Federer news

MichaelNadal

MichaelNadal

Bionic Poster
Federer is in Rocky 3 mode now, he needs to get Apollo Creed to help him out, im rooting for him. Tennis needs Federer.
 
niff

niff

Legend
babbette said:
rog3m.jpg
Click to expand...
:oops: Cute.

Ta.
 
babbette

babbette

Legend
MichaelNadal said:
Federer is in Rocky 3 mode now, he needs to get Apollo Creed to help him out, im rooting for him. Tennis needs Federer.
Click to expand...

I agree that tennis needs Federer, even though he (more so his nadal hating fans) irritated me at times.:twisted:
Since the best years of this decade involved fed I think if he went away completely even those that hated him will miss some of what he brought to tennis
 
C

CCNM

Hall of Fame
I heard he had to work for his win over F. Lopez. I hope he isn't too tired after that. So Mirka's not blonde anymore?
 
cc0509

cc0509

Talk Tennis Guru
CCNM said:
I heard he had to work for his win over F. Lopez. I hope he isn't too tired after that. So Mirka's not blonde anymore?
Click to expand...

She has not been blonde for a while. Personally I like her with some blonde highlights.
 
Hood_Man

Hood_Man

G.O.A.T.
I like it, looks like the same shade of red as the lollipops I'd be given at the hairdressers when I was a kid.
 
Sentinel

Sentinel

Bionic Poster
Where are these pics from? Did you notice the "La Monf" on Monfils' bag. Isn't "La" used for feminine in French ??
 
Pidgeon

Pidgeon

Semi-Pro
Sentinel said:
Where are these pics from? Did you notice the "La Monf" on Monfils' bag. Isn't "La" used for feminine in French ??
Click to expand...

Yes it is, a bit strange but apparently it's his nickname.

Wikipedia :
Gaël is nicknamed "La Monf", or occasionally "Sliderman" due to his unusual sliding technique, especially on clay surfaces.
 
niff

niff

Legend
Long German interview, quite balanced. Interesting with "But I consider whether I will play next year directly again in Indian Wells and thereafter in Miami", there were rumours before that he was considering skipping one.

Translated: http://www.faz.net/s/Rub9CD731D06F1...84B4B7E3CE6A75B749~ATpl~Ecommon~Scontent.html

"I am able to play still many years "

Q: How do you feel as number three of the world rank list?

A:Not much differently than in former times. Afterall, I slipped down [in the ranking] not because of bad play. I could surely have better played with the Grand Slam tournaments. Paris and Wimbledon were not the yellow of the egg. I up-played end of last yearly extremely strongly and see myself to be on the right way. I do not feel necessarily as number three, although the classification surely says the truth. But I am presented with tournaments not as number three, but as Roger Federer.

Q: Could you resign yourselves to play behind Nadal and Djokovic only the third violin?

A: As long as I know the fact that I can win large tournaments and have joy in tennis it would not be a problem for me. But naturally I am rather the number one than three. But just now we are in a very interesting phase. I have to defend very few points. If I play in Paris and Wimbledon well, I can make a large leap. It is short term my goal of becoming again the number one.

Q: Did you hold your level or to have you weakened? Did the competitors become better?

If I compare myself with 2005, I play today surely better. We improved all. Surely the distances at the top became much closer, so that it is still more difficult to win the whole time. The fact that I am no longer so dominant has to do also with the fact that I changed my planning [:lol: Roger, be quiet.] 2005, 2006 and 2007 I skipped many Masters 1000 (the largest tournaments after the four Grand Slam tournaments) and set more on smaller tournaments. I granted myself many breaks, in order to regenerate.

Q: Such as Djokovic just did with renouncement of Monte Carlo?

A: Yes, Novak played then only again in Belgrade - and won. Thus he maintained his series remained and it boosted his self-assurance further. Thus I did this also for a long time, until the criticism of the ATP, players and from tournaments became too loud. I decided then to play all Masters 1000 or as at least possibly seven or eight of nine. I make that, because it is good for the tennis, although I do not play now 15 and 16 Finals any more. But I consider whether I will play next year directly again in Indian Wells and thereafter in Miami.

Q: Against Djokovic you lost now three times successively. How do you stop such negative series?

A: I beat him twice before. But we are both much to good players, that one of us could lose ten times in series. In Australia it was very close, in Indian Wells I was again very close. Novak now is in a phase, in which he can simply slam on the balls. But clearly, I think about it, what I must change next time against him.

Q: Djokovic is certainly the man of the first half year. Would you have thought capable of to him to intervene in the duel Nadal - Federer?

A: He had the capability for a long time. For some time it was between Nadal, Djokovic, Murray and me back and forth. End of last year I won more against top five, now is it Djokovic.

Q: When is it your turn again?

A: The chances stand naturally in Wimbledon best. In addition, in Paris I figure out chances. Of course it is not completely simple to crack the castle, which Nadal built there. There he is the exceptional player and only once lost. But one should not tell oneself that it is impossible to beat him there.

Q: Do defeats gnaw at you?

A: Today that is easier than in former times. As a young player, who wanted to create the break-through, each defeat was a step back and a giant disappointment. Today that is different, because I know that I tried everything in each match, the opponent played well or it came down perhaps only to few points. Perhaps tactically I could have changed a few things.

Q:You still play with a very small Racket. Sampras advised you to a larger racket as he did on the seniors tour. Is that applicable for you?

A: I changed already once, 2002, from the Sampras racquet to my current model. Every so often I test larger racquets. The problem is that I have no time for detailed tests.

Q: The young Bulgare Grigor Dimitrov is often compared with you. Can there be a second Federer?

A: Dimitrovs play resembles technically mine extremely. But it should not be the goal of players of imitating others. I see now many players try to play like Nadal, although it is not at all their play. I always said, you must find your own style. At the beginning of my career I was often compared with Sampras, although he played Serv and Volley, which I never really did. There will never be a second Martina Hingis, second Pete Sampras or second Roger Federer. [Haha<3]

Q: You are playing now against young people, which grew up with you as Idol. How does that feel?

A: It was actually the most beautiful time, when I was allowed to play against people, which I had admired still on the television, like Moya, Henman, Sampras, Agassi or Chang. Against Nadal, Djokovic or Murray it is not so special, that is simply the next generation. I find it brilliant that I play now against people like the young German Julian Reister, which grew up with me as model.

Q: Thus still no tennis tiredness, although you become 30 years old on 8 August and in Ethiopia were estimated to be 45 already?

A: Yes, that was really fun. When eating in Ethiopia a girl asked me, how old I was, and I let her estimate her. She said, it was tricky for her to determine the age of white people and called then this number. No, I do not think of stopping. I am mental in the position to play still many years long. I have firm plans for everything already right up to the Olympic Games 2012 in London, and now planning begins for the time thereafter. For me it is simply important, the balance between training, match, holidays and family lives. Also I have plenty to do with press and sponsor dates as well as promotion for tournaments. All that must be combined well.

Q: Can you switch off in the vacation totally?

A: Yes, I can relax there totally. To Australia we had one supervacation. But I do not want to get again into a terrible muscular strain when I begin training again afterwards. Therefore I played tennis with my wife Mirka in the last vacation three times. After ten days my endurance trainer came for a few days. I do not want that my body down shifts totally.

Q: They have now two scarcely two years old twin daughters. Is the life for a tennis professional with family more difficult? Does it divert you?

A: The family is surely a diverson, but a good diverson. For me the family is a dream, which became also true. One must just organize everything well. We travel with a maid, so that Mirka can see my plays. And the two small ones go, if possible, also on journeys. After the matches I do not hang around any longer for a long time in the changing room, and after training I sit in the car already ten minutes after the end.

Q: Do your twin daughters already know that their father is a world star?

A: They recognize me in pictures, on posters and on the television. That is simply sweet. My children already watched me play few times in matches. In Basel they participated in the award of the prize and applauded. Those are the small things, which make happy, proud and and also motivate me.

Q: Do Myla Rose and Charlene Riva already play tennis?

A: We do not travel with small racquets, with which they would use to ruin the walls. But it can surely be that they come rather to the tennis as to other kinds of sport. That is not our goal. It would be fun for us if they would do many kinds of sport. That is good for the health and for the life. One learns to lose and win. That's what is all about and not to form to superstars in tennis.

Q: Do you lead a restricted life?

No, I can do what I want. If I want to go to for the meal out of the hotel, I can without problems. I just have to prepare myself to be recognized. Sometimes one desires this and sometimes not. Also my children are not pursued. I am glad that my private life is respected and I'm not in the gossip press. Probably they know that we are simply a completely normal family.

Q: They called your life once dream. Is that today still valid?

A: Obviously! One must sometimes deliberate look at oneself back: What would one have signed, when one was eight years old? Even when I had won with 17 years the junior tournament in Wimbledon, I would have never thought that I would have once so much success, although at that time already many said you can become the number one. A single Wimbledon victory would have already been enough for me at that time. Add to this my large joy in playing tennis.

Q: Do you read newspaper? Do you read, what is written about you?

Yes, from time to time, it depends also on the fact whether I am successful or not. Since Miami, since the defeat against Nadal, I don't want to know what was written over me. I omit then the sports section and simply, read, what happened in Switzerland, in the world and in the economy. This always served me well. I do not want to enter a press conference and know that this journalist has written that Federer can no more tennis play and should better stop. I want to be able to answer completely normally to questions and not develop antipathy against journalists. Those also do only their job. I once explained that in such a way: The press conferences are a washing machine. There you are revved up and out-spat again. And at the end nothing happened.
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
Pwned

Pwned

Hall of Fame
jackson vile said:
Where will Federer end up in the FO? He is playing worse than Novak, Nadal, and Murray.
Click to expand...
How do you figure? Federer has yet to play Murray or Djokovic on clay. Or is this another one of those posts where you don't make any sense? One of what....6,607?

Very insightful interview!

Q:You still play with a very small Racket. Sampras advised you to a larger racket as he did on the seniors tour. Is that applicable for you?

A: I changed already once, 2002, from the Sampras racquet to my current model. Every so often I test larger racquets. The problem is that I have no time for detailed tests.

Q: The young Bulgare Grigor Dimitrov is often compared with you. Can there be a second Federer?

A: Dimitrovs play resembles technically mine extremely. B
 
Last edited:
fRa

fRa

Rookie
Pidgeon said:
Yes it is, a bit strange but apparently it's his nickname.

Wikipedia :
Gaël is nicknamed "La Monf", or occasionally "Sliderman" due to his unusual sliding technique, especially on clay surfaces.
Click to expand...

"La Monf" being feminine doesn't make G. Monfils that less of a male
A word being feminine doesn't necessarily make its object subject to the same. As a simple example, "la taupe" in french means "mole" (as in the animal) and although the word itself is feminine the animal can either be male or female in which case you would refer to a male or female mole with the same word "la taupe".

I think the nickname being "la Monf" and not just "Monf" underlines both his genuine personality (at least from his entourage's point of view) and his animal-esque playing style (the "la" can remind one of "la bête" / "the beast"). IMO, I think it started as a joke at first maybe because of how he always tries to get to the ball even if it is in some absurd and ridiculous fashion.
You might argue that it should be "le Monf" simply because "le Monf" is more correct in terms of logic (man = "le") but grammatically both are correct. "La Monf" just has that extra edge to it.

That's what I make of it, as a frenchman..





... :) Not sure if you guys wanted to read all of that but yeah.
 
sdfedfans

sdfedfans

Rookie
First Part of RF's press conference
20 May 2011

THE FRENCH OPEN Paris, France

An interview with:
ROGER FEDERER

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English first, please.

Q. What would be a good question to ask you?
ROGER FEDERER: You're a good journalist. You know one.

Q. Well, how is practice going?
ROGER FEDERER: It's been good. You know, I was tired after Rome. Took three days off and came straight to Paris Saturday. I have been here for a while and I have been practicing good. The weather has been nice, and been feeling fine, you know.
Conditions seem somewhat similar to the last few years. Even though they have the change of balls, I've gotten used to that. Waiting to hear when I'm gonna play, what day. That's what the only last thing remaining is.

Q. You always come straight on what you're doing, of course. Do you think this year especially there is so much talk about what Novak and Rafa are doing that maybe gives you a great chance to come through yourself and put all that to bed and confirm that you're still the main man?
ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, I mean, I have never been the overwhelming favorite going into the French Open because of Rafa's great record here over the years, you know.
But surely I have followed Novak's streak as close as I could. You know, he's been doing extremely well. I think this is definitely a year for me where I can come into this tournament with just a little less pressure than let's say the last six, seven years, really.
Last year I was the defending champion. The year before, you know, and the years before that I was trying to win Paris for the first time. So I've always had that big cloud hanging over, and the am‑I‑ever‑gonna‑win‑the‑French‑Open question.
So that's, you know, been answered. I think this year, like you say, maybe they expect more from Rafa and Novak, and that could be a good thing for me and more pressure for them. We'll see how it goes, you know.
But we're all great players and we know how to handle it. I hope I can, you know, put myself in a position to win this tournament again.

Q. Last time you played here, Roger, last year's match against Soderling, what do you sort of remember? It was a cold, rainy, funny situation. Looking back a year later, what do you think about that match?
ROGER FEDERER: Still the same: rainy, cold, tough conditions. He played great. He didn't give me much. Yeah, I mean, I was close. I think I had set point to go two sets to one and ended up losing that set, and that one hurt me, obviously, to win that match.
But he played well, you know. Just maybe tough conditions on a bad day for me, but at the same time he was playing well.
So, I mean, I don't ‑‑ I didn't come out of that match thinking about it too long, you know. You move on; you go to grass. I didn't have crazy regrets, you know. I got still my souvenirs from the year before.
Winning the French Open was still so big that, you know, I got the French Open I wanted, you know, and that defeat against Soderling was not gonna kill that.
So that's always gonna be a tough one, to walk away as a defending champion as a loser, but it's what happens. It's unfortunate, but still I thought it was a good match.

Q. Like in Indian Wells you might play a little bit of golf; I don't know about what you do in Miami. But is there anything you look forward to off the court when you come to Paris, anything you can do with the family, restaurants, off the court that makes it fun for you?
ROGER FEDERER: It's mainly restaurants really, and friends come over from Switzerland. So it's usually a lot of catching up Cup them. People who I haven't seen in a long time, they come over quickly or are in the area and we go for dinner.
We try obviously to go to some parks with the kids and so forth now that they're getting older and run around and stuff. So, yeah, all those things come into play.
But, I mean, it's a Grand Slam. At the end of the day I'm trying to do all the right things. Obviously rehab, get enough sleep, and all those things, just to be, you know, physically and mentally as prepared as I can be for this tournament.

Q. What's the latest update on the twins? Are they doing math or are they speaking Portuguese or anything like that?
ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, they have been good girls. Look, they're still learning a lot every day, and I love spending time with them. Yeah, they're getting cuter every day. I'm a very happy father.
Mirka takes great care of them when I'm doing this stuff, and I'm looking forward to seeing them again when I come back.

Q. Throughout the year you guys play on courts of all colors, red, green, blue purple. There has been talk about Madrid and the blue. As a player, does it matter at all what the color of the court is?
ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, I mean, definitely gives you a different feel the way you see the balls. Yes, I think so. I think important as well is that it's good for TV, you know. So I thought the purple on the hard courts kind of worked, you know.
But then I still also think it's important to stay true to tradition. You know, keep the red clay, you know. Obviously those kind of things. Grass doesn't become orange, all those things. It just would be all strange.
But other than that, it's also very important how the backboard is of the stadiums, and then also sometimes the color of the seats. You know, the brighter the seats are the tougher it is to see the ball when it goes up on a higher topspin or on a lob.
Yeah, so those things. And lighting at night is also very important.

Q. TV people have said that the red clay and the yellow balls are probably the toughest contrast that they have. I wonder, as a player, is it tough to pick up the ball on a red surface as opposed to a blue surface, and how does it manifest itself?
ROGER FEDERER: No, not really. I don't feel that way anyway. Maybe someone else does, but for me it doesn't matter the red against the yellow. It's fine.
Click to expand...
 
sdfedfans

sdfedfans

Rookie
2nd part of press conference
THE MODERATOR: Questions in French.

Q. I know you just answered this in English, but...
ROGER FEDERER: I'm used to it.

Q. So Rafa went to see his family to have some rest before the tournament. Novak went to Cannes, a film festival. What did you do?
ROGER FEDERER: Well, I arrived here on Saturday. I spent some time with my kids and Mirka. I had three days off before I started this tournament here. I started then on Monday. Tuesday I started hitting a bit. I played again yesterday, and today, too.
Now I'm just waiting to know when I'm gonna play. Is it gonna be on Monday or Tuesday? I hope I'm gonna start soon. Maybe wanted to go back to Switzerland for a while just for the weekend, but it was too complicated with the whole family so I stayed here in the end.

Q. About the new balls, you said you adapted to them. Other players, it was a problem that balls change all the time. Is it a problem for you?
ROGER FEDERER: Well, the balls are faster, indeed. It might be a bit difficult in the beginning, but in the end, they're not that fast.
The thing is, there is a great difference when the balls are new or when they get old. That will be an issue. But we are used to it, anyway. Sometimes spectators don't even notice that there is a change of balls, but we do. That's a moment when we need to be very focused.
But I will have to play my first match to really see what it means.

Q. What do you think of the winning streak of Novak? Are you surprised by this? And also, Novak beat Rafael on clay twice.
ROGER FEDERER: I'm following that very closely. I'm not really talking about it yet, because sometimes you just ‑‑ in the beginning we were not talking about it because he won two or three tournaments. Okay.
He didn't play Monte‑Carlo, and then he started winning again and people started talking about it. What he did is incredible. He had a phenomenal beginning of the year and of the season, I mean.
I also had some winning streaks in my career, and they always end and that's tough. Also, when people start talking about it, it becomes more difficult for you to handle the situation. It happened to me, too.
I was not really surprised that he beat Rafa in Madrid, although I thought Rafa would win because of his results of the former years. But you should not forget that Rafa had lost in Miami and Indian Wells against Novak, too.
So this is why it is interesting to follow what's gonna happen, whether Novak will overcome Rafa or not. That's why I'm following this.

Q. Do you believe Novak went a step further? Maybe it's mentally, or do you believe it's important that he doesn't have his allergies anymore?
ROGER FEDERER: I don't understand what you mean.

Q. Novak was a good player already, but now he seems to be unbeatable. Do you believe it's not only mentally that he's improved but also physically, or do you believe he's stronger physically?
ROGER FEDERER: He was always very fast on the court. I don't believe he's different, from my point of view. He was always finishing his matches very well.
Of course, now he has more confidence; that's clear. Sometimes before when it was windy or he didn't feel good he was not fighting as much.
But now, this winning streak shows that he's playing normally and that he's winning maybe easier than before. But he's the same player as before. He had some tight matches that he could have lost. He didn't.
So now he did something extraordinary, and it's very interesting to follow him. It's good for tennis. It's very positive.

Q. What about your first opponent and your part of the draw?
ROGER FEDERER: Yes, it's interesting. The Lopez match in Madrid was a difficult first round, but I don't believe we're gonna play four or five tiebreakers. It's not possible anyway. I believe the match will be interesting. We have known each other for a very long time, since we were juniors.
Also, I was having a good series, and I was surprised I was gonna play against him, because I thought he was seeded and that I wouldn't play him, but sometimes you are a bit unlucky.
He's a dangerous player. He's maybe more dangerous than the past years, or maybe more dangerous than other opponents I played first rounds in other Grand Slams.
And after him, if ever I win, I really don't know the other players. But I saw some tough seeded players on my side, too. So Rafa has a tough draw. Novak, Murray, I don't know. I didn't see very well.
But I think what is important for me is that I play a good beginning of the tournament.

Q. You said it was good to see Rafa and Novak fighting. How does it feel to be an outsider now, an underdog, so to speak?
ROGER FEDERER: As I said, in the French Open I never was the top favorite. It's true I didn't have as much pressure here than in other tournaments, but this year I have even less pressure because Rafa wants to keep his title; Novak wants to win it.
So they have more pressure than me maybe, compared with my last six, seven years here. But there's not a great difference anyway.
If in Wimbledon, for example, I was not among the top four or five favorites, then it would be a big change. But in the French Open, it's always more or less the same.

FastScripts by ASAP Sports
Click to expand...
 
Speranza

Speranza

Hall of Fame
rommil said:
Awww Babbette, trying to make something out of it, you need more moonballs. Oh and Kei said konichiwa b!tches.
Click to expand...

Holmes: It reminded me of a scene from one the infamous US made Mafia movies, the Dons and sons and others meeting.
 
Crayola Oblongata

Crayola Oblongata

Hall of Fame
Oh wait, it's some kind of running robot thing on his t-shirt. Initially, it reminded me of Krum from Real Monsters. He looks so good in reds.
 
West Coast Ace

West Coast Ace

G.O.A.T.
jackson vile said:
Where will Federer end up in the FO? He is playing worse than Novak, Nadal, and Murray.
Click to expand...
So at least the SF? Not that bad for an old dude who a lot of people have written off. And if Joker gets nervous...

And now with the draw out, does anyone believe he won't win his quarter? I can't see Ferrer beating him.
 
fed_is_GOD

fed_is_GOD

Professional
I got to see federer in the madrid open.. :) training and then a match.. it was awesome.. he is a very nice guy.. and i noticed a weird thing.. rafa was training in the adjacent court in madrid and rafa tried to say hi to federer and smiled, federer didnt even see him, he just looked indifferent.. and left with out saying hi to nadal...
 
Sentinel

Sentinel

Bionic Poster
fed_is_GOD said:
I got to see federer in the madrid open.. :) training and then a match.. it was awesome.. he is a very nice guy.. and i noticed a weird thing.. rafa was training in the adjacent court in madrid and rafa tried to say hi to federer and smiled, federer didnt even see him, he just looked indifferent.. and left with out saying hi to nadal...
Click to expand...
That proves Nadal's done.

Federer playing even more mind games with the poor lad.

just kidding !! :D
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

C
Federer and Nadal's training regime videos and blogs
Replies
3
Views
1K
ruerooo
ruerooo
falstaff78
Brain game: Roger Federer exposes the biggest lie in tennis
2 3
Replies
127
Views
14K
smoledman
smoledman
Otacon
Rafael Nadal Is Playing Mind Games With You
Replies
19
Views
1K
octobrina10
octobrina10
S
Federer was looking forward to dancing with Serena
Replies
12
Views
3K
Sentinel
Sentinel
sdfedfans
Federer L'equipe Interview "I don't see myself in Novak at all"
2
Replies
90
Views
15K
USO
USO
Top