Contented cow now has a home with Wimbledon winner Federer
Agence France-Presse
Gstaad, Switzerland, July 8
Wimbledon winner Roger Federer won't be short of a few fondue fixings after being presented Tuesday with his own personal cow at the 550,000-euro Swiss Open.
Federer, who won Switzerland's first-ever men's Grand Slam title on Sunday, received ownership of "Juiliette," an 800-kilogram bovine complete with a garland of flowers on her head, during a ceremony a few hours before his opening match as top seed.
Federer, who arrived in this alpine village by private jet Monday after lifting his Grand Slam honour, was told by organisers that Juliette will stay in his service, providing him cheese for the rest of her life.
City-boy Federer, who is from Basel, was given the choice of taking his new pet home or - more realistically - letting her remain in the pristine alpine valleys of the Bernese Oberland while providing him with all the cheese he can eat on a regular basis.
There was one small proviso - Federer has to learn how to milk his female friend.
To get him started, the ceremony on the Roy Emerson court also included presentation of a one-legged milking stool, which Federer gamely tried out before expressing his thanks to the home crowd.
"It's great to be a Wimbledon champion, but it's even better to be back in front of my home public. With your help and the confidence I'm bringing back from Wimbledon, I'm sure I'll be able to adjust from grass to the clay."
Federer opened his campaign as top seed later against Spanish qualifier Marc Lopez.
