Post №: 240
Joined: 22.03.09
Location: Россия, Санкт-Петербург
Rank:
1
Posted: 31.07.12 20:46. Post subject: R. FEDERER/J. Bennet..
R. FEDERER/J. Benneteau 6-2, 6-2 An interview with: ROGER FEDERER
THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.
Q. How does it feel out there? What is the difference between a Grand Slam, a normal tour event, and exhibition? How can you describe an Olympic crowd? They gave you a standing ovation when you came on the court, didn't they?
ROGER FEDERER: I'm not sure. I didn't check. It sounded very nice, at least. Sounded like they were excited to see us play. I had a good time on court. I thought the atmosphere was good. I think you can also tell when the weather's nicer they get more into it. I really truly believe that. Yeah, what else? I thought the people here, the way the tickets have been distributed, I think they all feel very fortunate to maybe come see tennis. Obviously there are many areas that are reserved for athletes or VIPs or athletes, so it's a bit of a different feel on Centre Court out there during Wimbledon where you feel every seat is taken at all times. That takes some getting used to. There are many differences, but it's a nice change and I'm really enjoying myself.
Q. I'm from China. The number one question, your backhand is very cool. How do you train this? Then between Olympic Games and your professional games, which is your favorite?
ROGER FEDERER: Well, it's nice to hear something good about my backhand because it hasn't always been like that. I've worked very hard at it. Thanks to many players on tour, my backhand has gotten very good over the years, I do believe. You do play the weakness of your opponent. That used to be clearly definitely my weakness at the beginning of my playing days as a pro. This obviously is a bit of a change, like I mentioned, playing here at the Olympics than regular tournaments we do play. But the organization is very good. I really think it's working well now, whereas maybe the first couple of days we all had to get used to where you walk in, where do you go, where are you allowed to go. Same things I think for the fans. So now it's up and running, it seems like it's a great atmosphere out there.
Q. In China, four years ago in the Beijing Olympics, there is a huge interest towards you. Is it here a little more calmer than Beijing? A lot of people around the world are saying you and Grigor are like Twins. Will you agree to play with him in doubles in some tournament?
ROGER FEDERER: Maybe, yeah, sure, I'll play doubles with him maybe at some point. I said the same with Nadal and I never played with him. I still believe I have to play with Nadal first before I play with Dimitrov. I've seen he had a good game. I think he could have a great run here at the Olympics. I think grass suits his game. Hopefully he can do well over the years. I'm sure we'll see each other plenty of times. Now about the attention, it's hard to know, obviously. British and Chinese are very different in personality. The British do see me much more often. I'm coming here for Wimbledon. Now the World Tour Finals, as well. Now the Olympics. Whereas the Chinese, they're never sure when they can see you the next time. It's maybe true the excitement is a bit bigger from Beijing four years ago. That's purely maybe me showing up a bit more frequently here in England.
Q. You and the other top players on tour have been talking about these Olympics for more than a year now. Was that common? Did that happen in 2007? Or is it because of the venue? Heather mentioned you were playing cards this morning. What is your card game?
ROGER FEDERER: What's the card game? Very simple, so everybody can play who is around. Can't be too sophisticated. I don't know how to explain it. It's very simple. I can show you in five minutes and it works. It's really that all my friends who come on tour can join in very quickly. You don't have to be four to play it. You can be three or eight, whatever. It's very simple. It's something we got sort of into a routine before matches because you kind of get into the same routine because it's most easiest to get ready for the matches. You're relaxing a little bit before something serious like a tennis match. Well, honestly, we've been asked a lot, as well. It was a big deal for us when the bid was finally decided between I think it was Paris and London at the end. For us it was either the French Open or Wimbledon. It was a big deal for many of the players. So, yeah, I mean, I guess just that combination between Wimbledon and the Olympics made it so special and unique. Everybody knew that this is obviously a really, really big thing within the Olympics, having tennis at Wimbledon. It can only increase the importance of it. I'm happy to see that basically everyone's here.
Q. What would it mean Olympic gold for you?
ROGER FEDERER: Dream come true, I would say, because I definitely get inspired by the 1992 victory by Marc Rosset. He won the Olympics. That was huge news in Switzerland. I definitely felt like I was inspired by that on an Olympic level. Then I just remember following all the great Olympians for many years. I also hoped one day I could take part in the Olympics. SowhenIgotthecallin200tobepartof the Sydney Olympics 12 years ago, I got there, I stayed in the village. I was there for over two weeks. I had the best time following sports, being there with the athletes, playing so well. I almost overachieved in that tournament. Ever since it's been something very important in my life. I'm happy to be back here healthy and having a chance to do great.
Q. If I could ask you to look ahead for a moment. With this tournament wedged in here the way it is in the schedule, what do you think the impact is going to be on the US Open? Will it be more unpredictable? Will guys be running on fumes more than they would otherwise be?
ROGER FEDERER: I don't think so. Points here are not too tough, I don't think. I mean, well, tennis players don't usually take much vacation as far as I know. So I don't think this changes a whole lot. If people wouldn't have played the Olympics, they would have played something else. I do believe everybody at the US Open will be fine. It's more maybe Toronto and Cincinnati, it will be interesting to see how there players will feel. Hope we're not going to see any injuries coming because of the surface change. That's the stuff that I think all the players should be careful for. I think for the Open, everybody will be in great shape, is my opinion.
Q. How much change the spirit of the tournament from the colors and the T-shirts? Is your aim to win doubles and singles as Nicolas Massu did in Athens?
ROGER FEDERER: Sure, why not? I entered in both events hoping I could do well in both. Nobody believes it's possible at this moment. You're happy to be in the tournament still. But I'm still very far away from all the medals in singles and doubles. Let's not get carried away too quickly. I'm happy with my level of play. I hope I can keep it up in doubles in a few years. The changes are big, I talked about it in my last press conference, with the colors, getting used to the Olympic flair here at Wimbledon. You almost have to forget there was this amazing Grand Slam a few weeks ago and this is something actually completely different. I've made the switch and I really enjoy it. It's very special to be part of these Olympic Games here at Wimbledon.
Q. The idea to play the slams in the same venue and the Olympics, do you think it's nice, good? Also, let's say tomorrow in United States, would you play at Flushing Meadows, or California?
ROGER FEDERER: I think it's a nice combination. But you're right, there is a lot of talk and comparison, trying to compare the two, which I guess for one day is interesting, but after that, I think you have to kind of move on, right? They've done it their way, let's accept it. We know that Wimbledon will be Wimbledon again next year. But right now, it's the Olympic Games. It is supposed to be different. But then again we have seen great sites come about, like in Sydney, where they play the tournament now, the Sydney International. Then the same thing in Athens. I mean, unfortunately we don't have a tournament there. It's unfortunate we can't use that site because I think that would be nice. Beijing was also a great stadium. It has its benefits as well for tennis, that they still use the Olympic sites after that. They don't use it in Barcelona, I don't think either because I was just there recently. But you'd hope that they would because they do build something big. Here, the costs are low. I also think it's important to keep the costs down when you do host an Olympic Games, in my opinion.
Roger Federer was in tears; Juan Martin Del Potro was inconsolable.
They had just played their hearts out for four hours and 26 minutes.
They had, between them, racked up 115 winners and 35 aces. They had fended off break points by the handful and they had presented the Centre Court crowd with not only the best match of the tournament, but one of the best matches of the year. And yet somebody had to lose.
In the end, with one last backhand into the net, it was Del Potro who drew the short straw, going out 3-6, 7-6, 19-17, and he could hardly bear it. He trudged to the net and sobbed on Federer’s shoulder.
Federer, who was already in dabbing his eyes in sheer relief, hugged him and put his arm round him as they walked to the umpire’s chair.
Federer’s dream of a singles gold medal was still alive but he knew how lousy Del Potro felt – after all, Del Potro had inflicted the same pain on him in the 2009 US Open final.
“To be honest, to lose a match like that hurts a lot. It’s very hard to lose a match like that,” Del Potro said, trying hard to compose himself before the world’s media and before he had to prepare for his mixed doubles quarter-final with Gisela Dulko. “It was a very tough match. Someone has to win and today it was his turn; at the US Open it was my turn. Now I have to try and do my best in doubles for Gisela.”
It came down to who would blink first. That honour went to Del Potro who played a shocker of a service game and was finally broken. It had taken the Fed three hours and 12 minutes to find a way past the big man’s defences but finally – finally – his patience had paid off: he was 10-9 ahead and just had to hold serve to put himself through to the final.
But if Del Potro had blinked, Federer now applied the blindfold. He had skipped through his service games with relative ease until this point but now, just when he needed to batten down the hatches, he dropped his serve to love. For just five minutes the mighty Fed had had one foot in the final but now it was 10-10 and we were back to square one.
By now, people were thumbing through the record books. What was the Olympic record for the longest match? Oh, yes, it was just the other
day: Tsonga against Raonic, three hours and 56 minutes. We broke that barrier and it was still only 15-15. Well what was the longest set Fed had ever played? That was back in 2009 in the Wimbledon final and he won that one 16-14 to break Andy Roddick’s heart and win his 15th grand slam title. Just for good measure, that five set match lasted four hours and 16 minutes; after four hours and 16 minutes of this cracker, we were only at 17-17, 0-15. And this was only a three setter.
For those of a statistical bent, the longest men’s match played over three sets in the Open Era (history in tennis only started in 1968,
clearly) was Rafael Nadal beating Novak Djokovic in the Madrid semi-final in 2009. That took four hours and three minutes. Pah! Call that a marathon? Federer’s third set too two hours and 43 minutes.
There had been times in the match – early on, while Del Potro was winning the first set – when the Swiss had looked unable to handle the power and precision of his rival’s thumping groundstrokes.
Suddenly he looked little and frail beside the 6ft 6ins giant from Tandil and it seemed for all the world as if it was destiny that he would never win an Olympic singles medal. Arnaud Di Pasquale had done for him in the bronze medal play-off in Sydney, Tomas Berdych beat him in Athens and James Blake stopped his run in Beijing. Surely Del Potro was not going to shatter his dreams at the All England Club, too. Not this time. Federer was on a mission to claim a medal and calling on every ounce of the experience of winning 17 grand slam trophies, he hung on and finally got his reward on his second match point. And it was blindingly obvious that reaching the final meant the world to him.
“Emotionally obviously I'm extremely drained from serving against a match so many times, basically being down in the score for the entire match except the one time where I served for it,” Federer said, now dry-eyed and looking remarkably good for a 30-year-old bloke who had just run himself into the ground for an afternoon.
“It was obviously nerve wracking. Obviously being aware, as well, it's the first medal for Switzerland during this Olympics, it was a big thing that carried me through. Just the level of play throughout was amazing, you know, especially from Juan Martin. I've never seen him play so well, to be honest, from start to finish, particularly on grass. He should be very proud of his performance.
“I felt very bad for him at net. It was an emotional hug we sort of gave each other. It's not over for him yet. I hope he can make the turnaround and play a good bronze medal match.
“I definitely got a sense that this was something special we were both going through, with Juan Martin. The deeper we went into the match, the more I thought, Wow, this is so cool to be part of a match like this. for me, yeah, it was somewhat equal to a Grand Slam final for sure. The emotions I felt were as strong as winning a grand slam almost. But of course you have to hopefully save some for Sunday so you can't go overly crazy. But I was very, very touched at the end.”
And just to think, we have all of this to go through again on Sunday for the final. Best get an early night; it is going to be a big weekend.
Posted: 08.08.12 23:59. Post subject: В статье высказывают..
В статье высказываются партнеры Роджера в парном разряде ,и ваще воспоминания о нем
Two For One: Partnering Federer In Doubles By Richard Pagliaro - Wednesday, August 8, 2012
On the practice court, players draft the designs for the games they aim to build. Then there are those creative souls who blow up blueprints.
It was on a practice court at Crandon Park on Key Biscayne where Jonas Björkman hit with the teenager whose eye-popping shots dazzled like the Art Deco structures dotting South Beach, but the kid's concentration could collapse as quickly as a sand castle party crashed by marauding waves.
Months earlier, a 17-year-old Roger Federer beat a pair of Argentine juniors named David Nalbandian and Guillermo Coria in succession to win the Orange Bowl at Crandon Park, clinching the 1998 year-end junior No. 1 ranking. "That's the best serve I've faced in the juniors," Coria said after Federer's 7-5, 6-3 victory in the final. It was a transformative moment: The Swiss teenager celebrated, adopting a bleach-blonde hair style. Federer's hair had returned to its natural shade, but his head was still in flux when Björkman encountered him at practice that spring day in 1999.
"You could see he had such a massive game, but mentally he was pretty weak at that time," Björkman recalls. "But in one year, he developed so much. You saw him again as a 19-year-old and he was so mature and he had such a tremendous talent you knew he was going to be a phenomenal player."
Federer celebrates his 31st birthday today — weeks after regaining the world No. 1 ranking — looking like a man fully intent on enjoying his tennis golden years.
Perhaps the only experience as exhilarating as facing Federer in singles is partnering him in doubles. What does it feel like to play alongside an all-court improviser capable of hitting between the legs or over an opponent's head? We caught up with some of Federer's former doubles partners to find out.
The 17-time Grand Slam singles champion has played 199 doubles matches in his pro career, partnering 27 different men and a couple of women (Martina Hingis in Hopman Cup and wife Mirka in Hopman Cup and in life). Federer teammates have ranged from Grand Slam champions (Björkman, Lleyton Hewitt, Max Mirnyi, Marat Safin, Marc Rosset) to former junior opponents (Nicolas Escude and Andreas Vinciguerra) to a slew of Swiss friends and Davis Cup teammates, including Yves Allegro, George Bastl, Marco Chiudinelli and Michel Kratochvil.
Kratochvil, two years older than Federer, rose through the ranks with the ball boy from Basel. He recalls the young Federer as "very relaxed" both on and off the court, but says even those closest to him could not envision his evolution.
"I think everybody knew this boy had lots of talent, but when we were young, I don't think anyone could foresee that he could become No. 1 and the best ever," says Kratochvil, who now runs the Michel Kratochvil Tennis Academy. "I think it's a couple of key things that helped Roger reach his success. It was a lot of hard work — you cannot achieve anything without hard work — and Roger has an unbelievable talent. His whole genetic posture, the way he plays a variety of shots, the way he moves, the way he anticipates on court — it all makes him so special. And because of that style, Roger has not had very many injuries and that also gives him the possibilities to do shots that others cannot. I think those are all important reasons for his success."
Federer was still a few years from singles success when he embraced the doubles Beast. Max Mirnyi, "the Beast of Belarus", won three titles with Federer — Rotterdam and Moscow in 2002 and Key Biscayne in 2003 — the most titles of any Federer doubles partnership. But he wasn't exactly banking on Federer re-writing the record book back then.
"To be honest, there was no way I could have predicted that Roger would turn into a superstar and a legend of the game back then," Mirnyi says. "He had some effective shots, but he also had some flaws to his game, as is the case with many promising young players and older, established players as well.
"Playing with him was an absolute pleasure. Even though he was not yet a magician at the time of our partnership he already had plenty of tricks. He was starting to show us, his colleagues, the different dimension tennis could be played at."
While he was developing an all-court game, the young Federer was vulnerable to vets who could get to his backhand, which was not nearly as polished or penetrating as the multi-faceted shot it would become. Former Top 10 singles and doubles player, South African Wayne Ferreira, partnered Federer to the 2000 Wimbledon doubles quarterfinal and points to the work Federer did reconstructing his backhand with ex-coach Peter Lundgren as vital to his development.
"Being South African, as is Roger's mother, I knew him since he was younger and we practiced together a lot," Ferreira says. "As a teenager, he had a really good forehand and he moved extremely well. I remember early on, he had no topspin backhand — he only had the slice backhand. I beat him in singles only because I was able to hit my forehand to penetrate his backhand. So I knew from practicing with him, that Roger was very talented, but his backhand was a weakness. Working with Peter Lundgren, they realized they had to improve that shot and then he began to come over it. One he developed the topspin backhand, he was fantastic, the full package."
It would be overstating the case to suggest playing doubles was critical to Federer's all-court game. Certainly, doubles sharpens the serve and return through repetition and may have helped Federer refine the rough edges on the backhand and fine-tune his transition game. But some partners believe Federer, who was not above tossing his Pro Staff around in fits of frustration during his younger years, found refuge from immense expectation in singles and a relaxed state of mind playing doubles.
"I think the biggest positive playing doubles was to get away from the pressure as a youngster coming up and people saying you're gonna be the next Pete Sampras," says Björkman, with whom Federer won his first doubles title at the 2001 Rotterdam event. "Obviously, it must be pretty tough to go into every match with those expectations at such a young age. When you play doubles, it's a totally different game. It was a good way for him to get match practice and also be a little bit more relaxed on court. Hopefully, maybe he learned a bit from all of us he played with."
Mastering the mind game may have been as important as working on his net game.
"In my opinion, there was something within Roger himself, his inner psychological world and mental approach to the game that changed from when he began," Mirnyi says. "And then that made the difference in the player that we have all had the pleasure to watch over the last 10 years."
In the years since, Federer has returned to doubles, winning the 2008 gold in Beijing with Wawrinka and paying it forward in partnering lower-ranked Swiss players to give them experience, while several of his former doubles partners continue to follow his career, collectively sharing a similar birthday wish: That he continue playing.
"The most impressive thing to me is the way he has handled all of his success: He is still the same person he was when I met him years ago and he knows the importance of world No. 1," Björkman says. "What's really most remarkable is that you see him winning so much for so long yet every time he wins, like at Wimbledon, you see how genuinely happy he still is and how much he loves it. I don't think we have ever had such a good ambassador in the sport of tennis."
Posted: 11.08.12 08:23. Post subject: Roger Federer Hall -..
Roger Federer Hall - but now for real
Alessandra Paone - 08/09/2012
Now the political fun: MPs want the St.-Jakobs-Halle named after the tennis star Federer.
Tennis Temple: The Swiss Indoors take place in the St. Jakobshalle each year.
When Hans Furer drove in a taxi to the airport in Bangkok about four years ago, the taxi driver asked him where he lived. In Switzerland, said the Basel MP. Then the taxi driver said: "Ah, like Roger Federer . "The Basel tennis star is world famous - hardly anyone doesn't know his name. Ever since his seventh victory at Wimbledon, Federer, who celebrated his 31st birthday yesterday, has become a living legend. And the missed gold medal at the current Olympic Games in London has not diminished his fame either.
Furer has reason enough for wanting to perpetuate the outstanding athletes. The Green Liberal want the “St.-Jakobs-Halle” name changed to “Roger Federer Arena” and has prepared the corresponding ‘postulat’ (request to the Parliament). This is expected to be presented to the District on September 6. A similar intervention will be submitted on September 12 by Furer’s party colleague Martina Bernasconi to the Basel Parliament (Canton).
Global Appeal
Roger Federer's name being equated with legends such as Muhammad Ali, Jesse Owens, or Pelé, justifies the two MPs’ cause. In 30 or 40 years, we will still talk about Roger Federer, because of the kind of unique way he has dominated for over ten years. No other Swiss personality has a global impact as Federer. But the Swiss are extremely cautious, "sometimes a little bünzlig" (old-fashioned) says Furer, when it comes to honoring living individuals. "Nonetheless, it is formally brought forward to have the St.-Jakobs-Halle renamed the Roger Federer arena."
Furer and Bernasconi decided on the St.-Jakobs-Halle because for decades the Swiss Indoors have taken place there. The tennis tournament is closely connected with the name of Roger Federer. There is also no secret that Federer would like to eventually take over his home tournament. In addition, Federer grew up in Münchenstein, has lived in Bottmingen, speaks Baseldeutsch (Basel dialect) and is also always mentioned in the media as the ‘Baseler’ or Roger Federer from Basle.
The idea to rename the St.-Jakobs-Halle to Roger Federer arena is not entirely new. Already in 2009, the city of Basel had discussed the issue. The name change will take place at the earliest after the renovation of the dilapidated hall, it was then stated. In November 2011, the Grand Council has accepted the request of the Government for a project loan of 4.8 million francs for the renovation of the St.-Jakobs-Halle with a large majority. According to Michel Loris Melikoff, the manager of the St.-Jakobs-Halle, the restoration work is to begin in 2015. It is currently in the midst of preparations.
Operational concerns
Loris Melikoff, despite the great respect he has for Federer, is not 100 percent convinced of the idea to name the St.-Jakobs-Halle after him. "Federer has earned an honor," says Lori Melikoff. However, it would be difficult to name the hall after him, especially since in the Basel region there are also other important personalities - such as the multiple Oscar winner Arthur Cohn.
The managing director of the St.-Jakobs-Halle also has concerns from an operational perspective. He wonders if more people will come to the hall, if it is named after Roger Federer. "People come especially when Federer plays in the hall. The name of the hall doesn’t matter to them", answering immediately his own question. Roger Brennwald, head of the Swiss Indoors, has not thought about it yet. He spontaneously says: "If the St.-Jakobs-Halle was a tennis temple, then the renaming would be obvious."
The tennis star is currently a topic of discussion in Birsfelden as well. There, the council discussed the issue of whether the community should get a ‘Roger Federer’ street, as reported by the "Birsfelder Gazette". The Federer family has lived for two years after the birth of their son in the Sternenfeld area in Birsfelden. The same question is being discussed in the municipality of Münchenstein. And (the city of) Biel should, in any case, name the street to the head office of Swiss Tennis after the exceptional athlete.
Immortalized in Germany
This last section is about Halle naming a street after Roger and how quickly they took the decision which was approved unanimously by the Coucil.
This is the last paragraph on the subject of Halle:
Posted: 02.11.12 10:55. Post subject: Pursuit Of Excellenc..
Pursuit Of Excellence
by Neil Harman 01.11.2012
Having qualified for the 11th year in succession, Roger Federer could win the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals for the seventh time. As Neil Harman of The Times writes, it is an extraordinary period of brilliance.
How do you find something new to say about the man who has had more words written about him than any other tennis player in the history of the sport? All the old ones come spilling back: grace, dignity, balance, effortlessness, simplicity, bravery, cool, chic, swagger. And talent. A talent from the gods.
It is a measure of all of those attributes that Roger Federer has returned to the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals as the reigning Wimbledon champion, and as the only man in history to have spent more than 300 weeks as the World No. 1 (this season, he moved past Pete Sampras’ record of 286 weeks at the top of the South African Airways ATP Rankings).
In addition to his 17 Grand Slam titles, he has won this end-of-year tournament six times, in Houston, Shanghai and twice in succession here on the side of the Thames. It is astonishing to relate that for those title successes, he has defeated six different players in the finals, Andre Agassi, Lleyton Hewitt, James Blake, David Ferrer, Rafael Nadal and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. This is the 11th consecutive time that he has qualified to an event restricted to the best eight players in the world, and just consider that for an unbroken period of brilliance. Has the game stalled, have the improvements not been as marked as we imagined? Or is it that the 31-year-old Swiss has, time and again, been able to rise above the rest for what has been an extraordinary period of success in the sport?
Having been allowed the luxury of writing the Wimbledon annual for the past nine years, the images of Federer on the front covers (well, most of the front covers) remain remarkably unchanged. In the early days, there was a little more hair that fell in a ponytail outside a bandana, but what hasn’t changed over the years is a champion’s serenity, a sureness of purpose, an incredible belief in both himself and the game that took him to the top and, for the most part, which has protected him from all-comers. There have been bruises, of course. No one stays around for as long as Federer has without taking the occasional knock, from his rivals on the court or from some of the scribes off it who have tended to regard every defeat as an affront to decency, and to wonder whether it’s time for his retirement.
In the 12 months since winning last November’s title at The O2, he has won the Wimbledon Championships for the seventh time, won on blue clay in Madrid, on the purple cement of Indian Wells, outdoors in Dubai and Cincinnati, indoors in Rotterdam. Nothing much fazes him.
Perhaps the most marked and telling moment came at Wimbledon when, in the immediate aftermath of his victory over Andy Murray, a win which gave him the No. 1 South African Airways ATP Ranking again, he shared the success with his three-year-old twin daughters, Myla Rose and Charlene Riva. He wanted his daughters to see him in his pomp.
“It was the first time the kids have seen me win a Grand Slam title,” he said. “As a parent you are always very protective but they have watched maybe 15 minutes of one of my matches and it was in Basel last year that Mirka surprised me by bringing the girls out for the trophy ceremony and I turned around and there they were. This was completely different because it was Wimbledon and that is where so many of my great victories happened and I felt very emotional seeing the family and sharing such an intimate moment in all the craziness that was happening. It was unique and a legacy for them, because usually they barely remember today what happened yesterday. I hope that one day they look back and say maybe this was a good thing we did. Who knows?”
Sharing these moments with his daughters is what keeps Federer going. He does not want to fade away, to start to struggle to recall what made him great in the first place. When Federer does not feel he is able to compete properly, then he will call it a day but, as he has mentioned at various times this year, the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 remain a target. I have had the privilege of reporting on hundreds of his matches. I hope to do hundreds more.
««Leider hat Roger das Turnier nie gewonnen. Wir lieben Roger und seine Freundschaft bedeutet uns viel, aber wir sind von diesem Konzept überzeugt», lässt sich IMG-Manager Greg Sproule auf «tennisworldusa.org» zitieren.»
SAO PAULO -- Roger Federer says he won't play as often in the next few years but wants to compete in the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
The 31-year-old Swiss star intends to be more mindful about the tournaments he plays to make sure he can keep playing at a high level.
"I have to make sure that I take care of my schedule, of my body, of my mind," he said Thursday. "Hopefully, I can still stay on tour for many more years and hopefully play the Olympics here in three and a half years or so, so I have to look far ahead and not just the next six months."
The winner of 17 Grand Slams is in Sao Paulo for exhibition matches involving Maria Sharapova, Victoria Azarenka, Serena Williams, Caroline Wozniacki, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Tommy Robredo, Tommy Haas and Thomaz Bellucci. The Bryan brothers, Bob and Mike, are also participating. Federer plays Bellucci, Brazil's top-ranked player, on Thursday.
Federer has competed in four Olympics, winning a doubles gold in 2008 and a singles silver this year. He would love to make it to the Rio Games.
"There is a lot of passion for sports here," he said. "It's a hot place to play tennis right now."
Federer, who ended the season ranked No. 2, said this year was difficult because of additional commitments that kept him from practice and his family.
"I've played a lot of tennis. It's been a big challenge, especially with the Olympics and the Davis Cup this year," he said. "I found my way back to world No. 1 and it took a lot of sacrifices. I'd like to be home a little bit more often and in a relaxed fashion."
Still, he said it was a rewarding season.
"I'm very happy that I'm still playing at a very high level," said Federer, who won six titles this year, including Wimbledon. "I had one of my best years on tour this year, and one of the most emotional ones, of course. Next year tournament victories will probably be more important than the rankings, that's why I need to make sure I practice a lot next year."
Federer played 19 tournaments in 2012, two more than top-ranked Novak Djokovic. No. 3 Andy Murray also played 19 and Rafael Nadal, nursing a knee injury, played only 11.
"I'm not going to play 25 tournaments, but every tournament that I will be playing I'll be emotionally attached to it because I either won there before or because I've been there many times or because I love the city or the country and the fans," he said. "Today I've reached a point in my life that I can pick and choose where I want to play and how much I want to play."
One of the tournaments he left off his 2013 schedule was Miami, the Masters event in March he has played since 1999 and won twice.
"Miami was a tough decision for me," he said. "But I have to take some time off, first of all, but most importantly, I need to practice. This year I couldn't practice at all. Something had to go in the calendar and that was Miami, unfortunately."
Federer said he thinks he will need two Grand Slams and five to eight titles in other tournaments to get back to No. 1.
"It's difficult," he said. "But I'm happy to set that challenge and I'll give everything I have."
The ATP World Tour Finals also marked Roger Federer's third appearance in a major final in London this year. Admittedly he was forced to surrender the cup, along with his place as the season's no.1 player, to Serbia's Novak Djokovic. At the same time, however, it is now clear that he has become even more popular and for fans of the sport is the greatest no. 1 by far. "Roger Federer is the most popular tennis player of all time." For Andrew Castle, former British tennis professional and now BBC pundit, there is no longer any doubt about that following the ATP World Tour Finals in London, as he told his listeners and readers of his newspaper columns. The oldest contestant at 31 years of age, Federer missed out (6-7, 5-7) on his seventh Masters title and a hat trick in the season's finale in a dramatic final against Novak Djokovic. But with his spectacular performances and his aura, he nevertheless proved the biggest attraction at the O2 Arena in East London, which pulled in crowds of 263,229 over the eight days of the tournament.
Even Murray in Federer's Shadow That his popularity has continued to climb was particularly evident in the semifinals, where he met Andy Murray in the gigantic arena on the Greenwich Peninsula in front of 17,800 spectators, in a repeat of the finals at Wimbledon and the Olympics. Then something unexpected happened: It wasn't the Scotsman who received a frenetic welcome from the majority of spectators. Despite having become Olympic champion for the first time and appearing in London for the first time since winning the UK's first men's Grand Slam title in 76 years at the US Open, it was his opponent who attracted most of the acclaim, with countless Swiss flags being waved and chants of "Roger, Roger" ringing repeatedly throughout the stadium.
Illusion of Timelessness "A shiver ran down my spine when I came onto the court, and then at the introduction too," said Federer, after averting his third defeat in succession to Murray (after the Olympics and Shanghai) with a 7-6, 6-2 win. He received a lot of support throughout the world, he said, but in London perhaps more so than anywhere else. That's hardly surprising, given that as many as ten of his biggest successes were achieved in the UK capital, including his seven Wimbledon wins, two successes in the season's finale, and winning the silver medal in the Olympics. Even in the year of his 17th Grand Slam title and his return to the very pinnacle of the sport, he still comes across as so fresh, energetic, inspired, and motivated that he almost succeeds in creating the illusion of timelessness.
"He's more respected in Britain than anywhere else" Andy Murray and the British tennis experts remained slightly perplexed following this clear verdict from the spectators. "What more does he have to do? Climb Everest? Put his name down for I'm a Celebrity – Get Me Out of Here?" wrote Neil Harman, tennis correspondent of The Times. He also castigated those fans who actually booed Murray during the tie-break, when he was forced to change his racket after having destroyed it in anger over a mistake that he made. "It's shameful that the home crowd wanted the other player to win." But Harman went on to say: "Federer has enriched this sport more than anyone else over the past decade." And he's perhaps more respected in Britain than anywhere else apart from Switzerland."
Winner of Fans' Award for Tenth Time Federer once again improved on one of his records in the season's final tournament, too. Following his wins against Andy Murray, David Ferrer, and Janko Tipsarevic, the six-times Masters champion has now notched up 42 wins in the season's finale, putting him ahead of the previous record holder, Ivan Lendl (39) – now coach to Murray. Federer has concluded his 14th year as a professional with six titles, 71 wins, and 12 defeats – representing his best showing since 2007. The world rankings list has him as easily the second best player in the world at the end of 2012 – behind Djokovic but ahead of Murray, Nadal, and Ferrer. That he's the clear no.1 in terms of popularity was also evidenced in London by the fact that he picked up the ATP Fans' Favorite Award for the tenth time in succession. He also collected the Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award – where players honor the most popular among their own – for the eighth time.
For McEnroe, Federer Is Still the Greatest The only disappointment for Federer was his failure to win any tournaments in the final third of an otherwise superb 2012 season. The 76-time champion will therefore have to wait a while until he can close the gap with John McEnroe, who quit after 77 titles and thus took third place in the professional era, behind Jimmy Connors (109) and Ivan Lendl (94). For the American, however, Federer is already the greatest player in the history of tennis. "If I had to pick one person, I'd pick Roger," he told the Tampa Times. "Generally, I put Nadal as the greatest clay court player, I put Roger as the best allrounder, I put Sampras the greatest grass court player, and Rod Laver was my idol. Those would be the top four. But I think Roger is the best overall. He plays the most beautiful tennis I've ever seen."
"One year, five years, ten years, I'll take it" The exceptional status that Federer now possesses was also highlighted by Brad Drewett, CEO of the ATP World Tour, on the fringe of the season's finale. "I want Roger to play as long as he can. One year, five years, ten years, I'll take it," he told USA Today. "He's beyond tennis now. He's obviously one of the most famous, respected athletes in the world. He never ceases to amaze me on and off the court." He concludes: "When he does leave the game, it will be a tremendous loss." But that day still seems to be some way off. Federer's strong motivation to extend his career for as long as possible continues unabated.
On South American Tour in December He therefore intends to plan even more carefully in 2013, and to spend more time on his training blocks than in the hectic Olympic year. Prior to the Australian Open (starts January 14), for example, he will not play in any tournament or exhibition competitions for once, and following that will in all probability also omit the Davis Cup against the Czech Republic in Geneva at the start of February. He has instead included an exhibition tour to South America in his extended season preparations in December, where he will play in exhibition matches against David Ferrer, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Tomaz Bellucci, and Juan Martin Del Potro in São Paulo, Buenos Aires, and Bogotá, between December 6 and 15. "I'm looking forward to it enormously," says Federer, who has never appeared as a tennis pro in South America. "It should be a unique trip."
I remember having a chat with former Wimbledon Champion Richard Krajicek a few years back about what makes the successful career of an athlete. Obviously staying healthy, working hard, making sacrifices and being disciplined were top of the list.
However, what was most interesting is something many athletes fail to recognize, even after their careers - That in an athletes career, you will probably only have experienced the ‘in the zone’ sensation no more than 4 times and you will have no more than 3 ‘great’ performances a year whilst performing.
Now to some of you that might sound very pessimistic, but its true, because as a former professional athlete myself, I experienced it. By meaning ‘in the zone’, I’m talking about those performances where it felt effortless and you could do absolutely nothing wrong. By ‘great’ I mean you played as well as you knew you could have. Probably the hardest thing for an athlete to realize is, that in a 365 day year, you will have more days that you aren’t going to be playing to your expectations and inner-mind ability.
Great athletes like Roger Federer and Rory McIlroy will tell you that they’ve won some of their biggest matches and tournaments playing far less from their best.
In my experience of working with athletes, I’ve found that it’s those with perfectionist like personalities who are most likely to impede their performances by not accepting that they aren’t playing as well as they’d like to. They end up letting matches slip away purely on being innerly frustrated that they aren’t playing the way they would like to.
Here’s 6 points on what a successful athlete does:
1. A successful athlete accepts that they aren’t going to play their best every time they step onto the court, track or playing field.
2. They understand that success doesn’t lie in a one-off upset against a big player or just having a few good results. It lies in consistent control of their emotions and mindset.
3. A Successful athlete understands that in order to win on their ‘bad’ days, they need to always give their best and believe they can actually win.
4. A successful athlete doesn’t spend their time comparing themselves or current level to their greatest ever performance.
5. The success of an athlete lies in their ability to play ‘well enough’ to pull out a win on that day. They understand it gives them another day and chance to make it better!
6. They don’t ruin their chances of winning or playing better (even when playing poorly) by letting a negative or bad attitude get in the way.
Get rid of the quest for perfection and rather aim for consistency & improvement in your daily performances. Also accept that you aren’t going to play great every time you step onto the court, but it can be good enough to pull out a win.
Posted: 12.02.13 10:12. Post subject: Tennis-Federer calls..
Tennis-Federer calls for biological passports to detect doping
By Theo Ruizenaar | Reuters
ROTTERDAM, Feb 11 (Reuters) - World number two Roger Federer has called for the introduction of biological passports in tennis similar to those used in cycling to detect possible doping.
"A blood passport will be necessary as some substances can't be discovered right now but might in the future, and that risk of discovery can chase cheaters away," the 31-year-old Swiss said on the opening day of the World Indoor Tournament in Rotterdam.
"But there also should be more blood tests and out of competition controls in tennis," he added.
According to figures on the International Tennis Federation website (www.itftennis.com), sport's governing body carried out only 21 out-of-competition blood tests in the professional game in 2011.
Cycling's governing body the UCI carried out more than 3,314 out-of-competition blood tests in the same year.
The UCI introduced biological passports in 2008 to track any blood changes in riders against an original profile which could mean they had taken illegal substances.
"I didn't get tested on blood after the Australian Open and I told the responsible people over there that it was a big surprise for me," said Federer, who lost to Briton Andy Murray in the semi-finals.
"But there also will be more funding needed to make all the tests possible and the Grand Slam tournaments should help to finance that as it is in their best interest to keep the sport clean and credible."
Federer said he had the impression that his sport was clean.
"The past years we had something like one case a year and often it had to do with unintentional mistakes made by players," he said. "But even then they should not make those mistakes and know the rules and live by them."
Defending champion Federer begins his quest for a third Rotterdam title agains Slovenian Grega Zemlja on Wednesday.
Posted: 12.02.13 12:02. Post subject: "I didn't ge..
"I didn't get tested on blood after the Australian Open and I told the responsible people over there that it was a big surprise for me," ну так он и не играл после АО, зачем его тестировать-то?
Posted: 12.02.13 16:21. Post subject: Марина пишет: "..
Марина пишет:
quote:
"I didn't get tested on blood after the Australian Open and I told the responsible people over there that it was a big surprise for me," ну так он и не играл после АО, зачем его тестировать-то?
Марин, их по правилам должны тестировать постоянно, даже во время травмы, не то что между турнирами. поэтому из пенсии не так просто выходит" - перед этим надо, то ли 6, то ли 9 месяцев на контроле у ВАДЫ стоять.
Posted: 12.02.13 22:18. Post subject: Марина не нужны нико..
Марина не нужны никому. все равно, те виды, где это исторически используется, так на допе и сидят, вот велосипед да легкая атлетика, те подставляются, а остальные, что верят в чистоту какого-то, например, силового вида?
Posted: 13.02.13 08:39. Post subject: Интересная, на мой в..
Интересная, на мой взгляд, информация о ракетках и струнах. По какой-то (?) причине об этом заговорили снова.
Это из статьи за декабрь 2012 «SPAGHETTI STRUNG RACQUETS» на сайте University of Sydney (School of Physics, автор Rod Cross - a noted tennis physicist from Australia)
В 1971 немецкий horticulturalist (садовник/садовод), Вернер Фишер, изобрел новый способ натягивать теннисные ракетки. Это придавало мячу такое большое вращение, что было в конце концов запрещено International Tennis Federation (ITF) в 1978 году. Одной из проблем было то, что низкорейтинговые игроки могли одержать верх над ТОП-игроками, придавая мячу намного больше вращения, чем ТОП-игроки могли себе позволить в то время. Как ни странно, современный теннис пришел к тому, что игроки как Надаль могут теперь придавать мячу почти столько же вращения, сколько мог обеспечить Фишер в 1970-ых с его spaghetti strings. Современные игроки бегают вперед-назад по baseline в долгих скучных розыгрышах, редко отваживаясь выходить к сетке, так как их легко обвести по линии или перекинуть крученой свечкой. Это было одной из причин, по которой spaghetti stringing system была запрещена.
Дальше идет объяснение, что такое spaghetti stringing system, как это работает, дано обоснование такому количеству вращения с точки зрения науки физики (с формулами). Вся статья здесь
Это уже из статьи за февраль 2013 «Question of the Day: Revisiting the Spaghetti Racquet» на tennis.com
Для людей, интересующихся историей игрового инвентаря, “spaghetti racquet” (также известная как “double-strung” racquet) является ярким моментом. Созданная западногерманским horticulturist по имени Вернер Фишер, ракетка, особенностью которой была очень подвижная string surface, могла вызывать (придавать мячу) огромное количество вращения, что было совершенно неслыханным в то время.
Как рассказывает Bud Collins в своей Tennis Encyclopedia, spaghetti racquet вызвала наибольший резонанс в 1977 году, когда её применение начало влиять на результаты как клубных, так и профессиональных турниров. В том году, на French Open, австралийский игрок Barry Phillips-Moore стал первым, кто использовал такую ракетку на major pro tournament. А несколько месяцев спустя, на U.S. Open, малоизвестный американец Mike Fishbach обыграл Stan Smith во втором раунде.
Но spaghetti strings не суждено было достичь славы, так как скоро они прекратили свое существование. Как указывает Collins, спустя две недели после U.S. Open “Ilie Nastase проиграл в Париже игроку, у которого была ракетка 'spaghetti', и поклялся, что он никогда не будет играть против такой ракетки снова. Однако, на следующей неделе, он сам использовал такую ракетку, чтобы выиграть турнир в Aix-en-Provence, прервав в финале длинную победную серию Гильермо Виласа [46 матчей подряд]. Вилас снялся после двух сетов, утверждая, что игра против гипертрофированного вращения повредила ему локоть.”
(Факт: После поражения от Nastase Вилас выиграл еще 28 матчей подряд. )
Уже в следующий понедельник, 2-ого октября, International Tennis Federation (ITF) приостановила на время законность использования double-strung racquets на официальных соревнованиях. В июне 1978 года, пишет Коллинз, ITF сделала этот запрет постоянным, и создала новые правила, прямо запрещающие перспективные stringing designs, которые отступают от woven, uniform norm.
…
Собственно, дополнительное боковое движение струн [в spaghetti racquets] мало чем отличается от движения, которое обеспечивают современные monofilaments (моноволокна). Мonofilament stringbeds, точно так же, как и spaghetti, по сравнению со струнами из нейлона или натуральных кишок, позволяют mains to displace (основным вертикальным струнам перемещаться) и мгновенно “восстанавливаться” после воздействия. Недавние исследования Cross и других показали - этот snap-back effect способствует увеличению вращения, не говоря уже об увеличении угла, под которым мяч покидает ракетку при ударе.
Ирония в том (мимо чего не прошел Cross), что сегодняшние игроки используют струны из полиэстера, чтобы бить почти с таким же количеством вращения — а в случае Рафаэля Надаля, возможно, и больше? — как могли бить Fishbach и Nastase с их spaghetti racquets. Что, безусловно, вызывает очевидный, но интересный вопрос: Почему запрещены струны spaghetti, но не запрещены monofilaments?
Полностью статья (есть объяснение Fischer’s spaghetti pattern и несколько видео) здесь
All times are GMT
3 Hours. Hits today: 1
You can: smiles yes, images yes, types no, poll no
avatars yes, links on, premoderation off, edit new post yes
(про Майами тоже есть 
) 
Где ж они все без этого окажутся? 
- user online
- user offline