokers, team owners and sports manufacturing chiefs. Federer is one of just six athletes in the Top 30.

Golfing star Woods is the highest-ranked athlete at No.2, followed by Indianapolis Colts' quarterback Peyton Manning (13), soccer star David Beckham (17), Cleveland Cavaliers basketballer LeBron James, New York Yankees baseballer Alex Rodriguez (28) and Federer (30).