MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Roger Federer showed no sign of back trouble,
testing it at every opportunity, as he cruised into the second round of
the Australian Open Monday with a 7-5 6-2 6-2 victory over qualifier
Alexander Kudryavtsev.
The 30-year-old Swiss - who withdrew during the leadup Qatar Open
after suffering back pain - was at his clinical best, blasting winners
from all angles as he wrapped up the match in 98 minutes at Rod Laver
Arena.
"I've been feeling fine for three, four days now," Federer said.
"I've been able to practice full out. I really tried to put in an effort
to play every point as hard as I could first to see how the back felt,
try to get into it, hopefully win, and then see how I feel tomorrow.
"I'll get a lot more information tomorrow, but I'm sure I'll be fine."
The 2010 champion, bidding to extend his men's record to a 17th grand
slam, traded baselines punches with his 172nd-ranked opponent early
before landing a sublime backhand winner down the line to seal the first
set and seize the initiative.
Kudryavtsev drew a rare scowl from Federer, however, when he won a
furious baseline skirmish to break the Swiss's serve and claw back to
3-2 in the third set.
But the 26-year-old rued clipping a net cord in the next game that
set up an easy backhand winner that allowed Federer to break back and
cruise to victory.
"It was just tough against a guy who hits big and flat from both sides and takes a lot of chances," Federer said.
"I was anxious to find out how I was going to play, how my opponent was going to play me.
"I was really excited and a little nervous actually going into it, which was a good feeling to have.
"I'm looking forward to the other matches."
yahoo news
But the best part of the match?. The post match interview!.
I love Mirka's reaction! :D.
So glad his back is well, roll on Roger roll on!.
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Monday, January 16, 2012
Kim Clijsters through in shaky fashion at Aussie Open
KIM Clijsters is adamant her troublesome hip is fine despite making a rusty start to her Australian Open title defence yesterday.
The crowd favourite was unconvincing early, struggling to hold serve in the first set before steadying in a 7-5 6-1 win over Maria Joao Koehler.
Clijsters was forced to pull out of the Brisbane International semi-final last week because of a strained hip, continuing a torrid run of injuries from last year.
The latest complaint put another question mark over her fitness at the start of what is most likely to be her last year on the world tour.
But the 11th seed's opponent, Koehler, offered little resistance in the crucial stages of the first set and wilted entirely in the second.
Clijsters, 28, insisted her hip was fully recovered and said she was happy she fought her way through a testing period early.
"I don't think anyone plays a grand slam and plays all perfect matches," Clijsters said.
"You have to find a way through it sometimes and find that little extra on the most important points.
"Today I felt like I served well, there was a couple of double faults, but that is probably going to be there all the time."
Clijsters said she was forced to warm up several times as Bernard Tomic fought out a five-set thriller with Fernando Verdasco.
Should she progress, Clijsters faces a fourth-round meeting against the woman she beat in last year's Aussie Open decider, Li Na.
Well it certainly wasn't the imposing start we're used to from Clijsters, but understandably so not having played much with the hip injury.
It wasn't awful, but it wasn't great either. Lots of room for improvement.
It wasn't awful, but it wasn't great either. Lots of room for improvement.
But with first rounds all that matters is that you get through it, Clijsters does tend to work on her game as she goes through the tournament a lot the of time so hopefully things will get better.
Personally I hope she decreases the number of double faults because that could get her into a lot of unnecessary trouble with bigger and better opponents.
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Saturday, January 14, 2012
"Federer" brand on the rise
Never mind Lady Gaga, Oprah Winfrey and Justin Bieber. The
Queen of England, the Pope and Barack Obama also trail Roger Federer in a
list of the world’s most respected figures (only Nelson Mandela is
higher). The Swiss is also earning more money than ever before, with an
estimated annual income of 30 million pounds. The Tennis Space examines
why Federer, two years after his last grand slam victory, has never
been as influential as he is now.
These are Roger Federer’s boom years. Not between the tramlines – it is now a couple of seasons since he won his last slam title at the 2010 Australian Open, and he starts this year as the world number three – yet, off the court, he has never been more powerful, more influential, or earned so much. Federer has biffed aside Lady Gaga, Oprah Winfrey and Justin Bieber, with the American business magazine Forbes putting the Swiss at the top of their rankings for press coverage, while a survey by the Reputation Institute made him the second most respected figure in the world, behind only Nelson Mandela. The Queen of England, the Pope and Barack Obama trail a tennis player from Switzerland.
Federer in decline? He is approaching 10 million Facebook fans, more than any other tennis player, while in recent Swiss elections, more than 100 people voted for him, even though he had not put himself forward as a candidate, by writing in his name on their ballot papers.
You will be wanting to know about the money, what this all means for his wealth. Two years after that last major, Federer is making more money than ever before, with Forbes estimating that the Swiss banks almost 30 million pounds a year, which is 10 million pounds more than the second highest tennis player on the money list, Rafael Nadal. Some will wonder why Novak Djokovic, with an annual income of 11 million pounds, even bothers to slide out of bed in his Monaco apartment, while Andy Murray is on the top-four minimum wage on 8.5 million pounds. Maria Sharapova, the highest-earning female tennis player on an estimated 16 million pounds, has spoken of having the money to feed her great-grandchildren, but her commercial success is limited compared to Federer’s. And, for Roger Inc, for Brand Federer, it hardly matters if he ever wins another slam – this is the reward for all those years of sustained success, of gathering a record 16 majors, and of having never come close to scandal (look back at his career, and the greatest crime anyone has ever accused him of, after he marked his fifteenth slam by wearing a tracksuit top with ’15′ embroidered in gold on the back, was of looking as though he had hired Liberace’s stylist). There are no cocktail waitresses, party girls and fire-hydrants in this story.
“If a sportsman or woman develops a brand image over a long enough period, it is possible to extend and even increase their earning power,” Nigel Currie, of the sports marketing firm Brand Rapport, told The Tennis Space. “Tennis is one of the few truly global sports and if you become the number one player for a period of, say, five years, the potential riches are enormous. As his powers on the court fade, he will have more time to devote to developing his image and fulfilling sponsors’ needs. Certainly Federer has developed a very good clean-cut image which, combined with his enormous global profile, makes him highly marketable.”
Federer’s contract with Nike is considered to be the most lucrative sponsorship deal in tennis – he signed a 10-year extension in 2008, with each year worth in excess of six million pounds. His other long-term commercial relationships are with Credit Suisse, Jura, Lindt, National Suisse, Net Jets, Rolex and Wilson. Federer’s name and face had been used to sell Mercedes-Benz cars in China; that deal has now gone global. And while Gillette ditched Tiger Woods and Thierry Henry, they have retained Federer.
“His income has never been higher,” said Kurt Badenhausen, a senior editor at Forbes. “Federer has incredibly broad appeal on multiple continents in a sport with extremely strong demographics. Many of his biggest endorsements are 10-year deals and he has continued to add to his sponsorship portfolio even as he has fallen from the top of the world rankings. I think Federer has a certain elder statesman appeal now after being in the game for so long.”
Rene Stauffer, the tennis correspondent of Zurich’s Tages-Anzeiger, argued that Federer’s break with IMG, around the time he won his first slam at the 2003 Wimbledon Championships, has helped him in the long term. “When Federer’s career took off in 2003, he was just ending his contract with IMG. From 2004 to the fall of 2005 he had no big agency to represent him, before he chose to work again with IMG. In this time he had an in-house management team, built around his family. This was a blessing in hindsight: in those years, when he started to dominate the tour, he almost did not sign any contract – since he and his parents always had the policy to have only few, but very good partners. And then, when Tony Godsick and IMG took over again, his market value and reputation was already that high, that they could basically choose their partners and get huge contracts,” said Stauffer.
“And Federer only works with brands that are well chosen and mean something to him. He has long-term-contracts with almost all his brands. And Federer’s market value has grown with each successful partnership. He has been linked with Nike and Wilson since the earliest days. Gillette took his name into another sphere, as it was the first big, international, non-tennis-related contract. Big Swiss companies also soon discovered Roger’s value for them, and they build the biggest part of his partners – with Rolex, Jura, National Suisse, Lindt and Credit Suisse. The big Swiss bank also gives one million Swiss francs for the Roger Federer Foundation, which has become much bigger through this endorsement.”
And, as Stauffer noted, Federer “has never been hit by scandals – his image has been as steady as his career”.
thetennisspace.com
These are Roger Federer’s boom years. Not between the tramlines – it is now a couple of seasons since he won his last slam title at the 2010 Australian Open, and he starts this year as the world number three – yet, off the court, he has never been more powerful, more influential, or earned so much. Federer has biffed aside Lady Gaga, Oprah Winfrey and Justin Bieber, with the American business magazine Forbes putting the Swiss at the top of their rankings for press coverage, while a survey by the Reputation Institute made him the second most respected figure in the world, behind only Nelson Mandela. The Queen of England, the Pope and Barack Obama trail a tennis player from Switzerland.
Federer in decline? He is approaching 10 million Facebook fans, more than any other tennis player, while in recent Swiss elections, more than 100 people voted for him, even though he had not put himself forward as a candidate, by writing in his name on their ballot papers.
You will be wanting to know about the money, what this all means for his wealth. Two years after that last major, Federer is making more money than ever before, with Forbes estimating that the Swiss banks almost 30 million pounds a year, which is 10 million pounds more than the second highest tennis player on the money list, Rafael Nadal. Some will wonder why Novak Djokovic, with an annual income of 11 million pounds, even bothers to slide out of bed in his Monaco apartment, while Andy Murray is on the top-four minimum wage on 8.5 million pounds. Maria Sharapova, the highest-earning female tennis player on an estimated 16 million pounds, has spoken of having the money to feed her great-grandchildren, but her commercial success is limited compared to Federer’s. And, for Roger Inc, for Brand Federer, it hardly matters if he ever wins another slam – this is the reward for all those years of sustained success, of gathering a record 16 majors, and of having never come close to scandal (look back at his career, and the greatest crime anyone has ever accused him of, after he marked his fifteenth slam by wearing a tracksuit top with ’15′ embroidered in gold on the back, was of looking as though he had hired Liberace’s stylist). There are no cocktail waitresses, party girls and fire-hydrants in this story.
“If a sportsman or woman develops a brand image over a long enough period, it is possible to extend and even increase their earning power,” Nigel Currie, of the sports marketing firm Brand Rapport, told The Tennis Space. “Tennis is one of the few truly global sports and if you become the number one player for a period of, say, five years, the potential riches are enormous. As his powers on the court fade, he will have more time to devote to developing his image and fulfilling sponsors’ needs. Certainly Federer has developed a very good clean-cut image which, combined with his enormous global profile, makes him highly marketable.”
Federer’s contract with Nike is considered to be the most lucrative sponsorship deal in tennis – he signed a 10-year extension in 2008, with each year worth in excess of six million pounds. His other long-term commercial relationships are with Credit Suisse, Jura, Lindt, National Suisse, Net Jets, Rolex and Wilson. Federer’s name and face had been used to sell Mercedes-Benz cars in China; that deal has now gone global. And while Gillette ditched Tiger Woods and Thierry Henry, they have retained Federer.
“His income has never been higher,” said Kurt Badenhausen, a senior editor at Forbes. “Federer has incredibly broad appeal on multiple continents in a sport with extremely strong demographics. Many of his biggest endorsements are 10-year deals and he has continued to add to his sponsorship portfolio even as he has fallen from the top of the world rankings. I think Federer has a certain elder statesman appeal now after being in the game for so long.”
Rene Stauffer, the tennis correspondent of Zurich’s Tages-Anzeiger, argued that Federer’s break with IMG, around the time he won his first slam at the 2003 Wimbledon Championships, has helped him in the long term. “When Federer’s career took off in 2003, he was just ending his contract with IMG. From 2004 to the fall of 2005 he had no big agency to represent him, before he chose to work again with IMG. In this time he had an in-house management team, built around his family. This was a blessing in hindsight: in those years, when he started to dominate the tour, he almost did not sign any contract – since he and his parents always had the policy to have only few, but very good partners. And then, when Tony Godsick and IMG took over again, his market value and reputation was already that high, that they could basically choose their partners and get huge contracts,” said Stauffer.
“And Federer only works with brands that are well chosen and mean something to him. He has long-term-contracts with almost all his brands. And Federer’s market value has grown with each successful partnership. He has been linked with Nike and Wilson since the earliest days. Gillette took his name into another sphere, as it was the first big, international, non-tennis-related contract. Big Swiss companies also soon discovered Roger’s value for them, and they build the biggest part of his partners – with Rolex, Jura, National Suisse, Lindt and Credit Suisse. The big Swiss bank also gives one million Swiss francs for the Roger Federer Foundation, which has become much bigger through this endorsement.”
And, as Stauffer noted, Federer “has never been hit by scandals – his image has been as steady as his career”.
thetennisspace.com
Friday, January 13, 2012
Roger Federer credits wife for successful career
His back, a chronic but manageable concern for years, has been troubling him again, but Roger Federer is in Melbourne with every intent of returning to the court and playing in his 49th consecutive Grand Slam tournament.
The record, held by the former South African player Wayne Ferreira, stands at 56. But Federer is a serial record breaker and, now third on this all-time list, just might break another one.
In an era when major injuries have caused most of his rivals to crack at some stage, he has kept the damage to a minimum, thanks to his silken footwork, sound stroke mechanics, sage scheduling and ability to respond quickly to the warning signs. Latest example: deciding to retire from a minor event last week in Doha after the quarterfinals rather than imperil his ability to play in the main event next week, the Australian Open.
He also long ago conquered a fear of flying. “I was scared when I was younger, and I used to get very sick on the plane,” he said in a preseason interview. “Today that’s all gone.”
But according to Federer, who will turn 31 this year and who ended 2011 on a reaffirming winning streak, the biggest reason for his durability and enduring appetite for top-flight tennis is his support team, above all his wife, Mirka.
In that sense, Mirka has long been the most important woman in the men’s game. Born Miroslava Vavrinec in 1978 in what is now Slovakia, she emigrated to Switzerland as a toddler with her parents. The Swiss press reported that she received early encouragement from Martina Navratilova, and then became a professional tennis player, peaking at No.76 before a foot problem forced her to retire in 2002.
She and Federer have been together since the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, when he was just a teenager with great potential but not yet a great résumé. Mirka later helped formally manage his career, travel and media commitments, typing by his side on her smart phone as he gave interviews. She has ceded that role in recent years as Federer has expanded his staff and portfolio, but that does not mean she is outside the loop on scheduling, sponsorship, Federer’s clothing and product lines, and even some pure tennis issues, although she now rarely watches matches not involving her husband.
“She still plays a huge role and has great input and impact,” said Paul Annacone, Federer’s co-coach. “She understands the big picture extremely well and does a great job in terms of letting us work but also shares invaluable information. This is a tricky balance. She’s been there since day one, so she knows very well what it takes and how to get there.”
Since the birth of the Federers’ twin daughters in 2009, Mirka has taken the family (and the nanny) on the road, rarely missing a trip or tournament. Without that support, Federer said, he doubts he would still be interested in chasing down trophies worldwide from January to November.
“I know how fortunate I am,” he said. “And maybe that’s one of the reasons that makes me very happy when I’m playing and makes me very motivated, because I know this is not a normal situation I’m in, being able to play with a healthy, happy family next to me, because the easiest thing would be to say, ‘Let’s just stay home and take care of the kids.”’
“But the kids are healthy, they are happy, and Mirka doesn’t want to be away from me, and I don’t want to be away from her,” he added, “and like this we make it all work that we are actually together all year long, and maybe miss the girls and Mirka maybe one or two weeks during the year, which is just incredible that she’s willing to make all of that effort. I’m happy that it’s this way, because anything else would make it more difficult to compete and to play at the highest levels. It would basically be impossible.”
Federer is hardly the first tennis star to travel with family in tow. Andre Agassi, Lleyton Hewitt and Ivan Ljubicic all juggled fatherhood and the nomadic life on tour. Kim Clijsters has won three Grand Slam singles titles as a mother. But at the moment, the only other father among the top 20 is Gilles Simon, No.12 this week.
What separates Federer from the crowd is that he already has secured his fortune and legacy — a record 16 Grand Slam singles titles — yet has shown no hint of losing his appetite for the game or the road, which is certainly more palatable with a private plane and other highest-end comforts.
But there is still a toll, and it is seldom the megastar who pays the highest price. “How important is the support from your wife? Hard to say, but to win Grand Slams, nothing can be more important than you winning,” said Mats Wilander, the former world No.1. “I think Roger will win again, whether he has the support or not from his wife and family, but yes, if your family travels with you, it’s harder on them than you. As a player, you’re as selfish as anything and as a supporting cast you have to be the opposite.”
The difference here perhaps is that Federer is an involved enough parent to tolerate middle-of-the-night wake-up calls from the twins during tournaments. The bigger difference perhaps is that Mirka was once a player herself.
“I think it’s a great help that she actually played,” Federer said. “I never started dating a tennis player because of that, actually, sort of 10 years ahead. But in my situation, I think it really does help, because she knows in some ways what it takes, and she did it on a level that was still very good but not at my level. And she already put in a massive amount of hours herself. So when I tell her, ‘Look, I need to go to practice,’ she’s the first to say, ‘I know, I know you need it, and you need only maybe 20 percent of what I needed.”’
Mirka, who rarely speaks publicly, declined to be interviewed for this article. But Federer said that her career-ending injury had shaped his own approach to protecting himself with the help of his longtime fitness trainer, Pierre Paganini.
“She was a big believer in me not wasting any sort of talent, because she knew herself that she was limited to a degree,” Federer said.
“She was extremely hardworking, but she knew with my talents I could achieve so many more things, and she was also one that was very influential, as was Pierre Paganini, for instance, early on, when I became world No.1 and we decided, ‘Less is more; we have to take care of the body,’ because Mirka’s body went first because she maybe over-practiced.”
“So I think she could also give me some advice, sort of know-how,” Federer added. “Her body is still fragile today when she goes and does sports, and mine isn’t, and it’s incredible. I’ve done so much more sport than she has, so it’s I guess a bit of luck, too, just smartness because of the people that have surrounded me.”
Last season was sour and ultimately sweet for Federer. He played some tremendous, flowing tennis, stopping Novak Djokovic’s 43-match winning streak in the French Open semifinals, and yet slipped to No.3 and failed to win a Grand Slam title for the first time since 2002. He also blew a two-set lead in the quarterfinals at Wimbledon, losing to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, and blew another two-set lead, against Djokovic, in the semifinals of the U.S. Open.
Federer said Mirka had told him during his six-week break later in the autumn that she thought he should search more deeply for explanations.
“She was very much a believer that it can’t be that I lose all these matches so closely, that there must be something more,” Federer said. “She was the one that says: ‘It’s O.K. to lose one or two matches very closely, but you can’t start losing more and more and more. Then maybe something’s wrong in your corner. So you just have to question yourself and check with the entire team, see what everybody thinks.’ She had her opinions, and some were, I thought, wrong, some were right.”
Federer did not elaborate, but when he returned to the circuit, he won three straight indoor titles: Basel, Paris and the A.T.P. World Tour Finals. That was sweet indeed, but not as sweet as it would be to return to the Grand Slam honor roll in Melbourne.
Triumph or disaster, Mirka will be there, which is a big reason why the triumphs are still possible.
“She’s been a rock in my corner,” he said.
nytimes.com
The record, held by the former South African player Wayne Ferreira, stands at 56. But Federer is a serial record breaker and, now third on this all-time list, just might break another one.
In an era when major injuries have caused most of his rivals to crack at some stage, he has kept the damage to a minimum, thanks to his silken footwork, sound stroke mechanics, sage scheduling and ability to respond quickly to the warning signs. Latest example: deciding to retire from a minor event last week in Doha after the quarterfinals rather than imperil his ability to play in the main event next week, the Australian Open.
He also long ago conquered a fear of flying. “I was scared when I was younger, and I used to get very sick on the plane,” he said in a preseason interview. “Today that’s all gone.”
But according to Federer, who will turn 31 this year and who ended 2011 on a reaffirming winning streak, the biggest reason for his durability and enduring appetite for top-flight tennis is his support team, above all his wife, Mirka.
In that sense, Mirka has long been the most important woman in the men’s game. Born Miroslava Vavrinec in 1978 in what is now Slovakia, she emigrated to Switzerland as a toddler with her parents. The Swiss press reported that she received early encouragement from Martina Navratilova, and then became a professional tennis player, peaking at No.76 before a foot problem forced her to retire in 2002.
She and Federer have been together since the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, when he was just a teenager with great potential but not yet a great résumé. Mirka later helped formally manage his career, travel and media commitments, typing by his side on her smart phone as he gave interviews. She has ceded that role in recent years as Federer has expanded his staff and portfolio, but that does not mean she is outside the loop on scheduling, sponsorship, Federer’s clothing and product lines, and even some pure tennis issues, although she now rarely watches matches not involving her husband.
“She still plays a huge role and has great input and impact,” said Paul Annacone, Federer’s co-coach. “She understands the big picture extremely well and does a great job in terms of letting us work but also shares invaluable information. This is a tricky balance. She’s been there since day one, so she knows very well what it takes and how to get there.”
Since the birth of the Federers’ twin daughters in 2009, Mirka has taken the family (and the nanny) on the road, rarely missing a trip or tournament. Without that support, Federer said, he doubts he would still be interested in chasing down trophies worldwide from January to November.
“I know how fortunate I am,” he said. “And maybe that’s one of the reasons that makes me very happy when I’m playing and makes me very motivated, because I know this is not a normal situation I’m in, being able to play with a healthy, happy family next to me, because the easiest thing would be to say, ‘Let’s just stay home and take care of the kids.”’
“But the kids are healthy, they are happy, and Mirka doesn’t want to be away from me, and I don’t want to be away from her,” he added, “and like this we make it all work that we are actually together all year long, and maybe miss the girls and Mirka maybe one or two weeks during the year, which is just incredible that she’s willing to make all of that effort. I’m happy that it’s this way, because anything else would make it more difficult to compete and to play at the highest levels. It would basically be impossible.”
Federer is hardly the first tennis star to travel with family in tow. Andre Agassi, Lleyton Hewitt and Ivan Ljubicic all juggled fatherhood and the nomadic life on tour. Kim Clijsters has won three Grand Slam singles titles as a mother. But at the moment, the only other father among the top 20 is Gilles Simon, No.12 this week.
What separates Federer from the crowd is that he already has secured his fortune and legacy — a record 16 Grand Slam singles titles — yet has shown no hint of losing his appetite for the game or the road, which is certainly more palatable with a private plane and other highest-end comforts.
But there is still a toll, and it is seldom the megastar who pays the highest price. “How important is the support from your wife? Hard to say, but to win Grand Slams, nothing can be more important than you winning,” said Mats Wilander, the former world No.1. “I think Roger will win again, whether he has the support or not from his wife and family, but yes, if your family travels with you, it’s harder on them than you. As a player, you’re as selfish as anything and as a supporting cast you have to be the opposite.”
The difference here perhaps is that Federer is an involved enough parent to tolerate middle-of-the-night wake-up calls from the twins during tournaments. The bigger difference perhaps is that Mirka was once a player herself.
“I think it’s a great help that she actually played,” Federer said. “I never started dating a tennis player because of that, actually, sort of 10 years ahead. But in my situation, I think it really does help, because she knows in some ways what it takes, and she did it on a level that was still very good but not at my level. And she already put in a massive amount of hours herself. So when I tell her, ‘Look, I need to go to practice,’ she’s the first to say, ‘I know, I know you need it, and you need only maybe 20 percent of what I needed.”’
Mirka, who rarely speaks publicly, declined to be interviewed for this article. But Federer said that her career-ending injury had shaped his own approach to protecting himself with the help of his longtime fitness trainer, Pierre Paganini.
“She was a big believer in me not wasting any sort of talent, because she knew herself that she was limited to a degree,” Federer said.
“She was extremely hardworking, but she knew with my talents I could achieve so many more things, and she was also one that was very influential, as was Pierre Paganini, for instance, early on, when I became world No.1 and we decided, ‘Less is more; we have to take care of the body,’ because Mirka’s body went first because she maybe over-practiced.”
“So I think she could also give me some advice, sort of know-how,” Federer added. “Her body is still fragile today when she goes and does sports, and mine isn’t, and it’s incredible. I’ve done so much more sport than she has, so it’s I guess a bit of luck, too, just smartness because of the people that have surrounded me.”
Last season was sour and ultimately sweet for Federer. He played some tremendous, flowing tennis, stopping Novak Djokovic’s 43-match winning streak in the French Open semifinals, and yet slipped to No.3 and failed to win a Grand Slam title for the first time since 2002. He also blew a two-set lead in the quarterfinals at Wimbledon, losing to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, and blew another two-set lead, against Djokovic, in the semifinals of the U.S. Open.
Federer said Mirka had told him during his six-week break later in the autumn that she thought he should search more deeply for explanations.
“She was very much a believer that it can’t be that I lose all these matches so closely, that there must be something more,” Federer said. “She was the one that says: ‘It’s O.K. to lose one or two matches very closely, but you can’t start losing more and more and more. Then maybe something’s wrong in your corner. So you just have to question yourself and check with the entire team, see what everybody thinks.’ She had her opinions, and some were, I thought, wrong, some were right.”
Federer did not elaborate, but when he returned to the circuit, he won three straight indoor titles: Basel, Paris and the A.T.P. World Tour Finals. That was sweet indeed, but not as sweet as it would be to return to the Grand Slam honor roll in Melbourne.
Triumph or disaster, Mirka will be there, which is a big reason why the triumphs are still possible.
“She’s been a rock in my corner,” he said.
nytimes.com
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Kim Clijsters ready for the Aussie Open
Defending champion Kim Clijsters has dismissed
concerns over a hip injury and declared herself "ready to go" for the
Australian Open.
But Clijsters
has allayed those worries after being paired with an as yet unknown qualifier in round one."I didn't play many matches in the second half of last year and missed most of the American summer but I have trained hard in the off-season," said the 11th seed.
"I am feeling good and ready to go."
If she is to take the trophy again she will have to do it the hard way after being drawn in the same quarter as world No.1 Caroline Wozniacki, who has her own injury problems, while a repeat of last year's final against Li Na
is scheduled for the fourth round.Should she come through that then Wozniacki and third seed Victoria Azarenka are scheduled to lie in wait.
An earlier foe could be Britain's Elena Baltacha, who could get a crack at Clijsters providing she beats Stephanie Foretz Gacon in round one.
The Scot said: "We'll see how both of us go in the first round but obviously it would be great to play Kim.
"I've got a good record of winning matches in grand slams over the last couple of years and I'd like to keep that up, so all I'm thinking about at the moment is that first round match."
Wozniacki, whose place at the top of the rankings was guaranteed for a little longer after Petra Kvitova's defeat to Li in the semi-finals in Sydney, opens against Anastasia Rodionova.
The Dane injured her wrist during her quarter-final loss to Agnieszka Radwanska in Sydney but expects to be fit for Melbourne.
skysports.com
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Martina Hingis/Navratilova to take part in Rogers Cup Legends event
Tennis fans are going to be spoiled during the 2012 edition of the Rogers Cup presented by National Bank as four of the biggest names in tennis history will take to Centre Court to open the tournament at Uniprix Stadium in Montreal on the evening of Monday August 6.
Four former World No. 1’s including Andre Agassi, Jim Courier, Martina Navratilova and Martina Hingis will put on an exhibition, wearing a microphone for the occasion to share their emotions with the crowd and give the spectators a whole new experience.
"Our mission is to grow our sport and make it a popular sport to play," said Rogers Cup tournament director Eugène Lapierre. "W e believe that not only willl we please the fans who experienced this golden age of tennis, but we also hope that this event will create life long memories for our younger fans."
Together, Agassi, Courier, Navratilova and Hingis won 524 tournaments, including 85 Grand Slam titles. They left their mark in tennis and also defined their era. Whether it was Agassi’s famous jean shorts, Navratilova’s domination of the women’s game, Courier’s consistency or Hingis’ versatility, all four legends have been immortalized within the sport.
For the first time, main draw play at the Rogers Cup presented by National Bank will begin on Tuesday August 7 and the final will be played on Monday evening, August 13 at 7 p.m.
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