Roger Federer wins silver for Switzerland at Olympics

Well it wasn't the story book ending every Federer fan would have liked.

Roger simply didn't have enough gas or mental energy today after that marathon 4.30 hour semi with Juan Martin Del Potro on Friday (which btw nice going getting the bronze from Djokovic defeat well deserved).

The semi was a match many won't soon forget, worthy of a medal.


Roger played like a medalist and that's the match I will always think of when I think of the 2012 Olympics (not the final which sadly due to  Fed's exhaustion was very one sided).

The gold may have gone to Andy Murray but a silver is a remarkable achievement nonetheless.  Congrats Swiss Maestro!.

Onward to the U.S. Open (but first hope you get some well deserved rest!).

Roger Federer defeats Del Potro in epic Olympic semi!

(Photo credit:ITF & taken by Eisele/Giubilo/Zimmer)

It was only a matter of time before Roger Federer broke through against Juan Martin del Potro.


And in typical Federer fashion, he did it in the most dramatic way possible.


After four hours of exhilarating, record-setting tennis, Federer finally put away del Potro 3-6, 7-6 (7), 19-17 on Friday to advance to the gold medal match for the first time in his storied career, securing Switzerland's first medal at the London 2012 Olympic Games.


But it wasn’t easy. At four hours and 26 minutes, Federer and del Potro set the record for the longest three-set men's singles match in the Open Era.


The top-seeded Federer had numerous chances to swing the match in his favour – to nail down the one piece of hardware missing from his bursting trophy case. 


The crowd cheered, the opportunities came and went, but Federer, arguably the greatest player of all time, struggled to capitalize on his game-changing break point chances and more than once placed an easy put-away shot into the net.  


"It was a big match obviously. Very tough from start to finish,” Federer said. “Juan Martin did so well to hang in there. I got lucky in the second set to get back and then in the third it was so tough.


“I don't think I have ever played as long a set in a best of three-set match and it was over four and a half hours, so it was very physical at the end and so mental. Obviously I feel bad and horrible for Juan Martin but he can be very proud." 


It was a spectacular display of resistance from del Potro, who has been dominated by Federer in his career. Coming into Friday's match del Potro had dropped five straight matches to Federer, with five coming in 2012. In his career, del Potro had only won two of 14 matches against the 17-time Grand Slam champion. 


"It is tough to speak now, I feel sad, but Roger made a fantastic match, he is a good winner,” Del Potro said. “When you lose you can't see the good things. I'm very sad at the moment. I just hope I will be better before my mixed doubles match."


After dropping the first set, Federer survived an edgy tie-break in the second set, setting the stage for the dramatic and grueling 163-minute third set. 


It looked like Federer had finally found his seam in the 17th game.  


Up love 30 on break Federer made his way towards the net, exchanging quick volleys with del Potro. But right when it looked like Federer had del Potro down and out, the Argentine made a brilliant lunging stab to avoid triple break point. The crowd stood and cheered the effort, and del Potro, who fell and seemed to be favouring his hip, used the momentum to rally and hold serve.


Unflinching, Federer held serve the next game and finally kicked down the door the game after, breaking del Potro with a chance to serve for the match. 


That appeared to be all Federer needed – that one break and a chance to serve for the win. But to no avail. Del Potro broke right back and stole the game without giving up a point.


And on it went. 


"I think I was calm. I was good throughout,” Federer said about his mindset during the third set. “But obviously serving against the match so many times, it's hard and it takes its toll and I maybe could have been out of the match earlier as a winner but also as a loser. So I thought I was fortunate to stay in there. I liked my attitude today, so I am very happy."


Federer only converted two of 13 break point opportunities to go along with an uncharacteristic 41 unforced errors. Del Potro also converted two breaks (on seven opportunities).


Federer will play the winner of Great Britain's Andy Murray and Serbia's Novak Djokovic in the final on Saturday, although the world’s No. 1 isn’t too concerned which of the two he faces.


"No one. I'm happy. I got my first medal for Switzerland," Federer said.


The four-time Olympian hasn’t had much success in singles competition. Prior to London 2012, his best finish at the Olympic Games was a semi-final loss at Sydney 2000 when he was 19 years old. At Athens 2004, Federer, the top seed, was eliminated in the second round; at Beijing 2008 he was upset by James Blake in the quarter-finals.

ctvolympics.ca


That's all fine and dandy but why don't the Canadians get to see it?!.  Put some tennis on for once instead of swimming, gymnastics and pretty much every other sport on the planet.

Out of 6 matches CTV has only broadcast one.  ONE freaking match!.  Staying glued to the t.v. hoping they'll show it at prime time perhaps.

On a different note congrats Rog! knew you could do it :).

Kim Clijsters Olympic dream ended by Sharapova

London – Maria Sharapova powered to a 6-2, 7-5 win over Belgium's Kim Clijsters as the Russian world number three booked an Olympic semifinal clash with compatriot Maria Kirilenko.


Sharapova will play 14th seed Kirilenko for a place in the final at Wimbledon after ending Clijsters' hopes of a medal in her penultimate tournament before retiring for the second and final time after the US Open.


French Open champion Sharapova and former world number one Clijsters have eight Grand Slam titles between them, but both were competing in their first Olympics and they have been relishing every moment of it.


Clijsters had advanced to the quarterfinals without dropping a set, so this was a frustrating way to say farewell to the All England Club, but she could have few complaints after being overpowered by Sharapova on Centre Court.


The 29-year-old made a sloppy start as a double-fault on break point in the opening game gifted Sharapova the lead.


Clijsters broke back to level at 2-2 but Sharapova delivered a ruthless response as she won the next four games, breaking twice, to take the set in stunning style.


When Sharapova landed an early break in the second set, it looked all over for Clijsters.


The Belgian refused to wave the white flag and broke back to level at 3-3, but Sharapova wasn't in the mood to be subdued and one last break at 5-5 was enough to end Clijsters's resistence. 

iolsport.co.za

Well I said it was going to be a really tough match so this was not unexpected, it was nice to see Kim fight back in the second set, but it ended up being a little too late, and Sharapova's serve was just too good.

On to the U.S. Open Kim goes.  Good luck Kimmy I'll be cheering for you! :).

Roger Federer through to Olympic semis!

WIMBLEDON, England (AP) -- Roger Federer's final shot of the day clipped the let cord, dribbled over the net and settled softly in the grass, beyond even 6-foot-9 John Isner's reach.


The crowd responded with a collective "aww," Isner grimaced and Federer offered a sheepish wave of apology. But after all these years, he's probably overdue for a little luck in the Olympics.


Federer advanced Thursday to the semifinals by beating Isner 6-4, 7-6 (5). With that tall hurdle cleared, four-time Olympian Federer needs one more win to clinch the first singles medal of his career, which would plug the biggest hole in a resume that includes a record 17 Grand Slam titles.


"Being in the medal matches, at least I'll get two shots," Federer said. "That's why I looked at this match as a final. You can imagine the relief and happiness I feel right now."


On Friday, Federer will face No. 8-seeded Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina.

Yahoo Sports

Kim Clijsters through to the quarters at Olympics

womenstennisforum


Belgium’s Kim Clijsters knocked out 11th seed Ana Ivanovic in straight sets in the third round of the Olympic tennis tournament Wednesday.


The unseeded Clijsters broke Ivanovic once in each set to secure a 6-3, 6-4 win.


Clijsters, 29, will face either Russia's world No. 3 Maria Sharapova or 15th seed Sabine Lisicki of Germany in the next round.


Clijsters, a former world No. 1, has never reached a final at Wimbledon and last appeared in the semifinals in 2006.


Earlier, Serena Williams thrashed Russian No. 2 Vera Zvonareva 6-1, 6-0 under the roof on Center Court in just 51 minutes.


Williams will play either Danish eighth seed Caroline Wozniacki or Slovakia’s Daniela Hantuchova in the quarterfinals.

rianovosti.ru

Maria Sharapova next, that one could be a toughie but you never know.

Roger Federer still in singles out in doubles at Olympics

WIMBLEDON, England -- Roger Federer endured two rain delays and a shaky moment late in the first set Wednesday to reach the quarterfinals at the Olympics by beating Denis Istomin of Uzbekistan 7-5, 6-3.


Serving at 5-all in the first set, the No. 1-seeded Federer faced three break points and erased them all. He then broke and was in control from there.



Federer and Stanislas Wawrinka later lost to unseeded Jonathan Erlich and Andy Ram of Israel, 1-6, 7-6 (5), 6-3. Federer and Wawrinka won the gold in doubles in 2008. Federer has yet to win a singles medal.


"I thought we played an excellent first set. Conditions were tough. They were breezy, a lot of shadow on the courts. But that didn't disrupt our great playing," Federer said.


"It was a pity we couldn't create a few more, maybe, opportunities throughout the second set. But obviously they found a bit of a way to get back into the match," he said. "They definitely played better once sort of the shadow went, all the flags, all the spectator shadows were gone. It was more clean tennis."


Wawrinka said: "One or two points can change the match, especially on grass courts."


Ram and Erlich, who play the top-seeded Bryan brothers in the quarterfinals, were elated to have faced Federer in doubles.


"It's not that we play him every day," Ram said.


"In the beginning, we were very nervous. You could see it on the court," he said. "When we sit and we talked, we just tried not to do as many mistakes as we did in the first set, and we managed to do so."

ESPN

Roger Federer/Stan Wawrinka keep the dream alive in Olympic doubles

WIMBLEDON, England (Reuters) -- Defending doubles gold medallists Roger Federer and Stanislas Wawrinka were stretched by the Japanese pairing of Kei Nishikori and Go Saeda on Monday, with the Swiss only winning the thrilling match 6-7, 6-4, 6-4 as darkness fell.


In contrast, fellow Beijing golden duo Venus and Serena Williams, who both powered through singles matches earlier in the day, eased into the second round of the doubles with their 6-3, 6-2 defeat of Romania's Sorana Cirstea and Simona Halep.


Having lost their first set on a tie break, number six seeds Federer and Wawrinka, confusingly dressed identically to their opponents in red tops and white shorts, had a better start in the second, immediately breaking Nishikori's serve.


The Japanese fought on with a flurry of lightening-quick action at the net, but threw away an opportunity to break back and the Swiss pair held their ground to force a decider.


Breaking Nishikori again to take the lead in the third, Federer and Wawrinka seemed to vbe heading for victory before the light faded completely.


Federer, who earlier made light work of his second round singles clash against France's Julien Benneteau, was serving for the match at 5-4 and twice the shivering crowd, one of whom shouted "Come on, I'm freezing" to a ripple of laughter, erupted in cheers thinking he had wrapped up the win with an ace, only to discover the serve had been called out.


The Swiss, however, moved to match point when Nishikori ploughed the ball into the net, prompting a mighty roar from the crowd and a fist pump from Federer before Nishikori blasted a shot long as a purpley pink hue spread across the sky to give the Swiss team the win.


"They hung tough and it was exciting at the end - a shot here, a serve there, makes all the difference," said Federer.


Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/olympics/2012/07/30/roger-federer-doubles-tennis/index.html#ixzz22AXG6Pxn