Sports - Roger Federer Appreciation #3: Career Slam, 15 majors, and number one again. No wonder he's considered the greatest ever - Page 11

***Catherine*** · 09-18-2009, 10:14 AM

Its wicked hot.

So he got fined.

You know, I'd be ok with it if there was a clear standard across the board... But thats not the case.

Ah well.

ANYhoo..Roger played his match today in Davis Cup and won! And Stan won his!

Quote:

Davis Cup: Federer gives Swiss 2-0 lead in Italy

GENOA, Italy – Roger Federer rolled to a 6-3, 6-4, 6-1 win Friday over Simone Bolelli to give Switzerland a 2-0 lead against Italy in the Davis Cup playoffs.

Playing four days after his five-set loss to Juan Martin del Potro in the U.S. Open final, Federer shook off two break points in the opening game and was never in trouble against the 64th-ranked Bolelli.

Federer, who struggled with his serve in the U.S. Open final, had 10 aces to go with 35 winners.

Stanislas Wawrinka defeated Andreas Seppi 6-4, 6-1, 6-2 in the first match on the red clay courts at the Valletta Cambiaso club.

Federer and Wawrinka, the Olympic champions, will face Fabio Fognini and Potito Starace in doubles on Saturday, with reverse singles scheduled for Sunday.

Seppi and Bolelli wore black armbands to mourn six Italian soldiers killed in a bomb blast in Afghanistan on Thursday.

The winner of the best-of-five series will return to the World Group next year.

Now the article said he and Stan will play the doubles, but I dont think thats 100% confirmed..Roger mentioned about deciding it that night. I know Roger is tired, but oh I'd love to see him play with Stan again!

Some pics from the olympics..just cause they are so cute when they are together

I hope they play tomorrow!

**-wait for it-** · 09-20-2009, 02:45 PM

exactly Avatar

**crazy_diamond** · 09-21-2009, 12:09 PM

Thanks for the info

**-wait for it-** · 09-23-2009, 07:04 PM

how's the banner coming?

***Catherine*** · 09-27-2009, 11:39 AM

Well Ive been away for about a week, I had to out out of province for a bit.. so not good..

This one is done though.

Anyhoo..looks like Roger is out for the next couple of events

Quote:

Dear Fans

I am disappointed that I have to withdraw from Tokyo and Shanghai as they are two of my favorite cities in the world and the fans have been great to me over the years. After consultation with my team and doctors, I decided to take the difficult decision to withdraw from both tournaments so that I can give my body a chance to rest, rehabilitate and fully recover from a physically challenging year.

Kind regards
Roger

And some recent pics of Roger

**-wait for it-** · 10-03-2009, 12:00 PM

i'll add that soon

***Catherine*** · 10-30-2009, 07:57 AM

Sorry I havent been around much..been very busy..

anyhoo..

Quote:

Federer disappointed by Agassi admission
AAP - October 30, 2009, 8:30 am

World No.1 Roger Federer on Thursday voiced disappointment at Andre Agassi's bombshell admission that he had taken drugs in 1997 and then lied to the ATP to avoid a ban.

"It was a shock when I heard the news. I am disappointed and I hope there are no more such cases in future," Federer said at a sponsors meeting at Kilchberg near Zurich.

But Federer also noted that Agassi "has done a lot for tennis, both as a player and as a human being".

"Today, he raises millions of dollars for his foundation for disadvantaged children," the Swiss ace commented.

Agassi, one of just six men to have won all four grand slam titles and widely regarded as one of the sport's finest players, stunned tennis this week by revealing he'd taken the highly-addictive drug crystal methamphetamine in 1997.
The American, now 39, also admitted that he lied to the governing body of the ATP to escape a ban.

Federer noted that today, players must make themselves available for dope tests between 20 and 30 times a year.

"Our sport must stay clean," he stressed.

World No.2 Rafael Nadal says it would be "dreadful" if tennis authorities covered up Andre Agassi's drug habit.

Nadal said on Thursday if the ATP had known about Agassi's drug taking and protected him it would be unacceptable.

"If the ATP covered for Agassi at the time then I think that's dreadful," Nadal said in Madrid as he prepared to receive a civic award.

"The only thing I can say is that if they covered at that moment for the player and punished others for doing the same kind of thing then that would seem to me to be a lack of respect for all sportsmen."

On being told he had tested positive for the banned stimulant, Agassi said he wrote a letter to the ATP, claiming he had taken it by accident and asking for leniency.

No disciplinary action was taken.

Since the story came to light, World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) president John Fahey has asked ATP chiefs to "shed light" on the issue.

Crystal Meth is on WADA's List of Prohibited Substances and Methods.

The World Anti-Doping Code only took effect in 2004 and has an eight-year statute of limitations.

But Fahey said that WADA would expect the ATP, which administered its own anti-doping programme at that time, to shed light on the story.

Nadal concluded that "cheats have to be punished" and said he could not understand why Agassi "now that he is retired comes out and says this - it's a way of senselessly damaging the sport".

Now...On a lighter note

Quote:

Kilchberg (Switzerland), October 29, 2009 – Premium chocolate manufacturer Lindt & Sprüngli is partnering with Swiss tennis champion Roger Federer in a long term deal to serve as the global brand ambassador for his favorite LINDT chocolate.

Lindt & Sprüngli is delighted with this opportunity to associate with the most successful tennis player of all time. The contract details of the agreement will not be made public.

For the first time in the company’s history dating back for more than 160 years, the Lindt & Sprüngli Group is linking its own name to that of a celebrity. The global fame of top sportsman Federer makes this partnership a highly promising opportunity for Lindt & Sprüngli to further enhance the global popularity of its premium chocolates and become still more firmly established in key global markets. With his likeable and down to earth image, Federer is the ideal brand ambassador for Lindt & Sprüngli. He uniquely embodies Lindt & Sprüngli’s fundamental values of “Swissness,” “Premiumness,” “Quality” and “Passion.” The association of these important attributes with the names of LINDT and Federer symbolizes the perfect “match” between the number 1 in premium chocolate and the number 1 in the world of tennis.

Ernst Tanner, CEO and Chairman of the Board of Lindt & Sprüngli, comments: “We are naturally delighted to be able to name Roger Federer, an exceptional and well-known Swiss icon, as our brand ambassador. Together with Roger Federer, we will become the foremost ambassadors for Swiss quality.” And Roger Federer confirms this: “I am Swiss by birth, and since my childhood, I have always been a great fan of LINDT chocolate. I am very excited to partner with the global leader in premium chocolate and I enjoy their products and am very impressed with their plans for future growth.”

Alongside the proven and successful communication concept based on the universally popular Maîtres Chocolatiers, the cooperation with Roger Federer will be used as an additional communication instrument in Lindt’s global marketing efforts.

Roger...Swiss......chocoloate..Roger..oh my...

What a combo

***Catherine*** · 11-23-2009, 02:44 PM

Tryin' to revive this thread..

Roger won his first RR match of the ATP Finals yesterday

Quote:

Roger Federer Sunday Press Conference
London, England
22.11.2009

R. FEDERER/F. Verdasco 46, 75, 61

An interview with: ROGER FEDERER

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please, for Roger.

Q. How did you find the court conditions tonight and the playing surface?
ROGER FEDERER: Nice. I thought the crowds were great. Lighting is unique. You know, it's not something we sort of that we don't we do see the crowd, but the focus is very much on us. This is a bit unusual. But we had the chance to practice in these surroundings. You know, I thought it was very nice to play in. It's not Wimbledon like, but still special obviously (smiling).

Q. Playing surface itself?
ROGER FEDERER: Playing surface, I thought it was pretty, you know, medium pace. There are some bad bounces, but that always happens, you know, with those wooden floors that we play on. But, no, it felt like a proper court. Fair for all playing styles. If you want to play far back, you can do that. If you want to move in, you can do that, too. That's why I think it's a good surface for the World Tour Finals.

Q. What did you have to do tonight to turn things around?
ROGER FEDERER: Turn what around?

Q. The match, the way it was going.
ROGER FEDERER: I just felt that sort of at the beginning of the second set, I was starting to, you know, return better. Because the beginning, I mean, first game was very quick, so I don't even know if I can really analyze that game, because it was four points and one double fault. So I was running after the score really because of that. The whole first set I was struggling to really put, you know, normal returns into play.
And that can happen at times. I thought he did a good job of mixing it up and playing aggressive at times, coming up with the right play. I was down a set, and only the second set was I able to sort of get the ball into play, find my range, find my rhythm. I think this is also when I started to feel like I had chances. My first breakpoints, I think I could have had them earlier if I played a bit earlier, but they came for set points, and it was a crucial moment for me because I knew the longer the match went, the more my belief was going up and his was going down. Then in the third, I was able to play more freely. This is when I was really in the match, you know. But it was, you know, a crucial match for me to get off with a win in the round robin stages. Because Fernando is a great player and I'm happy I was able to come through.

Q. Compared to Paris, what about the speed of the court? Is it normal or quicker?
ROGER FEDERER: No, it's not faster. I think Paris was faster. But then again, I only played one match in Paris, so you should maybe ask someone who stuck around a bit longer. I actually practiced in Roland Garros on that surface for the rest of the week, as well. I just felt it's a bit faster than here. Then again, it depends on who you play. I played against Benneteau, who is coming to the net a lot, you know, makes you feel like the court is even faster, as well. But I think it's a fair playing style, you know.

Q. Did you feel on court that Fernando was using different tactics or different combinations since he's here with Darren Cahill, who actually worked with you for a while?
ROGER FEDERER: Well, we worked a couple of weeks, so that's not a whole lot. I played Fernando right after I worked, you know, those two weeks with Darren. I played him in Indian Wells. So, yeah, I mean, I think Fernando has announced himself sort of at the Australian Open, and that Davis Cup a couple months earlier, you know, of the year before that, you know. He had the possibilities to handle pressure and play well against top guys, you know, beating Murray in Australia and almost taking down Rafa as well in the semis in an amazing match. I don't think he has much to prove, you know, that he can beat the best. It's about for him playing consistent at the highest of levels. Now he has to reach very high, which is not an easy thing to do because it's quite open at the top in a way, so everybody beats everybody. So it's not so easy to get through those, you know, top eight guys. But he's doing a good job of hanging around. He's got two more chances here to get points for next year and play another good season.

Q. What do you think about the latest stories about Agassi?
ROGER FEDERER: Well, which one? There's a few.

Q. Admitting taking drugs.
ROGER FEDERER: Well, I gave my quotes already. Find them somewhere.
But, no, I mean, it's definitely not good for our sport. We have to deal with it, you know, the best we can. The way I think the doping tests are being done these days are, you know, very tough for all of us. There's many guys that are not happy with the system because it's almost too aggressive to some degree. But I think it's necessary, you know, just to be able to keep a clean sport. What happened obviously is not nice. At the same time, you shouldn't take anything away what he's done for kids around the world, especially in Vegas, raising the amount of money he did. He still remains an exceptional, you know, tennis player and person. It's just a hiccup. Obviously it's going to cast a shadow over his image for some, so... Yeah, obviously it's surprising he came out with it.

Q. What type of match are you expecting against Andy on Tuesday? What can you remember about your match in China last year?
ROGER FEDERER: Well, obviously I expect a difficult match. Always fun playing, you know, your fellow rivals. I've had from the top guys, I think Andy has been one of the guys I played the most. I played him frequently at the beginning of the season, in Doha and where else did I play him? I just played him in Shanghai the week before. Then was it Indian Wells, as well? So I played him on a few occasions in a row. From Shanghai, I remember I was not going into the match with, let's say, the highest of hopes. I knew I had a little bit left in the tank because I was sick two days before. I was injured, you know, two, three weeks before for the entire time. So I kind of just said to myself, You know what, I'll play aggressive and see what happens. I was playing incredible for a set. Almost got a victory. But I thought it was a very exciting match to be a part of. It was unfortunate for me not to come through. But I still think the match was great. I hope we can live up to the expectations and play another good one.

ATP World Tour's WTF mini-site site have just said that Federer only needs one more victory to end #1 this year. Regardless of Nadal's results, as of now (after his loss againt Robin): "Nadal can now only gain a maximum of 1,300 points, should he win his remaining two round-robin matches and clinch the title, meaning Federer would need to either win just one more round-robin match, or go 1-2 in round-robin play and reach the final to finish as ATP World Tour Champion."

So lets hope Roger wins tomorrow against Andy Murray!

**-wait for it-** · 11-23-2009, 09:19 PM

that'll be great

***Catherine*** · 11-24-2009, 05:59 PM

ATP - ROGER TO END YEAR AS WORLD NO. 1!

It took Roger a moment to get going today, but when his engine was warm he showed a fantastic performance, defeating Andy Murray at the ATP World Tour Finals 3-6, 6-3, 6-1.

"It was a great atmosphere and I thought I played a great match," said Roger. "Andy was playing really well in that first set, I couldn't read his first serve and he made it very hard. When you are behind against the top players it's very difficult and I was a bit worried because I've lost so many three setters against him. But I picked up my game and when he dropped a bit, I took advantage. It's given me real confidence for my next match."

Murray's weapon in the first set was clearly his serve, which proved just a bit too strong for Roger. But our champ kept his cool, waiting for his chance and then peaked when it mattered, winning the last six games in series!

Roger has not booked his semi-final spot quite yet, but is of course very close to doing so. But what is certain is that Roger will once again end the year as the world's number one player! His victory today earned him enough points to keep Nadal at a distance. Roger is only the third player in history - after Jimmy Connors (5) and Pete Sampras (6) - to start the new season at the top of the ranking.

**crazy_diamond** · 11-25-2009, 04:26 AM

congrats to Roger, hard fought win against Andy..

**-wait for it-** · 11-25-2009, 04:14 PM

congrats to him...

***Catherine*** · 11-25-2009, 09:05 PM

ATP - ROGER CROWNED 2009 ATP WORLD TOUR CHAMPION

London, United Kingdom – Swiss superstar Roger Federer has been crowned ATP World Tour Champion for the fifth time, after becoming just the second player in the history of the South African Airways ATP Rankings to regain the year-end No. 1 ranking.

With five year-end No. 1 finishes, Federer ties Jimmy Connors’ mark and now stands just one back of Pete Sampras on the list of all-time ATP World Tour Champions. Sampras finished as the No. 1 player six straight years, from 1993-98.

Federer clinched the 2009 ATP World Tour Champion title by beating Andy Murray at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals tonight. Federer and rival Rafael Nadal, the 2008 ATP World Tour Champion, had entered the prestigious circuit finale at The O2 in London locked in a two-man battle to conclude the season atop the South African Airways 2009 ATP Rankings.

“It means a lot to have returned to No. 1 and to finish the year again at No. 1,” said Federer. “It was an incredible year for me both on the court and off the court and to be able to break the all-time Grand Slam record and finish the year on top is amazing.”

The 28-year-old Swiss held the World No. 1 ranking for a record 237 straight weeks from 2 February, 2004, to 17 August, 2008, before Nadal ended his streak. Federer reclaimed the top rankings spot on 6 July, 2009, after winning a record-breaking 15th Grand Slam title at Wimbledon.

Federer now joins Ivan Lendl as the only players to have held, lost and regained the ATP World Tour Champion title in the history of the South African Airways ATP Rankings (since 1973). Lendl held the year-end No. 1 South African Airways ATP Ranking from 1985-87 and finished second behind Mats Wilander in 1988 before reclaiming the top spot at the end of 1989.

....

He looks fantastic

Federer Receives No. 1 Trophy (with BTS footage)

YouTube - Roger Federer number 1 Ceremony Atp world tour finals 2009 )includes his speech)

And this video is hilarious

Federer laughing fit

**crazy_diamond** · 11-26-2009, 04:56 AM

congrats to Roger

Thanks for the pics and vids..

***Catherine*** · 11-28-2009, 09:45 AM

Roger lost a rollercoaster SF match against Davydenko today. 2-6, 6-4, 5-7.

Roger just wasn't as sharp and he needed to be today and Davydenko played great from the baseline. Roger had a great chance in the third set, with Davy serving 0-30 (two great shots by Fed), but couldn't make anything of it, and Davy came back and broke Federer in the next game.

Disappointing. BUT it doesnt erase his fantastic year

Allez Roger..got get some much needed rest and get ready for the new season!