May 30, 2010 from PA:
PARIS - Roger Federer wrapped up a straight-sets win over Stanislas Wawrinka and move into the French Open quarter-finals on Sunday.

Federer went close to dropping a set for the first time before sealing a 6-3 7-6 (7/5) 6-2 victory in one hour and 56 minutes on a windy Philippe Chatrier Court.

Federer broke his good friend in games three and nine to wrap up the first set. Game eight even saw him unleash a winner with his now famous squash shot.

Wawrinka broke the top seed to 15 in the first game of the second set and impressively held his next three service games.

But a fourth hold proved beyond him, the 20th seed going long with a forehand before netting to hand Federer the break back.

A tie-break ensued, which saw Wawrinka twice lead by a mini-break and twice surrender the initiative.

Another lapse gave Federer set point and he made no mistake, prompting Wawrinka to repeatedly smash his racquet in frustration.

from Globe and Mail:
Anyone who has been to a professional tournament has seen the kind of crowds that players such as Roger Federer attract, even when they are practising. "The first time I noticed it was playing in Rotterdam [an indoor event in the Netherlands] in 2004 after I became No. 1 in the world," recalled Federer, right. "There were about 50 people watching and I thought, ‘What's going on here, it's just practice?' But it's been like that ever since."

May 29, 2010 from New York Times:
Q: Who is your favorite tennis player?

Chris Evert: Roger Federer has always been my favorite. He's a gentleman. You would want to have him as your son, or your boyfriend or your brother. He's just a wonderful human being.

May 28, 2010 from ATP:
PARIS - Roger Federer became the 10th player in the Open Era to record at least 700 tour-level match wins when he advanced to the Roland Garros fourth round with a 6-4, 6-0, 6-4 win over German qualifier Julian Reister Friday in Paris.

The Swiss trails Boris Becker, in ninth position, by just 13 more wins. Jimmy Connors holds the Open Era record with 1242 victories, taking in eight major titles.

Federer was tested for the first eight games against the No. 165-ranked Reister, before breaking through with two straight games to take the first set. From there, Reister was able to offer little resistance, only winning a further four games as Federer raced to victory in 93 minutes. Federer struck 34 winners, compared to just 10 from Reister, and did not face a break point.

Victory marked Federer's 150th clay-court victory, a tally that has seen him win nine clay-court titles.

May 27, 2010 from PR Newswire:
MONTVALE - Mercedes-Benz today announced a multi platform global marketing partnership with the 16-time Grand Slam Champion and world's number one tennis player, Roger Federer.

The multi year deal will cover the use of his image, personal appearances and product placement in a partnership that makes Roger Federer the latest Mercedes-Benz brand ambassador.

The agreement coincides with the start of the Mercedes-Benz sponsorship of the US Tennis Open Championship, beginning in August. Since the beginning of 2008, Federer has served as an ambassador for Mercedes-Benz China.

Mercedes-Benz has used tennis as a marketing platform for more than 15 years and this partnership looks to extend the brands visibility throughout the sport.

"I am delighted that we are adding Roger Federer to the Mercedes-Benz family of sports and celebrity ambassadors on a global level. When it comes to tennis, he is without doubt one of the greatest of all time and he truly has become a global icon...," said Stephen Cannon, Vice President Marketing for Mercedes-Benz USA.

May 26, 2010 from ATP:
PARIS – Roger Federer is one victory away from recording the 700th tour-level match win and the 150th clay-court win of his career after he reached the Roland Garros third round on Wednesday.

The top seed from Switzerland hit 36 winners in a rain-interrupted 7-6(4), 6-2, 6-4 win over Colombian Alejandro Falla on Court Philippe Chatrier. Contesting his 12th successive Roland Garros, Federer will next challenge Julian Reister.

Despite the routine win, Federer was in danger of losing the first set when Falla served for the first set at 6-5. Falla failed to convert break point opportunities in the third and fifth games, but he was able to convert his third opportunity in the 11th game with a forehand winner off a Federer drop shot.

Federer broke back immediately and set up two set point opportunities in the tie-break with a stunning off-forehand winner. World No. 70 Falla miscued a forehand, hitting into the tramlines, to give Federer the opening set.

Rain started to fall at the start of the second set, but play continued until 28-year-old Federer broke Falla's serve in the third game. After a 20-minute delay, Federer broke to love and held serve after falling to 0/40 for a 5-1 lead.

May 24, 2010 from Reuters:
PARIS – Roger Federer did little to dampen the soaring temperatures at the French Open with a red-hot display of shotmaking that brought the year's second grand slam bursting into life Monday.

After Sunday's low-key start, Federer showed he was not going to let go of the title he battled so hard for 12 months ago without a fight as he destroyed Australian challenger Peter Luczak 6-4 6-1 6-2 in a match which at times resembled an exhibition on a sultry Court Philippe Chatrier.

While the organizers have made the tennis world wait for the bow of Rafa Nadal and Justine Henin until Tuesday, Federer asserted his claim to top billing with a charge interrupted only when a spectator was overcome by the Parisian heat.

Federer treated the crowd to every shot in his arsenal -- stunning backhand crosscourts, punishing angles and one mocking drop shot to snuff out one of the match's longer rallies which had the crowd on its feet and the Swiss pointing to the cloudless sky in enjoyment.

"I played a great match, I'm really happy," Federer said in a courtside interview.

May 22, 2010 from AP:
PARIS – Don't count Roger Federer and Justine Henin among fans of a proposal to hold the French Open outside Paris beginning in 2016.

Gilbert Ysern, general director of the French tennis federation, told a news conference on Saturday that relocating the clay-court Grand Slam from Roland Garros is being considered because it needs more space to remain competitive with the three other major tournaments.

Three options are being examined, including one next to Versailles castle. Another possible site is near Disneyland Paris.

The French Open has been at Roland Garros since 1928 and the federation has a contract there till 2015. The French federation assembly is expected to make its decision in February.

from The Times:
Roger Federer was in the back seat of a courtesy car that was pulled over this week and immediately surrounded by six heavily armed gendarmes who rapped on the windows to demand the driver's papers. "Vous êtes Federer, n'est-ce pas?" they inquired of the anxious passenger. Only when he saw the smiles on their faces did the world No 1 realise it was just a scam so they could get his autograph.

It brought to mind the glorious exchange in Yes, Prime Minister's "Diplomatic Incident" episode — "but you must know, Prime Minister, that the French President never knows what the French police are doing."

May 21, 2010 from AFP:
Roger Federer has admitted he will go into the French Open with all the pressure off after finally winning a first Paris title.

"I'm more relaxed. From 2002, people were asking me: 'So you are going to do it?' You just had to ignore it," said Federer, who has warmed up for his title defence by playing an exhibition tournament in Paris.

"Now I come into the tournament with more enthusiasm. In the past I never knew if I was happy or not about returning.

from New York Times:
Federer's durability is one of the most remarkable aspects of his long run at the top of the game. In an age of increased power and athleticism (and jet lag), he has not missed a Grand Slam tournament since 1999 and has not lost before the semifinals since the 2005 French Open.

"I think we'll always have some sort of injuries, but at least I always have the feeling normally that we as tennis players can control injuries," Federer said.

from The National:
Like most tennis observers, Boris Becker predicted an outstanding future for Roger Federer shortly after the Swiss star won the first of his six Wimbledon championships seven years ago.

Becker sensed that the all-court brilliance of Federer would eventually earn him the title of the best player of all time.

"I held back from naming Roger as the greatest we've ever seen until he won the French Open last year," said Becker, mindful that Rod Laver, the Australian legend who twice won two Grand Slams, was still keeping an eye on things from his California armchair. "Now there can be no argument."

"I never had any real doubts that Roger would eventually become the top player in history but he still had to prove it.

"For him to win the French Open – a tournament he had never won – and then follow it up by winning Wimbledon for the sixth time speaks for itself.

"For most guys winning the French Open after so many agonising near misses would have been the signal to have gone off to some island retreat to celebrate for six months or so.

"But this guy is not like that. He's the ultimate tennis professional in my eyes.

"His wife had twins last August but he still played in the US Open and reached the final. I'm sure his mind would have been with his family. For him to keep coming back each year is amazing. He defines what you are supposed to do as a good athlete because he breaks every record."

Becker said he expects Federer to make a solid defence next week of the Roland Garros title which completed an elusive career Grand Slam. He said the Swiss now hopes to capture all four major honours in the same calendar year.

"There are not many more records open to him," said Becker. "He will never admit it but I'm sure he's thinking about that clean sweep right now.

from ESPN:
By Greg Garber - My first impression of Roger Federer was that he was unfailingly humble and honest.

This was more than nine years ago, in March 2001, after the ATP World Tour set me up with a phone call from the 19-year-old rising Swiss player for an ESPN.com column. Federer was training for Indian Wells in Los Angeles and coming off a skiing holiday in St. Moritz, Switzerland, with his mother and some friends.

"It was 15, 20 degrees below zero, but it was relaxing, very fun," the teenager said. "It's the first time I've played so well for such a long stretch."

He had just won his first ATP title, in Milan, along the way defeating Yevgeny Kafelnikov and Goran Ivanisevic -- both now retired Grand Slam singles champions. Federer, who was the No. 1-ranked junior in 1998, suddenly found himself three years later at No. 6 in the ATP Champion's Race and, well, a little relieved after winning in Italy.

"I was very nervous," Federer said. "People were starting to compare me to [Anna] Kournikova. It felt really good to win; now I can say I won one more than her. I feel much better now."

Not to worry. As the world now knows, Federer eventually carved out a nice little career for himself. Two years later, he won his first Grand Slam singles title and inside three years he became the No. 1-ranked player.

There are days in the sports business when reporting feels like work, but they are exceedingly rare. Sometimes, when you are in the trenches of a deadline and searching for the right context in which to cast a story, you forget to tingle. I was lucky enough to happen upon the tennis beat right about the time Federer began to assert himself.

During this year's Australian Open I was at the Super Bowl in Miami when someone asked me how many of Federer's record 16 major titles I had witnessed. I was embarrassed to not know the exact number.

Because my NFL duties usually include the Super Bowl, I've regrettably missed all four of his Australian Open wins. Factor in the 2005 Wimbledon crown, when I was recovering from Achilles surgery, and you have a grand total (so to speak) of 11.

Federer, by a broad consensus, is the greatest player in the game's history. Nine years ago, only two years before securing his first major, you could sense his hunger to become better.

"I feel more comfortable on the court, and I hope to move up further and get higher," he said. "I still have some work to do. I'm trying to work on my volleys, return game and backhand. That's what's nice about my game. I can improve in a lot of areas.

May 20, 2010 from Roger Federer Official Site:
Roger absolved his last match before starting at the second Grand Slam of the year, the French Open, next week. He defeated Germany's Rainer Schüttler 4-6, 6-3, 10-5 at the Guinot Mary Cohr Masters in Rueil-Malmaison today.

Roger is the only player of his group (team Mary Cohr) to have scored a victory so far - four of six matches have been played.

Roger has donated a complete outfit from the 2008 Olympics in Beijing to the Olympic Museum. It is now on display there together with other equipment used by successful athletes over the years.

Roger made a huge dream come true in Beijing, winning his first Olympic gold medal in the men's doubles tennis tournament alongside Stanislas Wawrinka.

from California Chronicle:
Tommy Haas's fiance Sara Foster: "Tommy and I are good friends with Roger Federer and his wife Mirka but at Wimbledon last year Tommy played Roger so Mirka and I were sitting next to each other in the box, saying, 'this is weird.' ."

from Business Wire:
BEAVERTON - NIKE, Inc. today unveils an action-packed film that brings together some of the world's greatest players to inspire football lovers and sports fans around the world. The epic three-minute "Write the Future" film takes people on a journey that dramatically captures that one moment when headlines are written from a single pass, or one strike can bring a nation eternal happiness, while bringing others to their knees.

Some of the world's best players, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Didier Drogba, Wayne Rooney, Fabio Cannavaro, Franck Ribery, Andres Iniesta, Cesc Fabregas, Theo Walcott, Patrice Evra, Gerard Pique, Ronaldinho, Landon Donovan, Tim Howard and Thiago Silva, are featured. Special guest cameos are made by tennis legend Roger Federer and basketball superstar Kobe Bryant. Homer Simpson completes the star-studded cast of appearances. The film will be shown on TV for the first time on May 22nd during the European Club Final.

May 19, 2010 from Roland Garros:
Roger Federer is back in Paris! The reigning French Open champion and world No.1 had a full day's practice on Wednesday, having a hit-out on Philippe Chatrier court followed by another one away from prying eyes on No.2 court. The Swiss maestro enjoyed a few rallies with Croat Ivan Ljubicic, who is back to full fitness (see the video on Facebook).

The draw ceremony for the 2010 French Open men's and women's singles will take place on Friday 21 May at 11.30 am at the French Tennis Federation museum. It will be ladies first, with the unseeded players allotted slots in the draw electronically before reigning men's champion Roger Federer draws the 32 women's seeds by hand. The men's singles draw will follow immediately afterwards, with 2009 women's champion Svetlana Kuznetsova doing the honours with the 32 men's seeds. Follow the draw live on rolandgarros.com

May 17, 2010 from Roger Federer Official Site:
Roger will make use of the last week left before the French Open to get the last bit of fine-tuning done. He will participate in the Guinot Mary Cohr Masters, held at the Paris Golf & Country Club in Rueil-Malmaison (20 km outside of Paris), on clay together with other players such as Andy Murray, Andy Roddick or Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. The field consists of a total of twelve top-players who were invited to the event and will compete in two teams. Roger's only appearance is scheduled for Thursday at 1 p.m. against Germany's Rainer Schüttler.

May 16, 2010 from AFP:
MADRID – Rafael Nadal clinched a record-breaking 18th career Masters title on Sunday when he defeated Roger Federer 6-2, 7-6 (7/5) in the Madrid final.

Federer said that despite his loss, "the clay court season will not be judged here but in Paris.

"We will see what happens in three weeks. I feel I'm ready for Paris. I felt a major improvement in my game compared to last week when I came here from Estoril."

Federer missed out on chances repeatedly in the final, which lasted just over two hours, converting on only one of seven break points in an hour-long opening set.

In the second, the world number one twice recovered from a break down and once into the tiebreaker, took a 4-2 lead.

But four consecutive unforced errors meant a wasted effort, with Nadal claiming victory on his second of three match points, a Federer mis-hit.

"It's been a wonderful event for me," said the Swiss. "I'm sorry I couldn't defend the title. Rafa's had an incredible clay season, he was supreme today.

"I'm looking forward to Paris, I'm happy with my claycourt game, I know I'm not Spanish but I tried to play some clay court tennis here."

Federer fired nine aces, including three in the ninth game of the second set as the drum-tight contest wound toward the tiebreaker.

May 15, 2010 from ATP:
MADRID – Roger Federer will face Rafael Nadal in the final of the Mutua Madrileña Madrid Open after defeating David Ferrer 7-5, 3-6, 6-3 Saturday evening in the semi-finals.

"I'm finding my form again really nicely here in Madrid so it's one of those finals you never know," said Federer. "It's quick conditions; I was able to come up with the right plays at the right time last year; I will definitely have to do something similar again tomorrow to come through. So it's interesting and plus we haven't played in a year so maybe some things have been forgotten and other things you realise very quickly what is better to do and what not. I'm excited.

"After playing him last year, you figure maybe the French, Wimbledon or down the stretch in America we would face off again but it just never ended up happening, even though his ranking briefly slipped and we could have been in the semis section," said Federer, reflecting on the year that has passed without him meeting Nadal. "Either it was me or him; we just didn't show up in that final. It's not always easy; it shows how incredible the past few years have been. I think it's exciting for tennis and for us obviously."

Looking ahead to the clash, beaten semi-finalist Ferrer remarked: "I think it's a really even match-up. On clay Rafa is the favourite, but given the altitude and the fact that he serves so well, Roger is also very dangerous."

Federer was made to work hard for his place in his 87th tour-level final, as Ferrer produced the same devastating form that took him to his first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 final in Rome two weeks ago (l. to Nadal).

After the Spaniard had leveled the match at one-set-all though - just the third set he had taken off Federer in 10 meetings - the Swiss responded with a decisive service break in the eighth game of the third set to seal victory in two hours and five minutes.

"I didn't think it was all that close," admitted Ferrer. "He had many more opportunities than I did. He had more options against my serve, but I couldn't do much against his. He served very well throughout the whole match. Roger has a lot of resources; he hung in there and in the end, in the break game, he played well and changed paces and that was the key."

"He makes you work extremely hard and that's why he's been so successful on clay. He doesn't miss much and he fights like crazy and it works well," praised Federer. "He's really improved a lot over the past couple of years. So I knew the danger and I'm extremely happy that I prevailed."

In Sunday's final, Federer will look to deny Nadal a record-breaking 18th ATP World Tour Masters 1000 crown and, in turn, draw level with title-leaders Nadal and Andre Agassi by winning his 17th ATP World Tour Masters 1000 trophy. Should he win, he would also overtake match-wins leader Andre Agassi (209) with 210 victories in ATP World Tour Masters 1000 events.

May 14, 2010 from AP:
MADRID - Roger Federer rallied from a set and a break down to beat Ernests Gulbis 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 Friday and secure a place in the Madrid Masters semifinals.

"I think it's one of the toughest things in tennis if you lose against a player and you have to play against him in the next couple of weeks," Federer said. "I was very happy with the way I was able to return and mix up the game a bit and at the end I thought it was a really great performance."

Gulbis took a 3-0 lead in the first by converting his first break point when the onrushing Federer failed to return a ball driven at his feet. Federer then saved three set points before the Latvian converted his fourth with an ace, and continued by breaking Federer again to start the second.

But it was all Federer from there, as he broke back immediately when Gulbis sent a forehand long and then dominated the rest of the set — despite having to save three break points himself at 3-1.

In the decider, Federer used a perfectly judged backhand lob to break for a 2-1 lead, and was never threatened on his serve the rest of the way. He converted his first match point with a forehand winner, shortly after a light rain started falling over the court.

May 13, 2010 from ATP:
MADRID – Roger Federer brushed aside Stanislas Wawrinka in 69 minutes Thursday at the Mutua Madrilena Madrid Open, dismissing his countryman 6-3, 6-1 to set a clay-court rematch with Ernests Gulbis in the quarter-finals of the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournament.

Federer ensured his place in the quarter-finals after recovering from a shaky start in his match against Wawrinka. Federer dropped his opening service game but immediately got back on level ground as he converted on his fifth break point in the ensuing game.

Another break put the World No. 1 up 4-2, and gave him the edge he needed to assume full control of the match. Federer was all business in the second set, dropping just four points on serve and capitalising on all three of his break points to complete the victory.

"It's something that's tough for us Swiss guys," Federer said of playing a countryman. "We're not used to it like the French or Spanish or Americans who play their own countrymen every other week. It happens maybe two or three times a year. So to come out and beat Stan on his best surface, and playing so well, is a great feeling and I'm obviously very happy."

The 28-year-old Swiss has now reached the quarter-finals in all seven of his appearances in the Spanish capital, and will be looking to reach the semi-finals for a sixth straight year.

"I feel good, though I didn't play much the last few weeks and months, so it's hard to judge your game on a few service games and return games," said Federer. "That's why there's no reason to get over excited. I won the French Open last year, not out of luck or because I had a good draw or anything, I had to play great tennis. That's why I know I can do it again and I played so well in Australia that I'm going to enjoy this clay court season."

May 11, 2010 from Reuters:
MADRID – Roger Federer began the defense of his Madrid Masters crown with a 6-2 7-6 morale-boosting dismissal of Benjamin Becker in the second round on Tuesday.

With the sliding silver roof open on Manolo Santana court at the Magic Box arena and bursts of sunlight bathing the red clay, the Swiss barely broke sweat against the German world number 46.

Becker mounted a mini fightback to save two match points at 6-5 down in the second set and one more in the tiebreak but sent a backhand wide on the next point to hand Federer victory.

"The moment the match started I felt great," Federer, who won the first point of the match on his serve with a powerful smash, said at a news conference.

"I was hitting the ball fine and this center court just feels right to me. I've obviously never lost on this court so that gives me confidence and I think that showed today in my game."

"The (overall) feeling maybe last year was a little bit better but then again after today's match I feel great," he said.

Even if he failed to progress to the later stages in Madrid, he said he would still have plenty of time to prepare for the French Open, which starts on May 23.

"I'm going to put in some hard work and can practice with tons of other top players which is going to make me really tough for Paris," he said.

May 10, 2010 from AFP:
MADRID – Roger Federer will not panic should he fail to defend his Madrid Masters title this week, indeed he said on Monday he is prepared for anything as he prepares to retain his French Open crown later this month.

"It would be great to win here again if I could. I can get confidence on the practise courts," Federer said.

"For me, the Madrid title in 2009 was the key to Paris. Winning the event by beating fellow rivals was very important. But no matter what happens here, I'll be prepared for Paris. But if I had the choice I'd prefer to do well here again."

The Swiss has a first-round bye in Madrid, where the altitude and slightly faster pace of the ball should help his cause.

"I'm doing well in training, I'm only lacking a bit of match time. I'm hitting the ball cleanly, but maybe not as clean as I did to win in Australia though.

"But it (form) is not far away. I"m doing the right things and I'm not worried. I really hope to do well here."

Federer said he would take stock of the situation once Madrid was over.

"I'm not speculating on how I'll do here, but I have confidence I can do well. As the holder, I have high hopes.

from ESPN:
Q: Who are your favorite athletes in other sports?

Lindsey Vonn: Roger Federer is my favorite athlete. I think he's just so talented and hard working. If you met him, you would never expect that he was No. 1 in tennis because he's just so humble.

May 8, 2010 from Estoril Open:
ESTORIL – Defending champion Albert Montanes knocked out Roger Federer 6-2, 7-6(5) in 82 minutes on Saturday for a place in the Estoril Open final.

Federer committed 48 unforced errors in damp conditions on a slow-paced clay-court. The match had been delayed by over two hours due to torrential rain.

When asked whether he was worried about his preparations for Roland Garros, the Swiss superstar said: "I'm not worried. It's too far away. My goal isn't to win 12 tournaments a year, it is the big events: the [ATP World Tour] Masters 1000s, the Grand Slams, [Barclays] ATP World Tour Finals and keeping the No. 1 ranking."

"My decision to come to Estoril was the right decision. I would like to return again in future. I know that good things are around the corner."

Federer fell to 15/40 in the third game and hit a forehand long on Montanes third break point opportunity. Montanes opened up a 4-1 lead, when Federer hit a forehand wide at 40-30.

Although the Swiss superstar broke back immediately, a poor drop shot at 30/40 in the seventh game saw Montanes race to the net for a backhand winner down the line. Montanes closed out the 29-minute first set with his fifth groundstroke winner. Federer had committed 19 unforced errors.

The 29-year-old Montanes survived two break point opportunities in the fourth game of the second set.

In the tie-break, Federer opened up a 5-2 lead courtesy of some attacking tennis but World No. 34 Montanes won five straight points – three points coming from Federer forehand errors – to complete his first win in four meeting.

"The conditions were extremely slow, but I don't mind that," said Federer. I grew up with it in Switzerland, where we have a lot of rain.

"I'm disappointed to have played a match like this, where I got off to a bad start again. I didn't play that badly in the second set, I had my moments but my movement was a little slow. I didn't have confidence in my movement. I have put in a lot of work."

Federer has a 15-5 match record on the season.

May 7, 2010 from Estoril Open:
ESTORIL – Roger Federer saved one set point in the first-set tie-break against former Top 10 Frenchman Arnaud Clement in a 7-6(7), 6-2 victory on Friday for a place in the Estoril Open semi-finals.

Federer lost his first service game to love on a net cord winner. He broke back for 2-2, before forcing Clement to save two break points in the sixth game.

In the tie-break, the Swiss superstar saved one set point at 5-6, when World No. 83 Clement hit a forehand long after a number of attacking groundstrokes from Federer.

Clement saved one set point at 6-7, with a backhand volley winner, before Federer hit an unreturned serve down the middle to win the 68-minute opening set. Both players hit two aces and 13 winners, but Federer committing 25 unforced errors to 28 for Clement.

"I got off to a bad start in the first game, falling to 0/30 then he played a great passing shot," said Federer. "I missed a couple of chances at 3-3.

"I didn't play beautiful tennis. I had to play safe, which isn't something I'm used to doing. I have always struggled against him and today you could see that."

Federer opened up a 2-0 lead in the second set and broke for a second time for 5-2, with a forehand winner when Clement was serving at 15/40. Minutes later, having saved one break point, Federer recorded his sixth straight win over Clement to improve to a 15-4 match record on the season.

Federer will next challenge defending champion and fourth-seeded Spaniard Albert Montanes.

May 6, 2010 from AFP:
ESTORIL - A relaxed Roger Federer spent time polishing his clay-court game on the practise court as potential rivals fell away through injury or illness at the Estoril Open here on Thursday.

Federer plays veteran Frenchman Arnaud Clement in Friday's quarter-finals and holds a 6-3 advantage in that series with their last meeting in 2006.

"He beat me twice at the Australian Open, but we've never played on clay," said the Swiss. "His best results have come on hardcourt.

"He's a tough counter-puncher and he makes you do more with your own game in order to beat him. He's not an easy guy to deal with."

While Federer was keeping fit, there was bad news for organisers as ailing French third seed Gael Monfils joined injured number two Croatian Ivan Ljubicic in making a late pullout.

May 5, 2010 from Estoril Open:
ESTORIL – World No. 1 Roger Federer won his first clay-court match of the year on Wednesday at the Estoril Open, an ATP World Tour 250 tennis tournament. The Swiss superstar defeated Bjorn Phau of Germany 6-3, 6-4 in 84 minutes for a place in the quarter-finals against Arnaud Clement of France.

The 2008 titlist broke Phau's serve in the eighth game for a 5-3 lead and went onto clinch the first set in 38 minutes, having won 21 of 26 service points and saving all three break points he faced.

Phau, who won the pair's first meeting at the Legg Mason Tennis Classic in July 1999, buckled under the pressure at 2-2 in the second set when he fell to 0/40. Although the World No. 138 saved two break points, Federer broke serve with a forehand cross-court lob winner.

Federer went on to record his 14th win of the season (14-4 record) with a hard-fought final service game, converting his second match point when Phau hit a backhand into the net.

from AFP:
"I'm happy that I came through the first round, it was nice to win," said Federer, 2008 champion in his first time at the venue. "Today was a matter of coming through tough situations.

"I played well when I was down 0-40 and serving for the first set.

"This win was not always beautiful but it doesn't matter. I'm sure my best tennis is not far away. I have a bit of a breather now and I'm looking forward to Friday.

"There is always pressure in the first match, it doesn't matter who it's against. The first round in any event is never easy," said Federer.

"It was my first time on centre court this year, I didn't get a chance to train on it," said the Swiss. "It's a lot bigger than the small practice courts and I had to get used to that.

from Reuters:
"Today I played to win, I didn't try to make it look nice or anything, it was about being tough and focused, and coming through, trying to win matches," Federer told a news conference.

"I played well and its important that I play the right tennis right now. It wasn't always beautiful, but it doesn't matter," he added.

After receiving a bye in the first round, the win against Phau earned Federer a quarter-final berth against Frenchman Arnaud Clement Friday.

"He's a guy who's beaten big players in the past, he's tough and he's not going make it easy for me," the Swiss said.

Looking ahead to the French Open, Federer said winning the tournament for the first time last year would give him an "edge" this time.

"I'll be one of the big favorites to again. As defending champion you have something special going for you. It doesn't make things a whole lot easier, but at least now you know how to do it and I think that's going to give me an edge," he said.

"Last year I came through some really tough matches and that's what the French Open is all about, digging deep and battling when things are not going well and accepting the physical and mental battle," Federer added.

from WRS:
From today, visitors to The Olympic Museum in Lausanne will be able to compare their tennis skills to Roger Federer's and their speed to Usain Bolt's in a new exhibition.

The "Athletes and Science" section shows how technology has advanced in sport and allows visitors to test out their reaction times to the 100 meter gun and their visual skills when they're receiving a tennis serve.

May 4, 2010 from AFP:
ESTORIL – Roger Federer on Tuesday said that he's keen to get his French Open preparations under way as he gears up for a second-round match with Bjorn Phau at the Estoril Open.

The world number one insists he's not overly concerned by his shaky start to the 2010 clay campaign. But just to be more secure in his own mind, a second title at Estoril is his first order of business.

"First, I'd like to win the first round here and then go from there," said the top seed, a winner here in his only other appearance in 2008.

"Of course I'd like to win the event again. I'm the only top player in the draw and I have high hopes of doing well and progressing in the tournament.

"Hopefully I'll be standing there as the winner -- anything else would be a disappointment, but you never know.

"I've not won a match on clay this season yet, I've had some disappointing losses the last weeks and months (at Indian Wells, Miami and Rome), so I have to make sure I bounce back."

Phau and Federer first met 11 years ago, when the German prevailed.

After Federer's opening practice session at the Estadio Nacional on Monday, when he complained about having "three kilos" of sand in each eye, windy conditions died down a bit on Tuesday.

And with his goal a first victory on Tour clay since Roland Garros last summer, Federer is looking ahead optimistically to the week in Portugal.

"I know I can do it, it's what I've been doing my whole life, coming back strong after disappointments. I hope I can start that again here," he said.

The Swiss said that no matter how he fares this week in Estoril and the next in Madrid, he will head to Paris with optimism after lifting his first Grand Slam title on clay at the venue.

"I don't know how tough it will be, we will see," he said. "I haven't struggled with defending my finals, I've been good at that.

"We'll see how well I do in defending a championship at Roland Garros. My game is good enough, my mind is good enough, my body is good enough.

"That's all I need to know. The next couple of weeks will be important -- but not crucial -- to see where my level's at."

from Estoril Open:
Roger Federer answered questions from 15 lucky school children about his life on the professional circuit on Tuesday morning, during a 40-minute tram ride through the streets of Lisbon.

"I am very used to driving around in trams," admitted Federer. "I used to travel to practice back in Basel on the tram in the winter and with the bike in summer time. It does not feel too unusual to me.

"I like coming to Portugal," the Swiss superstar said. "That is why I am here again. Two years ago, I had a wonderful experience, not just because I won the tournament, but the people were very friendly, very welcoming and very happy to see me.

"Of course the city of Lisbon and Estoril is very nice and so we decided if the schedule allowed we would like to come back. This year was the right year and it is going to be another good tournament for me."

from Telegraph:
Nicolas Mueller, the Swiss world No 36 squash player, started 2010 being watched on court by compatriot Roger Federer.

Federer has perfected his art and Mueller says it was "an inspiring moment" when the two met. Talk - the two sound alike as well - predictably turned to squash shots on the tennis court. "The fancy shots - the ones he hits between his legs," he recalls. "What I learned was the way he is. The way he talks and trains is so professional and I tried to pick up tips from that."

May 3, 2010 from AFP:
ESTORIL – Roger Federer strolled to his first practice session at the Estoril Open on Monday surrounded by four security men to guide him and coach Severin Luthi through an excited crowd of fans.

Up to 200 excited spectators were waiting along a gravel path leading to the court as the top seed made his way to an outside venue at the Estadio Nacional complex.

Once inside, up to 100 of the faithful took up positions peering through gaps in a tall hedge behind a chain-link fence surrounding the court to watch the session.

Federer and his coach were far from alone on the clay.

Just a few metres away, a WTA first-round match at the joint event was taking place on an adjacent court, an unfortunate positioning unlikely to aid the Federer concentration.

from Estoril Open:
Roger Federer's first practise session at the Estoril Open Monday saw hundreds of tennis fans scramble for the best positions among the hedge rows surrounding Court 13.

The World No. 1 was escorted to the court by four security guards and his coach Severin Luthi through 200 excited fans along a gravel path to the court, before training with Portuguese No. 1 Rui Machado in windy conditions.

"Since I had practised with Roger before, two years ago here, this time I wasn't caught off-guard by his demanding style," said World No. 114 Machado. "We practised around 80 minutes, we didn't do anything too specific, it was just a normal pre-tournament practice. Conditions were tough, it was really windy.

"We talked a little bit; Roger asked me how many [ATP] Challengers and [ITF] Futures we had in Portugal. He also asked, 'Where do we usually play Davis Cup matches here in Portugal?' I told him we are going to play the next tie here at the Centralito. He said, 'It's a beautiful court.'"