Roger Federer Nike Street Tennis in NYC

NEW YORK, NY, USA - In a reboot of their classic commercial from the '90s, Nike hosted a new edition of Nike Street Tennis in New York City on Monday to celebrate the start of the 2015 US Open.

The WTA stars were out in full force, with Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova, Eugenie Bouchard and WTA Rising Star Madison Keys all there, and a slew of ATP World Tour stars were there too, including Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Grigor Dimitrov, Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi and John McEnroe.

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Roger and the girls in NYC

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Roger Federer receives favorable U.S.Open draw

World No. 1 Novak Djokovic is in the same quarter of the US Open draw as eighth seed Rafael Nadal. Roger Federer, the five-time former champion, could potentially face Andy Murray or Stan Wawrinka in the semi-finals.


Djokovic is attempting to capture his third Grand Slam championship crown of 2015 by adding to his US Open 2011 crown. Starting with a 50-9 record at Flushing Meadows, the Serbian begins his campaign for a 10th major against Joao Souza. He would potentially need to beat Vasek Pospisil, No. 25 seedAndreas Seppi and No. 14 seed David Goffin prior to a clash against Nadal.

Nadal, the 2010 and 2013 champion, is also in the top quarter of the draw. Nadal leads Djokovic 22-10 in their FedEx ATP Head2Head series, having met in eight Grand Slam finals, but Djokovic won their last match in the Roland Garros quarter-finals. Nadal will first need to get past talented teenager Borna Coric, who beat him in the 2014 Basel quarter-finals. He could potentially face 10th seed Milos Raonic in the fourth round, ahead of a clash against Djokovic.

Defending champion Marin Cilic, who beat Kei Nishikori 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 in the 2014 final, have been drawn in the same quarter. Ninth seed Cilic will first face a qualifier, but Grigor Dimitrov (third round) and 2007 and 2012 semi-finalist David Ferrer, the seventh seed (fourth round), loom large. Fourth seed Nishikori, who will be hoping to improve on his 13-6 tournament record, takes on Benoit Paire in the first round, with No. 26 seed Tommy Robredo a possible third-round opponent.

In the bottom half of the draw, second seed Federer starts his bid for an 18th Grand Slam championship crown against Leonardo Mayer, who memorably failed to convert five match points against the Swiss in last year's Shanghai Rolex Masters second round. Federer, who was a six-time US Open finalist between 2004 and 2009, has a 72-10 match record at the final Grand Slam championship of the year.

Federer will potentially face sixth seed Tomas Berdych in the Last 16. Berdych, a 2012 semi-finalist, who reached quarter-finalists at 10 of his first 11 tournaments this year, could meet No. 12 seed Richard Gasquet in the third round. In a tasty opener, Gasquet will challenge Thanasi Kokkinakis at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.

Murray, the 2012 champion, is pitted to meet Nick Kyrgios for the third time at a Grand Slam this year. The third-seeded Scot, who overcame Kyrgios in straight sets at the Australian Open and Roland Garros, will be hoping to improve on quarter-final runs over the past two years. The champion in Paris, Wawrinka, the fifth seed and a 2013 semi-finalist, will first face Albert Ramos-Vinolas. He may meet 11th seedGilles Simon in the fourth round.

The US Open begins on 31 August.

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Federer route: 

R1 Mayer 

R2 Baghdatis/Darcis 

R3 Kohlschreiber 

R4 Isner 

QF Berdych 

SF Murray/Wawrinka 

F Djokovic

Quarter potentials: 

#Djokovic v #Nadal 

#Federer v #Berdych

#Wawrinka v #Murray

#Nishikori v #Ferrer

Martina Hingis International Tennis Hall of Fame Q&A

Roger Federer weighs in on Nick Kyrgios criticism

Roger Federer has added his criticism to the negative reaction surrounding the on-court comments of Nick Kyrgios. The 20-year-old Australian's derogatory remarks about Stanislas Wawrinka and Donna Vekic were picked up by on-court microphones during his match against Wawrinka in Montreal.

"I think we all agree that he definitely crossed the line by a long shot," Federer was quoted as saying by the Cincinnati Enquirer, speaking to press before the tournament. "We're not used to that kind of talk in tennis. I know in other sports it's quite common, maybe normal. Not in our sport, really.

"I think it's normal that the tour comes down hard on him and explains to him that it's not the way forward."

Federer described the controversy as "not great for the sport, one that I think many players have tried to build up and make it a good image, build up a good image."

"We want kids to be wanting to get into this sport because it's a nice sport," Federer added.

Kyrgios has been fined the mamixum $10,000 by the ATP, which is conducting further investigation.

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Justine Henin talks Serena Williams & WTA at Rogers Cup Hall of Fame Induction in Montreal

Don't count out Roger Federer for another Grand Slam, says Pete Sampras

PARIS: Pete Sampras believes it would be foolish to write off Roger Federer's chances of winning an 18th major at the US Open despite the Swiss having just turned 34.

Federer's last Grand Slam crown came at Wimbledon in 2012, and his three-year drought is the worst dry spell of his career.

But Sampras, a 14-time Grand Slam title winner, insists the veteran can collect a sixth US Open to add to the five he won between 2004-2008 when the season's final major gets underway in New York on August 31.


"I do think there is," Sampras told The Tennis Podcast when asked if Federer had a chance in New York.

"I think he's playing well, he's fit, he hits the ball great, he's doing everything that he's been doing for years."

But it won't be an easy road for Federer even if he still wouldn't be the oldest champion at the US Open.


That distinction belongs to Australia's Ken Rosewall who was just two months short of his 36th birthday when he triumphed in 1970.

"It is tougher as you get older and now Novak (Djokovic] and (Andy) Murray, they're in their prime now," added Sampras.

"I think for Roger to win, things need to fall into place. I think if he has to play Murray, Djokovic, then Rafael Nadal in one week or back-to-bac ..


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Pretty sure Pete has been saying this for the last few years.  Still nice to read though.

Roger Federer celebrates Cincinnati win with wife Mirka & twin daughters Myla & Charlene

This is ADORABLE ♥♥!.  "Papa, you need a hat".

Nah, he doesn't need a hat girls your daddy looks good either way ;).

Roger Federer 7-time Cincinnati Open Champion!

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Roger Federer won the 41st clash of titans against rival Novak Djokovic, claiming his seventh Western & Southern Open crown 7-6(1), 6-3 on Sunday.

Federer captured his 87th tour-level title and 24th at the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 stage. Having beaten World No. 2 Andy Murray in the semi-finals, it marked the first time he had toppled the No. 1 and No. 2 players in the Emirates ATP Rankings in consecutive matches en route to a title. Federer will reclaim the No. 2 spot from the Scot when the new rankings are released on Monday.

He takes home $731,000 and 1,000 Emirates ATP Rankings points, adding to Cincinnati titles won in 2005, '07, '09-10, '12 and '14. The Swiss finishes the week not conceding a break of serve in 49 service games.

FEDERER'S HAPPY HUNTING GROUNDS

Tournament
Titles


Halle

8

Cincinnati

7

Wimbledon

7

Dubai

7
Djokovic, meanwhile, was vying to complete the Career Golden Masters, falling to 0-5 in Cincinnati finals (2008-09, '11-12). A 24-time ATP World Tour Masters 1000 champion, he falls to 54-26 in tour-level finals.

Federer owns a 21-20 edge in their FedEx ATP Head2Head rivalry, exacting revenge on Djokovic following the Serb's victory in their most recent meeting - the 2015 Wimbledon final. Djokovic is 3-2 this year, also claiming wins on the clay of Rome and hard courts of Indian Wells. Federer's other victory came in the Dubai title match.

How The Final Was Won

Federer had adopted an ultra aggressive mentality in cruising through the draw thus far, and the Swiss carried that same approach into Sunday's final. He won 40 per cent of return points entering the encounter and pressed for an early break immediately. Djokovic saved a trio of break points in the third game and another after a six-minute fifth game.

The opener would proceed to a tie-break, where Federer would snatch an early mini-break. A majestic looping backhand clipped the baseline to give the Basel native a 3-1 lead. He would not look back, taking 10 of the last 11 points to claim the first set. He hit 20 winners and won 16 of 21 net points to win the opener in 52 minutes.

Federer would continue applying pressure on the Djokovic serve as the match progressed, surging to a 3-0 lead in the second set after the top seed double faulted to hand the initial break to the Swiss. He would hold serve to the finish line, striking 32 winners and seven aces in total.

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Lucky #7!.  #87 over all.  

Finally he gets the better of Djokovic!.  

And what a convincing win. Did not get broken once all tournament!. 

It almost makes up for his Wimbledon loss.  

With one week to go before the final slam of the year.  Roger has gotta be feeling pretty good.  

Could this be his time for #18? (one can only hope).

Also gotta love Novak's comment in his speech about making it to the final 5 times and not having won it & having to wait till Roger retires!.   

I guess you will Novak, I guess you will :D.

Roger Federer gets the better of Murray again for a chance at #7 in Cincinnati

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Roger Federer continued his quest for a seventh Western & Southern Open title and a return to No. 2 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, turning aside Andy Murray 6-4, 7-6(6) on Saturday.

The Swiss, who sits at No. 3 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, is hoping to wrestle the No. 2 spot away from the Scot with a successful title defence in Cincinnati. Murray surged to the second position with his run to the Montreal title last week. He was bidding to become the seventh player in the Open Era to claim the Canada/Cincinnati ATP World Tour Masters 1000 double.

Federer pounced early on Saturday, earning a quick break in the third game of the first set. He would consolidate for 3-1 and pressed for a second break with a 0/30 peak at Murray's next service game. He would claim the opener in 38 minutes with a forehand winner down the line - his 14th winner of the set. Both players would ride their serves to a tie-break in the second set, where 23-time Masters 1000 champion Federer converted on his second match point at 7/6 with a crisp drop shot half-volley winner. He dominated in longer rallies throughout, winning 12 of 17 of nine shots or more and has now earned 35 straight service holds in the rivalry, dating back to Cincinnati last year.

Federer owns a 14-11 edge in the FedEx ATP Head2Head series, having previously dominated their lone encounter this year in the Wimbledon semi-finals. He has won the past 10 sets played in the rivalry, spanning five consecutive wins since 2014.

The second seed will renew his titanic rivalry with Novak Djokovic on Sunday, knotted at 20 wins apiece. It will be their fifth encounter of the year, with Federer winning on the hard courts of Dubai and Djokovic emerging in Indian Wells, Rome and Wimbledon.

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Who thinks it's time for Federer to finally get the better of the Djoker? (I'm sick of seeing Roger lose to this guy).  

There might just be a chance, Djokovic is not playing as sharp as usual. 

Time to turn the tide.  Go Roger!. 

Roger Federer sets up another semi-final with Andy Murray at Cincinnati Open

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Roger Federer continued to fire on all cylinders in his quest for an unprecedented seventh Western & Southern Open crown, notching match win No. 40 in Cincinnati.

The Swiss has ridden an ultra aggressive game plan in cruising into Saturday's semi-finals, downing Feliciano Lopez 6-3, 6-4. He dominated proceedings in the first set, firing 12 winners and claiming 83 per cent of total service points, snagging the lone break in the sixth game after Lopez fell in a 0/40 hole. The second seed dropped only four points on serve in the opener.

Federer had not faced a break point all tournament, but trailing 2-3 in the second set his serve would come under siege at 0/40. True to form, he would reel off five straight points to hold and immediately broke to 15 in the next game for a 4-2 advantage. He would close out the match after just 62 minutes, striking a total 26 winners, including eight aces.

Federer now owns a 12-0 FedEx ATP Head2Head against the Spaniard, having conceded just one break of serve in their previous seven meetings. He has claimed each of the past 10 sets played as well.

The pair enjoyed a lighthearted moment at the post-match handshake, with Lopez exclaiming, "You were flying all over the court." Federer responded: "I have a few more years left in me."

The Basel native is making his 15th appearance in Cincinnati, one of six tournaments he has won six times or more. The second seed, who owns a 40-8 record in the American city, reached the semi-finals for the fifth time since 2009.

Lopez, who had spent five and a half hours more on court than Federer entering Friday's encounter, was coming off a titanic third-set tie-break win over countryman Rafael Nadal in the third round.

Federer will face third seed Andy Murray in Saturday's semi-finals after the Scot rallied from a set down to turn aside Richard Gasquet. He owns a 13-11 edge in their FedEx ATP Head2Head, most recently notching a 7-5, 7-5, 6-4 win in the Wimbledon semis.

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Martina Hingis & Sania Mirza in the semis of Cincinnati Open

CINCINNATI, OH, USA - Martina Hingis and Sania Mirza powered into the semifinals of the doubles at the Western & Southern Open on Friday, beating a pair of American WTA Rising Stars in straight sets.

Christina McHale and CoCo Vandeweghe, who were wildcards into the draw, broke the Hingis serve for a 2-1 lead in the first set, but from there it was all Hingis and Mirza - the No.1-seeded Swiss-Indian duo powered through 11 of the next 14 games to move through in an hour and three minutes, 6-4, 6-1.

"Unlike the guys, in women's tennis a lot of the singles players play doubles, and they beat some good teams to get here," Mirza said. "It's almost more dangerous to play teams like that because they really have nothing to lose, and we also don't really know how to play them because they're a new team.

"They're both talented, they're both young, and they have a great future ahead of them. If they keep playing together I'm sure we'll be seeing them in the later rounds of tournaments in the future."

Mirza also said their first match of the week, a tougher 7-6(3), 6-4 victory against Julia Goerges and Klaudia Jans-Ignacik on Wednesday, helped them out in their quarterfinal against the Americans.

"Our first match was really tough. We weren't playing our best tennis. But we dug through it, and sometimes when you win matches when you aren't playing well, you feel more confident in the next one. So today we came out feeling a lot better, for sure. Today we were almost back to our best.

"We could do better, but we're happy to be back in the semifinals again like last week."

After an early finish - they were off the court at 12:16pm - what will they do the rest of the day?

"Maybe go to the shops a little bit!" Mirza said. "We have a joke going on, that after every win here we're going to go and buy something. So we might go to the mall again today - we have all day!"

Awaiting Hingis and Mirza in the semifinals will be Chan sisters Hao-Ching and Yung-Jan, who won an absolute marathon later in the day against Sara Errani and Flavia Pennetta, 6-7(4), 7-6(1), 19-17.

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Roger Federer cruises into the quarterfinals at Cincinnati Open

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Six-time champion Roger Federer has eased through to the Western & Southern Open quarter-finals with a convincing 6-1, 6-1 victory over Kevin Anderson on Thursday. The No. 2 seed had not dropped a set to the South African in three prior meetings and this would be his most dominant display yet. He required just 54 minutes to book a clash with unseeded Feliciano Lopez after the Spaniard upset Rafael Nadal to deny a 34th instalment in the Federer v Nadal rivalry.

Federer raced to 5-0 in the opening set before Anderson was able to get on the board. The 34-year-old would go on to claim the result on his fourth match point when Anderson’s forehand found the net. It was one of those nights when everything seemed to fall into place for the Swiss great.

“Definitely felt better than other days. Felt good on the return, felt good on the serve, seeing just the ball really well,” Federer said. “It's a pleasure to play that way because it doesn't happen very often that you feel this good. So you've got to enjoy it, but then, unfortunately, you have to quickly put it behind you and look forward.”

Federer revealed he had trained with his opponent only last week and knew it could have potentially been much more difficult against the big-serving 29-year-old. He said nothing, though, replicated the conditions of actual match play.

“I played a great match and I'm very pleased, because I knew that tough challenge ahead,” he said. “I had practised with Kevin last week here. I lost both sets I played with him in practice, so I was really happy that I was able to turn it around tonight.”

Federer finished with 23 winners and just eight unforced errors to Anderson’s 12 winners and 21 unforced errors. He moved to within two victories of reaching a seventh Cincinnati final – which he would enter with a perfect 6-0 record. First he must get past Lopez. He carries a perfect 11-0 record against the Spaniard.

“Played a lot against him in my life. We go way back to the European Championships, under-16 and under-18 where I lost both times against him,” Federer said.

“Then on the Tour I don't think I lost against him, but we played on all different conditions, and we know each other obviously very well because of that. It was a tough match for him tonight; played a good ’breaker. Obviously everybody knows how well he can serve. He also beat Raonic here, now Rafa. Clearly he's on a run.”

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Martina Hingis & Sania Mirza battle through to the quarters at Cincinnati Open

CINCINNATI, OH, USA - Martina Hingis and Sania Mirza beat the rain, as well as some very dangerous opponents, to reach the quarterfinals of the doubles at the Western & Southern Open.

It was a struggle - their opponents, Julia Goerges and Klaudia Jans-Ignacik, served for the first set at 5-4, and, after losing that opening frame, they jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the second set too. But the No.1-seeded Hingis and Mirza clawed back every time and eventually snuck it out, 7-6(3), 6-4.

Hingis and Mirza are now through to the quarterfinals of the Premier 5-level event, and by virtue of the result they'll overtake Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Lucie Safarova to once again become the No.1 team on the Road To Singapore leaderboard, the journey to the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global. Both teams have already qualified for the year-end championships, anyway.

Hingis and Mirza were trailing in the first set when the match was stopped for a rain delay.

"In this case the rain helped - we were able to regroup and regenerate, because we weren't playing that well in the first part of the match," Hingis told wtatennis.com afterwards. "And then after the rain, and with the wind slowing down, we were able to find our rhythm again. We were down a break at 4-3 but we suddenly recovered and were able to turn the first set around, and get in our groove again."

What did they do during the rain delay?

"I changed my clothes and just tried to stay warm," Hingis said.

"Then we warmed up again so we could get the adrenaline going again."

And having already qualified for the WTA Finals, does the No.1-ranked team in the world play less the rest of the year and save themselves a little bit, or is it still an all-out grind through Singapore?

"We already agreed on the tournaments we're playing prior to qualifying, so no," the Swiss said. "We're just being smart about it, playing the tournaments we want to play, and just trying to enjoy them.

"This week is our preparation for the US Open, another big one coming up."


Most importantly? "We just want to go out there and challenge ourselves, and enjoy ourselves."

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Roger Federer cruises in his first match back at Cincinnati Open

Digging this new outfit

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Roger Federer got off to a winning start in his Western & Southern Open title defence, downing Roberto Bautista Agut 6-4, 6-4 on Tuesday evening.

Federer made his first serves count in winning 95 per cent of such points, despite serving at just 43 per cent for the match. He fired six aces and 24 winners, while not facing a break point, to prevail after 69 minutes. The Swiss dropped just three points on serve in the second set, improving his FedEx Head2Head to 4-0 against the Spaniard.

The Basel native is making his 15th appearance in Cincinnati, bidding for his seventh title (2005, '07, '09-10, '12, '14). Last year, he defeated David Ferrer to improve to 6-0 in finals in the American city.

Cincinnati is also one of six tournaments the World No. 3 has won at least six times, along with Halle (8), Dubai (7), Wimbledon (7), the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals (6) and Basel (6). He has won 38 of 46 matches played here and will seek to add yet another with a third-round meeting against Kevin Anderson or Jack Sock.

Federer is 41-7 in 2015, with titles at the 250 level tournaments in Brisbane and Istanbul and the 500 level events in Dubai and Halle. He is seeking to emerge victorious at all three ATP World Tour levels for the second straight year and fourth time since 2010.

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