As part of his duties as UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, Federer has recorded a public service announcement to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS. The video which the popular and well-respected Swiss athlete recorded in English, German and French, will be released on World AIDS Day on 01 December 2007.
Last Monday, 26 November, marked Federer's 200th consecutive week as world number one in men's tennis. He has been ranked at the top since 02 February 2004 after he won his second Grand Slam title at the 2004 Australian Open.
The Swiss tennis superstar surpassed Steffi Graf's all-time record of 186 straight weeks as number one last August 27. He also broke Jimmy Connor's record (for men's tennis) of 160 straight weeks last 26 February.
He now sets his sights on the record of 286 weeks for the total number of weeks at number one held by no other than Pete Sampras. Tennis greats Jimmy Connors (268 weeks) and Ivan Lendl (270 weeks) are also ahead of Federer in the record books. But they, like Sampras, accumulated their total weeks at number one over several "reigns"--which makes Federer's accomplishment all the more amazing.
Ever since Federer took the top spot, four ATP players have trailed him as number two: Juan Carlos Ferrero for two weeks, Lleyton Hewitt for 25 weeks, Andy Roddick for 44 weeks and Rafael Nadal for a 123 weeks, which is coincidentally a record in itself for the longest time a male tennis player has been ranked number two.
The ATP Tennis official website has an article that nicely summarizes Federer's achievements since becoming number one and has once again assembled a photo gallery in tribute.
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The world number one has been recognized once more for his achievements on and off the court: he has been named one of the Men of the Year by GQ magazine for the year 2007. Included in the article about the Swiss tennis star is a tribute written by the legendary Bjorn Borg, and yet another stunning photo of Federer.
Honored along with the "Court King" are former US president Bill Clinton, New York mayor Michael Bloomberg, Pixar director and producer Brad Bird and several Hollywood stars including Tom Hanks, James McAvoy and Daniel Craig.
Photo credit: Liz Collins
David Ferrer, Federer's challenger for the recent Masters cup title, has just edged out the champion for this year's Golden Bagel Award™. Since both players were tied at seven "bagels apiece--that is, sets won to love--the winner had to be determined by counting the number of "fries" or "breadsticks" (6-1 sets) each had given out: Federer had fourteen "fries" while Ferrer had eighteen.
The award is given "all in good fun" by Side Spin Productions to the top eight player who hands out the most "bagels"during the season. Federer previously won the inaugural Golden Bagel Award™ in 2004 when he had twelve "bagels" and then again last year when he produced a whopping eighteen "bagels".
The Side Spin website now even includes the "bagel histories" of several past tennis greats like Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe.
Goodness! What else is there to say about what this great champion is capable of doing?!
Our tennis superstar capped yet another stunning season with his fourth Masters Cup title in five years. The world number one simply outclassed David Ferrer in straight sets, 6-2 6-3 6-2, in the finals of the season-ending championship held in Shanghai.
Ferrer had come into the finals as the only undefeated player in the tournament. He had defeated the likes of world number two Rafael Nadal and world number three Novak Djokovic in the round-robin stage and American number one Andy Roddick in the semifinals. But at the finals he had the misfortune of colliding with the tennis world's version of the Great Wall of China.
Indeed, the Spaniard's dazzling game showcased in his four previous matches seemed to have quailed in the presence of greatness across the net.
Both players had nervy starts with each falling behind on their first service games. But it was Ferrer who first succumbed to the pressure as he immediately fell behind after losing serve to love in the third game. After that, it was fairly routine for Federer to take the opening set.
The second set was no different although Ferrer began more confidently only to lose serve in the seventh game. Federer himself provided the highlights of the match during this set with an acutely angled backhand in the fourth game. He also produced a similarly brilliant backhand winner after a long exciting rally in the ninth game on the way to a second break of serve to take the second set, much to the delight of his cowbell-ringing fans.
Federer could have taken the crown at that point had this been a best of three but as this was a best of five match, Ferrer had at least one set to look forward to.
Egged on by flag-waving fans and a trumpet player in the crowd, Ferrer held three break points on the Swiss' serve early on in the third set but a supremely steady Federer fought them all off. And so instead of providing the hapless Spaniard more opportunities to get back into the match, the third set only served to prolong his agony. The defending champion was only too happy to put his opponent out of his misery as he converted a beautiful cross-court forehand from the baseline at match point and roared in triumph as Ferrer helplessly watched the ball go past him.
Federer was clearly delighted with his performance--and it was obvious as well as he signed the camera lens after the match--and rightly so. He had hit 30 winners to Ferrer's 10, 29 errors to Ferrer's 38 and he won 83% of the points when his first serve went in.
This 53rd career title for Federer was a fitting way to salvage a tournament that began so disappointingly with a shock loss to Fernando Gonzales in his opening match. His tenth loss of the season had come in the wake of two consecutive losses to David Nalbandian and caused many to speculate that the world number one was finally coming to the end of his reign.
The Masters Cup title also his eighth title for the year and brings his total winnings for the year to a record of over US$10M. On top of that, he was given yet another new car, a Mercedes--which I suppose he can easily exchange instead for "more CDs"!
Photo credit: Matthew Stockman/Getty Images
Defending champion Roger Federer has just taken down arch-rival Rafael Nadal 6-4 6-1 at the semifinals of the Masters Cup in Shanghai to earn the right to face David Ferrer for the final title of the season.
The sixth seeded Ferrer had thumped Andy Roddick 6-1 6-3 in the earlier semifinal match.
This most anticipated match of the year-end tournament between the top two players on tour at least began as a nailbiter. Both players played solidly to hold serve--Federer at one point fought back from 30-40--and bring the score to four games all in the opening set. But the Swiss made timely adjustments to his game to break Nadal's serve in the tenth game and take the set.
That crucial break of serve must have broken the Spaniard's spirit as well as his game completely crumbled thereafter. A now confident Federer put his vast repertoire of shots on display and stormed to a 5-0 lead in the second set all the while limiting Nadal to a total of three measly points. (Nadal eventually won just six more points.) Only then did the runner-up of the Gold Group pull himself together to salvage a game on serve before Federer wrapped up yet another comprehensive straight-sets victory--this one in just under an hour--in his sixth Masters Cup appearance.
After witnessing Federer's annihilation of Roddick yesterday, Nadal had earlier predicted that he had no chance against the world number one if he (Federer) continued his flawless form. Federer himself, mindful of the many tough matches they had previously contested, expected the match to be "entertaining".
The dejected Nadal must have been undoubtedly the least entertained by the one-sided affair as Federer practically duplicated his imperious performance against Roddick: He landed 83% of his first serves once again, fired eleven aces, lost just eleven points on serve and committed sixteen unforced errors.
This latest victory against his long-time rival is Federer's fifth in their last seven matches and brings him closer to leveling their career head-to-head which now stands at 6-8.
On the other hand, Federer's head-to-head with his opponent in tomorrow's final is 7-0 making him the clear favorite to collect a fourth Masters Cup title in five years.
For his part Ferrer who led the Gold group with no losses in the round-robin stage hopes to clinch his very first Masters cup title and win the $1.5M promised to an undefeated champion.
Photo credit: Andrew Wong/Getty Images
The Swiss world number one pulled out all the stops yet again to defeat Andy Roddick in round-robin play at the Masters Cup in Shanghai. This is Federer's fifteenth win over Roddick in sixteen meetings.
The American number one had confidently gone into the match expecting to finally notch a second victory over Federer in four years after the defending champion looked uncharacteristically vulnerable in his two previous round-robin matches. But Federer apparently put all that behind him and proved that he still owns Roddick.
Almost from the outset, Federer showed that he knew Roddick's game inside out, effortlessly returning Roddick's rocket serves and ruthlessly hitting sublime winners past the frustrated American. The top seed handily won the first set 6-4 and then promptly romped to a 4-0 lead in the second before Roddick finally held serve to avoid a bagel. Federer just allowed him one more game before wrapping up the match.
It was quite a treat to see the vintage Federer of old playing at the top his game and dismantling his opponent's. But not so for poor Roddick who could do nothing but shake his head with a wry smile on his face as he suffered yet another humiliation at the hands of the tennis genius. Federer had hit 33 winners to Roddick's 14 and put in an amazing 83% of his first serves.
We Federer fans have to give Roddick credit though for this gift of a match: he always seems to bring out the best in Federer every time they play against each other.
Having won the Red Group by virtue of this victory, Federer will be facing the runner-up in the Gold Group, long-time rival Rafael Nadal, in the semifinals. This will essentially be a rematch of last year's semifinals where Federer defeated Rafael Nadal in two tight sets 6-4 7-5. Nadal has a 8-5 overall head-to-head record over Federer but the two have split their four meetings on hardcourts.
Photo credit: China Photos/Getty Images
Defending champion Federer has qualified for the semifinals of the ATP Masters Cup in Shanghai--and without having to win his match against Andy Roddick.
But he has Nikolay Davydenko to thank. The Russian has just defeated Fernando Gonzalez in straight sets to eliminate the Chilean from the year-end championships and send both Roddick and Federer into the semifinals. (A naughty thought: perhaps Davydenko was bribed to win the match?)
One thing that is at stake however is the top spot of the Red Group. The winner of this last round-robin match will determine who will meet Rafael Nadal in the semifinals while the loser will go up against David Ferrer who won the Gold Group.
For sure Roddick will also want to break his ten-match losing streak to the world number one. On the other hand, Federer will naturally not just want to maintain his 14-1 dominance over the American number one but also earn a second round-robin win in this year's Masters Cup.
What a relief! Federer has won his second round-robin match against Nikolay Davydenko 6-4 6-3 at the Masters Cup in Shanghai. This win, coming after a shock opening match loss to Fernando Gonzalez, brings the defending champion back into contention for a slot in the semifinals of the season-ending tournament.
Although he won in straight sets, the top seed's performance was still far from being perfect. His game was a odd mixture of flashes of brilliance and seemingly unexplainable lapses in concentration. In fact, after going up two breaks in the first set, he was broken just when he was serving for the set. The same thing happened in the second set when he was serving for the match at 5-1.
Nevertheless, a win is a win which is what often counts in round-robin play.
He will now meet Andy Roddick in a final but crucial round-robin match. The American against whom he has a 14-1 record was the first of the eight players at the Masters Cup to secure a semifinal slot after winning each of his two round-robin matches in straight sets.
Given his recent unimpressive form--unimpressive at least according to his standards--the Swiss' match against an in-form Roddick promises to be a nailbiter. (Time to bring out the bottle of Tums from the medicine cabinet!)
Bad news: The Swiss world number one has tasted defeat for the very first time in round-robin play at the Masters Cup courtesy of an in-form Fernando Gonzalez.
Playing against the Chilean whom he has defeated in all their previous ten matches including at this year's Australian Open finals, Federer looked to be cruising toward just another routine win as he handily took the first set on a single break of serve. As usual, the top seed volleyed brilliantly and fired winners on both sides.
But Gonzalez began playing out of his mind in the second set to hold off Federer. With neither player earning a break point, the second set went on to a tie-break which Gonzalez played to near perfection. An unusually lackluster Federer went down 0-6 before saving face by salvaging Gonzalez's first set point. But there was nothing he could do as Gonzalez got back into the match on a second set point.
Gonzalez carried his momentum into the deciding set where he managed to fight off five break points. Federer himself successfully saved three break points but was clearly 
struggling to hold serve as Gonzales started returning his serves with interest. With the first-time Masters Cup qualifier hitting sublime winners off his powerful forehand, Federer finally succumbed to the onslaught in the eleventh game. The seventh seed then went on to hold serve easily to secure a major upset over the three-time champion in three sets, 6-3 6(1)-7 5-7.
This loss not only sadly breaks Federer's perfect record in the round-robin phase but also jeopardizes his chances of making the semifinal round of the season-ending exclusive tournament. That is, unless he is victorious over the other two players in his group.
In a couple of days, he will face world number four Nicolay Davydenko who likewise lost in three sets to Andy Roddick in the earlier Red Group round robin match.
Photo credit: MARK RALSTON/AFP/Getty Images
Groupings at the season-ending Masters Cup have been released!
Federer has been placed together with Andy Roddick, Nikolay Davydenko and Fernando Gonzales to form the Red Group while the rest of the participating eight top-ranked players, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, David Ferrer and Richard Gasquet are in the Gold Group.
The groupings look promising for our Swiss hero as he has an overwhelming record against the players in his group: he has not lost to any one of them except once to Roddick way back in 2003.
If all goes according to seeding, the three-time champion should meet Nadal or Djokovic in the semis.
Nadal and Gasquet with face off in the opening match this coming Sunday.
Despite being the second-best player on clay, Federer still makes a striking figure in clay as a terracotta warrior!
This is of course nothing but one of the promotions for the Tennis Masters Cup where a terracotta warrior depicting each of the top eight players participating in the tournament is being created.
This looks like a case of deja vu: Federer suffered two straight losses to the same player within a matter of weeks and in two consecutive Masters Series tournaments no less.
Earlier in the spring it was to Argentine Guillermo Cañas at Indian Wells and Miami, the first two Masters Series tournaments of the season. This time around, it was to yet another Argentine, David Nalbandian, who defeated Federer about two weeks ago to win his first career Masters Series shield in Madrid and then again just yesterday in the third round of the AMS Paris tournament. AMS Madrid and AMS Paris happen to be the last two Masters Series tournaments of the season. Coincidentally, both Argentines were also making a comeback of sorts: Cañas after a two-year suspension for drug use and Nalbandian from a dismal season.
The world number one already had a shaky start in this last ATP tournament of the season as he managed to eke out a three-set win (6-3 4-6 6-3) over Ivo Karlovic in the second round.
Things were hardly different in the third round where Nalbandian broke the Swiss' serve early on in both the first and second sets. Federer never recovered in the first set and although Federer fought back from a break down to force a tie-break in the second set, he still eventually lost in straight sets 4-6 6(3)-7 as Nalbandian pulled away in the tie-break.
All I can say to this is I hope that Federer will bounce back in time for the year-end Tennis Masters Cup in Shanghai. And at least he has more time to rest and prepare to take on the tour's top players in that tournament.
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