Moya says Federer still has tennis to play

Former Spanish great Carlos Moya has no doubt that Roger Federer is far from done at age 29.

"You can’t do anything against genetics and the body, as you get older the body loses power," 1998 French Open winner Moya, who retired from the sport a year ago at the Madrid Masters, told Spanish tabloid Marca.

"The greatest player in history can never be counted out. I hope Federer keeps playing his best because it is a pleasure to watch him play. I hope he can extend his career to its fullest and don’t rule out him winning another Grand Slam," said the Spaniard, now an ambassador for the Masters 1000 in the capital.

"Wimbledon is the one where he’ll have the most chances. When he retires, we will realise how much we miss him."

Moya, who served as the first mentor for Nadal - they share a heritage from the island of Mallorca - says that his prodigy cannot extend his clay dominance forever. "No one is unbeatable on any surface. Anyone can have a bad day, bad night, a bad match."

http://www.tennistalk.com/en/news/20110 … is_to_play

Federer admits to muscle niggle from Madrid



Roger Federer's semi-final fight at the Madrid Masters was marked as a step up in quality for the Swiss in his longtime rivalry with the Spaniard.

But the battle may have cost the Swiss a niggling injury as he heads to Rome for this week's Masters 1000.

Near the end of the contest, Federer was flexing his arm by swinging his racquet. He later admitted he had a small physical worry. "I had muscle pain since the first game, not only in my chest," he said.

"It's actually better than yesterday but I just feel that when I keep on serving and then the match extends and I haven't served in maybe five to 10 minutes sometimes.

"I was still able to hit full speed which is most important and I didn't double fault much so it was fine."

With the Swiss not prone to give much away, the first real test for the issue will come in the Rome second round, when the third seed starts with a match against one of two Australian Open finalists - Jo-Wilfried Tsonga or Marcos Baghdatis.

http://www.tennistalk.com/en/news/20110 … rom_Madrid

I can get back to No.1: Federer



Record 16-time grand slam winner Roger Federer insists he still has his sights set on a return to the No.1 world ranking.

Federer has been in the shadow not only of long-time rival Rafael Nadal in recent times but now also man-of-the-moment Novak Djokovic.

But the 29-year-old Swiss believes he can still return to the top of the tree, even though he trails Nadal by 3,500 points in the rankings.

“It’s important for me to get back to world No.1. I mentioned it after Wimbledon, it’s a goal of mine and it’s still very real and very possible,” he said in Rome.

“I still have the World Tour Finals in my pocket, I don’t have a grand slam in my pocket but if I win one it changes everything.

“But these guys (Nadal and Djokovic) are playing better than me and other players.

“Novak has won a lot of tournaments, like Rafa, but I’m getting closer.

“It’s not like I’m struggling in the first or second round. It’s a new situation with Novak not losing.

“But not much has changed for me from when I was No.1. With (Andy) Murray or Novak or even Rafa occasionally in my draw it was always hard.

“Everyone is so consistent, it’s not like you can say Murray is bad on clay or Rafael is bad on grass, everyone can play on every surface.

“I’m as optimistic as ever.”

From 2003-2007, Federer was the undisputed best player in the world but then Nadal started to emerge as a very real threat to the Swiss’s dominance.

And in 2008 when Nadal beat Federer in the Wimbledon final, a tournament Federer had virtually owned for the previous five years, the changeover was complete.

Federer had to get used to his new status as No.2 in the world but last year he was also overtaken by Djokovic.

And now that Djokovic has beaten Nadal in a clay final, in Madrid last week, many would suggest that the baton is about to pass from the Spaniard to the Serbian.

It was the third time in a row this year that Djokovic has beaten Nadal in a Masters Series final.

He is also the Australian Open champion and remains unbeaten this year.

But Federer doesn’t think too much should be read into that Madrid final.

“I thought Novak definitely had a chance to play for it, he’s been playing well these last three months,” he said.

“Madrid remains a quick clay court so he had a better chance to beat Rafa there if ever he was going to do it.

“It’s always surprising to see Rafa lose on clay. It’s just one tournament but another good one for Novak.”

Federer denied that he is struggling to adapt to his new position slightly out of the limelight in comparison to his younger rivals.

“They deserve the (good) press, they’ve got a lot of it. It’s good stories and I’m all for it.

“They’ve had a number of matches over the years, the same number as I’ve had with Rafa because they’re playing many semi-finals and finals.

“There’s a number of players behind waiting to stake their claim and I’m one of those.

“I’ve played all the semis since Wimbledon, apart from Monte Carlo. I had a close match with Rafa last week.”

Federer was scheduled to begin his Rome challenge against Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga on Wednesday

http://www.tennis.com.au/news/2011/05/1 … -1-federer

ROGER DEFEATED IN ROUND THREE



Roger has dropped out of the Rome Masters in round three, losing 6-4, 6-7(2), 6-7(4) to Richard Gasquet. Our champ made a number of uncharacteristic errors against his French opponent, who he had beaten in their previous eight meetings.

"I should never have lost this match," said Roger. "He knows how close he came to losing. I had multiple chances but I couldn't make the difference. I thought I was playing well but he served better toward the end and hung in there. I didn't feel I could break and it's no fun to play like that".

Roger started into the match well and broke Gasquet in the seventh game of the first set before serving it out. In the second set he already had a 4-2 lead when Gasquet fought his way back into the match and even taking the tiebreak. The third set also had to be decided in a tiebreak where Roger just committed too many errors in the end.

Up next is the second Grand Slam tournament of the year: Roland Garros. "I'm looking forward to a few days to stay mentally and physically fresh and practice very hard" said Roger.

http://www.rogerfederer.com/en/esp/news … -drei.html

Wywiad z RF:

"I am able to play still many years"

Q: How do you feel as number three of the world rank list?
A:Not much differently than in former times. Afterall, I slipped down [in the ranking] not because of bad play. I could surely have better played with the Grand Slam tournaments. Paris and Wimbledon were not the yellow of the egg. I up-played end of last yearly extremely strongly and see myself to be on the right way. I do not feel necessarily as number three, although the classification surely says the truth. But I am presented with tournaments not as number three, but as Roger Federer.

Q: Could you resign yourselves to play behind Nadal and Djokovic only the third violin?
A: As long as I know the fact that I can win large tournaments and have joy in tennis it would not be a problem for me. But naturally I am rather the number one than three. But just now we are in a very interesting phase. I have to defend very few points. If I play in Paris and Wimbledon well, I can make a large leap. It is short term my goal of becoming again the number one.

Q: Did you hold your level or to have you weakened? Did the competitors become better?
If I compare myself with 2005, I play today surely better. We improved all. Surely the distances at the top became much closer, so that it is still more difficult to win the whole time. The fact that I am no longer so dominant has to do also with the fact that I changed my planning [ Roger, be quiet.] 2005, 2006 and 2007 I skipped many Masters 1000 (the largest tournaments after the four Grand Slam tournaments) and set more on smaller tournaments. I granted myself many breaks, in order to regenerate.

Q: Such as Djokovic just did with renouncement of Monte Carlo?
A: Yes, Novak played then only again in Belgrade - and won. Thus he maintained his series remained and it boosted his self-assurance further. Thus I did this also for a long time, until the criticism of the ATP, players and from tournaments became too loud. I decided then to play all Masters 1000 or as at least possibly seven or eight of nine. I make that, because it is good for the tennis, although I do not play now 15 and 16 Finals any more. But I consider whether I will play next year directly again in Indian Wells and thereafter in Miami.

Q: Against Djokovic you lost now three times successively. How do you stop such negative series?
A: I beat him twice before. But we are both much to good players, that one of us could lose ten times in series. In Australia it was very close, in Indian Wells I was again very close. Novak now is in a phase, in which he can simply slam on the balls. But clearly, I think about it, what I must change next time against him.

Q: Djokovic is certainly the man of the first half year. Would you have thought capable of to him to intervene in the duel Nadal - Federer?
A: He had the capability for a long time. For some time it was between Nadal, Djokovic, Murray and me back and forth. End of last year I won more against top five, now is it Djokovic.

Q: When is it your turn again?
A: The chances stand naturally in Wimbledon best. In addition, in Paris I figure out chances. Of course it is not completely simple to crack the castle, which Nadal built there. There he is the exceptional player and only once lost. But one should not tell oneself that it is impossible to beat him there.

Q: Do defeats gnaw at you?
A: Today that is easier than in former times. As a young player, who wanted to create the break-through, each defeat was a step back and a giant disappointment. Today that is different, because I know that I tried everything in each match, the opponent played well or it came down perhaps only to few points. Perhaps tactically I could have changed a few things.

Q:You still play with a very small Racket. Sampras advised you to a larger racket as he did on the seniors tour. Is that applicable for you?
A: I changed already once, 2002, from the Sampras racquet to my current model. Every so often I test larger racquets. The problem is that I have no time for detailed tests.

Q: The young Bulgare Grigor Dimitrov is often compared with you. Can there be a second Federer?
A: Dimitrov play resembles technically mine extremely. But it should not be the goal of players of imitating others. I see now many players try to play like Nadal, although it is not at all their play. I always said, you must find your own style. At the beginning of my career I was often compared with Sampras, although he played Serv and Volley, which I never really did. There will never be a second Martina Hingis, second Pete Sampras or second Roger Federer. [Haha<3]

Q: You are playing now against young people, which grew up with you as Idol. How does that feel?
A: It was actually the most beautiful time, when I was allowed to play against people, which I had admired still on the television, like Moya, Henman, Sampras, Agassi or Chang. Against Nadal, Djokovic or Murray it is not so special, that is simply the next generation. I find it brilliant that I play now against people like the young German Julian Reister, which grew up with me as model.

Q: Thus still no tennis tiredness, although you become 30 years old on 8 August and in Ethiopia were estimated to be 45 already?
A: Yes, that was really fun. When eating in Ethiopia a girl asked me, how old I was, and I let her estimate her. She said, it was tricky for her to determine the age of white people and called then this number. No, I do not think of stopping. I am mental in the position to play still many years long. I have firm plans for everything already right up to the Olympic Games 2012 in London, and now planning begins for the time thereafter. For me it is simply important, the balance between training, match, holidays and family lives. Also I have plenty to do with press and sponsor dates as well as promotion for tournaments. All that must be combined well.

Q: Can you switch off in the vacation totally?
A: Yes, I can relax there totally. To Australia we had one supervacation. But I do not want to get again into a terrible muscular strain when I begin training again afterwards. Therefore I played tennis with my wife Mirka in the last vacation three times. After ten days my endurance trainer came for a few days. I do not want that my body down shifts totally.

Q: They have now two scarcely two years old twin daughters. Is the life for a tennis professional with family more difficult? Does it divert you?
A: The family is surely a diverson, but a good diverson. For me the family is a dream, which became also true. One must just organize everything well. We travel with a maid, so that Mirka can see my plays. And the two small ones go, if possible, also on journeys. After the matches I do not hang around any longer for a long time in the changing room, and after training I sit in the car already ten minutes after the end.

Q: Do your twin daughters already know that their father is a world star?
A: They recognize me in pictures, on posters and on the television. That is simply sweet. My children already watched me play few times in matches. In Basel they participated in the award of the prize and applauded. Those are the small things, which make happy, proud and and also motivate me.

Q: Do Myla Rose and Charlene Riva already play tennis?
A: We do not travel with small racquets, with which they would use to ruin the walls. But it can surely be that they come rather to the tennis as to other kinds of sport. That is not our goal. It would be fun for us if they would do many kinds of sport. That is good for the health and for the life. One learns to lose and win. That's what is all about and not to form to superstars in tennis.

Q: Do you lead a restricted life?
No, I can do what I want. If I want to go to for the meal out of the hotel, I can without problems. I just have to prepare myself to be recognized. Sometimes one desires this and sometimes not. Also my children are not pursued. I am glad that my private life is respected and I'm not in the gossip press. Probably they know that we are simply a completely normal family.

Q: They called your life once dream. Is that today still valid?
A: Obviously! One must sometimes deliberate look at oneself back: What would one have signed, when one was eight years old? Even when I had won with 17 years the junior tournament in Wimbledon, I would have never thought that I would have once so much success, although at that time already many said you can become the number one. A single Wimbledon victory would have already been enough for me at that time. Add to this my large joy in playing tennis.

Q: Do you read newspaper? Do you read, what is written about you?
Yes, from time to time, it depends also on the fact whether I am successful or not. Since Miami, since the defeat against Nadal, I don't want to know what was written over me. I omit then the sports section and simply, read, what happened in Switzerland, in the world and in the economy. This always served me well. I do not want to enter a press conference and know that this journalist has written that Federer can no more tennis play and should better stop. I want to be able to answer completely normally to questions and not develop antipathy against journalists. Those also do only their job. I once explained that in such a way: The press conferences are a washing machine. There you are revved up and out-spat again. And at the end nothing happened.

FRENCH OPEN: THE DRAW



The men's draw for the 2011 French Open has been released. Roger will meet Feliciano Lopez (ATP 41) in his opening match. Roger leads the head-to-head 8:0 and has recently won against him in Madrid.

In the second round Maxime Teixeira (ATP 185) or Vincent Millot (ATP 154) could be up. After that Janko Tipsarevic (ATP 32) could be a possible opponent before heading into the fourth round against either Stanislas Wawrinka (ATP 15) or Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (ATP 18). In the quarter-finals our champ could then play against David Ferrer (ATP 7), the finalist in Barcelona and Monte-Carlo. Finally, in the possible semi-finals, Roger could play against Novak Djokovic, who is still unbeaten in 2011 - certainly, an exciting match for the audience.

http://www.rogerfederer.com/en/esp/news … osung.html

ROGER CRUISES THROUGH



Today Roger won his first match in Paris against Feliciano Lopez (ATP 41) 6-3, 6-4, 7-6.

Roger almost rountinely defeated Lopez today, in contrast to his last match against him in Madrid. He took the first two sets without breaking any sweat and slammed 12 aces in his match. After almost 2 hours Roger achieved his ninth victory in nine outings against the left-hander in the tiebreak.

Roger will play Maxime Teixeira (ATP 181) in the next match. He never played against him before.

http://www.rogerfederer.com/en/esp/news … etzen.html

Federer said change of balls not ideal for a Grand Slam



The abrupt change of ball brand for this year's French Open has annoyed Roger Federer, who voiced the worries of many other players concerning the hottest locker room topic of the week at Roland Garros.

The swap from Dunlop to Babolat balls has been a huge one for players, with men especially already comfortable with another brand which have been used during the ATP clay buildup. Federer said that such a change should not have come at a major.

"I'm hearing a lot of conversations about the balls, it's just that they're not the same from what we've just played for the last month," said the 2009 champion and third seed. "Tournaments (on the ATP) all changed to the Roland Garros ball after last year, then Roland Garros has changed their balls again.

"Now we're stuck with a different deal for all the different ATP Tour events. That is the frustrating part that we need to adjust before the French, different balls."

Players have complained in their numbers that the speed of the new balls is a sharp contrast to before. Tournament officials deny a problem, saying the speed and lack of control are a result of the current dry weather in Paris.

http://www.tennistalk.com/en/news/20110 … Grand_Slam

ROGER ADVANCES



Roger defeated Maxime Teixeira 6-3, 6-0, 6-2 in his second match at the French Open today.

"It's so difficult to come out and play on a big court when you are not used to it," said Roger of his 22-year-old opponent. "I'm playing here for the 12th year and I'm very experienced."

Our champion was broken once early in the first set but fought back and captured the set after 33 minutes. In the second set Roger found back to his usual strength - securing three breaks and taking the set 6-0. Roger left Teixeira without any chance in the final set and used his third match ball to win his second match in Roland Garros.

Roger will now face Janko Tipsarevic (ATP 29), our champ leads the head-to-head 3:0.

http://www.rogerfederer.com/en/esp/news … eiter.html

RG 2011 - konferencja po zwycięstwie w 3 rundzie.

http://www.rolandgarros.com/en_FR/multi … 00154.html