Federer: Disappointing to let the final slip away

Never satisfied with a loss, Roger Federer expressed disappointment after falling to Novak Djokovic in the BNP Paribas Open final for the second straight year on Sunday in Indian Wells.

The World No. 2 also reminded us that the secret to his longevity in professional tennis may very well lie in his short memory after a defeat.

“I’m not going to look back on that match, on that moment very long,” Federer said after accepting his runner-up trophy. “That will be forgotten probably in 25 minutes or so.

“When I walk out of here, I will be like, ’It was a good tournament.’ I had a great run, a good start to the season, and wished and hoped I could have won today. Novak was tough and he played very well. He deserved it, and I will respect that."

Djokovic tied Federer as the most successful player in tournament history, capturing his fourth Indian Wells title with the 6-3, 6-7(5), 6-2 win. But Federer did not surrender without a fight.

Down a set and a break, he played a masterful point with the Serb serving at 4-3, 30-15, leading fans to rise out of their seats in appreciation. With the crowd at his back, Federer claimed his first break to knot the match at 4-4.

“I definitely felt like they wanted to see a third set,” Federer said with a smile. “I was hoping that was not just for the match itself but for me personally. I hope it was like that, but if it's not, it's cool, too. I get it. They want to see more tennis or more drama…”

After taking advantage of three double faults from Djokovic in the tie-break to force a deciding set, even Federer thought he might have turned the tide for good.

“I was getting the upper hand from the baseline,” he said of the momentum shift. “I was making every return, first and second serve, so overall it was the perfect thing to happen. That's why I'm even more disappointed that it ended up finishing the way it did. For me, it was totally against the way the match was going.

“He found an extra gear in the end. It was tough. I enjoyed the match; it had a bit of everything. Controlled aggression was the key out there to try to play like that from the baseline.”

Federer insisted people shouldn't read too much into this loss.

“My best spell was midway through the second to midway through the third set,” Federer said. “It was disappointing to let it slip away.

“I have beat him the last couple times. It is not like I lost 10 in a row," Federer said. "A lot depends on how well he serves and returns. We usually play in finals so we are both peaking at the same time.”

With his memory wiped clean as he exits the gates at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, Federer is moving on to his next challenge: clay season.

“That's what I'm looking forward to, training very hard now in the next three weeks,” he said. “It's key for me to get in great shape for the clay court season and for the grass court season. I'm actually looking forward to that and spending time in Switzerland. Overall, it's going to be great.”

Date: 23rd March 2015, Source: ATP and AFP

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Federer vs Djokovic: The Ultimate Final

Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic will meet for the 38th time in the BNP Paribas Open final on Sunday.

“I think it's very exciting for both of us, and also for fans, to see a rematch of the great final from last year,” said Federer, who holds a 20-17 record over Djokovic in their ATP Head to Head series. “I'm looking forward to it, and I hope I can keep up my good play.

“I think last year's final was great. I think we both played very well… He's tough, as we know. He barely misses. He moves great. He makes you go for the extra shot. He’s one of the great hard court players we have seen in tennis.”

Federer could clinch the moniker “King of the Desert” should he win an unprecedented fifth Indian Wells title. He was a champion here in 2004 (d. Henman), 2005 (d. Hewitt), 2006 (d. Blake) and 2012 (d. Isner). With his fourth-round victory over Jack Sock, Federer became the first player to hit 50 match wins in the desert.

Helping to provide déjà vu is the fact that Sunday’s final will be a repeat of last year’s championship match in the desert, the first time the final has ever been a rematch of the previous year in Indian Wells history. Djokovic beat Federer in that match 3-6, 6-3, 7-6(3), and the defending champion knows he will need to bring his best to fend off the Swiss again.

“If I get to play Roger, it's the ultimate final that right now I can have,” Djokovic said as he waited for his opponent to be determined. “He is probably the player that is in the best form. In the last 12 months, he's been playing some of his best tennis.”

“One thing about Roger is that he always makes you play at the highest level if you want to win against him,” said the World No. 1, who is looking to win his fourth Indian Wells crown (2008, ’11, ’14). “That's something that's always in the back of my mind. This is something that makes me come out with the highest possible concentration and intensity and commitment.

“If I want to win that match and win this title, I definitely need to be on top of my game.”

“He's playing great, there’s no question about it,” said Djokovic. “We all know that Roger, with all his records, we know the experience that he has. He's not expected to play nothing less than his best in these stages of the tournament. He's been proving that.”

Federer holds the second-most ATP World Tour Masters 1000 titles at 23, while Djokovic has 21 on his resume. Adding to what is at stake on Sunday, the Serb is also aiming to become the 12th player in the Open Era to win 50 tour-level titles. He is currently tied with coach Boris Becker at 49.

“I think we are both happy playing each other,” said Federer. “We are both playing very well, so this is a time to face off for both of us, in my opinion.

“I know I need an extra special performance tomorrow because Novak's going to push you there to come up with a lot of great shots in a row, which is not always easy to do. So I will see how it goes.

“After losing by so little last year I was quite disappointed, even though I was happy with how I was playing.

“So I couldn't wait until I got a chance to play him again here.”

Date: 22nd March 2015, Source: ATP

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Federer sets Djokovic final in Indian Wells

Roger Federer beat Milos Raonic 7-5, 6-4 Saturday at the BNP Paribas Open to set a blockbuster final with defending champion Novak Djokovic.

Sunday's final will mark the 38th meeting between the World No. 1 and No. 2. Federer faced Djokovic in last year's final, but lost in three sets.

Raonic was first tested on his serve in the fifth game when Federer earned a break point. But the Canadian promptly saved it with a 138mph ace, and eventually went on to hold. Federer later broke for a 6-5 lead when Raonic hit a backhand long. The Swiss went on to win the first set in 45 minutes.

With Gwen Stefani, Gavin Rossdale and Wayne Gretzky in the crowd, Federer opened the second set with a break and consolidated for a 2-0 lead. The second seed continued to be untroubled, despite enduring nine aces from his opponent, as he saved the only break point he faced to clinch the victory in 86 minutes.

"I'm very happy with how well I'm playing," said Federer. "I feel good physically. I feel refreshed after the holiday. I'm serving well, which is always crucial."



"I felt good. I felt energetic. I felt like I had the right attitude put forward, and I was going to give it my all,” said Raonic. “I thought a few points here and there made a difference. I tried to put everything out there that I could, and the outcome was as is.”

With the win, Federer reached his 40th ATP World Tour Masters 1000 final. He is on a 19-set win streak, dating back since the beginning of Dubai.

In his 15th appearance in Indian Wells, the 33-year-old Swiss is looking to win his fifth title at this ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournament. Federer was a champion here in 2004 (d. Henman), 2005 (d. Hewitt), 2006 (d. Blake) and 2012 (d. Isner). With his fourth-round victory over Jack Sock in the Round of 16, Federer became the first player to achieve 50 match wins in the desert.

Date: 22nd March 2015, Source: ATP

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Federer cruises into Indian Wells semi-finals

Roger Federer put on a masterful display on Friday, proving why he is a four-time champion in Indian Wells. The second seed beat Tomas Berdych 6-4, 6-0 in their BNP Paribas Open quarter-final.

“It’s not just another win, but another win against a Top 10 player; against Berdych, who has played me tough in recent years," said Federer.

A semi-final meeting with No. 6 seed Milos Raonic awaits.

Federer troubled Berdych in the fifth game of the first set, earning a break point opportunity, which was promptly saved by the Czech. But in his next service game, Berdych was unable to fend off Federer as the Swiss broke for a 4-3 lead and went on to win the first set after 40 minutes.

Federer gave Berdych no wiggle room in the second set, and hit 21 winners, won 88 per cent of his first serve points and faced no break points en route to the 68-minute victory.

“When you feel that Federer is in control right from the beginning, then of course you have to come up with your best game from the beginning of the match,” said Berdych. “You just want to play well. You just want to play your best.

“There is a very thin line in between that and overdoing it. It's not so easy to control it every single time that you go play with a player like this, even if he's playing in such a good shape… He was doing pretty much everything perfect.”

“I think I really played well off the baseline,” said Federer. “I was able to utilize the court much more, play more angles, play with variation, spin and slice. I was serving well and moving well, so maybe there is not going to be that many chances for him on the return as it is. But at least he could have stayed with me longer, and as the match goes on maybe he would have also found his groove better.

“But for me, I found it quickly. I felt like I was hitting the ball well but also playing the right way. When those two things happen, it was always going to be tough for him.”

In his 15th appearance, Federer defeated Jack Sock in the Round of 16 to notch his 50th win in the desert.

Date: 21st March 2015, Source: ATP and ESPN UK

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Federer notches up 50th Indian Wells win

The milestones continue to mount for Roger Federer, as the World No. 2 notched his 50th match win at the BNP Paribas Open on Wednesday with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over 22-year-old Jack Sock.

Federer dealt well with cooler, windier conditions to close out Sock in one hour and nine minutes.

"Today was by far my best match, so I'm very happy how I was serving, in particular, when it was important," Federer said. "On the return I was able to play both with the slice coming over and then even standing back. All three things worked. When that's the case, it's great as a player to know you have all these options when it comes down to the crunch."

Sock had one highlight game, holding serve at 2-2 in the first set after facing two break points and nine deuces. But Federer won four of the next five games to wrap up the set.

"Obviously I needed to serve very well, if not my best, to give me a chance," Sock said. "He's done this many times and makes you play a lot of balls."

Federer broke Sock to open the second set, launching a run of 14 straight points that gave the Swiss star a 4-0 lead before Sock fought off three more break points to trail 4-1. Federer lost just two points in his last two service games.

In his 15 appearances in Indian Wells, the Swiss has a tournament-high four titles to his name. He’ll need to defeat Tomas Berdych in the quarter-finals to set a potential semi-final clash with rival Rafael Nadal.

"We have played on many occasions over many years," said Federer, who owns a 12-6 ATP Head to Head record over Berdych. "I don't know when we played the very first time, but I have seen his game evolve, seen how he established himself in the Top 10.

"I think he does very well, and probably also with a new team now he feels eager to try out new things and maybe gives him extra energy. So I think it's going to be an interesting matchup for him having a new team in the back."

Earlier on Wednesday, Berdych bested countryman Lukas Rosol 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 in a tense battle on Stadium 2.

Date: 19th March 2015, Source: ATP and ESPN UK

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Federer avenges Melbourne loss to Seppi

Roger Federer avenged his Australian Open defeat to Andreas Seppi 6-3, 6-4 Tuesday night at the BNP Paribas Open.

"It absolutely was an opportunity right away to play him again and sort of erase it to some extent from the memory as the season moves forward," said Federer.

The second seed beat the Italian to advance to the Round of 16, where he will face American Jack Sock and attempt to achieve 50 match wins in Indian Wells.

Seppi scored his first career win over Federer in Melbourne's third round earlier this year, but the Swiss improved his record against the No. 30 seed to 11-1 after this latest match.

Federer served six aces and hit 19 winners, but was only able to capitalise on three of his 12 break point chances en route to the 82-minute victory.

"I don't think we both played very well tonight," he said. "We both struggled with the conditions, the balls. I think it's tough to get ahold of them, the right way with the right spin. Maybe as you move along in the tournament, hopefully it's going to get better for me and for any player. It's one of those matches you're happy you're through, and I was happy it was over."

In his 15th appearance in the desert, Federer is bidding for an unprecedented fifth Indian Wells title this week. He was a champion here in 2004 (d. Henman), 2005 (d. Hewitt), 2006 (d. Blake) and 2012 (d. Isner).

Date: 18th March 2015, Source: ATP

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Lammer reflects on final match with Federer

Michael Lammer’s final professional match fittingly came alongside former flatmate Roger Federer, his friend since the age of 10.

In front of an overflowing Stadium 2 crowd on a sunny Saturday afternoon at the BNP Paribas Open, the Swiss duo narrowly lost to Marcin Matkowski and Nenad Zimonjic in a Match Tie-break. The following day, Lammer announced his retirement on Twitter.

“It was a great feeling, great match, great atmosphere on Stadium 2,” he said in an interview with ATPWorldTour.com. “It was a really nice court, good match, really close… All in all, it was really a great last match for me. Playing with Roger was really special and it was a very nice experience.”

The 32-year-old Lammer celebrated his biggest successes alongside his countrymen. He won his one ATP World Tour doubles title in 2009, as he teamed up with another childhood friend Marco Chiudinelli to triumph on home soil in Gstaad. Last November, Lammer joined Federer, Chiudinelli and Stan Wawrinka on the winning Swiss Davis Cup team.



Watch the interview above to hear more about Lammer’s thoughts on playing during a ‘golden age’ of Swiss tennis, his plans in retirement, and what it was like to share a flat with Roger and Mirka back in the day.

Bittersweet to say that yesterday was my last match on @atpworldtour. Great to share it with my friend @rogerfederer pic.twitter.com/F33TqT1aD5
— Michael Lammer (@lammer82) March 15, 2015

Date: 17th March 2015, Source: ATP

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Federer says longevity has underpinned his career

Known for his classic groundstrokes and graceful movement around the court, Roger Federer gave intriguing insight at the BNP Paribas Open, Indian Wells on Sunday on how carefully he has mapped out his career.

Just over a decade ago, the Swiss master became world number one for the first time but, instead of deciding to "chase money or more tournament victories", he and his team opted to focus on extending his competitive career for as long as possible.

"The idea was always trying to be around the game for a long time," world number two Federer told reporters after cruising into the third round of the BNP Paribas Open with a commanding 6-4, 6-2 victory over Argentina's Diego Schwartzman.

"And for that in 2004, when I became world No. 1, I took a decision with my fitness coach at the time that we're going to plan long-term. Whatever we will do, we will plan long-term.

"Sure, we can chase money or more tournament victories. We can play more frequently, train harder, whatever we will do. But we decided we will try to stay around 20 tournaments during the year, which is a lower number."

During the 1990s, many players competed in at least 30 tournaments each year and Federer cited the example of Russia's former world number one Yevgeny Kafelnikov, who clinched the 1996 French Open and the 1999 Australian Open.

"If you look back, Kafelnikov used to play 30 or 32 events back in the day," said the 33-year-old Swiss, a 17-times grand slam singles champion. "I said that's not something I really want to do.

"If I play, I want to play good. I want to play injury-free if possible, but of course all the top guys, we also play hurt.

"But the goal was to stay around for a long time. I did get inspired by seeing 32-year-olds, 35-year-olds, and actually I felt they almost did me a favor that I could play against them."

Federer, who believes he is playing some of the best tennis of his career at the age of 33, says he continues to learn about the game and is proud to be able to inspire younger players through his own example.

"My best memories are playing against the guys I used to see on TV," he said. "It's not like I'm doing the young guys now a favor to still be around, but I think down the stretch it might be appreciated (by them).

"For me, it was important trying to stay around for as long as possible because I do love the game. I'm happy the plan worked, that at 33 I'm still being super competitive and healthy and happy to be on tour.

"I still believe I can improve my game... I think you have to try to reinvent yourself. Tennis is actually one of those sports where I feel like you can always do better."

Date: 16th March 2015, Source: Reuters

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Federer sets Seppi rematch

Roger Federer will have revenge on his mind when he squares off with Andreas Seppi in the BNP Paribas Open third round, after dismissing Argentina's Diego Schwartzman 6-4, 6-2 on Sunday.

The World No. 2 hit eight aces, won 13 of 14 points at the net, and faced no break points in the 63-minute match.

"It was important to get a good start. I had to stay focused and try to stay aggressive on the return which isn't always easy. It was a bit breezy and I had to be careful at times but it is good to get the first win," Federer said.

''I'm moving well, which is key on this surface because the easy shots and easy points are not going to happen so easily here like they maybe do in Dubai or Australia or the indoor season,'' Federer said. ''I was successful playing on my terms. There are certain things I can do better, but for a first round it's a good start.''

Federer, who suffered his first defeat to Seppi in 11 meetings, at the Australian Open in January, is bidding to claim an unprecedented fifth title in Indian Wells.

"I'm happy to play him again," Federer said of his next opponent. "I was very disappointed with the performance I had in Australia. I know he can play well and can beat me, that's not the problem. It was the way I was hitting the ball. I wasn't playing very committed. I wasn't sure exactly how I was going to hit my forehand and backhands. It was just a tough match overall and the match slipped away from me.

"I really thought Seppi did a good job and nice job of putting the pressure on me, as well… I hope this time around it's going to go better for me. I will be prepared, there is no doubt about that. I'm happy I'm getting an opportunity to play him right away again."

The champion in 2004 (d. Henman), '05 (d. Hewitt), '06 (d. Blake) and '12 (d. Isner), he is just two victories shy of 50 match wins in the California desert.

Federer moved to 12-1 this year with his victory over Schwartzman and 2-0 in their ATP Head to Head series. He is seeking to add a Masters 1000 crown to his ATP World Tour 250 title in Brisbane and 500-level trophy in Dubai.

Meanwhile, Seppi advanced to the third round in Indian Wells for the third straight year after dispatching Victor Hanescu 6-4, 6-4. The Italian needed just 73 minutes to complete the win, striking six aces and denying both break points faced.

Date: 16th March 2015, Source: ATP, AFP and AP

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Federer on why he skipped Miami masters

Roger Federer said having Indian Wells and Miami back-to-back creates too much of a break between the two events, leading to his decision not to play the Miami Open. Both are 10-day events for the men, meaning there are four days between the Indian Wells final and the start of the first round at Miami, with the top players getting first-round byes.

"The week in between Indian Wells and Miami is always a wasted week-in my opinion-for me," he said, speaking to press at Indian Wells, "So I'd rather use that for some more time off, some more practice, maybe play another tournament."

Federer has signed up for four clay events before the French Open, adding the 250 event in Istanbul to previously announced events in Monte Carlo, Madrid and Rome.

"Plus I've played Miami so many times, so that's just the one I decided to skip," he said. "And substituted with Istanbul, a city I've never been to, a country I've never been to, so I just thought it would be a nice mix-up."

Federer said he had no objection to 10-day tournaments, but the time in between the two Masters events was a bigger issue for players who lose in the first round or those who do not go deep into the event.

"But when it's back-to-back 10 days, there is a lot of time that gets wasted," he said. "It's a long break 'till the first round in Miami, and let's say you don't play well again, you've sort of wasted a month, nothing happened. So I've never been a huge fan of the back-to-back 10-day events, but it's been like this for a long, long time. That's the only way I ever knew it."

Things are unlikely to change, he added, especially since the two are popular tournaments. "It's fine. They're very successful tournaments, they're very well run and organized," he said. "As you can see, the players love coming here, as long as it's working well, and it's successful and the fans enjoy it and the players do too, nothing needs to be changed."

Date: 12th March 2015, Source: Tennis.com

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Federer feeling good before Indian Wells

Less than 24 hours after his World Tennis Day exhibition in New York City, Roger Federer sat down with media members at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells on Wednesday to discuss everything from his current playing condition to the future of men's tennis.

After a week of rest following his record seventh title in Dubai, Federer was glad to squeeze in some match play against Grigor Dimitrov at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night.

“Yesterday’s match in New York actually gave me some input of what I needed to work on,” Federer said. “I was always going to come here and make sure the first few days I get used to the courts. I had a bit of a slow week last week after Dubai, so I think the next few days are going to be important for me.”

Federer, a four-time champion in Indian Wells, was asked if there is anything he feels he can’t do as well at the age of 33 compared to several years ago. The World No. 2 responded without hesitation.

“Not really, to be honest,” he said. “I have a hard time remembering how I felt back in 2002. I was more insecure with my game. I was more worried about a bad day.

“Today, I don’t feel like I have that many bad days anymore. Maybe sometimes you come out and it’s not working; that’s something that happened very few times in the years where I was very dominant. Otherwise, I feel like I am playing very well.”

When he does decide that his body isn’t fit for play anymore, Federer knows there will be players eager to step in for him.

“The wheel keeps turning. There is always going to be a new Wimbledon champion, a new French Open champion, a new World No. 1. There is always going to be someone else when our generation is gone. Who that’s going to be today, it’s really tough to tell.”

After a bye in the first round, Federer will kick off his 2015 BNP Paribas campaign against the winner of Jerzy Janowicz and Diego Schwartzman.

Date: 12th March 2015, Source: ATP

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