Roger Federer appeared rusty in his season-opening match at the Brisbane International as he struggled to beat the Australian wildcard entry John Millman 4-6, 6-4, 6-3.
The weather was reasonably mild for sub-tropical Brisbane, where Federer lost to Lleyton Hewitt in the final last year, but it was the hot reception from the No153-ranked Millman that was to trouble him.
“I’m sweating like crazy,” Federer said afterwards. “Under a lot of pressure. I think I got quite lucky in the second set. He was playing great tennis.”
It was slow start for the 33-year-old Swiss who had a first-round bye. He wasted four break-point chances in an opening game that lasted seven minutes before Millman held.
Federer was broken in the 10th game, saving three set points before hitting a swinging forehand volley too long to surrender the first set to Millman, who was getting raucous support from his hometown crowd.
The top-seeded Federer dropped serve to give Millman a 3-1 lead in the second set. However, he broke back immediately, setting it up with a classic one-handed backhand down the line, and saved three break points in the next game to keep it on serve. That was when things started to go his way.
“First match of the season, you never know quite what to expect,” said Federer, who walked on court with 996 career match wins on the ATP tour, 993 more than Millman. “Credit to him for pushing it.”
Federer will face another Australian wildcard in the next round after James Duckworth beat Jarkko Nieminen 4-6, 7-6, 6-3.
theguardian.com
Thursday, January 08, 2015
Tuesday, January 06, 2015
Roger Federer, Martina Hingis, Milos Raonic enjoy Brisbane International Kid's Day
Tennis stars Roger Federer, Grigor Dimitrov, Milos Raonic, Victoria Azarenka, and Martina Hingis played tennis alongside some of the Nickelodeon's popular characters during Kid's Tennis Day at the 2015 Brisbane International. Kid's Tennis Day is one of the events that many tennis enthusiasts look forward because it brings kids and families together to have fun and celebrate the thrill of the Brisbane International tournament.
Nickelodeon favourites' Dora The Explorer, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Spongebob Squarepants joined Federer, Dimitrov, Raonic, Azarenka, and Hingis on Centre Court on Jan. 4. The crowd at the Pat Rafter Arena was also delighted with a performance by all-male Aussie pop music group Justice Crew at the launch of the 2015 Brisbane International. More pictures from Kid's Tennis Day are accessible on Brisbane International's official Web site.
Federer was also in attendance at the Brisbane International's Summer Night with the Stars held at Brisbane's City Hall later in the evening. Tourism Minister Jann Stuckey presented Federer with the Honorary Queenslander Award. The Summer Night with the Stars was graced by other household names in tennis including Ana Ivanovic, defending champion Lleyton Hewitt, Pat Rafter, and legend Rod Laver.
Federer has claimed five Association of Tennis Professionals, or ATP, titles in the 2014 tennis season and he is on a quest of winning his first title in 2015 at Brisbane. He made his debut in Brisbane International in 2014 and reached the finale, before losing to two-time Aussie Grand Slam champion and former World No. 1 Hewitt.
"I would love to win this event," Federer said via ATP's Web site. "I was close to winning last year, after I had had a good week."
According to the 33-year-old 17-time Grand Slam champion, he always wants to win in tournaments that he has never won yet. He enters the tournament feeling "pumped" and hopeful to begin his season on a good note.
Federer has received a bye in the first round. He will face either wild card John Millman or a qualifier in the second round on Jan. 7 in the seventh edition of the said tennis event held at Queensland Tennis Centre.
Nickelodeon favourites' Dora The Explorer, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Spongebob Squarepants joined Federer, Dimitrov, Raonic, Azarenka, and Hingis on Centre Court on Jan. 4. The crowd at the Pat Rafter Arena was also delighted with a performance by all-male Aussie pop music group Justice Crew at the launch of the 2015 Brisbane International. More pictures from Kid's Tennis Day are accessible on Brisbane International's official Web site.
Federer was also in attendance at the Brisbane International's Summer Night with the Stars held at Brisbane's City Hall later in the evening. Tourism Minister Jann Stuckey presented Federer with the Honorary Queenslander Award. The Summer Night with the Stars was graced by other household names in tennis including Ana Ivanovic, defending champion Lleyton Hewitt, Pat Rafter, and legend Rod Laver.
Federer has claimed five Association of Tennis Professionals, or ATP, titles in the 2014 tennis season and he is on a quest of winning his first title in 2015 at Brisbane. He made his debut in Brisbane International in 2014 and reached the finale, before losing to two-time Aussie Grand Slam champion and former World No. 1 Hewitt.
"I would love to win this event," Federer said via ATP's Web site. "I was close to winning last year, after I had had a good week."
According to the 33-year-old 17-time Grand Slam champion, he always wants to win in tournaments that he has never won yet. He enters the tournament feeling "pumped" and hopeful to begin his season on a good note.
Federer has received a bye in the first round. He will face either wild card John Millman or a qualifier in the second round on Jan. 7 in the seventh edition of the said tennis event held at Queensland Tennis Centre.
Sunday, January 04, 2015
Tuesday, December 16, 2014
Thursday, December 11, 2014
Roger Federer, Pete Sampras talk to NDTV in India
NEW DELHI: In an exclusive interview to NDTV.com, two of the world's greatest-ever tennis players, Roger Federer and Pete Sampras, talk to Prannoy Roy about competition, inspiration, and ambition. Indian icon Amitabh Bachchan shares his career secrets, and questioners include tennis great Boris Becker and actress Deepika Padukone.
Here are the highlights from this all-star interview:
Roger Federer: For me, Pete is the greatest. He is my hero. Stefan Edbergh, Boris and Pete. He was my inspiration. Without Pete, I wouldn't have tried to chase his record. For me, he is the greatest ever
Pete Sampras: If you look at the numbers, Roger has been so dominant over the years, it's hard to compare anyone to Roger. We're both very nice and very humble!
Pete Sampras: I saw him (Mr Bachchan) at court today and he was making quite a showing
Roger Federer: You have to react against Pete, because he would serve very well -almost unbreakable. You have to not make any mistakes when it counts the most.
Pete Sampras: Roger was a very tough match for me. He moved great. When I played him, I knew he was special. I would do my best to impose my will...but he does everything great. There's not many holes in his game. He moves great, he serves well. He's the most dominant player I think I've ever seen. I was certainly the player of my time, but I wasn't as dominant as Roger I stopped at 31...he's 33...he almost became No 1 again. The hardest thing to do in sports is to get to No. 1 and stay at No. 1 and he has done it better than anybody else.
Pete Sampras: I was emotionally done, I was finished emotionally. I was cooked (on retiring).
Amitabh Bachchan: there are not many people who would leave their profession for emotional reasons.
Roger Federer: His (Sampras) end -it would be the dream for any player- to end on top (winning the US Open)
Roger Federer: At 16, I won Junior Wimbledon.
Pete Sampras: Honestly, I wasn't that good young. I was good, but I wasn't great. I didn't win many junior tournaments. I got better as I got older- 16,17,18 I really started to figure it out. I went to school, practiced every day, was very focused. It has to be your life.
Roger Federer (on advice to young players): In tennis, it's very imp that you get supports from your parents and get decent coaching and you have to love what you do, parents have to let go eventually and trust the coach. You have to train hard and believe that you can be a champion one day. Dream big, but also be realistic.
Pete Sampras (on advice to young players): It's more about improving than winning., developing your game. Parents put so much pressure on kids to win, win, win It's not about winning, it's about learning...learning how to lose...getting good techniques...getting good coaching. You need good parents.
Amitabh Bachchan: The generation of today has many more opportunities. In our time, it was very tough to get into the movies. Once you get in, you have to prove you have talent -that you can act. There has to be some kind of internal strength that motivates you to keep going on. And a lot of luck.
Roger Federer: When I fist-pump, it's not to the other guy. It's for me, my team, the fans It shows you are happy and you are willing and wanting to fight and to win. I do it for myself.
Pete Sampras: I was never fazed. McEnroe was always trying to pull some sort of shenanigans. He would towel off, slow down the game. I like him, he is a friend of mine. But we all know he could lose his shit! He was tricky to play. He looked mean. I was intimidated a little by him when I was a kid. As I got older, I knew what I was doing.
Pete Sampras: It's very tough to have friends on the tour. It's a very intimate tour. It's hard to have dinner after that match! You are playing for No 1 ranking. You respect each other, you get along, but there's always a tension, a distance. It's hard to let your guard down.
Roger Federer: It may be a bit easier to have best friends that are not your super-rival. Those are the ones you respect a lot because they get the best out of you. The entourages have gotten big, everyone lives their own life. It is cool seeing each other. You may be closer to the guys ranked lower, because those may be the ones you practice with.
Amitabh Bachchan (on competition with colleagues): unlike them, our ratings come from the audience. When you do well, you rise up in status...that determines whether your rival or colleague is on the same plane. As you grow older, you have a very healthy relationship because you are not in the same reckoning as the younger generation.
Deepika Padukone (question to Federer): How do you manage to stay fit throughout the year given that you have very little downtime?
Roger Federer: That's why I can only be here for a few days. I have to stay healthy, fit. If I play too many matches, muscle memory goes away a little. The good thing is I can decide myself how much I want to play. This year I played a lot, next year, will slow down a little and spend more time at the gym.
Boris Becker (question): How would you rate history of tennis- the like of Lever in 60s and Bjorg in 70s...is it fair to compare generations?
Pete Sampras: It's very tough to compare decades. You look at Lever who won 12 majors...he had six years where he didn't play a major...so he could have won over 20 majors if he was able to play. But I believe each decade has its guy. To say which generation is the best, I'd probably have to say this generation or my generation. It's hard to say. Technology has changed, there are more players playing today. Roger's generation is probably the deepest. This generation is special, we have to sit back and appreciate Roger and everything he's done.
Boris Becker: It's very difficult to compare generations but you have to give credit where credit is due. Winning 17 majors- it doesn't happen overnight. I think everyone in this room agrees that the greatest of all time is sitting up there (on the stage) next to the second-greatest.
Roger Federer: India is absolutely fascinating story...colorful, vibrant. In one word- friendly. I feel very welcome. Namaste. Thank you.
Pete Sampras: India is a country with a lot of history. The people are very friendly. A lot of selfies! I have done more selfies in the last two days here than I have in 10 years! Happy to be here.
Here are the highlights from this all-star interview:
Roger Federer: For me, Pete is the greatest. He is my hero. Stefan Edbergh, Boris and Pete. He was my inspiration. Without Pete, I wouldn't have tried to chase his record. For me, he is the greatest ever
Pete Sampras: If you look at the numbers, Roger has been so dominant over the years, it's hard to compare anyone to Roger. We're both very nice and very humble!
Pete Sampras: I saw him (Mr Bachchan) at court today and he was making quite a showing
Roger Federer: You have to react against Pete, because he would serve very well -almost unbreakable. You have to not make any mistakes when it counts the most.
Pete Sampras: Roger was a very tough match for me. He moved great. When I played him, I knew he was special. I would do my best to impose my will...but he does everything great. There's not many holes in his game. He moves great, he serves well. He's the most dominant player I think I've ever seen. I was certainly the player of my time, but I wasn't as dominant as Roger I stopped at 31...he's 33...he almost became No 1 again. The hardest thing to do in sports is to get to No. 1 and stay at No. 1 and he has done it better than anybody else.
Pete Sampras: I was emotionally done, I was finished emotionally. I was cooked (on retiring).
Amitabh Bachchan: there are not many people who would leave their profession for emotional reasons.
Roger Federer: His (Sampras) end -it would be the dream for any player- to end on top (winning the US Open)
Roger Federer: At 16, I won Junior Wimbledon.
Pete Sampras: Honestly, I wasn't that good young. I was good, but I wasn't great. I didn't win many junior tournaments. I got better as I got older- 16,17,18 I really started to figure it out. I went to school, practiced every day, was very focused. It has to be your life.
Roger Federer (on advice to young players): In tennis, it's very imp that you get supports from your parents and get decent coaching and you have to love what you do, parents have to let go eventually and trust the coach. You have to train hard and believe that you can be a champion one day. Dream big, but also be realistic.
Pete Sampras (on advice to young players): It's more about improving than winning., developing your game. Parents put so much pressure on kids to win, win, win It's not about winning, it's about learning...learning how to lose...getting good techniques...getting good coaching. You need good parents.
Amitabh Bachchan: The generation of today has many more opportunities. In our time, it was very tough to get into the movies. Once you get in, you have to prove you have talent -that you can act. There has to be some kind of internal strength that motivates you to keep going on. And a lot of luck.
Roger Federer: When I fist-pump, it's not to the other guy. It's for me, my team, the fans It shows you are happy and you are willing and wanting to fight and to win. I do it for myself.
Pete Sampras: I was never fazed. McEnroe was always trying to pull some sort of shenanigans. He would towel off, slow down the game. I like him, he is a friend of mine. But we all know he could lose his shit! He was tricky to play. He looked mean. I was intimidated a little by him when I was a kid. As I got older, I knew what I was doing.
Pete Sampras: It's very tough to have friends on the tour. It's a very intimate tour. It's hard to have dinner after that match! You are playing for No 1 ranking. You respect each other, you get along, but there's always a tension, a distance. It's hard to let your guard down.
Roger Federer: It may be a bit easier to have best friends that are not your super-rival. Those are the ones you respect a lot because they get the best out of you. The entourages have gotten big, everyone lives their own life. It is cool seeing each other. You may be closer to the guys ranked lower, because those may be the ones you practice with.
Amitabh Bachchan (on competition with colleagues): unlike them, our ratings come from the audience. When you do well, you rise up in status...that determines whether your rival or colleague is on the same plane. As you grow older, you have a very healthy relationship because you are not in the same reckoning as the younger generation.
Deepika Padukone (question to Federer): How do you manage to stay fit throughout the year given that you have very little downtime?
Roger Federer: That's why I can only be here for a few days. I have to stay healthy, fit. If I play too many matches, muscle memory goes away a little. The good thing is I can decide myself how much I want to play. This year I played a lot, next year, will slow down a little and spend more time at the gym.
Boris Becker (question): How would you rate history of tennis- the like of Lever in 60s and Bjorg in 70s...is it fair to compare generations?
Pete Sampras: It's very tough to compare decades. You look at Lever who won 12 majors...he had six years where he didn't play a major...so he could have won over 20 majors if he was able to play. But I believe each decade has its guy. To say which generation is the best, I'd probably have to say this generation or my generation. It's hard to say. Technology has changed, there are more players playing today. Roger's generation is probably the deepest. This generation is special, we have to sit back and appreciate Roger and everything he's done.
Boris Becker: It's very difficult to compare generations but you have to give credit where credit is due. Winning 17 majors- it doesn't happen overnight. I think everyone in this room agrees that the greatest of all time is sitting up there (on the stage) next to the second-greatest.
Roger Federer: India is absolutely fascinating story...colorful, vibrant. In one word- friendly. I feel very welcome. Namaste. Thank you.
Pete Sampras: India is a country with a lot of history. The people are very friendly. A lot of selfies! I have done more selfies in the last two days here than I have in 10 years! Happy to be here.
Wednesday, December 10, 2014
Agnieszka Radwanska hires Martina Navratilova as coach
KRAKOW, Poland - There's been a trend in tennis lately, particularly on the men's side, for top players to hire "supercoaches" - former top players, usually legendary players - to help push them to the next level. In many cases it's worked, for example Andy Murray's breakthroughs with Ivan Lendl.
On Monday night, the supercoach trend made its way to the women's side through a single tweet:
So happy to announce @Martina as the newest member of my coaching team!
Last week, Agnieszka Radwanska told the Polish press she would be hiring a supercoach - she didn't name names, but she did say they were a former Grand Slam winner with coaching experience.
It would hard to top Martina Navratilova as a supercoach. Navratilova won 59 Grand Slam titles - 18 in singles, 31 in doubles and 10 in mixed doubles. She also reached World No.1 in both disciplines, spending 332 weeks as World No.1 in singles and a record 237 weeks as World No.1 in doubles.
This is Navratilova's first major coaching role and she will join forces with Tomasz Wiktorowski to become part of Radwanska's coaching team. They will begin working together after Christmas.
"I did not sleep very well last night, thinking about getting back into match mode and the competitions," Navratilova said of the new partnership with Radwanska. "I am really excited about this opportunity to join Agnieszka's team and work with Tomasz and it is going to be a fun challenge. I was delighted when Agnieszka asked me if I would collaborate with Tomasz and I can't wait to get started."
"I am absolutely delighted that Martina has agreed to help me and my team next season," Radwanska said. "She is my idol in tennis and I am honored we will be working together. Her achievements speak for themselves and I hope that I can learn from all her experience. My goal is to win a Grand Slam, so to have someone with Martina's accomplishments in my corner is going to be hugely advantageous and give me a big boost. We are originally from a similar part of the world so we share an understanding about tennis and life, which I'm sure will translate into a successful relationship."
Radwanska's current coach, Wiktorowski, echoed the excitement. "I have been discussing this idea with Aga for a couple of months now and Martina is absolutely the perfect person to add to the camp. We can all learn a lot from her and we are hopeful that she can help us take that next step."
Am very excited to be working with @ARadwanska and her team:), should be a fun ride!!!
On Monday night, the supercoach trend made its way to the women's side through a single tweet:
So happy to announce @Martina as the newest member of my coaching team!
Last week, Agnieszka Radwanska told the Polish press she would be hiring a supercoach - she didn't name names, but she did say they were a former Grand Slam winner with coaching experience.
It would hard to top Martina Navratilova as a supercoach. Navratilova won 59 Grand Slam titles - 18 in singles, 31 in doubles and 10 in mixed doubles. She also reached World No.1 in both disciplines, spending 332 weeks as World No.1 in singles and a record 237 weeks as World No.1 in doubles.
This is Navratilova's first major coaching role and she will join forces with Tomasz Wiktorowski to become part of Radwanska's coaching team. They will begin working together after Christmas.
"I did not sleep very well last night, thinking about getting back into match mode and the competitions," Navratilova said of the new partnership with Radwanska. "I am really excited about this opportunity to join Agnieszka's team and work with Tomasz and it is going to be a fun challenge. I was delighted when Agnieszka asked me if I would collaborate with Tomasz and I can't wait to get started."
"I am absolutely delighted that Martina has agreed to help me and my team next season," Radwanska said. "She is my idol in tennis and I am honored we will be working together. Her achievements speak for themselves and I hope that I can learn from all her experience. My goal is to win a Grand Slam, so to have someone with Martina's accomplishments in my corner is going to be hugely advantageous and give me a big boost. We are originally from a similar part of the world so we share an understanding about tennis and life, which I'm sure will translate into a successful relationship."
Radwanska's current coach, Wiktorowski, echoed the excitement. "I have been discussing this idea with Aga for a couple of months now and Martina is absolutely the perfect person to add to the camp. We can all learn a lot from her and we are hopeful that she can help us take that next step."
Am very excited to be working with @ARadwanska and her team:), should be a fun ride!!!
Tuesday, December 09, 2014
Martina Hingis, Kim Clijsters, Sabine Lisicki raise over 1 million for Mylan WTT Smash Hits Tennis
Credit Getty Images & Martin Hingis Official Facebook
LONDON, England - WTA stars Martina Hingis, Kim Clijsters, Sabine Lisicki, Heather Watson and, of course, WTA legend and founder Billie Jean King, were all a part of a magical night at Royal Albert Hall on Sunday night, helping Mylan WTT Smash Hits raise more than $1 million for the Elton John AIDS Foundation - just the second time in the event's history that they crossed the $1 million mark.
It was the 22nd edition of Mylan WTT Smash Hits and Team Elton went in with an 11-10 head-to-head lead. But Team Billie Jean came out with the victory this time, evening that head-to-head up, 11-11.
The night featured five matches, starting with Hingis and Watson beating Clijsters and Lisicki in women's doubles, 5-4, followed by Tim Henman and Jamie Murray beating John McEnroe and Andy Roddick in men's doubles, 5-0. Lisicki then beat Watson in women's singles, 5-3, followed by Hingis and McEnroe beating Clijsters and Murray in mixed doubles, 5-3. The on-court action wrapped up with a 5-3 victory for Henman over Roddick in men's singles. Team Billie Jean beat Team Elton, 22-16.
But the big picture was the more than $1 million raised, which brings the 22-year event total to over $13 million to support HIV and AIDS prevention and awareness. The live auction before the on-court action brought in over $247,000 of that amount, the top-selling items being US Open ticket packages, a Wimbledon package featuring a visit with McEnroe, and an autographed Elton John piano bench.
"This is a wonderful evening," Elton John said to the capacity crowd. "Without Mylan, we couldn't possibly do this. They've made drugs for HIV positive people and we're an HIV positive AIDS foundation, so the two of us fit hand and glove very well and it's a wonderful relationship. It would be wrong of me not to acknowledge the extent of the generosity Mylan has given us, which is immense."
Click here to see more pictures from Sunday night's event, and check out the below videos for a glimpse into just what makes Billie Jean King and Elton John such a perfect mixed doubles team...
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