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Match of the year – Federer vs. Djokovic, French Open

The Tennistalk panel has spoken and is ready to announce its best match of 2011. It is none other than Novak Djokovic’s first loss of the season, to Roger Federer in the French Open semifinals. 

1) French Open semifinals: Roger Federerd. Novak Djokovic 7-6(5), 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(5)

Novak Djokovic was 41-0 to begin the season heading into the French Open semifinals. The Serb had won the Australian Open, Dubai, Indian Wells, Miami, Belgrade, Madrid, and Rome, beating Rafael Nadal four times in finals--including twice on clay.

Djokovic looked invincible; only a performance for the ages would be able to topple him. Such a performance was delivered by Roger Federer on the second Friday at Roland Garros, yet--still--Djokovic almost stayed perfect.

A massive 70-minute opening set featured mesmerizing tennis. Both players recorded far more winners than errors, a commendable feat considering the surface (clay), the caliber of defense on each side of the net, and that rallies of such length often conclude with tired mistakes. Djokovic erased an immediate break deficit, Federer recovered from a break down midway through the set, and a tiebreaker eventually had to decide it. The Swiss won an epic rally at 1-1 and took the opening frame of play at 6-5 when Djokovic netted a forehand.

Sets two and three went in quicker fashion. Djokovic fell apart mentally in the second only to battle back and resemble the Djokovic of 2011's first five months in the third. That set the stage for another dramatic set, as the fourth--to the delight of the crowd--invoked memories of the first.

Djokovic seemed on the verge of taking it to a fifth when he seized a break for 5-4. Not to be denied, however, Federer broke right back and soon found himself two points from victory on multiple occasions at 6-5. This time it was Djokovic's turn to withstand the pressure moments, and he managed to hold to force another tiebreaker. After building a slight 6-5 advantage with the match on his racket, Federer fired a perfect ace down the 'T' and flashed a victorious "No. 1" sign with his finger. No, Federer was not No. 1 himself, but this was the No. 1 match of the season.

"The first set was monstrous," Federer said. "In the second set we were both tired because the pace was unbelievable. I thought it was played at a very high level for a very long time. I would think it is the best match I played this year. There was a lot of pressure on Novak but he handled it great. It was a pleasure playing against him. It almost feels like I've won the tournament, which is not the case."

"I think I played well, but he played really well at the important moments," Djokovic explained. "I congratulate him for a great performance. We were, I think, part of a very good match."

Yes, the best of the year to be exact. 

 

Great move Roger . . . the perfect combination . . . ex-player who will respect the players wishes and savvy international business man . . .

Federer backs Drewett as head of men's tour

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Brad Drewett has been named the president of the men's tour. Picture: Getty Images Source:Getty Images

FOR the first time in more than a decade, an Australian stands atop the men's tennis world.

But unlike Lleyton Hewitt's ascension to the top ranking following his grand slam triumphs in 2001 and 2002, success this time has come on mahogany row, with former professional Brad Drewett yesterday named the executive chairman and president of the men's tour for the next three years.

Drewett, who replaces former Nike executive Adam Helfant, will assume the role in the new year based in London.

It ends an at times contentious six-month search for a new chairman, with the ATP opting to promote from within. Drewett is a long-time executive with vast experience in the Middle East and Asia and Pacific zones.

"The ATP World Tour and men's tennis are stronger than ever and it is my intention to continue to lead the organisation on this successful path, working hand in hand with our players and tournaments," Drewett said in a statement.

While Drewett won unanimous support from the board of directors and an endorsement from Roger Federer, the president of the ATP Player Council, it is understood the issue put the latter at odds with his good friend and on-court rival Rafael Nadal.

Nadal, the vice-president of the council, is understood to have been keen on the role going to 1996 Wimbledon champion Richard Krajicek, who withdrew his candidacy earlier this month.

Federer said Drewett had a good understanding of the sport. The 53-year-old assumes power at a time when tournaments are resisting calls for increases in prizemoney while players are complaining about the length and stresses of the tour.

"He understands the global nature of the business as well as the complexities of dealing with all of the tour's stakeholders," Federer said.

 

Nice Interview with youth journalists at Indian Wells

 

Wimby final 2003 Federer v Philippoussis. From Jenny. Thanks.

JENNY

Wimby final 2003 Federer v Philippoussis

 

 

via www.tennisplanet.me

General Strike Port Blockade West Ports of California_This Monday_Occupy the 1%!!!!!

 

 

Safin starts new life as Russian politician by Johan Lindahl

Marat Safin may have found something larger than tennis to occupy his time, with the retired ex-No. 1 earning election to the Russian parliament as a deputy in local elections.

Safin, 31, will join the Duma as a member of Vladimir Putin's currently unpopular United Russia party, which won controversial elections in recent days. Safin, the clown prince of the courts who quit the game in 2009 in hopes of finding a new life, has done just that with his election from a precinct 450 kilometres from his home in Moscow.

"My life has been changing," Safin told the ATP website. "All of a sudden I found myself in a situation where I had to make really serious decisions. It started with one small thing and it grew up to something big."

Clearly bored with the tennis life in his final seasons, Safin never looked back, spending his new non-tennis life with a job on the Olympic committee as well as getting a desk at the tennis federation. He also dabbled in the senior game, for which he barely qualified due to his young age.

"I could go and make commercials left and right and pretend like I am a celebrity, but that is not me," he said. "I never did this; I never liked it. I had a few months of thinking 'should I do this or should I not' but now I am pretty sure of what I'm doing and I want to do it."

Safin admitted that in politics, it's a brand new game for him. "I'm in completely new shoes," he said. "This is a completely new life, a new way of thinking, new way of doing things that's nothing to do with tennis or sports at all.

"But the two things definitely have one thing in common and that is that you need to have a character. You have to be strong and you have to know where you're going, what you want to do, and you have to be able to make sacrifices."

"I will be working for the next five years day after day, sitting in an office, wearing a suit. I will have good days, bad days and I will have to fight once again like I've been fighting on the court. It will be complicated." 

 

Wozniacki and Clijsters jokingly grunt loudly @ exhibition - this is pretty funny!

 

via www.tennisplanet.me

Roger Federer New Future House in Swiss Alps - with Attached One for Mom and Dad - Ah peRFect . . . bless you Rog!

Roger Federer is the top earned player in the history of tennis with career prize money earnings with $67.4 millions is construing a new holiday Villa, which will stand an estimation cost of $17.5 million to construct the holiday home complex in Swiss Alps.

Federer and Wife, Mirka are complicated in enormous development of constructing a new house, the construction of two luxury chalets in Valbella, eastern Switzerland.

As per the sources from the Swiss media, it has been stated that, the villa will feature all mod con’s with Roger Federer’s family will be in one home, while the other for his parents, Robert and Lynette.

The two homes will be linked, with plans already in place to grow a privacy shield of trees around the sprawling property.

The Villa is being constructed in the mountains of Graubünden is built on a massive block of land measuring more than 8,000 square meters overlooking the lake of the ski resort of Lenzerheide.

Five times Basel champion, Federer is has grown-up in West-Basel, where he was fascinated to the Alps mountain range.

The three-storey chalets built in classic alpine style feature a 125 square meter living and dining room – that alone is the size of a large flat.

The master bedroom upstairs is supposed to be the volume of a small flat at 67 square meters with an 18-metre vinaigrette room and a bathroom twice that large.

So it could be a beautiful place for Federer’s Twin-Children’s to play and have fun in their new home.

Roger Federer has earned $6,369,576 prize money this season in the ATP World Tour Tournaments.

Federer to lead Swiss vs. US in Davis Cup

BERN, SWITZERLAND (AP)

Roger Federer has committed to play for Switzerland against the United States in the 2012 Davis Cup first round.

The Swiss tennis federation says Federer confirmed Wednesday that he intended to play in the Feb. 10-12 series at Fribourg.

The 16-time Grand Slam singles champion has not played a first-round match since 2004. He said last month he helped to choose the clay court surface for the match against the U.S., believing it would play to the Swiss team's strengths and American weaknesses.

Federer showed his renewed commitment to the Davis Cup when traveling to Australia to help Switzerland win a playoff in September.

He says playing in Sydney was ''a sensational experience.''

 

Gooooooooooooooooo  Swiss!

 

Roger Federer: Rod Laver Believes that Roger will win a Major in 2012

Sean Garnsworthy/Getty Images

Rod Laver recently

predicted that Roger Federer’s major titles drought is near the end.

Roger is finishing the year in top form after an amazing run, capturing the titles at Basel, Paris and crowning it with the World Tour Finals in London.

For the lovers of good tennis, this is as good of news as you get.

Nothing could be better for tennis than Roger Federer sticking around a little longer and contradicting those who counted him out.

The better a player is, the greater the expectations. The fact that he didn’t win a major title in 2011 is a big deal for Roger Federer, but the year he had is still amazing for any other human being’s standards.

By 

Eduardo Afini

 (Featured Columnist) on November 29, 2011

3,712 reads 

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