Apr 30, 2010 from ATP:
ROME — Roger Federer failed in his bid to reach the doubles semi-finals of the Internazionali BNL d’Italia Friday as he and partner Yves Allegro were beaten by towering American duo John Isner and Sam Querrey 6-4, 6-4 at the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 clay-court tennis tournament in Rome.

Isner and Querrey broke serve three times from five opportunities and saved two of the three break points they faced to defeat their Swiss opponents in 65 minutes. The Americans are through to their third ATP World Tour semi-final of the season; they went on to clinch their first title together in Memphis (d. Hutchins-Kerr).

Apr 29, 2010 from Boston Globe:
“Something happened with tennis that was a positive thing, and I was happy to be part of it,’’ Bjorn Borg said. “Most people remember me as a great player and I’m very happy for that, but even so, Roger Federer is the greatest player to ever play the game.’’

from Kansas City Star:
Blue Valley North junior Jack Sock is a two-time Kansas 6A state singles champion and remains undefeated for his varsity career. Of course, he has successes beyond the high school ranks and aspirations for a long tennis career.

You recently hit balls with Roger Federer. How did that come about?

“Over spring break, I was in Miami playing the Sony Ericsson (Open) qualifying, and my coach Mike Wolf set up a practice with Roger Federer’s agent. I had two practice sets with him. It was kind of shocking. Walking on the court with the best guy to ever play, it was kind of nerve-racking at the beginning. You don’t want to miss and give him a bad practice. (But) he’s a nice guy. He’s really funny and has a nice sense of humor. So you kind of get in the groove.

So what was the highlight? Did you have any memorable shots against him?

from TENNIS.com:
In 2009, the ITF conducted 2,126 tests (total for both men and women at all levels, including Challenger events); 154 of those were out-of-competition tests. Roger Federer was tested 17 times in 2009: 12 urine tests, four blood tests, and one test for EPO (one of those tests was out of competition, the rest were at tournaments). Stuart Miller, the head of the ITF’s Science and Technical department, says additional out-of-competition tests were conducted by a testing agency licensed by WADA, but statistics for those are not currently available. The number of tests has increased markedly since 1991, when 312 tests were performed. Individual countries may also test tennis players as part of their national doping programs. When at the Olympics, tennis players are subject to the same tests as other Olympic athletes.

Apr 28, 2010 from ATP:
ROME — Roger Federer bounced back from the disappointment of his singles defeat on Tuesday by partnering fellow Swiss Yves Allegro to a hard-fought 4-6, 6-3, 10-8 victory over sixth seeds Simon Aspelin and Paul Hanley. The 28-year-old Federer is through to the doubles quarter-finals in Rome for the first time since 2003 (w/Srichaphan).

Allegro and Federer, playing together for the first time in over a year, are the winners of two ATP World Tour titles together. They triumphed in Vienna in 2003 and two years later in Halle.

from DPA:
Roger Federer has maintained his calm after a surprise opening defeat at the Rome Masters to Ernests Gulbis.

"Sure, the French is somewhere in the back in my mind but what I think is about winning three, four five matches in a row again. That's what I'm aiming to do and that's why I'm happy I'm playing Estoril next week," said Federer

But despite starting his run to a possible Roland Garros title defence on the wrong foot, Federer said he got a lot of useful information out of his three-set loss to Gulbis.

"It's a match like this that is going to give me much, much more information," said Federer. "I need to play on clay for one and a half months before the French Open.

Federer insists: "I'm not too worried. It's always like this when you change surface and you play your first match. If you lose early you can't wait for a new tournament to come around.

"That's the way I feel. It's frustrating to lose three matches like this" - he also had winning chance in his last two losses, on hardcourt at Miami and Indian Wells in March.

Apr 27, 2010 from AP:
ROME — In his first singles match of the clay-court season, Roger Federer lost to 40th-ranked Ernests Gulbis of Latvia 2-6, 6-1, 7-5 Tuesday in his Rome Masters opener.

Playing inside the tournament’s new 10,500-seat stadium, Gulbis appeared nervous at the start and Federer won the opening set easily.

Federer didn’t face a break point until the fourth game of the second set, when he missed a forehand wide to end a long rally and hand Gulbis a 3-1 lead. Gulbis then broke again to go up 5-1 when Federer made a series of errors — including a rare overhead miss.

Federer committed 15 unforced errors to Gulbis’ eight in the second set alone, and his form in the final set was even worse, missing one routine baseline shot after another.

In all, Federer committed 38 unforced errors to Gulbis’ 39, and trailed 20-33 in winners. Federer also struggled with his serve, landing only half of his first attempts to Gulbis’ 71 per cent.

Federer saved two match points on his serve in the ninth game of the final set, having been broken in the fifth, before Gulbis wasted four more in the following game to let his opponent back in the contest. But the Swiss dropped serve immediately and Gulbis held his to love to claim a victory.

"I hope I can come back from this. That's usually what I do after a loss like this," Federer said. "Sometimes it takes a loss to wake up and shake you up for your approach the next week. When you always win, sometimes you forget how hard it is. That's why today I don't get too worried about this loss."

"My game was definitely not up to speed," he said. "My serve was not working at all. On clay you can lose the feeling sometimes. At one point I tried to go three-quarters speed but that didn't work, either. So I just kept going for it and hoping that it would come back eventually, and it didn't unfortunately."

Federer teamed with countryman Yves Allegro to win a doubles match Monday. They face sixth-seeded Simon Aspelin of Sweden and Paul Hanley of Australia on Wednesday.

"It will give a good chance to forget today and move forward," Federer said.

A light rain fell during the match on a cool day, but Federer refused to blame the weather.

"I started well and the conditions were kind of like the French Open final last year," he said. "Actually, I wasn't too happy that it was slow against a player that likes to end the points quickly."

Apr 26, 2010 from AP:
ROME – Roger Federer opened his clay-court season with a rare doubles victory Monday at the Rome Masters.

The top-ranked Federer paired with Swiss Davis Cup teammate Yves Allegro to defeat Johan Brunstrom of Sweden and Jean-Julien Rojer of the Netherlands Antilles 6-4, 7-6 (4).

Federer held serve throughout and showed effective volleying skills in his first match at the new 10,500-seat stadium at the Foro Italico.

Apr 25, 2010 from AP:
ROME — Having finally won the French Open last year, Roger Federer is feeling far less pressure entering the clay-court season.

The top-ranked player is preparing to play both singles and doubles at the Rome Masters this week.

“Questions are already very different. It doesn’t start off with, ‘Oh, are you going to win the French Open this year?’ So it’s just a bit more relaxing,” Federer said at the Foro Italico Sunday.

“I also got a lot of confidence from winning the French Open last year. You feel like if you can do it once you can do it twice.”

Still, Federer rated rival Rafael Nadal as the top player on clay after the Spaniard’s dominant performance at last week’s Monte Carlo Masters, which Federer skipped.

“He’s been on an absolute tear for the last five years. He’s hardly lost any matches—you can almost count those on one hand—and he’s only lost one match at the French Open, so I would think he’s still the favorite,” Federer said.

“I would love to say I’m the big favorite but I don’t think it’s quite right, even though I won the French Open last year. He’s just proven again in Monaco how tough he is.”

Federer said he is feeling refreshed after a month off, having taken a vacation and then prepared for the clay season with 10 days of intense workouts.

“Practice is (the) key during this stage getting ready for clay and the long stretch from Rome on to Wimbledon,” he said. “It’s a long one and I need to be fresh at the back end as well at Wimbledon, when it comes to hopefully playing another final.”

Federer will pair with Swiss Davis Cup teammate Yves Allegro in doubles.

“I haven’t played doubles in a while, so I asked Yves if he was in the mood to do it,” Federer said.

Federer and Allegro were given a wild card, and will open against Johan Brunstrom of Sweden and Jean-Julien Rojer of the Netherlands Antilles.

Apr 24, 2010 from Times of India:
Pankaj Advani (Billiards champion) admires tennis ace Roger Federer, who, he feels, exudes humility. “It’s not just about how many wins he notches up. Federer is my idol because he conducts himself with great elegance and dignity on and off the court and exhibits a calm confidence,” says Advani.

Apr 22, 2010 from Business Wire:
NEW YORK - Winner of a record 16 Grand Slams, Roger Federer is the greatest tennis player of our time. But can he be called the greatest athlete, period? In “One Among Many,” ESPN The Magazine writer Tim Keown tries to answer this question by taking a look at the man behind the racket—including his innate talent (physiologists say he has “dynamic balance”), fairly humble lifestyle (he has turned down $60 million in endorsement deals in the past 18 months alone) and dominance over his competition (he’s been No. 1 for 279 of the past 325 weeks). ESPN The Magazine on newsstands April 23!

Apr 20, 2010 from AFP:
LONDON – The winners of this year's Wimbledon singles' titles will net a staggering one million pounds (1.54 million dollars) in prize money after the All-England Club announced a significant rise in the rewards on offer at the grass-court grand slam on Tuesday.

The credit-crunch defying figures mean reigning men's champion Roger Federer and women's holder Serena Williams will benefit from an increase of 150,000 pounds (231,145 dollars) on the winning purses in 2009 if they retain their crowns in south-west London.

Apr 16, 2010 from Roger Federer Official Site:
Dear Fans

It's good to be back on the red clay! I've been practicing fitness and tennis these past days and I am really excited for the upcoming stretch of tournaments here in Europe.

Apr 13, 2010 from DAWN:
“The night before the match, I asked God to give me this win. I thought, this guy has everything. A loss wouldn’t matter to him much but for me, it could be a life-changing experience.”

It was indeed a life-changing moment for Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi when he and his doubles partner James Cerritani beat world number one Roger Federer and Marco Chiudinelli at the ATP Swiss Indoors in Basel. Apart from beating the tennis great, he also managed to beat Pakistan’s cricket and hockey teams to the headlines that day.

Aisam’s best singles performance at the Championships came in 2007 when he reached the second round, only to get beaten by Russia’s Marat Safin. Had he won against Safin, he would have had a chance to play against his current favourite, Federer, at the famous SW19.

As fate would have it, Aisam was meant to meet Federer in a match that would turn his career around. For those watching the match live, or on YouTube re-runs, Aisam’s over-the-net chat with Federer still stirs curiosity.

from Daily Mail:
Manchester City's Carlos Tevez: "You like lists? Here's a list. There are three sportsmen: Tiger Woods, Roger Federer and Lionel Messi. They perform with excellence, like most of us could never dream of.

"I've trained with Messi, I went to watch Federer live; I wanted to see if he could be so good. And he is that good! These men create history with their level of performances. It is sport at another level. They are like winning machines."

Apr 8, 2010 from Eastday:
Roger Federer: "Although I am running all over the world from one tournament to another all year round, I always cherish a particular attachment to Shanghai, one of my favorite cities in Asia and even in the whole world.

I have been in Shanghai five times since 2002. This is a wonderful city, very modern and full of skyscrapers. It is different from Switzerland and has many new things that fascinate me. Of course, the restaurants here are really great. Every time I come to Shanghai, I experience something new and different. On my way into town from the airport, I am always amazed by the constant changes taking place in this city, such as the skyscrapers rising up in Lujiazui and the downtown areas changing their look with each passing day. The greatest excitement for me is the exceptional enthusiasm of the tennis fans here. They all anticipate our visit so eagerly and with such great warmth that I always feel reluctant to leave once I am in Shanghai. Among my tennis fans, those in Shanghai are the warmest and the most loyal in the world.

I know 2010 is an important year for Shanghai and this World Expo will further enhance the charms of this energetic city. In fact, I already felt Shanghai’s World Expo“pulse”during my last visit to Shanghai. I saw so many posters and slogans promoting the exposition, and some working sketches of the venues still under construction. Together, they remind us of the approaching of the World Expo. Every time I saw them, my heart would leap. Perhaps the most lingering impression for me is Haibao, the spritely blue mascot of World Expo 2010 Shanghai China that greets visitors everywhere across the metropolis.

I have never visited any World Expo before, but I know something about the one held in Germany and another hosted in Aichi, Japan. I believe World Expo 2010 Shanghai China will be the most successful of them all. I am looking forward to it eagerly.

It is a pity that I have a heavy schedule of tournaments next year and may not be able to visit Shanghai during this World Expo. However, I will certainly come and see the World Expo site when I am next in Shanghai. The top attraction for me will surely be the Swiss Pavilion, though I would visit others as time permits. I have heard that the China Pavilion looks great, so I think it will be a must-see for me.

Every time I come to Shanghai for a tournament, I find the warmth and friendship of local people among the most overwhelming of anywhere in the world. This is why I feel such a deep attachment to the city. Shanghai has become one of the most renowned tennis cities in the world. The welcome I have always received here has been heart-warming. I am sure that other people coming from across the world who visit the World Expo will be equally impressed by Shanghai’s hospitality.

Apr 4, 2010 from New York Post:
As Tiger Woods prepared to break his golf hiatus at the Masters, his wife Elin Nordegren lunched with Roger Federer and his wife, Mirka, in Miami yesterday.

The Federers brought their twin girls, Myla Rose and Charlene Riva and Nordegren brought her 1-year-old cub, Charlie. The group dined poolside in the shade at an exclusive hotel on posh Key Biscayne.

Apr 1, 2010

STRATHAM, N.H. - Lindt USA today announces it is helping to kick-off National Autism Awareness Month by launching an online auction of celebrity-signed Lindt Gold Bunny porcelain figures, with 100 percent of the proceeds benefiting Autism Speaks. Beginning today at 9 a.m. PDT/12 p.m. EDT, Lindt will auction off porcelain versions of the iconic Lindt Gold Bunny, each autographed by a different celebrity, at www.ebay.com/LindtGoldBunny. Sixty celebrities from the culinary, entertainment, music and sports worlds have lent their support to the autism cause by signing an iconic Lindt Gold Bunny figure. The 60 participating celebrities are: Troy Aikman, Ed Asner, Alec Baldwin, Tiki Barber, Mario Batali, Matthew Bomer, Drew Brees, Steve Carell, Chevy Chase, Gary Cole, Lauren Conrad, Nancy Corzine, Courteney Cox Arquette, Ann Curry, Chris Daughtry, Kara DioGuardi, Celine Dion, Wylie Dufresne, Edie Falco, Brett Favre, Roger Federer, Harrison Ford, Jennifer Garner, Shonn Greene, Tom Hanks, Tony Hawk, Perez Hilton, Ron Howard, Lauren Hutton, Heidi Klum, Padma Lakshmi, Ali Larter, Jay Leno, Blake Lively, Peyton Manning, Joe Mantegna, Debra Messing, Randy Moss, Broadway cast of Next to Normal, Deborah Norville, Rosie O'Donnell, Ozzy Osbourne, Hayden Panettiere, Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick, Bill Pullman, Eric Ripert, Joan Rivers, Kelly Rutherford, Holly Robinson Peete, Susan Sarandon, Sherri Shepherd, Paul Simon, Tori Spelling, Martha Stewart, Barbra Streisand, Donald Trump, Carrie Underwood, Diane von Furstenberg, Broadway cast of Wicked, and Rita Wilson. Beginning today through April 11, 2010, bidders will have the chance to own one of the specially autographed porcelain figures by visiting www.ebay.com/LindtGoldBunny. In addition to the online auction, select autographed Lindt Gold Bunny figures will be on display at The New York Palace hotel through April 7, 2010.