Post №: 401
Joined: 22.03.09
Location: Россия, Санкт-Петербург
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1
Posted: 10.03.13 13:24. Post subject: Про семью и детей:го..
Про семью и детей:говорит, уже понимают разницу между проигрышем и выигрышем и между треьнкой и матчем; потихоньку приобщают их уже к теннису, пока для общего развития
Federer has also adapted to life as a father, after his wife Mirka gave birth to twin girls in 2009, although his daughters are still too young to fully appreciate who their father is.
"They actually now know winning and losing a little bit," said Federer. "They also understand the practice and the matches now.
"I'm happy I've been able to stay successful ever since I've had the kids, because a lot of the press felt that things weren't going to happen for me after that."
Despite them being just three years old, Federer admitted he has already tried to get his children playing tennis.
"We've tried to put them into lessons, just for their hand-eye coordination and all of that. I think it's important for kids to do all sports if they have an opportunity.," he said.
"I'm a big believer that it's a great lesson in life, so we try to give them opportunities because we can and I think tennis is a great thing, so we'll see if they pick it up."
В двух словах - International Tennis Federation поведала, что в теннисе внедряется биологический паспорт спортсмена. И это вступит в силу уже в этом году как в мужском, так и в женском турах.
А Пит Сампрас сказал, что он не верит в наличие допинга в теннисе.
He coaches Roger Federer from success to success since years and sometimes cradles the twins of his employer. In former times he was an excellent tennisplayer himself. But who really is Severin Lüthi? Severin Lüthi in his adopted home: When he is at home in Thun he likes to be at the lake. “I can recharge my batteries when I’m jogging at the Bonstettenpark.” Picture: Patric Spahni
A Jack-of-all-trades
Since summer 2007 Severin Lüthi travels as the coach of Roger Federer through the whole word. Beside this he is also Captain of the Davis Cup team and provides guidance to hopeful Swiss tennistalents. When he was 17 years old Severin Lüthi was Swiss tennis champion. He left school and started a career as a professional player. But already 3 years later everything was over. His best classification in the world ranking was #622. “When you are young you have sometimes funny thoughts”, says the 37 years old Lüthi about the 20 years old Lüthi. “I was spoilt and wanted to go to the top, not just be amongst #50 and #100.” Lüthi, who grow up in Stettlen, a suburb of Bern, went in to the region of Thun and did a commercial apprenticeship. “But tennis always stayed an important part of my life”, remembers Lüthi. He loved to play Interclub with a passion. “I was fascinated by the team concept.” He became Swiss champion with Grasshoppers Zürich for overall 10 times. “My employer was very congenial. I could play small tournaments and stay in contact that way with the tennisscene”, Severin Lüthi says.
Over Hingis to Federer
Because of his flexibility but also his class Martina Hingis, who was #1 in women tennis at that time, took notice of him. Lüthi became the regulary sparringspartner of her. Zoltan Kuharszky, captain of the Fed Cup team , got Lüthi into the team then. The Fed Cup is the most important competition for national teams in women tennis, just like the Davis Cup in mens tennis. Soon Lüthi became the Captain.
2002 Federer’s former coach and designated Captain of the Davis Cup team, died in a car accident in South Africa. Peter Lundgren, Federer’s coach of that time, became teamchef in this emergency situation. Lundgren asked Lüthi, the profund expert of Swiss tennisscene, if he wanted to support him as assistant coach. He wanted. “The Davis Cup was always the greatest thing for me. I was fascinated by the atmosphere. Beside this I’m a teamplayer myself.” A characteristic, which is quite seldom in the egocentric tenniscircuit. 3 years later Lüthi was promoted as the Captain of the Davis Cup team. Through this work Lüthi also got closer again to Roger Federer who he knows from youth years. When King Roger separated from his coach Tony Roche in 2007 Mirka Federer approached Lüthi and asked him if he could imagine a cooperation with her husband. “ Everything was easy and spontaneous”, says Lüthi. “I didn’t have a contract. I would have probably even worked for free. Roger always asked me if would accompany him to this and that tournament.”
200 days a year
Today Federer/Lüthi are a well-coordinated team. „There were times when we nearly spend the whole day together. We talked a lot about tennis”, says Lüthi. But this changed since Federer is a family father. Last year Lüthi was 200 days on the road with the world best tennisplayer of the last years. He also worked with Stanislas Wawrinka for a while and provided guidance to hopeful Swiss talents.
In Severin Lüthi’s life everything involves tennis. As coach of Roger Federer he traveled around the world last year for over 200 days. Aside this he has much work to do as Captain of the Davis Cup team. Therefore the time in Thun is often just briefly. The more he enjoys the rare moments. “I like the quietness, I’m not a townie”, says Lüthi. Once he is at home for a few days he won’t need a large programme. Life on tour would be exciting enough. “My girlfriend, family and friends – that’s perfectly enough.” He would often need one or two days in order to work in his office. He can recharge his batteries with jogging in the Bonstettenpark. Sometimes he gets approached by passersby but it isn’t unpleasant for him. “I see it as a kind of appreciation of my work. I had often very interesting encounters.” When you are at the side of Roger Federer many things relativize. “He gets recognized in every restaurant in the world. That’s incredible!” It’s especially impressive to see the reaction of other top athletes who would become just like normal fans in Federer’s presence. “Everyone wants to have a picture with Roger then.”
They know each other since youth years
Severin Lüthi and Roger Federer met for the first time at the Swiss Juniors Championship in 1992. The 16 years old Lüthi was a promising tennistalent back then and nobody talked about the 5 years younger Federer. “He doesn’t really attracted my attention”, remembers Lüthi. “He just a short thin guy with a one handed backhand.” A few months later they met at the national intensive training centre in Biel. “I remember him well from there”, says Lüthi. “Federer was a rascal and not afraid of anyone.” Soon thereafter the ways of Federer and Lüthi seperated. The latter stopped his professional career and was looking for a new challenge. But tennis stayed a central element. “I love the game”, says Lüthi. There’s nothing much more to say. A few years later Federer and Lüthi met again at the Davis Cup, converged and are a nearly inseparable successful team since summer 2007. Lüthi arranged his life for Federer. “I had to lower my sights. But I like my life as it is”, says Lüthi. He won’t have the time he would like to have for his girlfriend and his family. His girlfriend Claudia Marcon sometimes travels to the tournaments but they don’t have much time there. “I’m on the tennis courts for most of the time or together with Federer”, says Lüthi. They could talk about tennis for days but also about God and the world. When Lüthi talks about Federer you feel respect but also genuine felt friendship. But can Severin Lüthi still teach something to his protegé? “Roger Federer is a phenomenon”, says the coach. He would have an incredible feeling for the moment. “It happens that we have developed a tactic and then Roger plays different. When I ask him after the match what has happened he often says that he hasn’t really felt it and therefore changed his game.” It doesn’t hurt Lüthi when Federer suddenly changes the tactic. “On the court the player has to be strong”, he says. It would be to no avail if the player would follow the instructions from the coach and then blame him for a loss. Another great plus of Federer would be his ability to focus. “Often when I think that the warm up wasn’t ideal because Federer or me have missed a few balls he plays his best tennis at the beginning of a match”, Lüthi says. Other players would lose a first set when only one detail in the preparation for a match would be wrong.
The future can wait
What comes after the time of being the coach of Federer? “I’m a person who lives at the moment”, Lüthi says. He can’t imagine to be on the tour and travel around the whole world when he is 60. “But I wouldn’t have believed it when someone had told me 20 years ago that I would coach the best tennisplayer of all time today.” Recently he got many requests for seminars and lectures. “I can imagine giving people an understanding of sports and science.” But that’s all still up in the air. “Right now I’m just grateful that I can do what I’m doing.” He wouldn’t see an abrupt end of the era Federer. “I’m sure that he can play for a few more years on the level he has”, says Lüthi.
The uncleared issue
What many people don’t know: In younger years Severin Lüthi and the upcoming tennistalent Roger Federer met in doubles at Interclub. Lüthi won. They would have nearly also met in singles once. But whilst Lüthi won his match Federer lost. The 2 friends sometimes joke today who would have won that direct duel. “The opinions are divided”, says Lüthi with a chuckle. “Roger really asserts that he would have beat me.” If they would ever clarify this dispute on the court? “That can be”, Lüthi says. But in case of a loss he would jeopardise his positive career statistics against King Roger, which most of all tennisplayers in the world are envious of. “Or I’m beating Roger Federer again”, says Lüthi. “Then it’s 2:0 for me.”
Post №: 412
Joined: 22.03.09
Location: Россия, Санкт-Петербург
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Posted: 11.03.13 21:04. Post subject: ПК после матча с Ист..
ПК после матча с Истоминым
R. FEDERER/D. Istomin 6‑2, 6‑3
THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.
Q. Was that a rather straightforward day of work out there? ROGER FEDERER: Yeah. It felt good from the start and was able to maintain that level of play. I never thought he got into the match, you know, at all. That gives you obviously even more confidence. And, yeah, then best of three sets, we know things are over quickly.
Q. Guy you played in the final last year, John Isner, will no longer be the American No. 1 after this. You played him really early at the US Open. What do you think about how his year has gone and just American are tennis in general? ROGER FEDERER: Well, I mean, obviously he hasn't had a great start to the season, you know, being injured and so forth. He's more on a little comeback on that front, so he's not thinking right away of winning a tournament here. He had a tough draw with Lleyton. That was always going to be tough, particularly where he's coming from. As we know, there are no easy draws here, and that makes his achievement last year even bigger, I think. Yeah, I think at this point it's all I can say. American tennis has been amazing for so many years, and it will be in the future, as well. So doesn't matter the rankings, always, but obviously with Andy Roddick retiring and John not being so well and Mardy having the issues, obviously rankings don't tell the truth at the moment.
Q. You know, mentioning Isner, he made a quick rise, sort of starting to stumble a little bit. Having been in the game a while and stayed on top, was it harder to make the climb or is it harder to stay on top? ROGER FEDERER: For me it was ‑‑I think it was harder to get to world No. 1 for some reason in terms of mentally trying to get there. But then I did make it rather quickly. Obviously when you win a Grand Slam and win a few tournaments you're in striking distance, and I had a couple of chances at the end of the season to make it, one of them I think being Montreal and Madrid maybe, as well. I had chances to really make a big step forward and crumbled under pressure. I think that learned me to always have the right mindset, you know, change things around, become more professional. Then the maintaining bit was actually pretty straightforward, you know. Obviously at the top you also profit from better draws, you know. Being in the top four seeds it's a help, you know, down the stretch at some point. But you have to take advantage of it time and time again, and that's what I have been able to do. So for me the maintaining was the actually potentially easier part. But I'm not sure about that. I put in a lot of work all around.
Q. Are you interested to see how Rafa does tonight, or does it not matter? Will you watch or not watch? What will be a sign... ROGER FEDERER: Probably will not watch because I will doing other things. I expect him to win. When I see the name of Nadal, I think of him as the great champion he is, and I expect him to win 99% of the matches he plays. So whenever he loses early, before a semifinals, it's a huge shock, and I think that's how everybody sort of sees a match like this. We all know the danger of the first round and all those things. Him not having played, for me, doesn't make any difference, really. I still expect him to be really difficult and tough to beat here.
Q. What will be a sign on a hard court that he's playing well? Anything in particular? ROGER FEDERER: Progressing in the draw. (Laughter.) Yeah, wins don't lie.
Q. Obviously the top four players have had this incredible dominance at slams for a good period now. But if you could take a moment and reflect on the other top players outside the four, like Berdych or Del Poe or Tsonga, Ferrer, maybe Raonic, who do you think are one or two with the best shot to break through and win a slam? ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, I would think the next sort of guys behind us, you know, obviously starting with Ferrer, who is in the top four. And then as well Del Potro, Berdych, and Tsonga. To me, they seem to have the game to tear through a tournament, you know, every given week, you know. So for me, they seem the obvious candidates for that. Then after that, between 9 and sort of 25 even I think it's pretty even, actually, you know. I think the players ranked between 4 and 8 have an edge over the guys ranked behind them. That's why they are there in the rankings. And, again, rankings don't lie in that case.
Q. In that 4 through 8 range, is there one you could give an edge to as having the best shot? ROGER FEDERER: Well, obviously Juan Martin has done it before. That changes things around a bit. Joe Willy has been in some finals. I think Ferrer has put himself in some really good situations. I expect him to give himself chances again in the future. Berdych we have only seen one Grand Slam finals of him, and he hasn't won as many tournaments as we believe he could win. So then I feel he has the game to all of a sudden break through. Pretty evenly spread out. Depends which tournament and which particular surface we are talking about.
Q. Last fall when the ATP rejected the prize increase here, you said you were going to investigate. I was going to ask if you did and if the issue has been resolved to your satisfaction? ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, it has been resolved. Important was communication. We know the reasons why it happened. It was that the tournaments can't just decide to have all the prize money for the winner and nothing for the first‑round loser, let's say, or vice versa. It's about having the proportion of what normally happens on tour and not have Indian Wells be the exception. It's very hard to understand all of that. So I'm happy that's resolved. The ATP I think worked really hard internally to make sure that we get through it. But we are very appreciative and thankful to the increase by this tournament, and I think important from now on is to look forward on how to build on a good relationship which we have with this tournament. And if ever, you know, I can help in any way, I'm always open to listen and to help and speak. But there was no reason for me to get involved, actually. Brad Drewett and all those guys handled it together like men.
Q. When the weather starts changing and it's cooler, is it hard to stay loose or do you try to speed your game up a bit? ROGER FEDERER: Yesterday was cold so the ball wasn't jumping as much and it wasn't traveling through the air as fast as it usually does here in the desert, and it was playing incredibly slow. Today I thought it was rather slow, but that's what Indian Wells is. It's probably the slowest hard court almost on tour, but sometimes the ball travels faster in the air because of the heat and the desert sort of air. And, yeah, you adjust. You know, you string your tensions maybe differently. You create the points differently. So you always got to be open to change and change it up a bit.
Posted: 12.03.13 13:22. Post subject: Разбор подачи Роджер..
Разбор подачи Роджера
Federer is not serving up the usual
It hasn't been service as usual for Roger Federer this year. Two semifinals and a quarterfinal in three events played isn't quite up to his usual standards, especially compared to the two titles and a semifinal he picked up at the same tournaments a year ago.
Part of that is because he hasn't been serving as usual, either.
Looking at the big picture, it's not that easy to tell. His first-serve percentage for the season so far is 63 percent, a little above his career mark of 62 percent (and 61 percent on hard courts). But the number has fluctuated wildly, and he has frequently struggled to find his mark at important moments.
In the Australian Open semifinal against Andy Murray, for example, Federer's first-serve percentage for the match was 61 percent -- but not in any given set.
In the first set, it was 58 percent, then somehow 75 percent in the second, then 54 percent for the third, 58 percent in the fourth, down to 54 percent again in the fifth set. Did it determine the outcome of the match? Hardly, but it didn't help.
It was a similar story during Federer's five-set win against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the previous round, where his first-serve percentage was again 61 percent, but went from a low of 55 percent in the first set to a high of 69 percent in the fourth.
Some early signs of this deterioration had begun in the fourth round against Milos Raonic.
It didn't show in the scoreline -- Raonic is not known for his return and was hampered by a foot problem -- but Federer didn't produce the same pinpoint deliveries during that match that he did during his third-round contest against Bernard Tomic, when he got in 69 percent of his first serves. The quality of his second serves also dropped subsequently, many landing shorter and with less angle.
At least his service speeds didn't appear to suffer at all match to match, remaining at an average 185-187 kmph on the first serve and 157-155 kmph on the second (with the fastest serve between 205-207 kmph). But for a player who relies as much on placement and variety as power, even a slight loss in accuracy is significant. Especially when combined with his notoriously low break point conversion rate against tough opponents.
When looking at player performances, the serve is the easiest stroke to examine in isolation. While outside factors like wind and the quality of an opponent's return can have an effect, it remains the shot over which the player has the most control. It can also often be the most important -- it starts each service point, and often sets the tone for the rest of the performance.
Serving fluctuations are nothing new for Federer, particularly against other top players -- last year, he went from getting 73 percent of first serves in during the quarterfinals of Cincinnati, to 54 percent in the semifinals, and was struggling to get out of the 50s throughout the French Open as well. And with so much game to back it up, he can frequently get away with it -- he has still won 90 percent of his service games so far during the season.
But it has been costly at key moments, like the weak second serve that allowed Murray to go on the offensive at break point at 1-1 in the first set and take the early lead in Melbourne.
Federer's first-serve percentage against Julien Benneteau in Rotterdam was 54 percent, and serving to stay in the match, Federer missed four out of six first serves, including one that ended with a double fault. "If you lose your serve five times like I did today, you can't win indoors," he remarked.
In Dubai, Federer had three match points in the second-set tiebreak against Tomas Berdych in the semifinals -- the third on his own serve -- but Berdych was able to hammer the return and escaped with a win.
"I think I didn't serve great overall toward the end of the second set, and I think that showed in maybe that moment," said Federer afterward.
After a period of cleaning up on faster surfaces a year ago, the inconsistency is costing him in similar conditions now.
"The thing is, if you don't serve well on this court early on in the game, you don't serve well to get yourself out of trouble, things will go awful," he said of the quick Dubai courts. ''They'll look like you're flat, they'll look like you're not playing well, they'll look like there is no rhythm, which there isn't much. So if you go into a tough 0-30 hole, it's tough to get out of it, you know."
Overall, Federer has not been playing poorly -- a few error-prone patches and scratchy starts, but still a high level of play and some clutch tiebreak performances during the Australian Open. Whether his recent problems end with the serve or not, it's clear that's where a lot of them have started.
"I've definitely got to work on that," Federer resolved before leaving Dubai, and also expected to be able to get away with it a little more over these two weeks. "Indian Wells is going to be much slower, so it's going to be a different type of tennis," he said.
Federer benefiting from slower hard courts? Now that would be serving up something unexpected.
Post №: 424
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Posted: 13.03.13 17:14. Post subject: INDIAN WELLS, CALIFO..
INDIAN WELLS, CALIFORNIA
R. FEDERER/I. Dodig 6‑3, 6‑1
THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.
Q. Is your back okay? It seemed like you were clutching it a little bit at the end? ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, at the end tweaked it a little bit. But it's not the first time it's happened in my career, so, I don't know, I know how to deal with it. I'm walking fine. I have a day off tomorrow. Everything is all right.
Q. It's nothing to keep you out of playing your next match? ROGER FEDERER: I mean, you hope not. I'd be surprised if it did, yes.
Q. Question related to South Africa. You obviously have a deep connection, 10 years of incredible work there, 50,000 kids. My understanding was that you were seeking to connect somehow with president Mandela. If you had gotten in touch with him, aside from listening, what would you like to ask him and take from him? What are your thoughts about his role? ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, I mean, I think it's just more just paying respect and, you know, if he had the time and it was fine, you know, to meet me, just to spend time, you know. I have nothing particular, you know, I need to ask him because he needs to talk about what he would feel comfortable with. I don't like pushing people and getting stuff out from people that he hasn't said before. That's not the goal in meeting someone of the stature of President Mandela. I mean, it didn't happen, so I was obviously, you know, a little bit disappointed, you know, naturally. But at the same time, I totally understand. I'm sure he's met so many people already, and, you know, he's also not getting younger. So it was something I thought of. If it worked out, great; if it didn't, I would understand. I still had a wonderful trip, you know, meeting friends and family down there. Obviously going to see one of the many projects I support in Africa, you know, and one of the projects I support in South Africa, so it was very nice.
Q. This morning there was an earthquake. Did you feel it? Where were you when it came through? And also, have you ever been through one before? ROGER FEDERER: Well, the one in NewYork I was in the car so I didn't feel it, and then here today was literally the first time I ever felt one. For the first few seconds I wasn't sure what was happening. I ran outside. I was at the house and I didn't know how long it was going to last, if it was going to get worse from there, or if the worst was already past. Thank God family wasn't in the house. They were outside somewhere. It was a very strange feeling to have, because you see the windows shaking and you look up and realize you're under a structure. It was quite scary for a second there.
Q. The weather is supposed to get quite warm over the next few days. How do you go from playing in sort of comfortable conditions? Do you change your approach to the match, or does it all just stay the same for you? ROGER FEDERER: Stays pretty much the same. I guess you make sure you hydrate even better, because already it's very dry here. It's not like you're sweating like crazy, you know, so that's not a big worry for me. The heat has never been a worry for me in the last sort of ten years of my playing career. I always think it's nice. Today was wonderful. I don't know how hot it's going to get really, but I doubt it's going to be 120, so it's all okay.
Q. Just going back to your back for a second, you took a longer time than normal to come your press conference. Did you have treatment? The back has in the past given you problems. Is it something you won't know until very close to the match? ROGER FEDERER: No, no. I mean, I finished the match, I did treatment, you know, just to make sure you do all the right things at the right time. That's what you should do anyway all the time: You should do treatment right after your matches and not go to press first. You get in the habit. You go to press first, get rid of that, even though it's not the right thing to do. So I'm not too worried. I have gone through it so many times where you feel a little tweak. You might play next day; now this time around I have a day off, extra time. Happened during Grand Slams, during tournaments, in practice. So, you know, it's just something, you know, you learn to deal with. And as long as I keep on playing, it's all right. After this I also know I have a longer break to recover, so from that standpoint I'm not worried at all.
Q. Is it the same kind of tweak you felt in the past? ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, pretty much.
Q. You have less tournaments in 2013. Are you considering playing tournaments you haven't played before or haven't won before? ROGER FEDERER: I was thinking about it, what else I would like to do, you know, what tournaments I have not yet played before, to which tournaments I would like to return again, you know, after maybe not playing for many years. So I'm not quite sure yet, because I have a pretty solid plan for this year what I want to do. What I'm doing this year was a lot of practice and then the tournaments I am going to play, that I'm signed up for. I have options then to choose what I want to do for next year. Naturally all the 250s always have a tougher date. They're either after slams, before slams, before or after Masters 1000s usually, which just makes it more tricky to play some. You have to prioritize what is important to you.
Q. Maybe Washington, D.C.? ROGER FEDERER: Never know. I have played there in the past. So that's what I said. All of a sudden, that then will be a priority. I don't know at this point.
Q. Back to your back, do you have to deal with your back or look after your back more than other parts of your body? ROGER FEDERER: Yeah. Well, ever since, what is it, four years ago? I don't know how long exactly when I didn't play against Blake, was it, in Paris? There things weren't good at all. That was as extreme, I think, as it gets. Ever since I have been doing a lot of back exercises, making sure I try everything I can to make sure it strengthened and less vulnerable to go bad, you know. I have even had a bad back, you know, sometimes when I was younger just because I wasn't strong enough yet. I think every player can talk about having had a bad back, you know. I think almost every person has, you know. So for me, it's been actually pretty good overall if I think about it, you know. And if it hurts me for an evening or one‑and‑a‑half days or something and I can still play with the pain, that's okay, you know. I hurt it in Wimbledon against Malisse and came out firing against Youzhny the next round. So for me, you know, I just got to deal with it, you know.
Q. Do you have to do anything extra, like hang upside down? ROGER FEDERER: No, not at all. I just literally do simple back exercises and sufficient treatment, and that's it.
Q. The long break you're taking, A, is that absolutely set in stone what you're going to do? And secondly, related to that, is that a kind of signal that the rankings are now sort of further down in your priority list? ROGER FEDERER: The first question was if...
Q. Is it set in stone? ROGER FEDERER: No. I mean, no schedule is set in stone. That's the idea. Most likely I'll follow through with it, but then, you know, if you'd lost here first round or you win the tournament here, I don't know if that changes my mindset for anything else. I think it's always important to be mentally open, to reassess what you want to play if you have the urge to play, want to play. You know, maybe that's the feeling I will have when I'll be at home, but I doubt it, because I'm really eager to be practicing really hard, you know. That's something I have missed over the last sort of two years, I'd say, because I haven't been able to practice as much as I would have liked to. That's why it's a priority. That's why I wanted to do that. And then the second question was?
Q. Is it a signal maybe that the rankings are not as big a deal for you? ROGER FEDERER: Well, if you play well, you know, you can then manage your schedule. And as long as I play well, I know I'm always in a shot. It's not like I'm way down in the rankings where I'm so far away from world No. 1. But obviously if you play a little less you need to win the tournaments you were playing or you need to win the big ones, a couple of slams or, you know, many of the Masters 1000s, and all of this stuff. As of now, I guess I can't become it, you know, any time soon ‑ next couple months ‑ so you focus on what's ahead. That's what was my mindset as well this time around last year, even though I was in a position where maybe I possibly had a chance for world No. 1. This time around the priorities are on the big buildup and coming back strong for Madrid or Rome.
Q. What surface has been the most wearing on your body and your back specifically? Do you agree with those that say the tour should look at having fewer hard court tournaments? ROGER FEDERER: Well, I mean, the back I had in Wimbledon. That wasn't a hard court. I have had it in clay. So for me I don't think it matters a lot. Naturally, the hard court is the hardest surface out there. There is no doubt about that. It's obviously a long stretch from after Wimbledon all the way till now, I guess, we play on hard courts. So there you wonder maybe sometimes if that's the right thing to do. But the ones that want to go back on clay, they can after Wimbledon to extend that period. They can go on clay in February if they want to. You can do the buildup on clay at the end of the year, or at least a few weeks if you feel like that is better for your body. So you have options, you know. But, yeah, I mean, every surface is different and tough, but hard court is probably, you know, the hardest of all.
Post №: 438
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Posted: 14.03.13 23:58. Post subject: R. FEDERER/S. Wawrin..
R. FEDERER/S. Wawrinka 6‑3, 6‑7, 7‑5
THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.
Q. What are your thoughts? Obviously you played Stan a lot, and every time almost it's gone your way. What is it about these dynamics that help it shift to you time and time again? ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, it's true. We have had many matches actually. Considering, you know, only two Swiss guys in the draw for so many years now it's happened more often than I thought it would. He usually plays me pretty good actually overall. Today it was extremely close again. Okay, I should maybe close it out in the second set, but he did well to stay in it. At the end, I don't know what gets me through. Maybe it's the experience or maybe a bit more calm in those moments. I'm not sure. Today I think I was a little lucky to come through it in the end.
Q. How would you rate your fitness with your back and all that? Did it bother you? Is it okay now? ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, I mean, look, I'm happy. I played three sets over two hours, so, I mean, I'm happy at what level I can compete, you know, to be quite honest. It's a good thing. I'm hopeful that it's going to feel a bit better again tomorrow, another step forward. The day off I had was definitely important for me, and overall I'm very pleased that I was able to play today and play at a high level, which was important obviously at this stage of the tournament.
Q. One of the things fans always want to know is what makes great champions great. After your '09 Wimbledon win, this picture of Laver and Bjørn and Pete was taken, one of the great pictures we have. Could you talk about what you think the common threads are between the four of you, will or determination or whatever? ROGER FEDERER: Look, I mean, I think we all did it very differently, you know. I guess we all have different characters, different games and so forth. Yeah, I mean, at the top, I guess, you know, you learn how to really deal with a lot of issues, you know, a lot of pressure, as well. I mean, I think we have a pretty good life on tour as far as crowd support goes. Rarely get booed like soccer players do or anything like that. Let's be honest, that's not something we really have to deal with, so it's quite nice. I hope it's always going to stay this way, respectful towards the players in general. But, you know, I guess we find a way, you know, to win when we're not playing so well. We find a way to adapt our games. And also knowing yourself, what you need to work on to become a better player, and then just handling it all at once and compressing it all together in the very vital moments of each match, you know, trying to give yourself the best possible chance to win. Can't always do it, you know, clearly. But I think that's maybe one of the things to me that stand out.
Q. Obviously we don't know who you're going to come up against, but could you first look at potential of playing Rafa and then look at the potential of playing Gulbis? ROGER FEDERER: I have played Gulbis on a few occasions. He's always been tough for me to play against. It's not always on your racquet clearly when a guy serves this big, but that's always the case with those guys. So it's a matter of staying calm and waiting for your opportunity and making him work as hard on his serve as much as you can try and have an impact on that. So he's obviously on a good winning streak. That makes him tough to play, clearly. Yeah, I'm happy to see Ernests playing good again, because he went through a bit of a rough patch. He's been injured from time to time, as well. It's nice seeing him turn the corner again, because it's not the first time he's doing something good. I hope he can keep it up for the year. Obviously playing Rafa, it's a classic. We have played, you know, so many times. We know each other really well on and off the court. We know what to expect, both of us. I mean, we are both a bit suspect going into our match, I guess, you know, so it's an interesting matchup, especially‑‑ I mean, it's not early in the tournament. It's still my fourth match here. It's not like a first round, but it still is early in the tournament. In the past this match used to be a final, now it's a quarterfinal, so obviously it's a bit of bad luck of the draw for both of us. At the same time, it's very exciting always playing each other. Doesn't matter what stage of the tournament.
Q. I know that the LA event's place on the calendar conspired against you really being able to play in it. Is it sort of crazy to think you might go your entire career without every playing a competitive match in this city that some people regard as the entertainment capital of the world? ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, it is. It is tough I guess for Europeans overall. Plus Europeans have been really making a big step forward, you know, in the rankings worldwide, so it's hard for us to come and play all the American tournaments. I used to do them more back in '99, 2000, 2001 maybe even; as well I used to play more 250s and 500s over here. But it's true. I have never played any matches really in LA, so I'd love to do it, you know. I was fortunate to play in so many great places, but it's true that LA has never happened for me. We will see what the future holds, but I hope it's not too late.
Q. There has been a lot of guys in the tournament who have been grunting very loudly, and some other players have been complaining about that. It's been framed historically as a women's‑only issue, and the WTA have issued statements on it. Has it ever bothered you in a match, playing or watching, and do you think the ATP should ever try to do anything about it? ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, I mean, I think it's important to respect the opponent as a player, so you shouldn't grunt too loud. You shouldn't grunt on one shot and then not the next. I think that's a matter of respect, really. It's hard to obviously control it in the moment itself, but I think if the ATP should speak to the players that are involved in this case, you know, just to make sure that they understand, you know, the importance of that, you know, that it's just a matter of respect, and then if they want to go harsher after it with warnings and I don't know what else you want to do, I don't think that's the play here. I just really think it's important that the umpire reminds them and then that the ATP speaks to them away from the matches, really, because they just need to understand what the deal is.
Q. Has an opponent ever bothered you? ROGER FEDERER: Sometimes. Not very often.
Q. Where do you rank winning your 17th major at Wimbledon among your career achievements, and how will that win inspire you moving into the grass season this year? ROGER FEDERER: Well, obviously it was a huge victory for me. Understandably so. I was also playing for world No. 1, so it was two at once. Plus my family was there at the very end. It was an amazing victory for me, for my family, for my friends. Everybody believed in me, and I loved every moment of it. Went through a tough tournament. Had a bad back there, as well, you know, through the tournament, and at the end to play such incredible tennis was just beautiful. It all came together at the right time. Obviously I'm very inspired by this victory last year, and for this year again‑‑ clearly I'm focused on this tournament right now, getting through, before I think of the grass season, but it's always a privilege coming back to Wimbledon and getting another opportunity to do well there.
Posted: 15.03.13 01:50. Post subject: для тех, кто любит а..
для тех, кто любит акуло-крокодила (см. фото по ссылке)
quote:
Mariya Konovalova @MariyaKTennis Anna Wintour will have a little less time to throw Federer birthday parties http://nym.ag/Z7C24X (via @SavannahsTennis)
Today at 1:49 PM Anna Wintour’s Promotion Causes Concern, Confusion at Condé Nast
On Tuesday night, the Times reported that Anna Wintour had been promoted to artistic director of Condé Nast, a new role created specially for her. Her new title won't infringe on her current positions at Vogue and Teen Vogue, but it means she'll take on more leadership within the company. But what exactly does that mean, both for Wintour as well as the other editors who now work beneath her?
No one's quite sure yet, it turns out. As the Times reported, Wintour assumes some of the responsibilities formerly held by Si Newhouse, who, at age 85, is paring down his day-to-day involvement with the company. According to Condé CEO Charles Townsend, Wintour will act as a sort of catch-all sounding board; Wintour herself described the job as "almost like being a one-person consulting firm."
Some of the company's other top editors are understandably concerned about this. Although they'll continue to report directly to Townsend, not Wintour, they're not sure how much influence she'll exercise over them. One unnamed source tells WWD that some staffers are worried she'll infringe on other magazines' independence:
We have a lot of autonomy as editors ... No one wants to see that go away. People need a little more clarity.
Another insider wonders how she'll balance her loyalties to Vogue with the interests of other publications:
We’re not all friends here ... This is a competitive building. We use the same photographers. We compete for the same celebrities. This will be a gradual process as she finds areas she’d like to investigate. Why else would she take the job if she wasn’t going to do things with it?
WWD reports that Wintour has scheduled an all-hands meeting with her Vogue staff on Friday, where a few of these questions will surely be answered. And how about those ambassadorship rumors, which some say helped Wintour gain leverage for this promotion? Townsend says they only spoke of the matter once, when he offered her the artistic director job in January:
I said, ‘I really feel this is the right role. We’ve been looking for the right handle. The company genuinely believes it ... [But] If you accept it, you can’t then come and tell me you’ve accepted at a later date a job as an ambassador.’
He added, "I do want her to spend her glory years at Condé Nast." And so they begin.
Posted: 15.03.13 11:38. Post subject: Striking Back Thurs..
Striking Back
Thursday, March 14, 2013 / by Steve Tignor
INDIAN WELLS, CALIF.— When did we know this one wasn't going to be a classic? For a journalist friend and I sitting in the stands, the moment came right after Roger Federer walked onto the court. There was thunderous music, there was the roar of his name from the MC, there was the booming ovation from the full house, and then there was Federer himself...walking very slowly to his seat.
“He looks a little heavy footed, don’t you think?” my friend said. As much as I wanted to disagree, I couldn’t.
Earlier in the week, Federer had tweaked his back near the end of his third-round match against Ivan Dodig, and it hampered him tonight. He pulled up on wide balls, had trouble stretching for volleys, and, except for a couple of good attacking games in each set, looked stiff in general.
Asked about his back afterward, Federer did his best to downplay it. “Same as against Stan [Wawrinka],” he said. “ I mean, I could play. I’m happy to be out there and able to compete. But obviously it’s a small issue. That doesn’t work against guys like Rafa obviously.”
Federer said his serve felt fine, and while it wasn’t clicking, it kept him in the first set. But Nadal’s superior shots aside, Federer did look more impeded than he had against Wawrinka. After going down a break in the first set, and two breaks in the second, Federer tried to change the dynamic each time by moving in on returns and taking more chances. It worked briefly, but he couldn’t sustain it.
“The longer the match went on,” Federer said, “I realized I had to change up my game. Obviously, once I was down a set I knew it was going to be difficult.”
(Tangential point: It’s commendable that Federer played this match, and every player should do everything they can do to be able to perform for paying customers. But it would be wrong to directly compare his willingness to go out there tonight with the withdrawals of Victoria Azarenka and Sam Stosur earlier in the day. I was irritated by Azarenka’s second pullout in four events this season, and judging from her history of withdrawals, it’s possible that she’s either overly cautious or self-centered or both when it comes to making these decisions. But there’s no way to know how her ankle injury stacked up against Federer’s back issue.)
This won’t go down as one of the more meaningful installments of the Federer-Nadal rivalry. Federer wasn’t 100 percent, and Nadal was still getting used to asphalt. Plus, not only was this not a tune-up for a Grand Slam—the next major, the French Open, is on clay—Indian Wells is likely the last hard-court event that either of them will play until after Wimbledon.
Yet it was still a good night for Nadal. Compared to his match against Ernests Gulbis yesterday, he was springier and more enthusiastic from the warm-up on, and he moved better during the rallies. As Federer noted, “he’s a bit careful at times” with his movement, but tonight we saw glimpses of the old Nadal magic—the no-backswing snap forehand pass, the sharp-angled backhand winners, and of course the heavy topspin crosscourt forehand, which Federer struggled to step into all night.
Nadal was happy with what he saw out of himself.
“I played a fantastic first set in my opinion,” he said after the 6-4, 6-2 win. “My movements were much, much better than what [they were] yesterday. What to say? Two weeks ago, I didn’t know if I can be here, and tomorrow I will be in semifinals here.”
If there’s one thing he’s not doing yet, Nadal said, it’s running around to hit his inside-out forehand as often as normally does. At the same time, I thought he moved well toward the forehand side. From a mental standpoint, this match brought Nadal back to the very center of the tennis action for the first time since his comeback began, and he responded with his usual competitive acumen. From 0-3 down in the second set, Federer tried to make a stand. He broke Nadal, held for 2-3, and went up 15-30 on Rafa’s serve. The scoreline of this match made it look easy, but these were anxious moments for Nadal, moments he didn't respond to all that well in the final of his first tournament back, in Chile. This time Rafa reacted the way he always had, by steadying himself after a few nervous shanks and going back to a very basic winning formula that he has always used against Federer—a swinging serve into the backhand. When Nadal held for 4-2, the last wind came out of Federer’s sails.
At the net at the end, Federer said to Nadal (roughly speaking), “Glad you’re back.” Nadal in turn asked, “How is your back?” The night had begun on a somber note, with Federer trudging to his chair, and it ended in similar fashion. How do you know when a match between these two wasn’t a classic? When the winner—in this case, Nadal—walks off the court with a frown on his face.
Posted: 15.03.13 11:47. Post subject: миссис хадсон да, м..
миссис хадсон да, можно так сказать. по-моему, она просто забирает власть в свои руки: "almost like being a one-person consulting firm" - это круто. хоть и говорит, что консалтинг, но, судя по всему остальному, без ее согласия там вообще ничего не будет двигаться. ее поддерживает и продвигает главный, а другие важные для компании персоны обеспокоены, что она загребет все под себя, будет проводить свою политику, и перекроит все на свой лад, и люди начнут уходить [это ведь только при социализме незаменимых нет, а капиталисты ценят вырощенные кадры]. акула.
Posted: 16.03.13 03:23. Post subject: March 14, 2013 Roge..
March 14, 2013
Roger Federer
INDIAN WELLS, CALIFORNIA
R. NADAL/R. Federer 6‑4, 6‑2
THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.
Q. How much of an issue was the back tonight?
ROGER FEDERER: Same as against Stan. I mean, I could play. I'm happy to be out there and able to compete, you know. But it's obviously a small issue. That doesn't work against guys like Rafa, obviously.
Q. At what point did you kind of feel this wasn't going to be your night?
ROGER FEDERER: Hanging in there in the first set, so you always believe that with a good return game, and, you know, I dug myself out of a couple of tough service games, that I could do it, you know. The longer the match went on, I realized I had to change up my game. I played differently than I was hoping to be able to. Obviously he got more comfortable as the match went on, as well. Things became difficult. Obviously once I was down a set I knew it was going to be difficult.
Q. Last night Rafa said that the strategy that he has always used against you, it was always going to be very difficult to apply tonight because of the condition of his knee. Did you notice something different compared to the other time you played together?
ROGER FEDERER: Tonight? He played totally different than the last few times I played against him. No, it was the same thing. Yeah.
Q. Kind of related to that, when you came in here, there was a lot of talk about him being tentative, or were you surprised just how well he was moving out there?
ROGER FEDERER: No, I mean, he's not going to come back if he's not well. He's not going to come back half broken. I expected him to tear through the clay. I expected him to be tough here, which he shows to be. No question, you know, he's a bit careful at times, you know, his movement. That's totally normal. Hasn't played for some time on hard court. I don't know if it's careful or if it's just getting used to it again. But we're talking about slow clay courts. He can return from way back in the court. It's not like on a hard court where you have to react super fast. And even that would be no problem for him, otherwise he wouldn't have come back on tour. So I don't understand the talk in the first place after the three tournaments he played on clay.
Q. What would you say was your percentage out there today? Didn't seem from looking that it was all of you.
ROGER FEDERER: No, but that was not the case against Stan, either. But then I win and nobody talks about it.
Q. I think you did talk about it.
ROGER FEDERER: Well, yeah, but it gets lost in translation afterwards, you know. You have bigger things to talk about, which is totally okay. But, no, it was there but I'm ‑‑you could see at least I could serve full basically, and that always gives you a direction. And then if it was bothering him or not in some moments that's a problem for me to have, but not for me to talk about too much because I don't like to undermine his performance, either.
Q. You did say at the start that there was a chance that you could reconsider your schedule if you felt there was a situation that might prevail. Given here, do you think you will reconsider, or do you think this seven weeks now that you're going to take away is probably best for you?
ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, I mean, that's the plan for the time being. And now go back the next few days and weeks and sort of consider what's next. Normally I'd like to practice real hard and rest up and recover from this week. It's been a really difficult week for me, so I'm happy to have played a decent tournament. Overall under the circumstances I'm happy. It's all right, and I'm looking forward‑‑ I'll probably maintain my schedule, but you never know. I always say I will discuss with my team what the schedule is after here once the tournament is over, and I haven't had time to talk about it yet.
Q. Have you had medical attention?
ROGER FEDERER: In terms of?
Q. Your back.
ROGER FEDERER: What's medical attention in America? No, but what is it? If I had a doctor look at it? No, I didn't have a doctor look at it.
Q. Where do you actually head from here, Roger? Do you go to Switzerland?
Paul Annacone is currently the coach of Roger Federer (since August 2010). Prior to that he coached 14 time grand slam champion Pete Sampras (1995-2002), and Tim Henman (2003-2007). Annacone was a player himself, with a chip and charge style of play, something rarely seen today. He reached a career high ranking of #12 in singles, winning three titles and the Australian Open doubles title in 1985 with long time partner Christo van Rensburg.
What is it like coaching and being involved day to day with Roger and his team?
A terrific experience, all the people involved are class acts, with the same agenda. Everyone is on the same page, all doing their part to assist Roger. Terrific professionals, but even better people, which is what makes it a great team working environment.
After coaching Pete Sampras, you took on duties with Tim Henman. 2004 was one of his best seasons, making the semifinals of Roland Garros and the US Open. At the Open, he faced a young Roger Federer. What was it like during pre-match routine and strategy?
As always, you go through your tactics, and how best to put in place a plan to have you play your best tennis. This is always the routine no matter who you play.
At the time, Roger won 3 grand slams, and was going for 3 in a season, not done since Wilander in 1988. What were your thoughts about Roger back then?
I always felt Roger was a phenomenal talent, and as he matured he truly embraced the responsibilities of being a great player. This is on and off the court, he really epitomizes all you want in a superstar. You never now how and if someone will sustain that level but looking at Roger’s record, it speaks for itself.
At anytime in the middle years after Henman retired, did you ever see yourself teaming up with Roger or any other particular player?
Not really, no. It is always intriguing to think about how you would try to assist someone, particularly someone who has accomplished so much and has the highest of expectations, but I did not spend a lot of time speculating. That being said, I feel very fortunate to have been involved with not only Roger, but Pete & Tim as well.
Throughout the season, there are some tournaments to which you don’t travel. How is that decided?
I am very lucky to have Severin Luthi coaching Roger with me. We work very well together and due to the fact we communicate so well, I feel totally in the loop when I am not on site, as does Severin. We look at the calendar and try to make sure we both get some breaks from the travel and that it suits Roger’s needs as well. As a Team we discuss the schedule and then plug in who goes where.
You coached Pete Sampras for the second half of his career. How did the game change in those years from his mid-career to retirement?
Not too much, it was right when Pete stopped in 2002, things started to change. Slower courts, heavier balls , different strings– that happened more as Pete was stopping.
Comparing your experience with Pete to Roger, are there any notable changes in the game today from when you joined the team in 2010?
Last few years has been more of the same, it is mostly a homogenized Tour– most surfaces even if they are different are similar speeds- so the game is mostly played the same way– from the back of the court. The guys are better athletes, and stronger and more difficult to hit through— just like all other sports- bigger better stronger athletes– and it is getting tougher and tougher.
Describe Roger’s defensive skills as an all court player as opposed to some of the other top guys who prefer to play the baseline grinding game.
He uses the slice backhand very well to stay in the point and is able to transition from defense to offense very quickly. His court sense is spectacular and allows him to do many things that others cannot– the two hander players can defend a little more offensively- which is different from the one handed slice on the defense.
In practices such as here, there isn’t time for training done in the off season. What are some things you try to work on when you talk during practice?
It all depends on the day and what the focus is. This changes periodically, and there is no set in stone process, it evolves.
How long do you feel Roger can stay at the top of the game?
I think physically he has a few more years. I think mostly it will be driven by his frame of mind, his desire and what he wants to achieve. This is a normal process for any athlete- but he has an amazing youthful exuberance and still is driven to be the best he can be– so I think there are a number of years left.
Of the current young guns in tennis, whom do you think can break the top 20, top 10, by this year, or by 2014?
There are a number of young talents. Although it is taking longer to get to the top these days, guys like Raonic, Dimitrov, Ryan Harrison all have very bright futures. There are a number of others, but I think these guys all have terrific games.
How do you think tennis will be in five years? Playing styles, regimens, racquet and string technology.
Who knows? I hope that more fast court tennis emerges– it is always fun to see a contrast in styles and in todays game we do not see that diversity in style hardly ever– it mostly is , who is better from the back of the court– it’s great play, but very similar from most players.
Posted: 17.03.13 19:26. Post subject: РЮРЮ Конечно Полу к..
РЮРЮ Конечно Полу комфортно в команде Роджера. Сам Фед более компанейский парень,чем тот же Сампрас , плюс есть Люти - а значит ты не один в ответе за игру подопечного, плюс сам Фед умеет анализировать ситуацию,плюс - есть Паганини и Стэфан ,работающие с физикой Роджера, плюс -Мирка не так страшна,как её малюют
Posted: 17.03.13 19:27. Post subject: РЮРЮ пишет: I hope ..
РЮРЮ пишет:
quote:
I hope that more fast court tennis emerges– it is always fun to see a contrast in styles and in todays game we do not see that diversity in style hardly ever– it mostly is , who is better from the back of the court– it’s great play, but very similar from most players.
Матч Джокович/дель Потро. ИУ, хард (!) полуфинал. 2 сет. один из геймов 42 (!) shots.
Post №: 449
Joined: 22.03.09
Location: Россия, Санкт-Петербург
Rank:
1
Posted: 17.03.13 19:34. Post subject: миссис хадсон да с ..
миссис хадсон да с Федом работать вообще одно удовольствие! Он открытый и в то же время такой спокойный, без взбрыков)) в итоге вышло. что 2 тренера - самое то! есть возможность сменять друг друга. а значит - побыть дома. с семьей и вообще передохнуть, так что всем удобно а Мирка там только как помощь, какой же от нее вред? в общем, все хорошо устроились,ттт
NafiNaf м-да(( ну вот Пол и в печали поэтому..и не только он, а толку-то?
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