Why Pizza & Tears remain a constant for Federer in Basel

Roger Federer won his 103rd tour-level title on Sunday at the Swiss Indoors Basel. But for the 38-year-old, lifting trophies never gets old.

Tears filled the 10-time Basel champion's eyes as he spoke to the crowd during the trophy ceremony.

“You saw it hit me again hard winning here in Basel. I don’t take these tournament victories as a normal thing. I take them as something quite unique and special, even though it’s been a lot by now,” Federer said. “Every one has a different flavour and I try to enjoy them as much as I can in the moment.”

It’s especially emotional for Federer at home. His two years spent as a ball boy in Basel more than two decades ago have been well-documented, and the Swiss awards all the ball boys and ball girls medals and orders them pizza to celebrate their efforts. So even though it was the 10th time Federer has triumphed here, the tears were no surprise.

“I think it might be partially reminiscing back at everything that went on this week. Definitely the family, the thought of the team aspect, the family aspect, everything that goes into me still being able to do it today. People think I just go out there and just do it and have these types of weeks or these types of matches at will,” Federer said. “But there’s so much more that goes into it, let alone managing four children, which is a challenge, but a good one.

“Obviously when I stand there and look back at everything that I had to go through, it really touches me. Along with just the music and the thought of all the ball kids running in already gets me going.”

Federer has lifted plenty of trophies from the moment he picked up a tennis racquet as a kid. But that boy who once dreamt of being "one of the big guys" is now just six titles from Jimmy Connors' all-time mark of 109 tour-level titles.

“Back in the day when you lifted a trophy as a junior you’re like, ‘Ahh, let’s just pretend to be one of the big guys.’ But you clearly know you’re not. Now when you’re able to do it in a stadium with people chanting your name or celebrating you or your tennis, it’s a wonderful feeling,” Federer said. “There you probably have a couple of parents around and one photographer who happened to be there at the time. So clearly things have changed. Luckily there were some photographers at the time, because it was more of a luxury to have a camera at the time. It’s been an incredible journey. It’s definitely very different today.”

This is the second tournament at which Federer has won 10 titles, having accomplished the feat in Halle earlier this year. So even though his championship victory against Alex de Minaur was fairly straightforward, resulting in a 6-2, 6-2 scoreline, that didn’t make the moment he clinched the title any less special.

“You don’t get a chance to win 10 titles at the same event many times in your career ever, so I couldn’t be more happy that it also happened here in Basel, in Halle also,” Federer said. “It’s been a great week, a wonderful time. The fans were unreal again, like so many other years. I played great tennis and was able to pull it all the way through until the very end.”

Federer did not drop a set en route to his fourth title of the season. He dropped just 18 games in four matches.

“I started off very strong and very well this week. I was able to really keep a very solid level and sometimes even a fantastic level,” Federer said. “It was never really in doubt. If only it was always like that, but it’s not. So I take this week as a good one for sure.”

Date: 28 October 2019, Source: ATP

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Roger Federer wins 10th Basel title

Roger Federer won his 10th Swiss Indoors Basel title on Sunday, smothering young Australian Alex De Minaur 6-2, 6-2 to secure what the Swiss legend described as "an unbelievable" success at the home-town tournament where he used to work as a ballboy.

Federer, playing in front of a fervent home crowd, played attacking tennis against the speedy 20-year-old, who was going for his fourth title of the season (3-1). The 38-year-old broke four times, mixing up the pace and keeping De Minaur on the move from the back of the court.

"It was fast but very nice. I think I played a great match. It was a tough opener, in the beginning, the first five games, we had some great rallies. I never looked back," Federer said. "I was great on the offence, made very few unforced errors and came up with the big shots and served well when I had to.

"I thought Alex played a great tournament as well, and I think we both can be very happy. But what a moment for me to win my 10th here in my hometown of Basel."

Federer had to control his emotions as he drew a loud and heartfelt standing ovation from his home public during the presentation for his 103rd career trophy.

The 20-time Grand Slam champion said it was as a ballboy at the St. Jakobshalle more than two decades ago that he got his first taste of tennis.

"Being a ballboy really inspired me," he said. "But I cannot believe that I've won here 10 times. I never even thought that I would win it once, this has been an unbelievable week for me."

With his wife, children and parents watching, Federer was presented with a metal sculpture depicting a life-sized hand ready to toss a tennis ball in honour of his landmark title.

Federer defeated the 28th-ranked De Minaur in their first meeting.

"Alex has had a great year," Federer said. "It's not easy to win tournaments and he's done it three times already this year. There is more to come for you. As for me, I hope to be back here next year to celebrate the 50th anniversary of this event."

De Minaur joked that he had his own slender hopes prior to the start.

"I was hoping Roger might just get sick of winning, but that didn't happen. He was too good again, it's amazing. It was a dream to play him here in Basel. It's been a great season for me, I'll just keep pushing for bigger and better things."

The Swiss now can count Basel alongside the Noventi Open in Halle as his most successful tournaments by titles won. Federer has won his home ATP 500 during his past five appearances. He improved to 75-9 at the tournament and has won 24 consecutive matches on centre court.

"I couldn't be more happy," Federer said. "What a great tournament it's been for me, always, but particularly the last few times I've been here."

Federer won his fourth title of the season, tied for second best on the Tour, and the 103^rd of his career (103-54).

Now, he is just six short of the record 109 ATP trophies held by American Jimmy Connors.

Federer is due to play next week at the Paris Masters, the final event of the regular season before the November 10 start of the ATP Finals in London.

Date: 27 October 2019, Source: AFP and ATP

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Federer defeats Tsitsipas in Basel

Roger Federer delighted his hometown fans by cruising past Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-4, 6-4 in the Swiss Indoors Basel semifinals on Saturday.

“It was nice to come out strong. It was a really intense 35 or 40 minutes to start. I had a good middle section which gave me the first set and the lead in the second set, and never looked back,” Federer said. “It’s hard to believe that I’m in another Basel final. It’s super exciting.”

Federer added to his staggering numbers in Basel by reaching his 13th consecutive final and 15th overall. He moved to 74-9 at this event and has won his past 23 matches on centre court. The 38-year-old is through to his sixth ATP Tour final of the season, second only to Daniil Medvedev (9), and picked up his 50th tour-level win of the year.

“Even if I’m up a set and a break, the crowd are not just there when I’m down in the score and feel like I need it,” Federer said. “They enjoy when I’m playing good tennis and it pushes me to play even better, keep on trying every point and try to make something happen. That’s what you do with a home court advantage.”

Seeking a 10th career title in Basel, the 38-year-old Federer will play 20-year-old Alex de Minaur in Sunday’s final. The Swiss is competing in his 157th ATP Tour final (102-54), compared to six for De Minaur (3-2).

Federer was 0-12 on break points during his loss to Tsitsipas at this year's Australian Open and couldn't convert his first five in their latest clash. But with Tsitsipas serving at 2-2 in the first set, Federer let out a roar of approval after getting over the line with a strong forehand approach.

The Swiss looked to move forward whenever possible and was nearly flawless when he did, winning 9 of 10 net points in the opening set. Serving for the set at 5-4, he fired three aces and a delicate drop volley winner to grab the early advantage.

Tsitsipas was left to ruminate over hitting more winners than unforced errors (11 to 9), yet still coming up short. The Greek felt the pressure in the second set, hitting a double fault and a pair of wild baseline errors in the opening game to give Federer two break points. The top seed converted on his second with a forehand winner and jogged to his chair.

Federer's outstanding serving led to little resistance from Tsitsipas, with the Swiss dropping just eight points in his first nine service games. The third seed earned his first break point with Federer serving for the match at 5-4, but played it tentatively and pushed a forehand long. Two points later, a swinging forehand volley winner closed out play after 79 minutes. Federer finished the day with 28 winners to 11 unforced errors.

Date: 26 October 2019, Source: AP and ATP

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Federer into 17th Basel quarter-final

Roger Federer crushed Radu Albot 6-0, 6-3 on Wednesday to win his 22nd match in a row at the Swiss Indoors and earn a quarter-final place at his home event for the 17th time.

“I’m extremely happy because I really struggled against him in Miami and he definitely got my attention there. I was basically a point away from losing,” Federer said. “It was important for me to show a reaction to that match and come out with a proper game plan. I think I learned a lot from that match.

“I really respect Radu. He tries everything to win in a really tough, great and fair way. I’m very happy with the way I played. I had an answer for everything he threw at me today and that’s great.”

Federer improved to 73-9 in Basel. The 38-year-old has dropped a mere five games in his first two rounds, competing in his 1,500th tour-level match as he defeated German Peter Gojowczyk on Monday.

“Maybe I was feeling some pressure in my first appearances and it was, in some ways, the hardest to play in front of friends and family in Basel, but not in the past 17 years,” Federer said. “I’ve really enjoyed every moment and always tried to understand how I should take advantage of playing at home.”

In Miami, Albot pushed Federer to the edge in a three-set tussle. Armed with the knowledge of how dangerous the Moldovan can be, Federer brought his best tennis from the first point. The Swiss dominated the baseline rallies throughout the opening set, firing 13 winners as he sprinted to an early advantage after 22 minutes.

Albot did his best to keep his spirits up and the crowd entertained in spite of the one-sided scoreline. He cracked a sarcastically bemused smile after a rare Federer error at 0-2 in the second set, then bowed to the crowd after holding serve in that game to get on the board.

But while the Moldovan won a moral victory by avoiding a double bagel, he wasn’t able to win much else on the night as Federer continued his vintage form. A strong backhand from the Swiss wrapped up play after 62 minutes. Federer finished the night with 32 winners to just 21 unforced errors, in addition to taking 75 per cent of his service points (30/40).

Awaiting Federer in the next round is seventh-seeded Swiss Stan Wawrinka or American Frances Tiafoe, who both won their respective first-round matches on Wednesday. Federer leads Tiafoe 3-0 in their ATP Head to Head series, including a win in Basel two years ago. He also holds a 23-3 advantage over Wawrinka in their ATP Head to Head rivalry and has prevailed in their past seven matches. Federer won their lone Basel clash in the 2011 semi-finals.

“I think the fans would love a match against Stan because he’s struggled at this tournament for some reason, but it’s great to see him back healthy,” Federer said. “We’ve always had some tough matches, even on hard courts. Hopefully this match happens for the fans.”

The six games Federer has dropped so far this week is the fewest he's lost in his opening two matches in Basel since 2006.

Date: 24 October 2019, Source: ATP and AFP

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Federer starts his bid for 10th Basel title

Roger Federer started his European indoor season with more dominance in his hometown of Basel on Monday evening. The 38-year-old Swiss won his 21^st consecutive match at the Swiss Indoors Basel, sprinting past German Peter Gojowczyk 6-2, 6-1 in only 53 minutes.

“I thought the match was good. I felt like I had a good spring in my step and was quick onto the ball. Didn’t take me long to get used to the conditions. That was positive,” Federer said. “I knew of the danger playing Peter, especially indoors. He had a great couple of qualifying matches, so I knew he’d be tough, especially because he beat Karlovic easy, who serves great.”

Federer, who was playing in his 1,500^th tour-level match, broke five times and, despite giving back one of those breaks in the second set, cruised in the quick indoor conditions to improve to 72-9 at the ATP 500 event. He finished with 34 winners to only 18 unforced errors.

The World No. 3 is going for his 10^th Basel title and 103^rd overall. Federer has won only one tournament 10 times, the Noventi Open in Halle.

The Swiss has already qualified for the Nitto ATP Finals for a record-extending 17^th time. He will next meet Moldovan Radu Albot or Dusan Lajovic of Serbia.

Federer, who has made the Basel final on all of his last 12 visits, owns ATP titles this season in Dubai, Miami and Halle.

Date: 21 October 2019, Source: ATP

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In a career of landmarks, Federer set for 1500th match

Roger Federer will check off another landmark on Monday when he starts his bid for a 10th Basel title by playing the 1,500th match of his career.

The 38-year-old begins his bid for his 103rd title against German qualifier Peter Gojowczyk.

The 20-time Grand Slam champion has beaten the German twice - including at Indian Wells last March.

"My preparation had to be a little faster than usual since I have to start Monday," said Federer ahead of the Swiss Indoors tournament, which he first attended as a ballboy.

"I've already practiced Friday and Saturday in Basel. I hope to really start strong and have a great indoor season."

Federer, who has made the Basel final on all of his last 12 visits, won three ATP titles this season in Dubai, Miami and Halle.

Despite not adding to his tally of majors, he still stands at 47-8 for the year, a record bettered only by eternal rival Rafael Nadal, whose triumphs at Roland Garros and the US Open have taken the Spaniard to 19 Grand Slams.

Federer made the final at Wimbledon in July where he had two match points before losing to Novak Djokovic in a five-set epic.

He revealed on Sunday that his philosophy about those losses has become "forget them and move on".

However, he added: "I try to keep the highest possible level always. Sometimes it's the opponent, sometimes it's your own mind or game that goes off the boil.

"And, of course, you work with the right work ethic in practice, with the right concentration and everything.

"Only a few matches this season stand out to me that maybe I could have won that I didn't.

"If I look back at my whole career I've had a lot of matches that I could have won that I lost. But also I won much more than I should have or could have."

After Basel, Federer is likely to make his usual last-minute decision on whether to carry on for the Paris Masters, the concluding Masters 1000 event of the season which starts a week on Monday.

He has already qualified for the ATP Finals in London from November 10 in what will be his 17th appearance at the season finale.

"It's been a solid season. It started well for me. I hope to pick it up for the year-end," he added.

Meanwhile, Federer briefly paused his preparation for Basel to send best wishes to newly-married rival Nadal.

Explaining that he was not part of the festivities, the father of four said: "I was not invited by Rafa, but I had not expected to be.

"I congratulated him and hope he had the best day of his life."

Nadal and longtime girlfriend Xisca Perello were married on Saturday on their home island of Mallorca.

Date: 20 October 2019, Source: AFP

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Federer to play 2020 French Open

Swiss tennis legend Roger Federer said Thursday he will play the French Open in Paris next year.

"I will play the French Open. I probably won't play much before that because I need some time away from tennis and I need some time with the family," the 38-year-old told CNN.

The 20-time Grand Slam champion returned to Roland Garros this year after a three year absence, falling to Rafael Nadal in the semi-finals.

Federer confirmed he will compete at next year's Tokyo Olympics after Wimbledon and prior to the US Open.

But his priority before the French Open which he has won in 2009 will be a family vacation.

"We need a vacation, we need a break, and especially if I am playing the Olympics and all that. So I'll probably play the French, Halle, Wimbledon, the Olympics, maybe Cincinnati and then the US Open," he said.

In Tokyo he will be in competition for a men's singles gold medal, the only major prize he has yet to win.

Earlier this week he said he had been debating with his team on his programme after Wimbledon and before the US Open.

"At the end of the day my heart decided to play the Olympic Games again," he said.

Federer has won all four of the Grand Slam tournaments, as well as the ATP Tour Finals six times, but is still waiting to grab Olympic singles gold.

He did win a doubles gold alongside fellow Swiss Stan Wawrinka at Beijing in 2008, but when he got to the London singles final in 2012 he lost to Andy Murray.

Federer did not compete at Rio 2016 because of knee injury, where Murray won again, but has since twice won the Australian Open and the 2017 Wimbledon title.

Date: 18 October 2019

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Federer to play 2020 Tokyo Olympics

Roger Federer will go for gold in 2020. The Swiss star confirmed on Monday that he will compete for Switzerland at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.

The 38-year-old stated “If I am healthy, I am coming” when making the announcement in Tokyo, Japan after playing an exhibition match against John Isner.

“At the end of the day my heart decided to play the Olympic Games again.

“I've been debating with my team for a few weeks now, months actually, what I should do in the summer time (of 2020) after Wimbledon and before the US Open.

“I carried the flag twice for Switzerland in Athens and Beijing, I’ve got a gold and a silver, and I would love to play again so I’m very excited,” Federer said.

Federer has played at four Olympics, winning the doubles gold medal with Stan Wawrinka at Beijing 2008 and taking silver in singles at London 2012 (l. to Murray). The 20-time major champion missed 2016 Rio because of knee injury.

Federer added: “I checked with the team if it was okay for me to announce it here, while I am actually in the city where the Olympics will take place. I just figured it was an organic place to do that. So I am very happy to announce it.

“Every Olympic games has been very, very special to me.”

Date: 15 October 2019

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Federer lose in Shanghai quarterfinals

Roger Federer went from perfectly unbeatable to unbelievably beaten in the quarterfinals of the Shanghai Masters. He had been 5-0 in quarterfinal matches at the Shanghai Masters, and won two titles, but lost Friday.

Federer saved five match points in the second set in the 6-3, 6-7 (7), 6-3 loss to fifth-seeded Alexander Zverev. The 22-year-old Zverev now leads Federer 4-3 in career meetings.

“I mean, they're knocking on the door big time, the young guys,” Federer said. “It's exciting. They're great. It's really open now, I think, for the finish of this tournament.”

Zverev will next play Matteo Berrettini, an 11th-seeded Italian who defeated fourth-seeded Dominic Thiem 7-6 (8), 6-4.

“I told him at the net that he showed great character, that he was strong. I thought he didn't show any frustrations or too much negativity,” Federer said. “I didn't see him very often being extremely frustrated except the one time when he hit three let cords in a row, the last game I think it was.

“That was impressive, because he has tendencies to get a bit down on himself. Especially this season, he hasn't been playing maybe so well, so that impressed me the most. If I can get one per cent of that, I'm happy, too.”

Zverev had three consecutive match points on his serve at 6-5, 40/0 in the second set and two more in the ensuing tie-break, but Federer saved them all. Zverev, however, quickly rebounded, breaking Federer and jumping out to a 3-0 lead in the deciding set.

“It was a crazy end to the second set, no doubt about it. I think it was 6-5, 40-Love. At that point you're halfway home anyway, but I defended well, attacked well, hit some great shots, came back and then also the tie-break was tough the whole time,” Federer said.

“But it was definitely a great atmosphere at that point, and I was able to maybe get a bit more balls back on his serve, because I thought he was clocking his serve really well all match today. It was really impressive.

“I think in the second set he had more opportunities probably, so I think he deserved to win that third set.”

Federer is next scheduled to play at his hometown tournament, the Swiss Indoors Basel, which begins 21 October. He has, for a record-extending 17^th time, already secured his place at the season-ending ATP Finals, to be held 10-17 November at The O2 in London.

Date: 11 October 2019, Source: ATP and AP

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Federer saves 5 set points, sets up Zverev QF

Roger Federer saved five set points in the first set as he scrambled to a 7-6 (7), 6-4 win over 13th-seeded David Goffin on Thursday and advanced to the Shanghai Masters quarterfinals. It's his 87^th ATP Masters 1000 quarter-final.

Second-seeded Federer holds a 10-1 winning record against Goffin, including all three matches they've played this year.

Despite the outcome, Federer didn't feel in control of their third round match.

"I never really felt like I had the upper hand over David today. I thought he did a really good job. He was so much better than at the US Open," said Federer, who beat Goffin 6-2, 6-2, 6-0 in New York.

"It was really him that was able to, I don't want to say dictate play, but I think he was very clear in his shot selection, when to do what also in terms of the scoreline. I thought he took really a lot of good decisions, and he was super fast on his feet today, which I think made it really hard for me to get my freebies and winners off the baseline, because he was getting to all of them," Federer said.

"It was a really tough match today. I think that first set maybe ended up being key."

Goffin had the right plan against the 38-year-old Swiss, charging forward and playing aggressively. The Belgian had beaten Federer only once in their 10 meetings, at the 2017 ATP Finals. But after he erased a set point at 4-5 on his serve, Goffin broke Federer and had the set on his racquet, serving at 6-5.

Two missed forehands and a double fault, though, saw three set points come and go in the 12^th game. In the tie-break, Goffin had a set point as Federer served at 5/6, but the Swiss erased it with a laser inside-out forehand. Goffin saw another set point on his serve, at 7/6, but a backhand wide kept Federer in it, and the two-time Shanghai champion clinched his second set point.

Goffin rebounded in the second set, but Federer broke in the seventh game when Goffin netted a forehand approach.

The Swiss will next meet German Alexander Zverev, who beat Russian Andrey Rublev 6-0, 7-6 (4). Federer and Zverev last faced off in the semi-finals of the 2018 ATP Finals, which Zverev won en route to the biggest title of his career.

Date: 10 October 2019, Source: AP and ATP

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Federer cruises past Ramos-Vinolas in Shanghai

Roger Federer eased past Albert Ramos-Vinolas 6-2, 7-6 (5) to reach the last-16 of the Shanghai Masters on Tuesday, avenging a defeat to the Spaniard in their last meeting at the same stage of the tournament in 2015.

Second seed Federer, who received a first-round bye, broke Ramos-Vinolas twice in the opening set and sailed through his service games without facing a break point in the match.

Ramos-Vinolas, who upset Federer four years ago to snap a 15-match losing streak against top-10 players, recovered well to force a second-set tiebreak but his Swiss opponent came back from 4-1 down to seal victory.

“Had a really good first set. I focused and had good energy, because when you travel around the globe, you're missing a bit of energy. Those first few games or matches can be sometimes a bit tricky. So I thought that went very well for me,” Federer said.

“Serve was solid. I was hitting my spots and really was never in trouble there. But of course all of a sudden, being in a breaker, calls out for different play sometimes and different momentum. He had his chances, but it was a nice comeback for me, and overall, I was very happy.”

Federer will next meet Belgian David Goffin or Kazakhstan's Mikhail Kukushkin for a place in the quarter-finals. The 13th-seeded Goffin beat France's Richard Gasquet 6-2, 6-3, and Kukushkin knocked out Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic on Monday.

Goffin upset Federer in similarly quick conditions during the 2017 ATP Finals semi-finals, although Federer leads their ATP Head to Head series 9-1. The 38-year-old is going for his third Shanghai title (2014, 2017) and 29^th Masters 1000 crown. He has already guaranteed his place at the season-ending ATP Finals, to be held 10-17 November at The O2 in London.

Date: 8 October 2019, Source: Reuters and ATP

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