Roger Federer races into 4th round at Indian Wells

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Roger Federer extended his unbeaten 2018 winning streak to 14 matches Monday by defeating World No. 28 Filip Krajinovic 6-2, 6-1 at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells.

After handing back an early break to allow Krajinovic to draw level at 2-all, the defending champion moved into cruise control. At one point he won 17 straight points en route to taking a 6-2, 3-0 lead, winning 10 of the final 11 games in the match. The World No. 1 is seeking his third tour-level title of the season (Australian Open, Rotterdam), 98th title of his career and 28th ATP World Tour Masters 1000 trophy.

"I was playing aggressive and feeling like he was not loving my slice, and then also mixing in with drop shots eventually," Federer said. " I think really I was able to mix up my game nicely, make it difficult for him there. At the same time, have fun with my game, play variation, but for the most part try to stay on the offensive, as well. I think it was a good match."

The 36-year-old is also attempting to break his own mark as the oldest player to ever win the tournament, after setting the record last year in the desert. He has won 14 of his past 15 sets at the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 level, with his only set lost coming in the semi-finals of the Rolex Shanghai Masters last October against Juan Martin del Potro, who is the sixth seed in California. If Federer should continue his run of good form and advance to the final at Indian Wells again, it will be his fourth consecutive appearance in the title match (2014, 2015, 2017).

Krajinovic broke through at the last ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event, advancing to the final at the Rolex Paris Masters in November (l. to Sock). And while he is at a career-best No. 28 in the ATP Rankings, the Serbian had only played 11 matches at this level prior to facing Federer for the first time in their FedEx ATP Head2Head series.

"I still think he can play much better than he did today," Federer said. "Maybe it was because it was the first time he ever played against me."

With 1000 ATP Rankings points to defend this week, Federer must reach the semi-finals to retain his hold on the top spot. Should he fall before the semi-finals, Rafael Nadal will return to World No. 1 because he is only dropping 90 points from his fourth-round result in Indian Wells last year. With that being said, the Swiss is not thinking about his undefeated streak or anything else at the moment — he is simply focusing on what is in front of him.

"You're only really as good as your last match," Federer said. "Now we're in Indian Wells and that's my focus and not what I have achieved in the past."

Chasing a record sixth title in the desert — Novak Djokovic also has five trophies — Federer will next meet Frenchman Jeremy Chardy, the World No. 100. Chardy ousted compatriot and No. 20 seed Adrian Mannarino 7-5, 4-6, 6-1 in just short of two hours. The 31-year-old entered the tournament with two victories on the season, and has now doubled that total. His 10th appearance at Indian Wells has been his best — Chardy is into the Round of 16 at the event for the first time. His best result in the Coachella Valley prior to this year was in his debut nine years ago, when he reached the third round (l. to Ferrer).

Federer, who played two matches across three days thanks to rain suspending his opener from Saturday evening until Sunday, holds a 3-1 FedEx ATP Head2Head series edge against Chardy, with three of their four meetings having come at the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 level. The Frenchman's lone victory came on red clay at 2014 Rome in a match that went to a third-set tie-break. Do not expect Federer to look past Chardy, though.

"I wasn't playing that good in my first [opening] round. So when you play that way and you feel that way, you can't right away think, 'Oh, who would I be playing in the semis or in the finals'?" Federer said. "I think that would be a major mistake by myself. There is still plenty of good enough players around me to cause an upset. So I'm on a good run right now, and I try to maintain that, and you only maintain that if you respect every opponent."

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Rain fails to stop Roger Federer from prevailing in his first match back at Indian Wells

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INDIAN WELLS, Calif. -- The only thing rarer than a raindrop in the Southern California desert might be a Roger Federer early-round loss, and thankfully for fans, the weekend brought only one of those anomalies.

Federer's opening match at the BNP Paribas Open was suspended for the night Saturday during the second set as pouring rain ended the session prematurely. Less than 24 hours later, he was back on the court, where he finished off Federico Delbonis 6-3, 7-6 (6).

Despite the straight-sets win, this was nothing short of a complicated couple of days on the court for Federer.

He was uncharacteristically sloppy -- as in 40 unforced errors sloppy. That's nearly double the winners he had. Afterward, Federer spoke of how differently the courts played between Saturday's night session and Sunday's quicker conditions during a hot afternoon.

"When you go from night to day [in consecutive days, you're usually] playing a different opponent," said Federer, who couldn't remember the last time he had played a match that was interrupted overnight. "So naturally, it's all a change. Whereas, here now you play the same guy the next day, so you can really compare, you know, how different conditions are. It was actually quite interesting.

"The nighttime is much deader. The surface doesn't react so much; the ball doesn't travel so fast. ... So talking about faster, I just think there is more bounce to it, especially if you play someone who has a lot of spin like he has and kicks the ball around a lot."

While Federer was far from perfect, he did improve to an unblemished 13-0 on the year and took the next step in snaring his third title of the young season. Whatever Federer is doing in the offseason, it's working. A year ago, he went on a tear, winning the Australian Open, Indian Wells and Miami -- a stretch that saw him go 20-1.

Keep in mind that during his stellar start in 2017, Federer looked beatable at times. In Melbourne alone, he needed to go the five-set distance three times, including the final against Rafael Nadal. In Miami, he nearly fell to Nick Kyrgios in an edge-of-the-seat semifinal battle that went to three tiebreakers.

It goes without saying Federer's perseverance has been as key to his success as any ace or winner. For the first time in six years, Federer has entered a tournament as the world's No. 1 player.

So, is there added pressure this time around?

"Not really," Federer said during his opening news conference here Thursday. "Just the feeling of getting back to the world No. 1 ranking is deeply gratifying. I know how much work I have put into it, and I know what I had to do to get here."

So you can forgive Federer if a few raindrops and overcooked groundstrokes won't deter him moving forward.

espn.co.uk

Roger Federer doesn't want to be 'Bubble Boy'

That feeling of ascending to the pinnacle, knowing the struggles from having been there before, as Roger Federer admits, is “deeply gratifying”. As athletes in any sport will attest, though, it can be lonely at the top.

The defending BNP Paribas Open champion understands how it can happen. Your opponents want to emulate your winning ways; media and sponsorship commitments escalate and as your profile grows, your every move is scrutinised. Relishing the pressure that comes with his return to World No. 1, though, is a bubble the Swiss is careful not to slip into.

"I think when you're at the top, everybody is watching everything you do extra carefully so you maybe go into a shell to some extent, because you don't want people to know your magic formula, if there is any," Federer said. "As you're riding the wave and have the momentum, you want to try to maintain that as long as possible so you sometimes do tend to go into a bit of a bubble. I try not to ever really go there."

"Even when you're busy, you're playing well, you have routines. I know how tennis is; I don't know how to compare it to other sports. I see only how Rafa [Nadal] and Novak [Djokovic] and everybody else is doing but only on the surface."

A successful title defence at Indian Wells will land the 36-year-old an unprecedented sixth trophy at the event. Should he bow out before the semi-finals, though, he will relinquish the No. 1 ranking to Nadal.

Federer has made a flawless start to his season by claiming both events he has contested: He successfully defended his Australian Open title (d. Cilic) to rack up Grand Slam trophy No. 20; title No. 97 at Rotterdam (d. Dimitrov) saw him become the oldest World No. 1 in history.

He begins his BNP Paribas Open title defence against either American Ryan Harrison or Argentine Federico Delbonis, one of only a handful of players to own a winning FedEx ATP Head2Head record against the Swiss (1-0).

Given his return to the pinnacle in the ATP Rankings, Federer would be forgiven for feeling a temporary lull in motivation. Another record ticked off, what next?

"You always have [something to prove]. As much as I’d like to tell you, ‘Yeah, it doesn’t matter how I play here’, I didn’t come here to lose in the first round [6-2, 6-2],” Federer said. "You care about that moment, about the fans, and how they portray you. You care for the result; you care for so many things. As little pressure as there seems to be, there is always pressure on the top guys. You’re always at the center of attention and expectations are there."

"I'm definitely in a good place. I feel like I have less to prove today than in the past, but that doesn't mean that I don't want it badly. I need to have that drive to be successful."

atpworldtour.com

Roger Federer reveals post career plans

The Swiss star is reaching the business end of his illustrious tennis career.

However, Federer, 36, shows no signs of slowing down as of yet.

The veteran has recently returned to the top of the world rankings and boasts an impressive 100% win record in 2018 so far.

Federer took some time out of his competitive tennis schedule this week to focus on his charity work.

The annual Match for Africa, set up the world No 1, raises money each year for those living in poverty in the third world.

This year's exhibition event saw Federer play tennis with American Jack Sock, Microsoft founder Bill Gates and NBC host Savannah Guthrie.

And after the spectacle, the tennis legend spoke to team-mate Gates about what he wants to do after he calls time on his playing career.

“Sooner or later, the moment will come when my tennis career is done and I have more time to spend with my foundation, ” he wrote in Gates’ blog Gates Notes.

“I definitely look forward to being able to travel more often to Africa, visit our programs, and raise more money for our cause.”

“Of course, there will be challenges along the way – but I hope to grow in my knowledge and experience every day.

"Becoming a good philanthropist is a never-ending journey. Achieving sustainable change is complex and depends on many external factors, challenges, and risks.

“It demands time, flexibility, and expertise. You need to understand dynamics on the ground and react to threats and opportunities.

"This is why we closely collaborate with local partner organisations and why we established a regional office in South Africa.

“We are constantly learning and doing our best to adapt our programs accordingly.”

Federer is back in competitive action at the Indian Wells Masters next week.

express.co.uk

Roger Federer enjoys his 2nd charity match with Bill Gates

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SAN JOSE, Calif. -- From his knees at the middle of the net, Roger Federer struck volley after volley right back at Jack Sock until the American star finally faltered. Federer just smiled. It was all in fun.

And how could Federer not be loving life?

He's the best in the world at age 36. That even sounds a bit strange to Federer himself.

"Those are definitely special times in my life and my career," Federer said. "The dream as a little boy was to make it one day to world No. 1, but not at 36 years old I can tell you that. It was probably at some point at 25 maybe if things went really well.

"I had a tough year in 2016 with my knee and stayed positive, was resilient and fought to come back and really believed I could actually win again. I didn't think it was going to be at this level. It's been an unbelievable journey the last 14 months and my team has been incredible. I'm loving every moment that I can still stay on tour because you never know when it's going to end."

While this doubles match didn't officially count Monday night, it sure mattered to all of the children in Africa who Federer is committed to helping through his foundation.

Federer emerged from the tunnel of smoke and walked onto the court greeted by roars and thousands of camera phones held high for the first Bay Area appearance of his career.

Federer waved every which way, held his racket in the air and beamed when introduced during warm-ups with the announcement at the sold-out SAP Center that he had regained the No. 1 world ranking.

"For me to stand right here as world No. 1 in San Jose is very, very special for me," Federer said.

He entertained from the start, too, praising Microsoft billionaire Bill Gates as a perfect partner.

"He knows numbers very well. He never makes mistakes on the scores," Federer cracked. "I'll do the running and Bill does the thinking."

He joked to opponent Savannah Guthrie of NBC's "TODAY" show: "You have to start looking at the ball and stop looking at me."

Federer called off Gates with, "That's mine ... that's mine, too," before Sock lobbed a winner over Gates that Federer couldn't chase down.

Federer's "The Match for Africa" exhibition sold more than 15,000 tickets to benefit his foundation that supports education for children in Africa.

The Swiss star, who at 36 is the oldest men's player to be No. 1, won the Australian Open in January for his 20th Grand Slam title.

Federer and Gates also teamed up last year in Seattle.

After the doubles, the 25-year-old Sock -- ranked 10th in the world -- pushed Federer to an 11-9 tiebreaker in the first set before dropping the second set 6-4.

At one point in the opening set, Sock showed his respect by overturning a fault call. He walked toward the service line, pointed that it was an ace and went to the changeover.

Sock joked beforehand, "Don't hit it to Roger ... I'm winless against him for my career."

"This match for Africa is something extraordinary," Sock said.

A video promoting the match featured Federer training Gates, from weight lifting -- lunges with a heavy bar over his shoulders -- to studying a tennis book and both ping-pong and tennis practice to work on his reflexes and skills.

"You'll train like I do," Federer said. "You are ready."

And Gates, dressed in a bright pink polo, drew oohs and aahs as he impressed with his shot-making and hustle to keep points alive.

"I think I'm good at picking partners," Gates said after he and Federer won 6-3.

ESPN.com

Roger Federer March form an ATP Rankings indicator

World No. 1 Roger Federer will soon begin his quest for a fourth ‘Sunshine Double’ at the of 36. The March title feat requires ATP World Tour stars to make big adjustments in order to master the dry, thinner desert air of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells and the humidity and windy conditions of the Miami Open presented by Itau.

Seven players, since the ATP World Tour’s top tier Masters 1000 events were established in 1990, have lifted the Indian Wells and Miami titles back-to-back — Jim Courier (1991), Michael Chang (1992), Pete Sampras (1994), Marcelo Rios (1998), Andre Agassi (2001), Federer (2005-06, 2017) and Novak Djokovic (2011 and 2014-16). In Federer's three 'Sunshine Double' years, he finished the season at No. 1 in the ATP Rankings on two occasions (2005-06) and at No. 2 in 2017.

Federer’s game has historically hit top gear on the west and east coasts of the United States, going 57-11, with five titles (2004-06, 2012 and 2017) in Indian Wells, and 50-13, with three titles (2005-06, 2017) in Miami. With a 350-99 overall match wins tally at Masters 1000 tournaments, his 107-24 combined mark at March’s two events showcases his ability to adapt to the conditions.

Twelve months ago, on the eve of Indian Wells, Federer had an 8-1 season mark. He beat fellow Swiss Stan Wawrinka in the 2017 Indian Wells final and subsequently went on to complete a third ‘Sunshine Double’ with victory over Nadal in the Miami final. Federer has started 2018 in fine form, once again, and is 12 matches unbeaten, following trophies at the Australian Open (d. Cilic) and the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament in Rotterdam (d. Dimitrov).

His dominance on hard courts since the start of 2017, as noted in a recent FedEx ATP Performance Zone analysis, sees Federer at 52-4 (92.9 per cent), with seven of his nine trophies on the surface. So Federer starts as the favourite to capture his sixth Indian Wells crown, which would represent his 28th ATP World Tour Masters 1000 trophy. Only Djokovic and Rafael Nadal (30) have won more.

But as the oldest No. 1 in ATP Rankings history (since 1973), the Swiss superstar will first look to add to his current 305 weeks in the top spot with a semi-final showing in the Californian desert. If he loses earlier than the semi-finals, Nadal would regain No. 1. View Federer's ATP Rankings Breakdown

Federer's five title runs in Indian Wells have all paved the way for a Top 2 finish in the year-end ATP Rankings, but he has only once before come into the Masters 1000 tournament unbeaten. In 2007, Federer was also a perfect 12-0 on his arrival in California, but he lost in the Indian Wells opening round to Guillermo Canas. Will 2018 be different? His performances this month may well help improve his chances of a sixth year-end No. 1 finish (2004-07, '09).

atpworldtour.com

FEDERER'S INDIAN WELLS TITLE-WINNING SEASONS

Indian Wells Title	Pre-Indian Wells Match W-L	Season Match W-L	Titles/Finals	Year-End ATP Ranking
2004	16-1	74-6	11/11	1
2005	20-1	81-4	11/12	1
2006	16-1	92-5	12/16	1
2012	17-3	71-12	6/10	2
2017	8-1	52-5	7/8	2

Roger Federer's twin Laureus awards crash it's website

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Roger Federer was honoured by the 2018 Laureus World Sports Awards on Tuesday, picking up the Sportsman of the Year and Comeback of the Year awards at the ceremony in Monaco. The 36-year-old tennis star managed to briefly crash the Laureus website in the process as fans flocked online to read about his win.

The ATP World Tour No. 1 received his sixth award since the Laureus Awards began in 2000, making him the most decorated winner in its history. Following a 2016 season curtailed by knee and back problems, Federer returned in 2017 to win seven titles, including two Grand Slams and three ATP World Tour Masters 1000s in a run that laid the groundwork for his eventual return to No. 1 in the ATP Rankings earlier this month.

"I'm humbled to stand in front of you and receive this award," Federer said during the ceremony. "The Laureus Foundation does amazing work. I have a foundation of my own and get inspired and motivated by what you do. Maybe one day, I'll be remembered for my philanthropic work rather than my tennis work."

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