30.05.2009

ATP - NEXT UP: TOMMY HAAS

Roger reached the last 16 of the French Open today with a 4-6, 6-1, 6-4, 6-4 win over Paul-Henri Mathieu.

"It was a tough match and the wind made it difficult to control the ball," Roger said. "It was a great atmosphere and we were playing better and better. The conditions were not easy but we played a great match."

Roger survived a few nervous moments before he managed to cope with the windy conditions and control the match against the Frenchman. After saving five break points during his opening service games, Mathieu pounced on his only opportunity to break for 4-3 and the local favourite protected his advantage to bag the first set with a scorching ace. But Roger did not allow his opponent to stay on top for long, taking a 3-0 lead straight away in the second set. The match continued in an entertaining manner on a very high level with Roger taking the points that mattered. Eventually, Roger sealed victory with a thumping forehand winner to set up a last-16 encounter with Germany's Tommy Haas. Roger fired a total of 11 aces and broke Mathieu five times.

Read More

28.05.2009

ATP - ROGER BATTLES INTO NEXT ROUND

Roger survived a bumpy ride today to advance to the third round of the French Open. He defeated José Acasuso 7-6(8), 5-7, 7-6(2) and 6-2.

"It was really tough," Roger said. "The first three sets could have gone either way." Roger had to deal with some rather tough moments, not making it easy for himself in the first set, but eventually taking it to a tiebreak where he saved four set points and finally took the set with a dropshot. Our champ was even 5-1 down in the third set but fought back in great manner, saving a set point at 5-2, taking five games in a row and snatching the tie-break in the end. This broke the Argentinian's resistance and Roger scored a neat 6-2 in the final set to win the match.

Next up is France's Paul-Henri Mathieu or Spain's Pablo Andujar on Saturday.

Read More

25.05.2009

ATP - A VICTORY IN STRAIGHT SETS TO START OFF WITH

Roger swept into the second round of the French Open today by defeating Spain's Alberto Martin 6-4, 6-3, 6-2.

"I started a little slowly," he said afterwards. "He plays very far behind the baseline so I had to make adjustments. Then I started to serve well. That allowed me to play more freely and I was able to dominate."

It was a bit of a rough start for Roger when he was broken in his first serve but he later levelled to 2-2. Roger then went on to break Martin for a second time in the 10th game to take the set. From then on our champ was clearly in control, dominating during his serve and breaking his opponent regularly.

Roger eased to victory in an hour and 43 minutes, setting up a second-round meeting with either José Acasuso or Santiago Ventura.

Read More

23.05.2009

ATP - ROGER STARTS ON MONDAY

Roger's bid to win his first French Open championship - and tie Pete Sampras with a record 14th major singles title - will start on Monday against Alberto Martin of Spain (ATP 97). The two have met once before in Monaco in 2006, where Roger clearly defeated Martin 6-0, 6-1.

Roger and Novak Djokovic are lined up to meet in the semifinals, before that a clash with James Blake in the round of the last 16 and Andy Roddick in the quarter finals are possible.

Read More

22.05.2009

ATP - THE FINISHING TOUCH

Roger played a last match at the first Guinot-Mary Cohr Masters at the Golf & Country Club Paris in Rueil Malmaison three days before the start of Roland Garros. He defeated Stanislas Wawrinka 6-2 and 6-4 in the exhibition in front of around 1'500 spectators.

Roger played an excellent match, clearly dominating his fellow countryman. "I have recovered very well from the final on Sunday and am really happy with my performance here," Roger commented.

Read More

18.05.2009

ATP - MADRID OPEN - WEBNEWS

Federer dethrones King of clay (24hoursport.co.uk)

Roger Federer proved Rafael Nadal is human after all as he beat the world number one in the final of the Madrid Masters. Nadal lost for the first time in 34 matches on clay as world number two Federer won 6-4 6-4. The defeat is only Nadal's fifth in 151 matches on clay since 2005. But after his epic four-hour match with Novak Djokovic in the semi final on Saturday, the Spaniard's exploits clearly had taken their toll.

Federer took full advantage to beat Nadal for only the second time in 11 meetings on clay. The Swiss star had not won a tournament since last October but proved he is still a force to be reckoned with by beating the King of clay.

At break point in set two, Nadal his backhand long and Federer served out to claim his first title of 2009 following an impressive volley on his first match point.


FEDERER BEATS NADAL IN ASTONISHING MATCH (Bleacher Report)

Rafa Nadal and Roger Federer's rivalry came to a head yesterday as Federer beat Nadal from winning his sixth Madrid Open Title and on his home turf too. Then again he had played over 4 hours of tennis with world number 4 Novak Djokovic the day before so can you blame the poor guy for not being at his very very best of tennis.

Rafa and Federer have also had a strong rivalry on court as well as having a strong friendship off the court, they respect each other's play too much to let that break their friendship. They're the best two sportsmen of tennis and they're great rivalry keeps fans intrigued throughout their matches against each other and we never know who is going to win.


Federer beats Nadal for Madrid title (The Associated Press)

Roger Federer has beaten top-ranked Rafael Nadal in a final for the first time in two years, claiming the Madrid Open 6-4, 6-4 for his first title of the season.

The second-ranked Swiss broke a sluggish Nadal once in both sets before firing his sixth ace of the match to claim his 15th Masters Series title on the second match point on Sunday. It was only Federer's second victory on clay against his top rival. The other came in the Hamburg final two years ago. Federer ended Nadal's 33-match clay winning streak going into the French Open, where the Spaniard is going for a fifth straight title.


Federer crushes a fatigued Nadal (indiainfo.com)

A tired Nadal fell prey to a fierce Federer's play as the Latter defeated the former 6-4, 6-4 and clinched the Madrid Open title. It was after five matches with Nadal that won one, and this match also broke Nadal's winning streak of 33 on clay. This win would be a huge boost to Federer's confidence as he enters the French Open. Nadal had been the only competition he had faced.

"I'm very happy to have won, but I'd like to congratulate Rafa as he's had such a great run on clay," said 13-time Grand Slam title winner Federer.


Roger Federer ends barren spell to beat Rafael Nadal to Madrid title (London Evening Standard)

Roger Federer was delighted after taking his first title in eight months and inflicting Rafael Nadal's first defeat on clay in 34 matches. The world No2 was without a tournament success since winning in Basle but that barren spell came to an end as he stunned the home favourite 6-4, 6-4 in one hour and 26 minutes at the Madrid Masters.

"I served well, mixed it up well and took all the right decisions today," said Federer. "In the end it looked quite comfortable out there for me, so it was a perfect win for me. I'm very satisfied.
"I've had some bad losses this year in terms of the way I've played but I've felt this win has been coming for a few weeks so I am very pleased with the result."


Roger Federer Upsets Rafael Nadal 2009 Mutua Madrilena Madrid Open (sports-odds.com)

Roger Federer Upsets Rafael Nadal 2009 Mutua Madrilena Madrid Open: Roger Federer was finally able to do the impossible on Sunday’s 2009 Mutua Madrilena Madrid Open Final, as he snapped Rafael Nadal’s 33-match win streak.

Federer -- the 2009 Mutua Madrilena Madrid Open straight-set Champion (6-4, 6-4) -- was finally able to get the monkey off his back after a two year drought against the top-seeded Spaniard.

Going into the 2009 Mutua Madrilena Madrid Open Finals, Rafael Nadal [-350 ML] had been listed as the Sports Odds favorite to defeat Roger Federer [+250 ML] despite nursing an injured knee. "He was simply better than me," Nadal said.


Roger Federer snaps Rafael Nadal's clay-court winning streak at 33 (Seattle Times)

Federer wins Madrid Open: Second-ranked Roger Federer of Switzerland got a pre-French Open confidence boost, beating top-ranked Rafael Nadal of Spain 6-4, 6-4 in the Madrid Open final on clay Sunday. "There are no positives, there is little to analyze," said Nadal, who had won his previous 33 clay-court matches. "He broke and broke and I went home." It was the first title of the season for Federer.

Read More

17.05.2009

ATP - ROGER WINS MADRID TITLE!

Roger produced a terrific display to beat Rafael Nadal 6-4, 6-4 and claim the Madrid Open title today!

It is Roger's first title of the season and only the second time he has defeated Nadal on the red dirt in 10 meetings - ending a run of 33 consecutive wins on clay for the left-hander in the process. He has now defeated his foe for the first time in five clashes, on clay and in Nadal’s native Spain.

Roger disguised his shots better than ever, using his forehand to great effect, and the look of relief of his face when he fired an ace down the middle to fend off a late surge from his opponent said all. Roger claimed a break of serve in each set, denying him a hat-trick of Masters Series titles after the world number one won in Monte Carlo and Rome. Roger broke the deadlock in the ninth game of the first set and clinched it in the next game when serving out to love on his first set point. He then led 4-2 in the second and although Nadal had two break points to level at 5-5 he sent first a forehand and then a backhand just wide of the tramlines. Roger then sent down an ace to clinch the win that is sure to give him a lot of satisfaction.

Read More

16.05.2009

ATP - ROGER CRUISES INTO FINAL

Roger cruised past Juan Martin Del Potro with a 6-3 6-4 victory today, playing his first final on clay this season tomorrow - against Rafael Nadal.

It was only after the first five games that Roger started making the key points and broke del Potro to love in the eighth game to take a 5-3 advantage. He served out the set comfortably and then dominated his opponent throughout the second set. He had no real trouble, continuing to play on a constant level and left a strong impression after finishing the match in 81 minutes.

So an exciting match between the world numbers one and two awaits us tomorrow. They will meet for the 20th time, Roger having lost the last five encounters and even laying back 1-9 in the statistics on clay. But Roger certainly proved that he is in excellent shape today and he will meet a rather tired Rafael Nadal in the final as the Spaniard's battle against Novak Djokovic today was all but a walk in the park.

Read More

15.05.2009

ATP - SEMIS IN MADRID

Roger advanced to the semi-finals of the Madrid Open, battling past Andy Roddick 7-5, 6-7(5), 6-1 today.

It was Roger's first career meeting with Andy Roddick on clay; he has now improved improved his record against the American to 18 wins and two defeats. Roddick, who received a walkover after Nikolay Davydenko had to withdraw due to a leg injury, broke in the second game to take a 2-0 lead. But that was just reason enough for Roger to break right back and hold for 2-2. He broke once more later in the 11th game and served out the set. Roger never managed to take the lead in the second set despite four break balls, eventually losing the tie-break after an initial 2-0 lead. Roger pushed to a higher gear in the last set, dominating the set entirely and showing some stunning tennis.

Roger will face the winner of the quarter-final between fourth seed Andy Murray and fifth seed Juan Martin Del Potro.

Read More

15.05.2009

OFF COURT - MY FACEBOOK ACCOUNT

Dear Fans

My fan community on facebook is steadily growing - a great thing to see! Along with my website, my facebook account is the perfect place to exchange all kinds of information, pictures, videos, links, etc. I'm already looking forward to seeing you all there, just follow the link below to access my page.

Kind regards
Roger

Link :
Roger on facebook

Read More

14.05.2009

ATP - ROGER JOINS LAST EIGHT

Roger was close to his best form today, easing into the quarterfinals of the Madrid Masters with a 6-2, 6-4 victory over James Blake.

He broke the American's serve with a crashing backhand return to start off with and soon after managed another break at 4-2. He went on to take the set and opened the second with yet another break. Roger showed a solid performance, wrapping up victory with a fifth ace on his first match point. Our champ had been knocked out by James Blake at the Olympic Games in Beijing last year; their head-to-head now stands at 9-1.

Roger will play the winner of the match later today between sixth seed Andy Roddick and Nikolay Davydenko.

Read More

13.05.2009

ATP - ROGER STARTS STRONG

Roger began his final warmup for Roland Garros with a convincing 6-1, 7-5 victory over Robin Söderling in his first match in Madrid.

"It's about playing well and getting ready for Paris," Roger said. "It's good to get the first match."

Our champ delivered a first set of near perfection, easing his way through in just 20 minutes. It got a bit tougher in the second set, when his opponent took a 4-2 lead. But once again, a perfect reaction and two breaks followed and Roger made everything clear in two sets.

Roger will meet either James Blake or Ivo Karlovic in the next round.

Read More

09.05.2009

ATP - MADRID DRAW

Roger will either meet Sweden's Robin Söderling (head-to-head: 8-0) or Russia's Igor Andreev (head-to-head: 2-0) after a first round bye at the Madrid Open starting this coming week.

The following round would mean a possible match against James Blake (ATP 16) before a meeting with Andy Roddick (ATP 6) in the quarter final. The semi-final could then be another clash with Andy Murray - just like last year when Murray stopped Roger from entering the final in Madrid in three sets.

Roger is busy with his final preparations in Madrid since Friday.

Read More

08.05.2009

OFF COURT - ROGER AT THE EMMI EVENT

Roger was the surprise guest at a golf event held yesterday in the region of Lucerne (Switzerland) by Emmi, Switzerland's leading milk processor and one of Roger’s sponsors.

The guests were all invited by Emmi and enjoyed a perfectly sunny day amidst beautiful spring meadows. They started off in the morning with a round of golf before having appetisers on a terrace with a view of the lake of Sempach and the snow-capped Alps on the horizon. André Bossert, Switzerland’s best golfer, demonstrated his skills and gave the interested crowd a few tips. And then everyone was in for a surprise: two of Emmi’s ambassadors, Roger and Tom Lüthi (motorcycling), joined the happening. They showed their golfing skills in several chipping competitions that André Bossert set up for them. Roger thrilled everyone with skilful shots and amusing comments.

The day was rounded off with a dinner at the club’s restaurant where Roger and all the guests enjoyed a wonderful meal, of course including Emmis Kaltbach cheese specialities. Roger thoroughly enjoyed the evening and is now on his way to Madrid.

Link :
Emmi

Read More

02.05.2009

ATP - ROGER LOSES IN THREE SETS

Roger was defeated 6-4, 3-6, 3-6 by defending champion Novak Djokovic in the Intenazionali BNL D'Italia semi-final today.

Our champ displayed a strong first set and clearly dominated the match all the way into the third game of the second. The match was then interrupted by heavy rain with Roger leading 6-4 and 2-1. When the players came back onto court Djokovic seemed a completely different player, taking the second set 6-3. The final set was a tough fight but Roger simply committed too many errors and finally lost the set 3-6 after having taken an initial 3-1 lead.

Read More

01.05.2009

ATP - SEMIS AGAINST DJOKOVIC

Roger fended off a challenge from German qualifier Mischa Zverev at the Rome Masters today to secure a 7-6 (3), 6-2 victory. He will now meet defending champion Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals.

"He was playing well I thought from the start. He served some good serves and that made it easy for him to hold in the beginning. It made it hard for me to get the break," said Roger.

Both players made a good start into the match, taking it all the way to the tie-break. Zverev took a fast 2-0 lead - but that was not to last. Roger played several fantastic points to secure the first set 7-3 in the tie-break. The second set was completely in Roger's hands, where our champ displayed tennis in perfection and marched to a 4-0 lead.

Roger has a 7-3 winning record against Djokovic, including victories in their only two previous encounters on clay at Monte Carlo in 2006 and 2008.

Read More

30.04.2009

ATP - ROGER REACHES LAST EIGHT IN ROME

It took Roger just 68 minutes to secure a comfortable victory over Radek Stepanek today in Rome.

Roger started extremely well, taking a 4-1 lead in the first set. But Stepanek raised his level of play and came up to 4-5, before Roger scored yet another break an took home the set. Roger served and returned brilliantly and managed to march off with a 5-0 lead in the second set. The Czech just managed to avoid a bagle before our champ finished off the match with two aces, taking an impressive four out of seven break-point opportunities.

Roger will play his quarter final against France's Gilles Simon (ATP 7) or Germany's Mischa Zverev (ATP 76) on Friday.

Read More