Roger news and articles [Archive] - Page 24

Mellow Yellow

07-30-2006, 12:36 PM

Small mention of Roger here....but in a positive way. :)
Falling idols (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/more/07/29/elusive.heroes.ap/)
Amid scandals, sports fans struggle to keep faith

NEW YORK (AP) -- Sports fans want so much to believe in heroes. Yet so often, lately, disillusionment overtakes devotion.

A vicious head-butt by one of soccer's greatest players. Thuggish behavior by hockey and basketball stars. Allegations, proven or rumored, of doping-related cheating by many of the world's best runners, swimmers, baseball players -- and now by the much-hailed winner of this year's Tour de France.

"It becomes an erosion of trust that can be devastating to fans, especially to kids," said New York-based sports psychologist Stanley Teitelbaum. "What they're learning is, 'Don't trust the player. Don't trust the sport."'

When American Floyd Landis won the Tour last weekend after a comeback in the final mountain stage depicted as perhaps the event's greatest all-time feat, it seemed a cause for unadulterated celebration -- a triumph against all odds by a plucky, likable cyclist who overcame severe chronic pain in his weakening hip to reach the peak of his sport.

Within three days, he was suspended by his team, and strenuously pleading his innocence in the face of findings that -- after that critical mountain stage -- he had tested positive for elevated levels of testosterone.

Landis may yet be vindicated, but the Tour de France will remain saddled with immense image problems in the wake of other doping scandals that kept many of the top cyclists from even entering this year's race.

Earlier this month, the World Cup -- soccer's premier event -- ended on a sour note with the ejection of French captain Zinedine Zidane for violently head-butting an Italian defender. Earlier in the tournament, star England forward Wayne Rooney was sent off for stomping on a Portuguese player's groin.

In North America, stars in both the NHL and NBA have been tarnished by violent outbursts -- notably the on-ice assault by Vancouver's Todd Bertuzzi and the charge into the stands by several Indiana Pacers during a game with Detroit.

In the NFL, training-camp holdouts are a rite of summer, when it seems that every team has at least one player refusing to show up for work because he doesn't like the terms he signed, sometimes as little as one year before.

But doping -- as a form of cheating -- is perhaps the sin that troubles fans the most. Even with the Barry Bonds saga unresolved, his legacy seems tarnished for good, along with Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, Rafael Palmeiro and other sluggers linked in the public's mind to steroids use.

In track and field, dozens of world-class athletes -- dating back to sprinter Ben Johnson's stripped-away gold medal at the Seoul Olympics in 1988 -- have been implicated in doping scandals, or linked to them, including superstars such as Marion Jones. On Saturday came word that reigning Olympic and world 100-meter champion Justin Gatlin had tested positive for testosterone or its precursors after a race in April. The co-world record holder in the 100, Gatlin had positioned himself as a leader in trying to prove track and field is a clean sport.

The cheating, of course, has seeped into other levels of sport, with overage players infiltrating Little League championships and disabled athletes busted for doping in the Paralympics. But the deepest disappointment seems to come when the biggest stars -- the ones many fans view as heroes -- prove flawed.

"People are disillusioned in all areas of our life, not just sports, but also political leaders, Hollywood personalities," said Richard Lustberg, a psychologist who runs the Web site psychologyofsports.com.

"But a lot of people find sports more important than politics and pay more attention to it," he said. "We attribute qualities to an athlete that weren't really there in the first place, and then when that athlete turns out to be a mere mortal, we're just crushed."

Some commentators contend that no athlete -- however successful -- should be regarded as a hero solely for on-field performance. Their argument is that hero worship should be reserved for athletes' non-sports achievements -- Roberto Clemente dying in a plane crash en route to aid earthquake victims, Ted Williams and Pat Tillman volunteering for military duty they could easily have avoided.

Nonetheless, there are some contemporary athletes whose achievements and comportment to date elevate them to some sort of hero status -- examples might include Roger Federer in tennis, Mariano Rivera and Derek Jeter in baseball, and, perhaps most notably, Tiger Woods.

For years, Woods has set himself apart as the greatest golfer of his era, perhaps of all-time. Now, after his father's death and his tearful reaction to winning the British Open, respect for his skills is coupled with a new degree of empathy.

"That gave me chills, even though I'm not a golf fan," said University of Michigan psychologist Christopher Peterson, a sports enthusiast who specializes in the study of character.

Peterson questioned whether the seeming demise of the sports hero was anything new.

"It looks as if things just keep getting worse, but I'm not convinced that's really true," he said, suggesting that intensive round-the-clock coverage of sports on the Internet and cable TV as well as in print media has produced more exposures of athletes' misdeeds.

"I'm sure Babe Ruth did all sorts of nasty things -- and Ty Cobb," Peterson said.

Teitelbaum, author of Sports Heroes as Fallen Idols, said today's athletes should not be let off the hook.

"A lot of heroes don't seem to get it -- that their misbehavior has an enormous impact on the fans that idolize them and the kids who are emulating them," he said. "Charles Barkley says he doesn't want to be a role model, but it comes with the territory. Sports stars have to take responsibility for being role models."

As the Landis case unfolded, Kansas City Star sports columnist Jason Whitlock was among many commentators suggesting that fans stop placing athletes on a pedestal.

"It's unhealthy. It's improper. It's a position they don't want or deserve," Whitlock wrote.

"They're entertainers. They're no different from Jim Morrison or Justin Timberlake or the movie star who goes in and out of rehab."

However, Peter Roby, director of the Center for the Study of Sport in Society at Northeastern University, urged fans not to view sports more harshly than other realms of modern life.

"Every day people are accused of cheating. We see it in the media with cases like Enron, Martha Stewart, Tyco, and unfortunately sport," he said. "In all cases the people involved have lost perspective, and stop thinking about the people that rely on them like employees, investors, fans, teammates and family."

Mellow Yellow

07-31-2006, 12:46 AM

Daniel

07-31-2006, 01:15 AM

That shows how big his heart is :hug: :smooch:

MissMoJo

07-31-2006, 01:26 AM

:hearts: Roger :hearts:

kajonie

07-31-2006, 01:36 AM

:hearts: Roger :hearts:
Exactly!

I like your signature, when I saw it I started singing
'People all over the world, join in;
Start a love train, love train'!

Maybe you could add it to your sig ;).

Corey Feldman

07-31-2006, 03:54 AM

Someone on Roger's site said they heard on Croatian TV that Roger called Mario Ancic to ask him about his injury. Didn't he go to see Nada last year in Basel when Nadal had to pull out of that tourney because of injury? Very coolYeah, and remember what Blakey said as well.... only fed called him when he broke his neck.
sickingly nice guy this fed as Pete Bozo would say.

SUKTUEN

07-31-2006, 04:48 AM

thanks

Daniel

07-31-2006, 04:55 AM

After Stan won his title on Sunday, Roger congratulated him
here is a quiote from the article.

"Wawrinka who received a message of congratulations from compatriot Roger Federer was delighted to have finally won his first title although feeling sorry for Djokovic's plight."

Roger :worship:

Article: http://www.inside-tennis.net/index2.php?action=news&id=1824&ds=Stanislas%20Wawrinka

SUKTUEN

07-31-2006, 05:02 AM

thanks Daniel~

Mellow Yellow

07-31-2006, 11:46 AM

http://www.thedesertsun.com/

Britten Gerrard, an 18-year-old Palm Desert High School graduate, was named ball kid of the year during the Pacific Life Open. He was presented his ball kid of the year award the same time as his idol, Roger Federer, was receiving his winner's check.

"It was kind of funny, he congratulated me on being ball kid of the year," Gerrard said. "I said, 'Congrats on winning the tournament. I'd rather have the check you have.'"

Gerrard has worked 15 of Federer's matches. One time, it was the 6-foot-2 Gerrard's size 15 feet that caught Federer's attention. "He said, 'they don't make that size in Switzerland,'" Gerrard said.

SUKTUEN

08-02-2006, 07:05 AM

Roger very kind to his Swiss friend

RogiFan88

08-02-2006, 10:09 PM

I like this headline:

Safin, Hewitt, Ferrero to make up for Federer

Bangkok, Aug 02: World number one Roger Federer will miss the chance to defend his title in the Thailand Open this year but three other former grand slam winners will compete, event organisers said yesterday.

The 550,000 dollar tournament will feature two-time grand slam winners Lleyton Hewitt from Australia and Russia's Marat Safin, as well as former French Open winner Juan Carlos Ferrero of Spain.

World number five James Blake from the United States, Cyprus's Marcos Bagdatis, Argentine Guillermo Coria and England's Andrew Murray, who was last year's runner-up, will also complete.

"It is the strongest field ever since the tournament started," said Sathien Mongkoltham, advisor of the Lawn Tennis Association of Thailand (LTAT).

Bureau Report

http://www.zeenews.com/znnew/articles.asp?aid=313042&ssid=92&sid=SPO

We all know Rogi will play Tokyo for the first time in October!!

Mellow Yellow

08-03-2006, 12:14 AM

Saw this on another forum and thought it was interesting just how close Roger and Pete are at same age.

http://www.roger-federer.cn/forum/attachment/9_20_87ea66a5bf8d4aa.jpg

http://www.roger-federer.cn/forum/attachment/9_20_71f9389b1928781.jpg

LCeh

08-03-2006, 12:55 AM

soraya

08-03-2006, 07:32 AM

Rogifan, your avatar makes me homesick and yearn to go back to my old school's site and see the maestro at work.

robinhood

08-03-2006, 08:42 AM

I like this headline:

Safin, Hewitt, Ferrero to make up for Federer

:cool:

SUKTUEN

08-03-2006, 11:40 AM

thanks~~

Mellow Yellow

08-03-2006, 12:44 PM

Wow, I haven't checked out that comparison chart for a while. So Roger has already surpassed Pete's slam count, and even if he doesn't win this USO, he will still tie with Pete in terms of grand slams won. Pretty amazing considering he was behind Pete by a lot when I first saw this chart.And look at the difference between him and Pete on carpet. I'll bet any money the majority of courts now are medium to slow. Heck I think the decoturf they're using during the US Open series is medium paced. During the LA event Patrick McEnroe said the courts were slow (but the balls were fast). It's kinda sad now that almost every tournament, except the few indoor events, are played on slower surfaces. Even Wimbledon now players are saying plays like clay courts. The US Open is probably the quickest outdoor surface but even that surfaced has been slowed down. :sad:

Mellow Yellow

08-03-2006, 12:56 PM

The king of the court (http://torontosun.com/Sports/OtherSports/2006/08/03/1716772-sun.html)
By DEAN MCNULTY, TORONTO SUN

Could Roger Federer actually be the best men's tennis player in the history of the game?

That is the topic currently being debated on the Association of Tennis Professionals tour.

With Federer scheduled to touch down in Toronto for the Rogers Cup at the Rexall Centre at York University either today or tomorrow, it's a subject that came up when polling a number of tennis greats about today's game.

There has been the general feeling that the women's tour -- with the likes of Maria Sharapova, Kim Clijsters and Elena Dementieva -- has outdistanced the men when it comes to glamour players.

And those same people suggest it is the fault of players like Federer, whose clinical dispatching of opponents has taken much of the drama out of the sport.

It's astounding, really, to think that Federer is being criticized for being too good.

The real issue, though, is that there are many in the tennis fraternity who expected Federer to lift the sport on his ample shoulders the way Wayne Gretzky did for hockey and Lance Armstrong did for cycling.

Ille Nastase, the one-time bad boy of tennis, said that today's players are just not as colourful as he was when he ranted and raved on tennis courts around the world.

But he hopes that Federer will lead the sport forward with sheer talent.

"Maybe Roger Federer will rescue tennis," Nastase said. "He plays like we did in the past."

Among most of the sport's elite, however, Federer has done everything that has been asked of him and more.

Sure, he's no angry young man a la John McEnroe, or petulant super star like Ivan Lendl, but the magnificence of his game has elevated him to a place where those two former stars never could reach.

"He's the most gifted player that I've ever seen in my life," McEnroe said of Federer. "I've seen a lot of people play. I've seen the (Rod) Lavers, I played against some of the great players -- the Samprases, Beckers, Connors, Borgs -- you name it. This guy could be the greatest of all time.

"He can beat half those guys with his eyes closed."

Federer's recent record speaks for itself.

He comes into the Rogers Cup as the No. 1 seed and as the No. 1 ranked player in the world.

His hold on the top spot in tennis started in February of 2004 and is now the third longest streak at No. 1 in the game's history.

Only Jimmy Connors and Lendl have had longer reigns as the top player in the world. Yet even Connors admits that Federer's game is beyond the reach of any of his contemporaries.

"In the modern game, you're either a clay-court specialist, a grass-court specialist or a hard-court specialist ... or you're Roger Federer," Connors said.

At just 24 years old, the Switzerland native already has won eight Grand Slam tennis titles and has lost only four matches in the past year -- all to Rafael Nadal, the reigning Rogers Cup champion, who he could face again in Toronto.

But it won't be on Nadal's clay court but on Federer's favourite turf that the pair -- if they meet -- will play on at the Rexall Centre.

EFFICIENT

On the way to his most recent Wimbledon title, Federer destroyed Nadal 6-0, 7-6, 6-7, 6-3 with the same efficient game that had earlier squashed Richard Gasquet, Tim Henman, Nicolas Mahut, Tomas Berdych, Mario Ancic (who was the last man to beat Federer on grass at Wimbledon in 2002), and Jonas Bjorkman.

American tennis icon Andre Agassi said that it doesn't matter what strategy you play against Federer, he will find a way to beat you.

"He's the best I've ever played against. There's nowhere to go," Agassi said. "He uses your pace against you. If you take pace off, so that he can't use your pace, he can step around and hurt you with the forehand.

"Just the amount of options he has to get around any particular stage of the match -- where maybe something's out of sync -- seems to be endless."

Federer's off-court life is mostly out of the limelight.

He works tirelessly for children's charity groups -- particularly in South Africa -- through the establishment of the Roger Federer Foundation.

After the tsunami disaster of 2004 Federer approached all of his ATP colleagues to join him in a fund-raising effort. He pledged that he would play as many matches as possible in tournaments that would turn over their profits to UNICEF relief operations.

It is that kind of character, too, that lands more plaudits on Federer from his peers.

"He's a real person. He's not an enigma," Andy Roddick said. "Off the court he's not trying to be somebody. If you met him at McDonald's and you didn't know who he was, you would have no idea that he's one of the best athletes in the world."

James Blake -- who is the fifth ranked player in the world -- said that Federer has never let his talent or success get to his head.

"He hasn't changed a bit. He hasn't been arrogant in the locker room. He never is," Blake said. "It's great to see someone that does it with class. He doesn't intentionally get in anyone's face. He doesn't put people down."

RogiFan88

08-03-2006, 01:49 PM

August 3, 2006
The king of the court
Peers say Federer could be the best ever to play the game
By DEAN MCNULTY, TORONTO SUN

Could Roger Federer actually be the best men's tennis player in the history of the game?

That is the topic currently being debated on the Association of Tennis Professionals tour.

With Federer scheduled to touch down in Toronto for the Rogers Cup at the Rexall Centre at York University either today or tomorrow, it's a subject that came up when polling a number of tennis greats about today's game.

There has been the general feeling that the women's tour -- with the likes of Maria Sharapova, Kim Clijsters and Elena Dementieva -- has outdistanced the men when it comes to glamour players.

And those same people suggest it is the fault of players like Federer, whose clinical dispatching of opponents has taken much of the drama out of the sport.

It's astounding, really, to think that Federer is being criticized for being too good.

The real issue, though, is that there are many in the tennis fraternity who expected Federer to lift the sport on his ample shoulders the way Wayne Gretzky did for hockey and Lance Armstrong did for cycling.

Ille Nastase, the one-time bad boy of tennis, said that today's players are just not as colourful as he was when he ranted and raved on tennis courts around the world.

But he hopes that Federer will lead the sport forward with sheer talent.

"Maybe Roger Federer will rescue tennis," Nastase said. "He plays like we did in the past."

Among most of the sport's elite, however, Federer has done everything that has been asked of him and more.

Sure, he's no angry young man a la John McEnroe, or petulant super star like Ivan Lendl, but the magnificence of his game has elevated him to a place where those two former stars never could reach.

"He's the most gifted player that I've ever seen in my life," McEnroe said of Federer. "I've seen a lot of people play. I've seen the (Rod) Lavers, I played against some of the great players -- the Samprases, Beckers, Connors, Borgs -- you name it. This guy could be the greatest of all time.

"He can beat half those guys with his eyes closed."

Federer's recent record speaks for itself.

He comes into the Rogers Cup as the No. 1 seed and as the No. 1 ranked player in the world.

His hold on the top spot in tennis started in February of 2004 and is now the third longest streak at No. 1 in the game's history.

Only Jimmy Connors and Lendl have had longer reigns as the top player in the world. Yet even Connors admits that Federer's game is beyond the reach of any of his contemporaries.

"In the modern game, you're either a clay-court specialist, a grass-court specialist or a hard-court specialist ... or you're Roger Federer," Connors said.

At just 24 years old, the Switzerland native already has won eight Grand Slam tennis titles and has lost only four matches in the past year -- all to Rafael Nadal, the reigning Rogers Cup champion, who he could face again in Toronto.

But it won't be on Nadal's clay court but on Federer's favourite turf that the pair -- if they meet -- will play on at the Rexall Centre.

EFFICIENT

On the way to his most recent Wimbledon title, Federer destroyed Nadal 6-0, 7-6, 6-7, 6-3 with the same efficient game that had earlier squashed Richard Gasquet, Tim Henman, Nicolas Mahut, Tomas Berdych, Mario Ancic (who was the last man to beat Federer on grass at Wimbledon in 2002), and Jonas Bjorkman.

American tennis icon Andre Agassi said that it doesn't matter what strategy you play against Federer, he will find a way to beat you.

"He's the best I've ever played against. There's nowhere to go," Agassi said. "He uses your pace against you. If you take pace off, so that he can't use your pace, he can step around and hurt you with the forehand.

"Just the amount of options he has to get around any particular stage of the match -- where maybe something's out of sync -- seems to be endless."

Federer's off-court life is mostly out of the limelight.

He works tirelessly for children's charity groups -- particularly in South Africa -- through the establishment of the Roger Federer Foundation.

After the tsunami disaster of 2004 Federer approached all of his ATP colleagues to join him in a fund-raising effort. He pledged that he would play as many matches as possible in tournaments that would turn over their profits to UNICEF relief operations.

It is that kind of character, too, that lands more plaudits on Federer from his peers.

"He's a real person. He's not an enigma," Andy Roddick said. "Off the court he's not trying to be somebody. If you met him at McDonald's and you didn't know who he was, you would have no idea that he's one of the best athletes in the world."

James Blake -- who is the fifth ranked player in the world -- said that Federer has never let his talent or success get to his head.

"He hasn't changed a bit. He hasn't been arrogant in the locker room. He never is," Blake said. "It's great to see someone that does it with class. He doesn't intentionally get in anyone's face. He doesn't put people down."

http://torontosun.com/Sports/OtherSports/2006/08/03/pf-1716772.html

ExpectedWinner

08-03-2006, 05:49 PM

And look at the difference between him and Pete on carpet.

He missed 2004/05 carpet seasons with injures. Also, TMC in 90s was played on carpet indoors and Houston 03/04 was outdoor hc.

Mellow Yellow

08-03-2006, 07:14 PM

He missed 2004/05 carpet seasons with injures. Also, TMC in 90s was played on carpet indoors and Houston 03/04 was outdoor hc.Weren't there a lot more tournaments on carpet indoors in the past (80s/90s) then there are now? I seem to remember JMac having this huge winning streak (I don't think it's been broken yet) on carpet.

ExpectedWinner

08-03-2006, 08:11 PM

Weren't there a lot more tournaments on carpet indoors in the past (80s/90s) then there are now? I seem to remember JMac having this huge winning streak (I don't think it's been broken yet) on carpet.

I beleive that there were more carpet indoor tournaments in 80/90s. But I don't think that JMac/Sampras played more than 4/5 tournaments on carpet indoors anyway. If Roger wanted/needed to play that amount of tournaments on carpet , he could enter Moscow, St.Petersburg, Basel, Paris, Shanghai (if qualified). I'm not sure, but I think that Madrid, Rotterdam, Vienna, Stockholm, Marseille are played on indoors hc these days. :confused:

robinhood

08-03-2006, 10:14 PM

The article is mostly about Blake except for the headline, but still...

http://www.tsn.ca/tennis/news_story/?ID=173125&hubname=

Federer-Nadal rivalry heads to Rogers Cup

Canadian Press
8/2/2006 7:33:25 PM
The rivalry between the top two men's tennis players in the world has been at the centre of the promotional push for the upcoming Rogers Cup.

And why not?

After all, world No. 1 Roger Federer of Switzerland and No. 2 Rafael Nadal of Spain have virtually owned the men's tour this year. But with 47 of the top 50 players in the world expected to play at next week's $2.45-million US Masters Series event, there will be plenty of depth in the field.

One player to watch is James Blake, who has rocketed over 200 positions in the last year and a half to No. 5 in the world rankings.

The 26-year-old American said the Federer-Nadal rivalry has been good for the game but thinks they could soon have some company near the top.

"It's great to see two guys at the top that are really doing well," Blake said Wednesday from Washington. "But I think there are a lot of guys that are creeping up on them that can also have some effectiveness against them.

"I hope to be one of them."

Blake will get a chance this month at two big outdoor hardcourt events. There is next week's tournament in Toronto and the final major of the season, the U.S. Open in his home state of New York beginning Aug. 28.

"Toronto is big," Blake said. "It's a U.S. Open Series event and being a Masters Series (event), we only have nine of those ... and for me the ones that are on hardcourts are my best chance to do well."

Injured Croat Mario Ancic, the world No. 8, is the only player from the top 20 who has pulled out of the Toronto event. An injury forced world No. 10 Andy Roddick to withdraw from this week's Legg Mason Tennis Classic, but the American hopes to be ready in time for the Rogers Cup.

It has been a remarkable comeback for Blake, who fell to No. 210 in the world rankings in April 2005, but has already won three ATP tournaments this year.

He missed two months after he fractured vertebrae in his neck during a practice session in May 2004. He also fell ill that summer with a condition that affected his hearing and vision and caused temporary paralysis on one side of his face.

But Blake is back in form and is now a stronger person and player.

"Someone with a second chance is always even more dangerous," Blake said. "I've got that perspective, I've got that attitude that my career isn't going to last forever so I've got to play it like it's almost a sprint to the finish line."

The draw for the 64-man Rogers Cup main draw will be held Saturday. There are 12 spots reserved for wild-card entries and qualifiers.

Peter Polansky of Thornhill, Ont., defeated Dejan Cvetkovic of Saint-Sauveur, Que., 5-7, 6-2, 6-3 in a pre-qualifying match Wednesday. It was Polansky's second match since he was hurt in a sleepwalking accident at a Mexico City hotel last April.

Philip Gubenco of Longueuil, Que., defeated Adil Shamasdin of Pickering, Ont., 6-2, 6-3; Rob Steckley of Toronto beat Erik Chvojka of Kirkland, Que., 6-3, 6-2 and Pierre-Ludovic Duclos of Ste-Foy, Que., defeated Milan Pokrajac of Mississauga, Ont., 4-6, 6-1, 6-1.

On Thursday, Gubenco will take on Polansky while Steckley meets Duclos. The winners will advance to the 32-man qualifying draw.

NYCtennisfan

08-04-2006, 10:36 PM

I beleive that there were more carpet indoor tournaments in 80/90s. But I don't think that JMac/Sampras played more than 4/5 tournaments on carpet indoors anyway. If Roger wanted/needed to play that amount of tournaments on carpet , he could enter Moscow, St.Petersburg, Basel, Paris, Shanghai (if qualified). I'm not sure, but I think that Madrid, Rotterdam, Vienna, Stockholm, Marseille are played on indoors hc these days. :confused:

You are right. Indoor carpet tournaments used to litter the ATP calendar. Jmac, Lendl, Becker, Connors, and Sampras used to feast on those tournaments. The 70's and early/mid 80's were dominated by indoor carpet tournaments.

In 1984, JMac played 7 indoor carpet tournies and 8 indoor tournaments overall. In 1983 he played 6 indoor carpet tournies and 7 indoor tournaments. In 1982, he played 7 indoor carpet, and 9 total indoor.

Lendl played 8 indoor carpet tournaments in 1982, 8 in 1984, 5 in 1987.

Becker won most of his titles indoors on carpet.

The surface is much different from the hard indoor surface of Madrid for example. THe court was extrmely fast and no amount of great retrieinv could win a match because you would be in a disadvantaged position on just about every point if you were playing defensively.

NYCtennisfan

08-04-2006, 10:40 PM

And look at the difference between him and Pete on carpet. I'll bet any money the majority of courts now are medium to slow. Heck I think the decoturf they're using during the US Open series is medium paced. During the LA event Patrick McEnroe said the courts were slow (but the balls were fast). It's kinda sad now that almost every tournament, except the few indoor events, are played on slower surfaces. Even Wimbledon now players are saying plays like clay courts. The US Open is probably the quickest outdoor surface but even that surfaced has been slowed down. :sad:

There is no doubt that the courts are slower today, especially since they don't have too many tournaments featuring very fast indoor surfaces like they did in the 80's and to a certain extent in the early and mid 90's. I aslo think the athletic ability of the ATP tour as a whole is a lot greater than it has ever been before. Players are biggera nd much, much faster as a whole. FAster players also tend to make the court look slower.

Mellow Yellow

08-05-2006, 01:59 AM

There is no doubt that the courts are slower today, especially since they don't have too many tournaments featuring very fast indoor surfaces like they did in the 80's and to a certain extent in the early and mid 90's. I aslo think the athletic ability of the ATP tour as a whole is a lot greater than it has ever been before. Players are biggera nd much, much faster as a whole. FAster players also tend to make the court look slower.I've always wondered this (and haven't found an answer on google :lol: ) what is the difference between the HC surfaces earlier in the season (after AO) vs the ones during the US Open Series? I know all the courts in this series are Decoturf and I think are considered medium paced. But what about tournaments like Rotterdam, Dubai, IW, ect. Are those similar to Toronto and Cincy? Or slower?

SUKTUEN

08-05-2006, 06:01 AM

thanks~~

robinhood

08-06-2006, 06:54 AM

Courting a rivalry: One for the history books ...
Federer and Nadal are the best, but that's about all they have in common.

Michael Traikos, National Post
Published: Saturday, August 05, 2006

One punishes the ball from the baseline, likes to roll around in the dirt, and celebrates winning shots by leaping into the air and pumping his fist.
The other has been known to wear a cream-coloured blazer on the court and somehow plays five-set matches without messing a hair or breaking a sweat.
Of the two men, the only constant is that both dominate a sport that involves striking a fuzzy ball with a graphite racquet.

Everything else -- from their wardrobe to the hand they play with -- is different.
It is those contrasting styles that make Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer a captivating rivalry. In a sport full of faceless clones, they offer an alternative.
"There are so many things you can contrast between the two players, which is what true rivalries consist of," says Jim Courier, a four-time Grand Slam champion.
"Rafa is a rough-and-tumble warrior on the court, where Roger is all about cool and seemingly easy style of play. It's the effort on Rafa's side and the grace from Roger that produces really compelling matches."

Tennis is like any other one-on-one sport: It needs rivalries to survive.
What made the game exciting in the 1980s was the conflicting styles of vocal American John McEnroe and silent Swede Bjorn Borg. In the 1990s, it was the visual differences of the clean-cut Pete Sampras and bad boy Andre Agassi.
"Tennis is like boxing, without the blood and the bruising," Courier says. "The bruising we take is internal. But what I do affects you directly and vice versa.
"Rivalries in boxing is what drives that sport. The heavyweight division has been suffering lately, because they don't have a compelling rivalry. And tennis is very much in that camp."

As with McEnroe and Borg, Sampras and Agassi, or Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert, the casual tennis fan is ultimately forced to pick a favourite when watching Nadal face Federer.
Do you root for the Spaniard Nadal, whose tennis ball-sized biceps and bull-fighting shorts have attracted groupies? Or are you in awe of how Federer calmly dissects his opponent with Swiss precision?
"My kids dig what Rafa brings to the table," Courier says. "They like that he's passionate and he's got a swagger about him. The tennis purists gravitate more towards Roger."

Federer, who is the top-ranked player in the world, has battled against Nadal, the No. 2, eight times so far. Nadal has a 6-2 edge, winning all four meetings on clay, including the last two years at the French Open. Federer, meanwhile, toppled the 20-year-old youngster at the All-England Lawn Tennis Club in Wimbledon last month, where he has won for the last four years.
Now comes the real test, with the circuit on the hard courts of North America and the pair preparing to lock horns on neutral ground the U.S. Open later this month.
"Grass favours Federer, clay favours Nadal," says two-time U.S. Open champion Tracy Austin. "This is a surface that's kind of in the middle. If they're playing in the final, you have to think the ratings would go through the roof."

First, the two dynamos will arrive in Toronto for the Rogers Cup, which starts today with qualifying at the Rexall Centre. The main draw begins Monday.
"I think this rivalry is a bit like a wave right now," Courier says. "It's already swept through Europe ... Once they hit Toronto, there will be a level of awareness and such enormous hype, because of the French Open and Wimbledon finals."
But whether that buzz can continue through Toronto and onto New York is still a question. Will fans care about two foreign players who may have the charisma of McEnroe and the charm of Jimmy Connors, but lack the citizenship of Andy Roddick or James Blake?

"The important ingredient is having an American player," says Grant Connell, who is the tournament director for the Rogers Cup. "What made the Borg-McEnroe rivalry really good was that you also had Jimmy Connors in the wings. You need that."
"There has always been an American," added Austin, "and I hope it doesn't have to be that way, because it doesn't look like we're going to have one challenge these two."

It was the Nebraska-born Roddick who was supposed to be challenge Federer for the crown of men's tennis. Roddick shot to popularity in 2003 when he won the U.S. Open and hosted Saturday Night Live.
But when he came face to face with Federer, the great white American hope seemed to suffer from stage fright. During one of his many defeats, Roddick playfully tossed his racquet over the net after a lost point to signify he had thrown in the towel.
(in case someone hasn't seen this, check this out.)
http://youtube.com/watch?v=2Hp-EArV6s8

"I'm going to have to start winning some of them to call it a rivalry," Roddick once said. He has lost 10 of 11 matches to Federer.
Few others have managed better results against the world No. 1, who has won eight major titles since turning pro in 1998.
That is where Nadal comes in. Before Wimbledon, he had defeated Federer five straight times. And his testosterone-laced game and ability to hunt down shots had started to get into the champion's head.
"I don't have many bad records against players," Federer said before playing Nadal in the Wimbledon final, "but this is one, so maybe you enter the match a little differently."
Federer won in four sets, but it was a two-hour, 50-minute marathon that had both players clapping hands as they walked off the court.

The lovefest between the two -- they took turns praising each other at Roland Garros and Wimbledon -- is somewhat new to an individual sport that tends to breed more enemies than it does friendships.
"There is no animosity, there's no hatred there," Austin says. "They can leave it all out on the court. That's just so classy and unusual."
Perhaps that is what the rivalry is missing.

Where Sampras and Agassi reportedly refused to socialize with one another, and McEnroe's oncourt behaviour made him the perfect heel -- a player fans and opponents loved to hate -- Federer and Nadal have kept their war between the lines.
"I don't disagree that animosity in a rivalry does bring an extra edge to it," Courier says. "But you don't need it. Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova were friendly rivals. That didn't mean they weren't less fierce on the battlefield."

Indeed, with Grand Slams and rankings on the line, Federer and Nadal have pushed each other so far ahead of the rest of the pack that they have already qualified for the year-end Masters Series final in Shanghai, a feat unheard of in past years.
"They've done an amazing job," Connell says, "of pushing the sport to a level that we haven't seen in a long time."

mtraikos@nationalpost.com

SUKTUEN

08-06-2006, 10:34 AM

thanks~~

Mellow Yellow

08-06-2006, 04:07 PM

I heard that Wilson will be selling 2,000 limited edition racquets that are supposed to be just like the ones Roger uses. These racquets have his signature on them. Bad thing is they're only being sold in Japan. Not sure why. :scratch: You'd think they would make a fortune selling a kit like this in the USA or Europe. :shrug:

http://wilson-ncode.jp/products/nsix1_tour_feferer.html

http://wilson-ncode.jp/images/products/nsix1tourfederer_2.jpg

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f334/wlinchon/WilsonnSixOneTourFederer1.jpg

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f334/wlinchon/WilsonnSixOneTourFedererPouch2.jpg

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f334/wlinchon/WilsonnSixOneTourFedererSignature3.jpg

Skyward

08-06-2006, 05:07 PM

" My kids dig what Rafa brings to the table," Courier says. "They like that he's passionate and he's got a swagger about him. The tennis purists gravitate more towards Roger."

What kids is he talking about?

lunahielo

08-06-2006, 07:06 PM

Just show 'em Roger! :bounce:

fightclubber

08-06-2006, 08:11 PM

robinhood

08-06-2006, 08:41 PM

Mellow Yellow

08-06-2006, 11:06 PM

Interesting fact....Tiger Woods today won his 50th tournament at age 30. Tht means he's won approx 25% of tournaments played in his career. Roger, at 5 years younger has won 39 tournaments or 23.6% of tournaments played. I wonder how many tournaments Roger will have by age 30. He already has more slams than Tiger did at his age.

soraya

08-06-2006, 11:49 PM

Courting a rivalry: One for the history books ...
[QUOTE]
"My kids dig what Rafa brings to the table," Courier says. "They like that he's passionate and he's got a swagger about him. The tennis purists gravitate more towards Roger."

I was not aware of any Courier kids.

But whether that buzz can continue through Toronto and onto New York is still a question. Will fans care about two foreign players who may have the charisma of McEnroe and the charm of Jimmy Connors, but lack the citizenship of Andy Roddick or James Blake?
"The important ingredient is having an American player," says Grant Connell, who is the tournament director for the Rogers Cup. "What made the Borg-McEnroe rivalry really good was that you also had Jimmy Connors in the wings. You need that."
"There has always been an American," added Austin, "and I hope it doesn't have to be that way, because it doesn't look like we're going to have one challenge these two."

I really do not understand why an individual sport should become a country affair. As far as I am concerned I root for a player because of his game, charisma and on/off court manners regardless of his citizenship. Thanks for the article Mirkaland

robinhood

08-07-2006, 12:45 AM

Thanks for the article Mirkaland
But I posted it. :bigcry:

soraya

08-07-2006, 02:15 AM

But I posted it. :bigcry:

sorry honey. :hug: thanks

robinhood

08-07-2006, 03:11 AM

lunahielo

08-07-2006, 04:39 AM

Originally posted by soraya
I really do not understand why an individual sport should become a country affair. As far as I am concerned I root for a player because of his game, charisma and on/off court manners regardless of his citizenship.

AMEN!!
Good words!!! :)

SUKTUEN

08-07-2006, 05:04 AM

oH, WHY you have this good things? I also have 4 Roger's sign , he signed for me in 2004~~ :devil:

Mellow Yellow

08-07-2006, 05:15 AM

SUKTUEN

08-07-2006, 05:17 AM

I do not see Roger in the cover~!! :eek:

TheMightyFed

08-07-2006, 08:45 AM

Does anyone know if Roger's featured in this magazine? It's about the 100 most important Swiss in the last 12 months.

http://adm-rin-smp-lnx.sc.previon.net/mediaserver/api/getMediadata.cfm?media_id=5461&mandator=fw40_mandator_0130
Yes he is but he didn't have time to do a special pic with other important Swiss people, there is a small article about him...

Puschkin

08-07-2006, 10:20 AM

jwoodrx

08-07-2006, 06:57 PM

I really do not understand why an individual sport should become a country affair. As far as I am concerned I root for a player because of his game, charisma and on/off court manners regardless of his citizenship.

Well, I'm american and my favorites have always been foreign. I mean american women love foreign men. They're exotic and sexy as hell ;) . It must be male executives who are so shortsided. :rolleyes:

jwoodrx

08-07-2006, 06:59 PM

Yes he is but he didn't have time to do a special pic with other important Swiss people, there is a small article about him...

Oooh, could you translate and post this if you have time? Thanks!!

NYCtennisfan

08-07-2006, 08:58 PM

I really do not understand why an individual sport should become a country affair. As far as I am concerned I root for a player because of his game, charisma and on/off court manners regardless of his citizenship. Thanks for the article Mirkaland

This is what SHOULD be the case, but alas it is not for the majority of Americans. The "problem" is that the big team sports hog up all the attention the media gives. What's left for the individual sports is all based on personality.

That's all fine and good, but when you have a small portion of the market left for an individual sport like tennis, the powers that be know that an American will generate more interest. It has always been like that and most likely always will be. No matter who is in the USO final, it wouldn't attract as much attention here compared with Roddick vs. ________ or Agassi vs. __________. ESPN, NBC, CBS, whoever go by past ratings and if Americans have drawn more attention to the sport in the past on every single big occasion, that's who they will push.

That's why golf has a big advantage on tennis the US. Most of the players on the PGA Tour are American and they play almost all of the events in the US.

Mellow Yellow

08-07-2006, 10:49 PM

This is what SHOULD be the case, but alas it is not for the majority of Americans. The "problem" is that the big team sports hog up all the attention the media gives. What's left for the individual sports is all based on personality.

That's all fine and good, but when you have a small portion of the market left for an individual sport like tennis, the powers that be know that an American will generate more interest. It has always been like that and most likely always will be. No matter who is in the USO final, it wouldn't attract as much attention here compared with Roddick vs. ________ or Agassi vs. __________. ESPN, NBC, CBS, whoever go by past ratings and if Americans have drawn more attention to the sport in the past on every single big occasion, that's who they will push.

That's why golf has a big advantage on tennis the US. Most of the players on the PGA Tour are American and they play almost all of the events in the US.I agree with you about golf (and even a lot of non-Americans live in the USA and play the American PGA tour exclusively) and Agassi, but I'm not so sure about Roddick. Maybe last years USO was just a case of the crowd rooting for the underdog or just cheering Muller's great performance, but I was surprised at how the crowd didn't seem to be trying to help Andy win. At least I didn't think they were. It will be interesting to see what happens to the level of interest in this country once Agassi is retired.

mays

08-07-2006, 10:52 PM

Hey guys, hope all is well, i found this article somewhere on the net, and was outraged!! and so i sent this e-mail.

""Last years Rogers Cup winner, Raphael Nadal begins his third appearance at the event, which runs today through August 11th. Headlining the day tomorrow are Roger Federer who is set to take on Paul-Henri Mathieu, and our little Rafi who will face Nicolas Massu. Of course, the oh-so-arrogant Federer was under the impression that the event was named after him, because after all, he is the best. “I’ve had a nice, hot build-up,” Federer told reporters. “My holidays were nice and relaxing. I was surprised at how well I felt. (Of course you were) After the long clay season and then playing on the grass I didn’t feel tired. (Yawn) That was a great sign. I was ready to go to the beach after three days. (in a speedo?) Usually I can’t move for a week. I didn’t have to heal anything…I’ve had the best start of my career…I’ve played three grand slam finals and won two of them, losing to only one player.” ...lots of stuff about thuggy... Just pa-leeze spank the hell outta Roger and let’s rename the event the Rafi-Cup""

this is the e-mail i sent:

Ms Debbie,

I was just on www.athlebrities.com and reading your comments regarding Rafael Nadal,
and to be honest i really think that you over did it with your comments concerning Roger Federer. You called him "oh so arrogant" where he is the least arrogant person you could think of considering what he has achieved. You also hinted that he thought the tournament was named after himself, and this is completely incorrect. If this article was about Rafael Nadal, then i find it completely unneccesary to show anyone else in a bad light, particularly Roger Federer.

You are obviously not a tennis fan and are not aware that Roger Federer is debated to be the best player in the history of the game. He deserves much more respect than you gave him credit for in what you wrote.

I'm sorry if i sound to harsh, but your comments were in my opinion inappropriate. I'm not writing this as a fed idiot who has no idea what shes talking about. Im writing this as a tennis fan period.

Thank you for taking the time to read this.

Sincerely,
Mays.

Eden

08-07-2006, 11:24 PM

Thank you for posting this article. What kind of journalism is this? :rolleyes: I will send an e-mail as well and I think other fans will follow...

NYCtennisfan

08-07-2006, 11:42 PM

I agree with you about golf (and even a lot of non-Americans live in the USA and play the American PGA tour exclusively) and Agassi, but I'm not so sure about Roddick. Maybe last years USO was just a case of the crowd rooting for the underdog or just cheering Muller's great performance, but I was surprised at how the crowd didn't seem to be trying to help Andy win. At least I didn't think they were. It will be interesting to see what happens to the level of interest in this country once Agassi is retired.

The crowds have usually supported Roddick quite enthusiastically here, but they also appreciate a good performance. Gilles was playing brilliantly and Andy was not so the crowd gave him a standing ovation.

I'm not sure how representative the USO Stadium Court crowd is of the entire United States, but I do know that there are just too many sports going on for the average fan (the fan that the networks are after because the diehards will be there anyway) to also follow 'some foreigner'. A real fan of the game (almost all the people MTF) knows that there are a lot of things that might make a fan follow/support a player, but that is because they invest the time in playing/learning about/watching the sport. The networks aren't going to get good ratings from those people. They are going to get ratings from the fan who turns on the TV to watch the Open or Wimbledon and that's it and it is almost certain that that type of fan will gravitate towards an American.

Skyward

08-07-2006, 11:53 PM

Mays, are you sure it's an official article? It sounds like a regular post from some GM dumbass.

WF4EVER

08-08-2006, 12:19 AM

The crowds have usually supported Roddick quite enthusiastically here, but they also appreciate a good performance. Gilles was playing brilliantly and Andy was not so the crowd gave him a standing ovation.

I'm not sure how representative the USO Stadium Court crowd is of the entire United States, but I do know that there are just too many sports going on for the average fan (the fan that the networks are after because the diehards will be there anyway) to also follow 'some foreigner'. A real fan of the game (almost all the people MTF) knows that there are a lot of things that might make a fan follow/support a player, but that is because they invest the time in playing/learning about/watching the sport. The networks aren't going to get good ratings from those people. They are going to get ratings from the fan who turns on the TV to watch the Open or Wimbledon and that's it and it is almost certain that that type of fan will gravitate towards an American.

Tennis in America does not cater for tennis fans. It caters for people who turn on their tv to see Anna Kournikova with her twat hanging out of her pants and men who change their shirts on court so you can ooh and aah at their bodies. America knows nothing but selling sex. Real tennis fans should consider themselves lucky that sex sells the way it does in America or we wouldn't see tennis on tv in this day and age.

MissMoJo

08-08-2006, 05:55 AM

SUKTUEN

08-08-2006, 08:26 AM

Oh, is any Swiss people Congrat for Roger's Birthday?

Stevens Point

08-08-2006, 11:23 AM

Oh, is any Swiss people Congrat for Roger's Birthday?
Here is one site where Swiss people congratulate his birthday online. :) (German)

http://www.blick.ch/sport/tennis/artikel42277?display=kommentar

Mellow Yellow

08-08-2006, 12:09 PM

I saw this stat on the ATP website. But is it really meaningfull to compare say Jimmy Connors with Pete and Roger with a stat like this? The slams, obviously yes. But overall titles? The tour certainly has changed a lot since the days of Connors. I mean what was the depth of the tour when he was playing in his prime? Also I'd be curious to know the ratio of tournaments won to tournaments played in that time frame.

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a377/jsnash/rf_25.jpg

Mellow Yellow

08-08-2006, 12:11 PM

Sounds like Tony won't be with Roger again until Shanghai. I thought maybe he'd be at the European indoor events (assuming Roger plays).

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20060808.TEBBUTT08/TPStory/TPSports/OtherSports/
Relaxed Federer keeps it simple on and off court
TOM TEBBUTT

TORONTO -- Some people do not quite get it with Roger Federer.

They would prefer him to be a more controversial guy, perhaps an athlete with the cantankerous mien of John McEnroe, the tabloid newspaper love life of Boris Becker or the inclination to crack racquets in fits of pique like Marat Safin.

But the Swiss maestro just won't conform. He only plays sublime tennis while achieving amazing results, all the while serving as a peerless role model for his sport and the players in it.

For Federer, it is just natural to be civil, relaxed and accommodating, the way he was when he plopped himself on a couch in the players' lounge at the Rogers Cup on the weekend.

He could not have been more at ease -- joking with a passerby and shouting a greeting to another player before settling in for a chat.

His recent Wimbledon win gave him eight Grand Slam titles, more than halfway to the record of 14 held by Pete Sampras. Asked what questions he would have for Sampras if they sat down for dinner, he said, "We've probably been through the same stuff so it would be, 'How did he do the whole thing?' 'What did he enjoy most?' and 'What were his biggest problems?'

"He went through it for such a long time, dealing with the pressure and everything. But in the end, we wouldn't talk so much about tennis. It wouldn't dominate the evening."

Federer, who plays his opening match at the Rogers Cup tonight against Paul-Henri Mathieu, speaks four languages -- Swiss-German, English, German and French. He talked about what bugged him about his media obligations.

"Doing it over and over," he said. "The worst is when I've won 6-3, 6-4. There's not much to say and I have to go through all the languages. If the story that day is going to be about [Andre] Agassi, what's the point in talking to me if he won 7-6 in the third set against a good player? In that case, give a guy a break."

Probably his most controversial match in 2006 was a 1-6, 6-1, 6-4, 7-6(4) loss in June to Rafael Nadal in the French Open final, a performance many saw as listless and uninspired. Asked if the unusually hot day got to him, he replied, "I don't think it had anything to do with the heat. I think people expected too much. They expected a five-hour thriller like Rome [in May] -- 6-7(0), 7-6(5), 6-4, 2-6, 7-6(5) for Nadal -- where both of us were very aggressive."

Federer added there was extra hype because of what he said about Nadal's coach and uncle Toni Nadal illegally coaching him. "It wasn't five hours and it wasn't fist-pumping all over the place so some people said, 'What's wrong, what happened?' But I'll admit it didn't live up to the standard."

Regarding the widely-held view he should have changed his game as Nadal gained the upper hand, he surprisingly said, "I agree."

"I realized that later," he explained, "but it's hard to change tactics against Rafa because it might end up even [worse]. . . . I also believed, why should I change after winning the first set? But I wasn't happy with the way I played."

The conversation then turned to Australian Darren Cahill, Agassi's coach and a close friend of Federer's first mentor Peter Carter, another Aussie, who was killed in a vehicle accident in South Africa four years ago while Federer was in Toronto. With Agassi retiring, would Cahill be a candidate to coach him instead of 61-year-old Tony Roche of Australia?

"I doubt it," Federer said. "I've heard he's very involved with Andre. I just spoke to Tony in Dubai [while vacationing and training there after Wimbledon in July] and he told me he's ready to do it again next year. That was very important for me. He's not coming to the U.S. Open but probably to Shanghai [the year-end Masters Cup event] and then the Australian Open again."

Federer conceded about Cahill, 40, who coached Agassi and Lleyton Hewitt to No. 1, "he's got a great résumé."

The world No. 1's Mr. Perfect image suffered a slight blemish when, after losing the French Open final, he was uncharacteristically curt and confrontational in answering a reporter's question.

There was mild shock in the room, then the relief of knowing even he has bad days.

Today is a noteworthy one, his birthday. "I'm not the kind of guy who thinks it's incredibly special," he said. "But 25 is a good number." Who would disagree?

P. Antonius

08-08-2006, 12:15 PM

Mellow Yellow

08-08-2006, 12:19 PM

The amount of slams is relevant, and Roger is just behind Bjorn slams-wise :cool: .Yes but he has to win the US Open this year to still be ahead of Pete.

Minnie

08-08-2006, 03:37 PM

I hadn't expected Tony to be with Roger until Shanghai - but interesting to read that he's already said he is prepared to work with him through 2007. From the sound of it, Roger seems pleased with this too. Glad to read also that he thought his FO final performance was ... well, not up to scratch and that he should have changed tack against Nadal. Friends and I were yelling at our TV about this .. but then, its so easy to be an "armchair player" :lol: Hope he has a great day today!

rofe

08-08-2006, 05:23 PM

dulcinea1

08-08-2006, 05:49 PM

You are totally right Rofe. Roger's 8 grand slams are 20,5% of his total winning tournaments. Borg's record is only 17%. This means that Roger has achieved much more BIG titles with much bigger competition as usually any grand slam has, instead of winning lesser tournaments where the competition is not so fierce.
I think it is also not fair this comparison because Roger has just turn 25 today, and in theory he has still 364 days to go to be compared with the other players.
They don't say in this stat the exact age (years and months) of the other players. Roger was 24 when he won 8 grand slams,

P. Antonius

08-08-2006, 06:02 PM

I think it is also not fair this comparison because Roger has just turn 25 today, and in theory he has still 364 days to go to be compared with the other players.
They don't say in this stat the exact age (years and months) of the other players. Roger was 24 when he won 8 grand slams,

Good point. The day before he'll turn 26 he might have 10 or 11 slams and several other titles :)

Mellow Yellow

08-08-2006, 07:03 PM

P. Antonius

08-08-2006, 09:34 PM

The other stat that would be interesting to know is tournaments played. Last year Roger only played 15 tournaments. I'm sure Connors was playing more than that in a year.

I don't know for Connors, but Borg was usually not playing more than 17-18 tournaments a year in his prime.

mangoes

08-08-2006, 10:56 PM

I don't know if this has been posted yet, but Roger's "Experience My Passion" Video is up at the atp site.

Mellow Yellow

08-09-2006, 12:04 AM

I don't know if this has been posted yet, but Roger's "Experience My Passion" Video is up at the atp site.Thanks, mangoes. :D Roger looks and sounds so good there. And at the very end even said the "M" word. http://macca.devstars.com/phpBB2/images/smiles/icon_mrgreen.gif

lunahielo

08-09-2006, 12:18 AM

What's the *M* word?

Longshot

08-09-2006, 12:22 AM

marriage:secret::eek:

SUKTUEN

08-09-2006, 06:02 AM

Here is one site where Swiss people congratulate his birthday online. :) (German)

http://www.blick.ch/sport/tennis/artikel42277?display=kommentar
thanks SP~!! :worship:

Roger said He will Marry????? :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:

Mellow Yellow

08-09-2006, 11:44 AM

thanks SP~!! :worship:

Roger said He will Marry????? :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:No, he said because he's been with his g/f for 6 years now it's something to start thinking about BUT that they were comforable with their relationship right now.

SUKTUEN

08-09-2006, 06:54 PM

I think Roger is very happy with Mirka!!! ;)

He always have a very swee smile when he see Mirka!!! :D

Daniel

08-10-2006, 02:25 AM

TORONTO (CP) - He's the next thing to invincible, especially in North America.

Swiss tennis star Roger Federer stretched his winning streak on this side of the ocean to 50 matches stretching back more than two years when he defeated Sebastien Grosjean of France 6-3, 6-3 in the second round of the $2.45-million US Rogers Cup on Wednesday. Only three of the men originally seeded in the top 10 are left in the tournament. And no Americans remained in contention after Kevin Kim, ranked 96th in the world, lost to No. 25 Fernando Verdasco of Spain, 6-3, 6-2.

Federer is on his way to becoming, in the eyes of many, the greatest to ever swing a racket, and he just turned 25 Tuesday.

The No. 1-ranked player in the world has already won $4.5 million this year and, if he takes home the $400,000 winner's share Sunday, the six-foot-one machine will surpass $25 million in his career.

"Same as (Tuesday) - good," Federer replied when asked to assess his latest triumph. "I think I played a little more aggressive.

"I had patches where I played really good tennis. I was really pleased with the way I played because he's a tough player and I haven't played him in a while. He's a veteran and he knows how to play the game well, and he's quick, so I had to play a good match."

He's so good that he's often compared to athletes in other sports, such as golf's Tiger Woods, who are similarly gifted. He insists, however, that being expected to win constantly is not become a burden.

"You get used to it after a while, having the pressure from the media or the fans, the expectations and everything," he said.

Daniel

08-10-2006, 02:26 AM

Roger Federer Wins His 14th Straight Match During Toronto Masters

August 9, 2006 7:45 p.m. EST

Josephine Roque - All Headline News Staff Writer
Toronto, Canada (AHN) - Top seed Roger Federer tallied his 14th straight win when he defeated France's Sebastien Grosjean in a 6-3, 6-3 game at the Toronto Masters.

The world number one, Wimbledon and Australian Open champion is scheduled to play against Russian Dmitry Tursunov in the round of 16.

U.S. fifth seed James Blake crumbled to France's Richard Gasquet in a 6-4 6-3 match.

Spain's seventh seed Tommy Robredo was shot down by Argentine Jose Acasuso, ending at a 2-6 6-3 6-4 loss.

Croatia's fourth seed Ivan Ljubicic defeated France's Arnaud Clement 7-6 (8-6) 6-4.

"It was a great win for me," Federer said, according to BBC Sports. "I was able to be aggressive, serve and volley and come in a bit."

Daniel

08-10-2006, 02:27 AM

Federer strolls into third round at Toronto Masters
By Steve Keating
TORONTO, Aug 9 (Reuters) - World number one Roger Federer was all business a day after celebrating his 25th birthday, strolling into the third round of the Toronto Masters on Wednesday with a 6-3 6-3 win over Frenchman Sebastien Grosjean.
With a possible showdown against arch rival Rafael Nadal looming, the Swiss contented himself with a piece of birthday cake, flowers from his girlfriend and a routine first-round win over Paul-Henri Mathieu on Monday, rather than a late night party.
Playing in his first event since beating Nadal to claim a fourth Wimbledon title, Federer has shown few signs of rust in his return and needed just 67 minutes to sweep past Grosjean.
"It was similar to yesterday, good," Federer told reporters. "I think I played a little more aggressive, I had some very, very good patches.
"I was really pleased the way I played because he is a tough player."
Bidding for a 40th career title, Federer broke Grosjean at the first opportunity and that was all the advantage the Swiss would need to secure the first set.
In the second Federer again scored the early break only to have the feisty Frenchman answer back to level the set at 1-1.
But the world number one would not be rattled, sweeping through the final four games to clinch the second set and the match, improving his hard court record this season to 30-1.

LCeh

08-10-2006, 02:29 AM

Is it just me or are the interviews not up on Rogerscup's official site?

Daniel

08-10-2006, 02:36 AM

link: http://www.tennis.com/yourgame/instructionarticles/backhand/backhand.aspx?id=38286Roger Federer’s Backhand

Perfect balance, precise footwork, and an uncanny ability to watch the ballmake Federer’s backhand a shot worth emulating.

By Stan Smith
Photos by Tommy Hindley/Professional Sport

It isn’t just that Roger Federer can masterfully hit any shot in the book—and a few shots that aren’t—but that he makes it look ridiculously easy. One of the keys to Federer’s success, and the principle reason his strokes look so effortless, is his extraordinary balance. Whether he’s hitting his huge forehand or his impressive backhand, he keeps his head and upper body remarkably quiet throughout the stroke.

1. Judging from his knee bend, you can tell that Federer is preparing for a lowball, perhaps an approach shot fromhis opponent. Even though he’s reacting quickly, he looks completely under control. He’s already changed his grip to one that’s slightly farther over from a classic Eastern. Also, notice the position of his racquet as he’s moving. Many players think you should prepare by immediately taking the racquet all the way back, but that’s not an efficient way to run. And while Federer’s shoulders have begun to turn, he won’t rotate them more until he plants his right foot.

2. Cradling the racquet in his left hand to control his backswing, Federer starts to turn his shoulders in unison with his racquet take-back. I like how his head is right in the center of his body. Pay attention to how he’s pointing his shoulder at the oncoming ball. This ensures good upper-body rotation, which is something many beginners and intermediates don’t do well. A full shoulder turn, along with a sound backhand grip, will help you drive the ball as well as avoid elbow problems.

3. This is a striking example of Federer’s excellent balance; he’s in the optimal position for this low ball. Even thoughhe’s dragging his toe, he’s still got a lot of his weight on his left foot. Many players would have moved most of their weight onto their front foot at this point, which would cause their momentum to continue to the side after striking the ball and result in a more difficult recovery. Federer’s racquet is all the wayback at this point and his shoulder turn isfull, about 45 degrees to the baseline. His head, though, has barely moved from theprevious photo.

4. Federer has just struck the ball and his left knee is almost touching theground. His upper body remains stilland balanced. This shot reminds me of how great downhill skiers allow their legs to go upand down like pistons but their upper bodies remain relatively quiet and straight up. Federer’s legs are doing all of the work of getting low to the ball; he’s not bending at the waist. It takes great core and quad strength to do this, but the payoff is that there’s no stress on the back. The angle between his arm and his racquet shows that he’s using astrong grip that will resist impact well.

5. Federer’s non-playing hand is back and down to counter balance his racquet hand going forward and up. Also, when the left arm goes back like that, it keeps the shoulders from turning and accelerates the right arm, giving you more power. As you can see, Federer’s shoulders are still sideways to the baseline. One common problem that players have with the backhand is that theypull up and open their shoulders so they almost face the net, losing power and control. Here, Federer’s head has hardly moved atall, and he has finished with his body perpendicular to the target.

6. Federer is recoiling after the swing,and it’s only now that he has startedto look up and watch his shot. Hisbody is still balanced, and because of that he won’t have to take an extra recovery step. If he were leaning over on such awide shot, he would have to take one more step. One of the big differences between agood player and a great player is recovery,and you can’t recover well unless you have excellent balance. This is one reason Federer gets to so many balls.

Daniel

08-10-2006, 03:28 AM

a video from Tenispro with Marinoa Zabaleta

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAJqDlF0QCs&NR

SUKTUEN

08-10-2006, 10:45 AM

thanks for the video!

Mellow Yellow

08-10-2006, 12:21 PM

So the news reports are that the Masters Cup surface is being changed to Rebound Ace. Uncle Toni must have been involved with that decision seeing as he was the biggest critic of the surface they had last year. :lol:

SUKTUEN

08-11-2006, 07:46 AM

Rebound Ace ? is that good for Roger? :D

soraya

08-14-2006, 01:27 AM

http://www.rogerscupmen.com/5/photos/341x230/federer11.jpg

Roger, the King of Toronto
August 13, 2006 - It was déjà vu all over again, as world No. 1 Roger Federer hoisted the championship trophy of the Rogers Cup presented by American Express after a successful, though certainly not easy, triumph at the week-long Masters Series event.

Tennis fans in Toronto were left with the very same image that had been etched in their minds after the 2004 final: Federer celebrating a championship win.

This time around, it was young Frenchman Richard Gasquet who fell victim to the Swiss superstar, although not before leaving fans on edge by taking the first set and putting Federer’s win in jeopardy. The 20-year old claimed the first set 6-2, but could not keep up and dropped the final two sets 6-3, 6-2.

The final was appropriate, given Gasquet’s terrific play throughout the week and Federer’s penchant for being pushed to three sets in the later rounds of the event. While Gasquet seemed to gain momentum as the tournament progressed, Federer found himself targeted by each of his opponents, working his way through four straight matches which went the distance.

Gasquet served notice that he is on the rise by cruising through competition such as No. 5 James Blake (USA) and No. 13 Tomas Berdych (Czech Republic), dropping only one set en route to the final.

Federer, meanwhile, came up big in crucial situations, fighting off three-round challenges from No. 15 Fernando Gonzalez (Chile), Xavier Malisse (Belgium), and Dmitry Tursunov (Russia).

The final left a boisterous sellout crowd satisfied and added more hardware to the trophy shelf of the best player in the world

SUKTUEN

08-14-2006, 04:43 AM

thanks~!

ToanNguyen

08-14-2006, 05:48 PM

Nice article. So true.

Tough win shows why Federer No. 1
Swiss star overcame struggles in heroic fashion Bruce Arthur, National Post

From the start of the Rogers Cup to the end, Federer's iron grip on his game progressively loosened, to the point that in yesterday's final against fearless young Frenchman Richard Gasquet, the world's greatest player was practically moaning to himself after several easy, errant shots. For the perpetually unruffled Federer, it was the equivalent of shrieks of frustration.

Of course, he also won, 2-6, 6-3, 6-2, in one hour and 47 minutes. It was the final stage of a surprisingly difficult climb.

"The victories more came through fighting, through trying to make every shot, trying to not play so fancy anymore, because I was obviously in a struggle," said Federer, who won his 40th career title, his 54th consecutive match in North America, and his 61st straight duel with anyone but No. 2 Rafael Nadal. "I thought the beginning [of the week] was actually better than the end, which is actually not the way it is for me."

Federer usually makes this very difficult game look so very easy, but playing his first tournament since winning Wimbledon on July 9, he had doubts. And for a man of such regal self-confidence, it was an admission as jarring as his 41 unforced errors against Gasquet, 17 of which came in the first set.

"I know that coming in here I was going to probably play a good tournament," said the Swiss star, "but then there's always doubt that after a month break you're not going to play the same."

Federer was forced to three sets in consecutive matches by Dmitry Tursunov (ranked 27th in the world), Xavier Malisse (No. 41), Fernando Gonzalez (No. 16), and Gasquet (51, but rising fast). Yesterday, the world's No. 1 shanked shots so routine for him that it was as if you or I suddenly lost the ability to tie our shoes.

And yet every time he was threatened, Federer found the poise, and the shots, he needed. At love-40 in the first game of the second set yesterday, Federer was in significant danger before scrambling, shot by shot, to safety. The match pivoted in those points. Incidentally, in his four three-set matches, his opponents won none, three, three, and two games in the four deciding sets.

There were three revelations yesterday. One, Gasquet can go far in this game. Two, the gap between Federer and the non-Nadal field is so wide that he can win playing long stretches of comparatively rotten tennis.

"It was a fantastic match for me," said the 20-year-old Gasquet. "But Roger was the best."

And three, Federer's self-control is not as effortless as it seems. As an English soccer manager once described himself, Federer is a bit like a swan -- placid on the surface, but paddling furiously underneath. Sometimes, he has to truly battle for his excellence.

"I just have a very strong belief in my capabilities, you know, in not showing my opponent how I feel, fighting like crazy even though it doesn't look like I am, maybe because I have such a relaxed style of play," said Federer, who will spend his 133rd consecutive week at No. 1.

"I just always believe that I can turn any match around. That's what happened today. I know that once I turn it around, once I would take the lead, then it would be very difficult for my opponent.
"That's what I always tell myself. Maybe it's an illusion sometimes, but it definitely works."
It is no illusion. He may be a little vanilla in terms of personality, but we are witnessing the purest form of athletic excellence in Federer. He is Michael Jordan, or Tiger Woods: immensely talented, incredibly driven, someone you tell your kids you saw play. Had Nadal made the final, it would have been another epic clash. Instead, this week we got to learn something.
What we learned this week was that Roger Federer remains human. He misses. He doubts himself -- he said the last time he did was at Halle, Germany, in June, which he also won despite struggling with his game. He fights to hold himself together. And we're pretty sure he bleeds.
But if you're another player, here's the thing: Federer might be human, but that doesn't mean you can beat him. If he ever solves Nadal, or if Nadal's bruising style ever results in injury ... well, take a picture. It's not often gods wave to the crowd.
Afterwards, Gasquet was asked whether Federer would pass Pete Sampras as the greatest of all time should he ever win the French Open. Gasquet, in his rough English, spoke at length. But one sentence stood out.
"I think he is like Sampras now."

Daniel

08-15-2006, 03:27 AM

http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/tennis/news/story?id=2549566

MASON, Ohio -- Roger Federer looks to continue his hardcourt mastery in North America this week at the ATP Western Southern Financial Group Masters, where the Swiss superstar is the top seed and defending champion.

Since losing to Dominik Hrbaty in the first round here in 2004, Federer has dominated every event he has played on the continent, winning 54 consecutive matches and nine titles, including back-to-back U.S. Opens.

Federer extended his overall winning streak to 18 matches with a 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 triumph over Frenchman Richard Gasquet at the Rogers Cup in Toronto on Sunday, claiming his 11th career Masters Series shield.

Despite playing only his second event since last month's triumph at Wimbledon, the world's top player will be full of confidence that he can go all the way again at the Lindner Family Tennis Center, where he beat Andy Roddick in the final 12 months ago.

Possessing a staggering 84-2 record on hard courts since the start of 2005, Federer knows that another run to the final here would equal Ivan Lendl's ATP Tour record of reaching 18 straight finals worldwide.

Federer will start his campaign on Tuesday against Paradorn Srichaphan. He first beat the Thai two years ago in Bangkok and then again earlier this season in Indian Wells en route to the ninth of his Masters Series titles.

Third-seeded David Nalbandian of Argentina waited out a rain delay and beat Rik De Voest of South Africa 6-0, 6-4 on Monday in the first round.

Nalbandian, who reached the semifinals of two Grand Slam events earlier this year but was upset in the first round of last week's Masters event in Toronto, had seemed headed for an quick win to start the tournament near Cincinnati.

He led 4-0 after just 17 minutes when the match was suspended because of heavy rain. The players came back an hour and a half later and warmed up, but a light rain returned. Finally, after 2 hours and 19 minutes, play resumed.

Nalbandian quickly won the set, then cruised through the second, unbothered by the double delay.

"The first set was important, when I was 4-0, then to come back and win it quickly was good," Nalbandian said. "Then you feel you just have to play one more set, or maybe two."

Eighth-seeded Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus, who also was upset in the first round last week at the Rogers Cup in Toronto, needed two tiebreakers to beat Thomas Johansson of Sweden 7-6 (3), 7-6 (3).

"I was not ready for Toronto, that's for sure. Mentally and physically, I wasn't ready," Baghdatis said. "Losing in Toronto was good for me because it gave me a smack on the face telling me you have to go back and work hard, and that's what I did since five, six days."

Juan Ignacio Chela of Argentina upset fifth-seeded Nikolay Davydenko of Russia 6-4, 2-6, 6-2. Nicolas Almagro beat fellow Spaniard Alberto Martin 6-3, 6-3 and Florent Serra beat fellow Frenchman Julien Benneteau 6-3, 6-3.

The tournament's sixth seed, James Blake, played later on Monday night, while the No. 2 seed, Rafael Nadal, and No. 9, Roddick, were to begin play Tuesday.

Information from the Associated Press and SportsTicker was used in this report.

Daniel

08-15-2006, 03:28 AM

http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1155505811381&call_pageid=968332188492&col=968793972154&t=TS_Home

Federer only human? Not to these eyes
Aug. 14, 2006. 06:10 AM
DAVE FESCHUK

Coming into yesterday's final of the Rogers Cup, Roger Federer was on a 53-match winning streak in North America. He hadn't lost a match on this continent's hardcourts in more than two years. And he'd been No.1 in the world rankings even longer, 132 straight weeks.

So when Richard Gasquet, Federer's fellow finalist, heard a stadium-court supporter shout what were meant to be encouraging words to an underdog yesterday — "He's only human, Gasquet!" went the cry — who knows if Gasquet actually believed what he was hearing.

By that point in the match, after all, the 20-year-old Frenchman, ranked 51st in the world, had launched his best shot at Federer's recent run of peerlessness, setting the Rexall Centre abuzz by breezing to a 6-2 win in yesterday's first set.

And for a moment in the second set it looked as though there might be an upset in the offing.

Alas, Gasquet's moment didn't last long and Federer, in the end, didn't look all that human. When you're as great as Federer, when your record is that impeccable and your confidence as astounding, you find a way to weather your flesh-and-blood frailties, however small. Yesterday, Federer overcame an unreliable first serve that allowed Gasquet a window of hope. He overcame the rust from a month's vacation after his win at Wimbledon.

He also overcame the same thing he always seems to — a hungry underdog for whom a win would have been a career high point.

"Richard did very well, I think, for a set and a half," said Federer, 25, who won his 40th tournament title as a pro, 2-6, 6-3, 6-2. "Maybe he didn't quite believe in the very end that he could beat me."

This was all you could ask from the tournament formerly known as the Canadian Open, six matches in six days in which the world's best player — though he was pushed to the three-set limit in four of those outings — ultimately demonstrated his superiority.

In yesterday's best moments, the rallies were long and the shotmaking refreshingly innovative. At a high point, Gasquet hit a back-to-the-net miracle shot, scooped from the ankles on the dead run and hit on a rope to Federer's forehand. But the champion followed not long after with an even more impressive piece of work, picking the ball out of the deep corner with his backhand and depositing into the corresponding spot on his opponent's side of the net.

Indeed, when Federer is on his game you've got to keep the other-worldly points coming. Gasquet had five second-set break points — he had Federer down love-40 in the first game of the second set — and if he'd won any of them it could have changed the complexion of the proceedings. But he couldn't pull out the big point and Federer stomped on the metaphorical accelerator.

What makes Federer so great? He consistently makes shots that make observers shake their heads. Just when you think he's pushed deep and at a disadvantage — just when you thought Gasquet was on the verge of an ever-elusive break — the world's best player hits a come-backer so shallow, so sharp, that the geometry seems impossible, the athleticism certainly awe-inspiring. And then he just keeps doing it.

This weekend in Cincinnati, at the final Master Series event before the U.S. Open, Federer will try to make it 18 finals in a row, a feat that would tie an open-era record of dominance set by Ivan Lendl in 1983.

His self belief seems unshakeable. But it's tethered to well-learned humility.

"I used to underestimate many opponents coming on the tour," he said yesterday. "I would think this guy has a weird technique, he can't beat me. I have a beautiful technique. The next thing I know I lose ..."

Losing, unless the surface is clay, Federer's kryptonite, and the opponent is Rafael Nadal, his only real rival, doesn't seem a likely prospect anytime soon.

"There's little things I can improve, just a feel for the ball," said Federer. "I just think I need some more practice and some more matches, then I can play even better."
Additional articles by Dave Feschuk

Daniel

08-15-2006, 03:31 AM

By MIKE ZEISBERGER, SUN MEDIA

TORONTO -- Hoisting his glistening crystal trophy into the air for all to see, a beaming Roger Federer couldn't help himself.

He had to make a pun about his newest prize.

"That sounds great ... Roger's Cup," said the world's No. 1 tennis player. "And I'm not joking, either. I like it."

For the record, the official name is The Rogers Cup.

But who was going to argue with the Swiss phenom? At the rate he's going, Federer will scoop up almost every piece of hardware the sport has to offer by the time he has completed his illustrious career.

At the tender age of 25, Federer's assault on the tennis record book reached a new plateau yesterday when he won the Rogers Cup tournament by ousting valiant Frenchman Richard Gasquet 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 in front of a sun-drenched capacity throng at the Rexall Centre.

The victory gave Federer a perfect record of 62-0 against opponents not named Rafael Nadal this year. Nadal, the world's second-ranked player behind Federer, has handed the Swiss superstar his only four defeats of the season.

Gasquet, who entered the tournament as the world's 51st-ranked player, dominated the first set and jumped out to a 40-love lead in the opening game of the second with Federer serving. Facing triple break point, Federer came back to win the game in what both players considered to be the point in the match when the momentum changed.

"I couldn't believe I started the second so bad," Federer said. "At the same time, by being down love-40, you can also take away his confidence by coming back and winning that game. Make him doubt himself like that was maybe his big opportunity.

"That's exactly what happened. I mean he obviously had to pay a very hard price for that by not, in the end, winning the tournament. For me, that was the turning point."

Said the 25-year-old Gasquet: "He played wonderful on those break points. After that it was difficult for me."

Daniel

08-15-2006, 03:33 AM

http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060814/SPT/608140410/-1/CINCI

Federer, Nadal favorites
BY DUSTIN DOW | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER
MASON - The Western & Southern Financial Group Masters begins today at the Lindner Family Tennis Center.

And no surprise, No. 1 Roger Federer and No. 2 Rafael Nadal are the favorites to win the championship.

Their dominance over tennis during the past two years casts an uncertain future for American hopes as Andre Agassi - who pulled out of the tournament here - approaches retirement after the U.S. Open.

"The reality is that between Federer and Nadal, there hasn't been a whole lot of room for anybody else to win," Agassi said. "That's the reality. I don't think it's a crisis. I still think we have 290 million people in our country. I think if we can get the racket in the right hands that can change quickly."

Right now, James Blake and Andy Roddick are wielding the biggest American rackets. A champion here and at the U.S. Open in 2003, Roddick has fallen from No. 1 to No. 11 in just more than 2½ years.

Returning from personal tragedy, Blake has surpassed him as the top-ranked American, currently No. 6 in the world.

But major success remains elusive for Blake, 26, who is just beginning to adjust to life as the premier American.

"I really love the pressure because it's the opportunity to do something great," Blake said. "If you don't have pressure, then you're probably not doing anything that's as of great a value as you'd be doing with pressure."

Blake opens the tournament against France's Fabrice Santoro tonight on Center Court. Roddick plays Daniele Bracciali of Italy in the first round on Tuesday.

E-mail ddow@enquirer.com

Daniel

08-15-2006, 03:37 AM

http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060812/SPT/608120428/-1/CINCI

Fans could see the greatest
As the ATP Tour visits, Roger Federer - the player Pete Sampras thinks is the best - will be on display
BY DUSTIN DOW | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER
It is one of sports' classic debates, perhaps because it is so unanswerable. Who is the greatest of all-time, and how can such a determination be made?

In tennis, the question is getting more complicated.

A mere three years ago, Pete Sampras retired from the game amidst proclamations that he was the best player the sport had ever seen. Now, on the eve of the Western & Southern Financial Group Masters, the on-court brilliance of 25-year-old Roger Federer is forcing many of those experts - and Sampras himself - to rethink their analysis.

"When I look at Roger, I'm a fan," Sampras said. "I think he can and will break every tennis record out there."

Federer is part of this conversation, which usually includes Sampras, Rod Laver, Ivan Lendl and Björn Borg, because he's won eight grand slams at such a young age, putting himself on target to possibly eclipse Sampras' record of 14 grand slams some day.

In their only match against each other, Federer defeated Sampras in five sets in the 2001 Wimbledon tournament.

Just one current player, phenom Rafael Nadal, seems to be capable of regularly challenging Federer, who has been the No. 1 player in the world since Feb. 2, 2004. His last defeat on American soil came 48 matches ago here at the 2004 W&S Masters when Dominik Hrbaty beat Federer in a stunning first-round upset. Federer returned last year to claim the W&S title.

But talking about himself as the greatest ever isn't the most natural of topics for Federer.

"I think today, we don't know who was the best ever," Federer said.

"I think once I'm done, too, we still won't know. That will always stay a secret. ... I'm definitely in the league right now because people say I'm halfway. If you go double that all up, all of a sudden, I'm very, very high up there, you know."

MISSING THE FRENCH

How high, though, might be an unsolvable debate unless Federer not only beats Sampras' grand-slam record but also claims a French Open title that has so far eluded him. Laver, by contrast, held all four grand-slam titles at the same time twice, in 1962 as an amateur and again as a professional in 1969. Only five players have won all four titles, period, in any combination of years.

"I don't think you have to identify the greatest at all," said Laver, who made an emotional on-court trophy presentation to Federer after he won his second Australian Open in February.

"Was Babe Ruth the best baseball player ever or just the most colorful? Michael Jordan in basketball? Some people might say Magic Johnson. I guess I'm glad they keep mentioning my record. But let's not worry about this until Federer's career comes to an end. Roger still has a long way to go."

Which should give him plenty of time to win a French Open, the only clay-court grand slam. Though Federer, a native of Switzerland, was raised on clay courts and possesses as wide of a repertoire of shots as perhaps any player in history, he has struggled to beat Nadal on clay because the Spaniard is so proficient on the slower surface. Dominating as he is, Federer may need to win champion's hardware from each of the four grand slams in order to solidify his place as the best ever.

"I don't think he is yet," said long-time tennis writer and analyst Bud Collins. "It's too soon for such judgments. For me, it's Rod Laver, but it's a totally different game now, so I don't think the greatest ever can be identified. Players nowadays have a very short frame of reference. As great as Sampras was, he couldn't win the French, so to say one guy is No. 1 may be foolish."

SUPPORT FROM A FOE

It's certainly not an exact science. To even label Federer as the best current player would theoretically be arguable considering his 2-6 record against Nadal. Few - if any - tennis observers, however, would concede that Nadal is a superior all-around player.

And picking against Federer has simply become a losing proposition. Eight of the nine times he's played in a grand-slam final, Federer has left the court a winner, including each of the past four years at Wimbledon.

"I hope guys don't go into it already beaten," said James Blake, the top-ranked American player, who is 0-4 against Federer. "That happened when Pete was around. Guys definitely in the locker room felt like, a match against Pete Sampras, it was time to book your flight for the next day."

But it's not a hard question for Blake to answer when it comes to choosing between the all-time great candidates.

"Just as much as I am really good friends with Pete, in my opinion, Roger is going to be the greatest of all time," Blake said. "What Roger is doing right now is incredibly impressive."

Sampras, 35, recently resumed playing competitively for the Newport Beach Breakers of World Team Tennis. He has ruled out a return to the ATP Tour, meaning the last major pro player to have beaten him remains journeyman Wayne Arthurs, who upset Sampras here in Cincinnati in 2002, a month before Sampras won the U.S. Open, his last ATP tournament.

Arthurs, who has played Sampras three times and Federer on two occasions, might be the most qualified person on the planet to settle the debate about who is the best.

"Complete-player-wise, I would have to say Roger is," Arthurs said. "He's got all the shots off his backhand side, which I don't think Pete had in his prime. But it's all going to come down to records with those two. If Roger can get past Pete's 14 or if he can't. That's what it's going to be determined by."

That is, of course, until the next challenger - Nadal perchance? - comes along.

E-mail ddow@enquirer.com

Daniel

08-15-2006, 03:55 AM

http://www.7days.ae/2006/08/15/im-a-fighter-federer.html

I’m a fighter: Federer

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Published on: Tuesday, 15th August, 2006 | Permanent Link | no responses

ROGER FEDERER is beginning to think what many people already believe - that he is becoming unstoppable. The world number one has only lost four times this year - all to Rafael Nadal. Three of those have been on clay and the other defeat was in here Dubai to the tenacious young Spaniard. The Swiss star got his revenge by nailing Nadal in the Wimbledon final.

And since then he has looked unbeatable as the American hardcourt season has swung into action. On Sunday, he survived a rare wobble, battling back from a set down to beat Richard Gasquet in the final of the Toronto Masters. And he says he now has a belief that he can turn any match around, no matter how far behind he might be.

In Toronto, gutsy Gasquet claimed the first set 6-2, but Federer turned the match on its head to win 2-6, 6-3, 6-2, and extend his unbeaten run on North American hardcourts to 54 matches. “I couldn’t find my rhythm and he (Gasquet) played very well,” said Federer. “I just always believe that I can turn any match around. That’s what happened. I knew that once I turned it around, once I took the lead, then it would be very difficult for my opponent. That’s what I always tell myself. Maybe it’s an illusion sometimes, but it definitely works for me.”

Federer is warming up nicely for the US Open and says his dedication to fight to the death will help him against any opponent. “I was really struggling over here in the beginning of my career,” said Federer, who stretched his record to 62-4 for the year.“I thought it was always too windy, too humid, too hot, too not my style. Now all of a sudden I’ve turned this all around. I really enjoy playing here. I just have a very strong belief in my capabilities, in not showing my opponent how I feel, fighting like crazy even though it doesn’t look like I am, maybe because I have such a relaxed style of play.”

The victory was Federer’s seventh title of the season. It is also his 11th ATP Masters Series crown, which matches Pete Sampras for second on the all-time list, six shy of Andre Agassi’s record. The $400,000 top prize boosted Federer’s career prize money to more than $25 million. Gasquet, 20, has won 15 of his past 18 matches including titles on grass at Nottingham and clay at Gstaad. And he very nearly added the US Open warm-up to that list.

“I did a fantastic first set. I played wonderful. He missed a little bit,” said a reflective Gasquet. “After that, I didn’t play. I had three break points in the first game in the second. After that it was really hard for me. I know with Roger when you have some chances, you have to take them. If I had done that, it would have been a 1-0 break for me and a different match. I’m just 20, so I have time to play him. I know in the future I can beat him.”

A confident Gasquet has the consolation of jumping into the world’s top 30 thanks to his final appearance in Toronto. The Frenchman jumps from 51st to 27th and looks like being among the seeds for the US Open later this month. British number one Andy Murray has also jumped into the world’s top 30.

After making the semi-finals in Toronto, where he lost to Gasquet, the 19-year-old has jumped to a career-high 21st. He is now set to meet former British number one Tim Henman in the first round of the Cincinnati Masters this week, and could meet Federer in round two.

squidi

08-15-2006, 04:19 AM

This is from a Japanese Blog. THey Call Roger, Rogiya. and Nadal, Nadaru.
Interesting huh?
Wimbledon 2006 Final

Roger Federer 6- 7 - 66 - 76 - 3 Rafael Nadal

The [a] [a], it was good. Being relieved truly, it increases. As for fearfulness of [nadaru] the extent which becomes hateful informing, because it increases, don't you think?. Many degrees are that hateful foreboding has done, but it was possible to unnecessary worry to end, is.

1st set, 6-0 it is the final which lifted the curtain with the wonderful development which is said, but insecurity does not go out. Because because it was Roland Garros and most same developments. Condition of plan, as for 2nd set the start which is broken. Finally as for this set, once upon a time as for serve of [nadaru] that however you thought, whether there is a chance which is broken you did lastly. Perhaps this makes the absolute self-confidence with glass coat recover. In difference of little feeling increased tie break of 2nd set.

But, as for 3rd set keeping battle of advance and retreat. The set to which strength of [nadaru] which does not abandon the tournament always has been prominent. The feeling does not break off, with tie break it is [nadaru] dominant and it advances, [nadaru] obtains that way and the [tsu] is. As expected, as for this mental strength you think that 1,2 is disputed even in the world.

After [rojiya] which replaces 4th set and feeling overcoming the pinch of break one time it is, it was possible to settle mentally, that you think whether it is it is not. After all, when settling mentally, there is no enemy in [rojiya]. After, you just play your own.

Immediately after the tournament ending, after having answered to the audience, when sitting down in the chair, just a little being moved to tears, it increased, don't you think?. As for the camera however it did not project excessively. Various feeling surged, that you think whether it is it is not. Nature and pride continued being defeated to [nadaru], as a Wimbledon [deihuendeingu] champion. Floating the expression of relief instantaneously and truly are released finally the better seed.

I becoming the fan of [rojiya] [huedera], also 4 years which probably will be entwined pass, don't you think? is. To tell the truth you looked at the video of final before that 4 years before the present playing. It does not settle in the sense, gene shouldering that and, would like to have reappearing. It was possible to be able to reproduce truly.

As for when meaning of the present tournament you say, after all, lining up into the sun plus record being delightful, the shank. Does next year line up into [borugu]? With you make a noise, however probably will be, the road does not change to steep thing. But, we want achieving.
Nevertheless with the [borugu] [tsu] [te] monster the shank. Until has the successive win record of glass coat the [ri], [nadaru] achieves also clay coat, it is successive 2 rank. It carries out the successive victories of Roland Garros and Wimbledon. Already reaching level of the extent which is designed in such a way that such a player it is compared, it increases [rojiya].

As for next with US Open shank. It becomes rust show of [agashi], or becomes 3 winning successively of [rojiya] or [nadaru] becomes first victory, or do [hiyuitsuto], [sahuin] and [rodeitsuku] revive?

For a while, as for tennis observation the opportunity decreases, but temporarily to following Masters Series with charge the shank. In addition you will expect that it becomes the pleasant tournament.