Photos.

Another between the legs shot from Federer – now two in a week? Has he decided on just two kids already?

Federer can sing? From gmoz / Barbara. Thanks.

GMOZ / BARBARA

the guy can also sing…
(in front of the swiss crowd, in genoa, after dc tie against italy)

Pictures of the week.

Click here.

Talking goats. From Monique. Thanks.

MONIQUE

“Proposed Davis Cup format changes.” From Mike. Thanks.

MIKE

“Proposed Davis Cup format changes.”

For the casual tennis fan and even for die-hard fans (myself included), The Davis Cup has become a real snoozefest . The annual year-long, marathon event lacks the excitement, drama, and panache of its sister competition in golf, The Ryder Cup, and has long been irrelevant to the sporting fan in general and even hard-core tennis fans around the globe (esp. the U.S.).

Not only is the format brutal on the players, it’s also a chore for tennis fans to follow and watch (a best of five between the #1 and #678 ranked players in the world? Is this really necessary? Ughh.) The ITF need to make sweeping changes to inject some enthusiasm to this event and following is my seven-point proposal to bring relevance back to the Davis Cup. And yes, these are dramatic changes indeed, but that’s what it will take to generate interest and bring the Davis Cup back to the forefront!

PROPOSED FORMAT CHANGES:

1) Eight countries shall compete for the biennial event held during odd years (2011, 2013 etc., non-Olympic years) with the US, UK, Australia, and Spain as permanent members. The four remaining countries selected shall be based upon ATP singles rankings following the USO (the final GS of the year). So for 2009, the remaining four countries selected would have been Switzerland (Federer #1), Serbia (Djokovic #4), Argentina (Del Potro #5), and France (Tsonga #7). However, GS singles titles will trump ATP rankings so had Davydenko #8 won a major, Russia would have been the 8th country invited instead of France. And for those you you who view these permanent seats as unfair, look at the Ryder Cup which pits the US vs. Europe and gets amazing fan interest and TV ratings GLOBALLY.

2) The event shall be held approximately 4-6 weeks after the US Open at a permanent member country on a rotating basis (initially USA: 2011, UK: 2013, Australia: 2015, Spain: 2017, with the host country determining the playing surface). This will also ensure the host country is competing for the title but the Davis Cup committee will consider countries like France, Argentina and other tennis strongholds depending on the strength of their roster.

3) The Davis Cup shall take place over a six-day period consisting of two consecutive weekends – Friday, Saturday, Sunday and then the following Friday, Saturday, Sunday. (No more anti-climactic, year-round marathons.)

4) All rounds shall be best of three matches — 1st singles, then 2nd singles, and if necessary, a third singles match. A player may play a maximum two matches per round and if a country clinches after the first two matches, the third match shall NOT be played. Also, there shall NEVER be doubles in any Davis Cup play and all matches with the exception of the the 3rd match in the Final, shall be best-of-three sets with tie-breakers in the third. The 3rd match in the Final (if necessary) shall be best of five with a tie-break in the fifth.

5) Seedings shall be determined by strength of roster by the Davis Cup committee with playing surface taken into consideration. For example, Switzerland with Federer shall always be seeded higher than the U.S. as Federer will always kick Roddick’s and Blake’s ass.

6) The terms “rubber” and “tie” shall be permanently banned from Davis Cup.

7) Patrick McEnroe (aka “The Midget”) shall be permanantly banned from Davis Cup.

The Secrets Inside Your Dog’s Mind.

Click here.

Whose handshake / embrace at the net is most sportsmanlike?

Roddick: The one-hit no-wonder; Karlovic: The one-shot enigma. From Jef Costello. Thanks.

JEF COSTELLO

RODDICK: THE ONE-HIT NO-WONDER; KARLOVIC: THE ONE SHOT ENIGMA

Ok, there is something that I just don’t get about Ivo Karlovic – well I do, but I also sort of “don’t” get it. This guy is really NOT that good at all. Further confirmation that he has nigh but one dimension / shot, was evidenced yesterday. Don’t throw in the argument about his win over RF last year as at this time, a number of hacks were beating RF.

The only evidence that I have that it is only his serve that has made him a millionaire and partially successful in tennis, is a few-fold:

1) the number of 7-6 sets he plays
2) the number of aces he serves in matches, yet still loses them
3) twice now he has set world records for aces in a match, yet still loses the match
4) once he has equalled the word record for aces in a match, yet still lost
5) the fact he has won only 1 five set match in his ATP Tour career. I just forget against who though

The latest stat that bugs me about this one-shot wonder is his 1st Rubber Davis Cup match against everyone’s favourite sleaze bag, Radek Stepanek. Check this scoreline:

Radek Stepanek d. Ivo Karlovic: 6-7, 7-6, 7-6, 6-7, 16-14

Karlovic served – wait for it – 78 ACES!!! He topped his previous record of 55 (I believe set in his first round encounter at the French this year against Lleyton Hewitt – a match he lost after being up 2-0 sets and at this point went to 0-11 lifetime in five set matches)!

And to serve it further up on a platter – at 2005 at Wimbledon, he matched the “then” world record of 51 aces in a match, and again lost this match.

So I guess if one like the idea of Croation roulette, one can go to the Ivo Karlovic school of having a big serve and hope that you continually have to do Sweet F^$K All in a set until the tie break. Why bother trying to use the ordinary groundies you have to try and break your opponents serve. Evidence of the crap shoot of his matches? Have a look at his tiebreak history in his career – Won: 165 / Lost: 164. Has to show he is doing very little and has very little of a game to compete when he is not serving, or not winning his service points within a few shots.

This year to date is 15-21 in tiebreaks. Dear oh dear. I wonder how frustrating this must be for him to be continually so close, but never so far away.

Next Wall Of Fame contest. Whose shoes are these?

First correct answer = Wall Of Fame listing.

Hint: He is currently representing his country @ Davis Cup. His initials: NM.

What Serena and Federer should do next time?

Call for the event referee? Duh!!! Didn’t Safin do that on his foot fault drama?

What you are trying to achieve in such situation is to get to the best result possible with minimum damage to yourself and your game.

Arguing with the umpire or piling on to the $5 an hour linespeople is just asking for trouble at every freaking level.

Going for the referee, you may still not get the problem resolved to your complete satisfaction, but at least you would have given your best shot at it with minimum collateral damage.

I don’t know, could Serena have forced the officials to look at the replay, considering how close the call seemed and that it was match point? Or could Federer have at least evoked a warning from the referee so the umpire could have been more judicious next time?

Maybe, maybe not, but it certainly could have been better than banging against the wall and hurting yourself – monetarily? and otherwise.

Did the outburst cost the two clowns the championship? Maybe not. Both may have lost anyways. But it surely did become part of a bigger package that drove that dagger through the heart, not to mention being reprimanded publicly.

Did you get the feeling that Clisters, when she saw Serena approach her for the handshake, was about to run for her life for fear of being assaulted? I think Serena realized that too and held out her hand long before she reached Clisters to make sure she didn’t have to run after Clisters just to shake – the hand.

These are classic cases of what they call the ideal conditions to know who the person really is. These are moments when the real clowns show up spontaneously and without the mask. Adversity and rough times will never fail that test.

What would surprise you most?

Fainting goats. From Monique. Thanks.

MONIQUE

Juan Martin Del Potro Play of the week. From Monique. Thanks.

MONIQUE

Photos.

Respect and power vis a vis achievements.

Ever wonder why so many celebrities from practically every walk of life opt to run for political office? Have a clue? No, you don’t!!!

You see, when you reach the top echelon of your chosen profession, you have mastered almost all the trappings of a successful being from money to girls to records to whatever humans call success. All except one.

And this last one is the root of why this celebrity status in every society around the world usually results in an elected political office.

Both Serena and Federer just got acquainted with the lack of that last piece of the puzzle.

Most athletes equate success with an entitlement to this last carrot. It’s called power. When you are the most dominant athlete of your generation, forget about your sport, you feel entitled to lot of stuff not available to the lesser beings.

Some even expect bending of the rules to accomodate their quirks and specialties. That may not be that big of a deal considering the loads of precedents where star athletes have received special treatment even to the extent of ignoring the very basic rules of the sport.

Heard of Jordan, Kobe, LeBron, Nadal?

But as these egos continue to bloat based largely on their superhuman stats on the court / field, they soon reach the point of diminishing returns. That’s the first time these superbeings realize how powerless they are despite their obvious monumental superiority over mortals.

That status refuses to acknowledge their parity as a regular citizen of the world specially outside their sporting arena. Sometimes the call comes within the arena startling the subject to absolute astonishment.

Some retreat completely so they may not have to face the situation where they are treated just like everyone else (Borg, Connors). Some make good on that notion and run for any office that can allow them to wield immense power to satiate their intense desire to be placed high above the general population.

While in a way it makes sense, there is enough irony there to dilute anything that’s logical and sensible.

Freaking point is this: Both Serena and Federer were put in their place by authorities with a message that basically says this: “We have ALLOWED you to milk your talent and if you don’t fall in line we will suck the source out to leave you high and dry”.

That has got to be humbling (also called humiliating).

Arnold Swarzneggar is a perfect example of this lineage. Funny part is that once they get the taste of this evil called power they wonder why they even became an athlete in the first place. They should have come here from the beginning.

Have you noticed how Tiger Woods in his own subtle way flexes his muscle occasionally to remind everyone of the massive power he wields on the tour? It’s just that beast trying to find a conduit.

Rafael Nadal in advertisement. From Somebody Else. Thanks.

What does Nadal’s US Open showing this year point to?

That he clearly came out of the injury time out prematurely? Duh!!!!!!

Even though he may have ostensibly gained somewhat with the reclaiming of the No. 2 rank, the damage however may spread far beyond the traditional recuperation schedule to transform Nadal into a non factor on the tour.

With abdominal muscle the newest body part to call it quits, it appears that knees may not be the ONLY impediment to him being physically ready to play at this level now.

Does that mean that Nadal is physically spent and unless a protracted hiatus in not evoked with no concern to what his ranking is or the next Slam schedule or whatfreakingever, this is a ship destined for the rocks?

With two months of complete rest, something he has never had in his four appearances at the US Open, Nadal was obviously not even close to contest a final here. Delpo may have taken him out of misery in the semis for Federer would have completely crushed Nadal in the finals.

Does this mean that for Nadal to complete a career Slam he HAS to take couple of months off like he did this year – only that they have to be slated not because of an injury but to provide pure rest for the last Slam of the year? Isn’t that the logical conclusion from four freaking years of banging the head against the door hoping for it to change into a window?

Win Roland Garros and Wimbledon and then drop everything till Montreal or Cincy. Problem is the guy needs all that time on the court to remove cobwebs eliminating the extra time he could use resting. Otherwise he could skip both Montreal and Cincy and just go for Washington and other smaller events to gear up. Maybe he should.

Davis Cup chat.

Thomas muster try to kill Tim Henman!! (US Open 1997). From Gmoz. Thanks. Good one.

Somebody Else.

SOMEBODY ELSE

Dear TennisPlanet,

I would very much like to have a mailbox to call my own, one with which to contact our many tennis-loving friends directly and exchange notes.

p.s.: I’m a Wall-of-Famer!

Melanie Oudin Interview On Ellen Show 09/15/2009. From Monique. Thanks.

John McEnroe throwing a tantrum at age 48. From Monique. Thanks.

Fans Win When Federer and Tiger Lose. From Monique. Thanks.

Click here.

Double Standard for Serena Williams. From Monique. Thanks.

Click here.

Rafa has *torn* that abdominal muscle? From M. Thanks.

Click here and here.

Photos.

Delpo’s hometown.

ONLY way – yet – to neutralize Delpo.

Anytime you let your ball bounce high enough on Delpo’s court that a straight line can connect inside the rectangle, you are toast – from both wings.

You have to force him to add some loop on the ball for the shot to cross the net. Then not only do you eliminate the bullet but you also have a higher likelihood of evoking an UE since that’s not his game – as of today.

Nadal’s game in that respect is the worst mismatch with top spin looping returns translating into sitting ducks waiting to be whacked.

This is the high risk-low percentage Blake and Tsonga combined into one monster who can connect that dot into the rectangle from a much higher and safer height.

Wonder why Fed didn’t go for the slice everytime the ball came to his backhand instead of the crosscourt shot into the wheelhouse.

REAL reason Serena exploded on the court.

It had nothing  to do with the disputed call or the fact that she was losing etc. etc.

It was the lineswoman. She saw a weak, confused, docile and petite Asian woman with glasses and decided to unload.

Remember how enraged you are when the cop is giving you ticket when you were speeding on your way to work because you were running late? Now you are not only guaranteed to be late, but you also have a ticket.

But do you ever voice your anger? No, you don’t. Why? Because the cop has a gun among other options.

Have you heard of people BSing about how they cannot control their anger? Can you freaks now put two and two together or do I have to come down there and essssssplain freaking it?

Do you think Serena would have imploded if a burly man was sitting there, irrespective of the race? Not likely.

Translation: All men for Serena’s matches.

Dick Enberg. Disrespectful, rude. From Monique. Thanks.

MONIQUE

He did not want him to speak in Spanish….rude.

Can Nadal average one Slam for the next 7 years to end with about 13 career Slams?

Did the FO title hurt Federer?

Have you ever passed a real trying time in your life to reach a place where everything was all rosy and great with nothing or little tribulation of the past? Sure you have!!!!! Remember that feeling that makes you miss those tough times in a strange way when you look back on how you worked your way out of trouble against seemingly impossible odds?

And this struggle-free time you have now seems boring and routine? Oh, who am I asking? You all are never coming out of the miserable existence you are in now.

But this feeling of boredom gives birth to complacency which in turn impedes us from employing all our talents and abilities to the fullest.

History is proof that pain is always a bigger motivator by a mile compared to pleasure.

Freaking point is this: If Federer had not won the FO yet, despite getting his No. 15, the intense desire to continue the struggle with as much fire would have been almost a given. If nothing else, it would have given rise to the notion of compensating for the lack of Roland Garros by adding sheer number to the Slam total to overcome the GOAT debate from another angle.

I don’t think Federer would have lost this US Open if FO was not yet conquered. You see, whenever you achieve on a grand scale it’s usually by a whisker, by the narrowest of margins. And that can ONLY comes from PAIN. It’s just one extra push to return that impossible shot from your opponent that makes the difference. Remember the Haas match at the FO?

So ideally getting the FO at age let’s say around 31 would have been ideal for by then the compensation process would have created separation beyond belief from the mortals that are mentioned today at the GOAT meeting.

Don’t believe it? Watch and follow Tiger Woods when he reaches No. 19.

Del Potro makes one giant stride on his way to the top: Beats Federer in a Slam final – in five freaking sets!!!!

If now the five set alibi has been eliminated for good for the tree tops – Isner and now Delpo – and if with that goes out the conditioning piece of the puzzle, 66 should instantly become the most feared number on the tour.

Delpo to everyone’s amazement went toe to toe with Federer in the rallies – traditionally the sole and exclusive domain of Federer – given the variety of shots he has. The disparity going in was so pronounced that even a 50 percent showing at the service line from Federer was not even close of a gift to allow anyone to dream of Delpo winning this – in five – of all the freaking sets.

Mirka must be just happy to have a live Federer beside her considering the literal bullets being fired from Delpo’s racket after the nerve-loaded first set got done. Only a clown with that height can pull off that straight and flat a shot and have that pace on it. The margin of the shot clearing the net must have been the narrowest in the history of the freaking sport.

But Delpo smartly did not just depend on his tennis prowess to beat Federer today. He INTENTIONALLY and successfully used the Hawk-Eye and the challenge system to irritate Federer long enough to make it as close to being a decisive factor as it can get with that powerhouse of a talent.

When Federer first sensed the probability of defeat late in the third set after a dominating performance in the first set that pointed to all signs of a straight set routine day at the office, Federer panicked. Delpo and the whole freaking world sensed it adding fuel to fire for the momentum Delpo was building at the time.

No matter what anyone says about Delpo’s fearsome forehand as being the determining factor for Federer’s loss, this was lost on one plain and one plain ONLY: Mental. Federer buckled mentally under the force of someone unwilling to bow to his awe and reputation. Delpo stood up to Federer in a ‘Nadalasque’ way.

This loss in the final will become part of the other three Slam losses which were self inflicted and had the very real potential of Federer bagging AT LEAST 19 Slams today: AO to Safin, AO to Nadal and Wimbledon to Nadal. That’s after conceding ALL FO BS.

Nevertheless, for Federer, it still has been a spectacular season this year with three major accomplishments: No. 15, FO and the No. 1 rank.

With Djokovic and Murray heralded as the next big thing in the last two some years, Delpo’s rise will be taken with some guarded caution by the tennis world in view of the two clowns failing to live up to the expectations.

But the weapons Delpo currently owns at just 20 are terrifying making it hard to predict that he will go Djokovic or Murray way. Additionally his game is nowhere near the grind of Nadal to make this head start inconsequential.

With a vast opportunity of time now available to Delpo in his quest to add more weapons to his game alongwith NO ONE on the horizon today to take the heat from his forehand, serve AND backhand, this could give ‘bursting on the scene’ a whole new meaning.

It’s far too early to predict a 15 plus Slam career today but the temptation is irresistible given the cards on the table today. If it does materialize though, how freaking close will it be to an era not even done wowing tennis fans today?

Photos.

Roger Federer Press Conference Questions. From Gracie. Thanks.

GRACIE

Roger Federer Press Conference Questions
Monday, September 14, 2009
THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. It’s been a long time since we’ve been in this room with you not as a winner. I know on this end it feels very strange. Talk about the experience tonight and the way Juan Martin played.

ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, I mean, I thought it was a tough match from the start. I think even the first set was, you know, pretty close. I think both getting used to the conditions. It was kind of tough starting around the 4:00 time because the shadows moving in and stuff.

I got off to a pretty good start, and had things under control as well in the second set. I think that one cost me the match eventually. But I had many chances before that to make the difference.

So it was tough luck today, but I you thought Juan Martin played great. I thought he hung in there and gave himself chances, and in the end was the better man.

Q. How disappointing is this not to get No. 6?

ROGER FEDERER: Five was great, four was great, too. Six would have been a dream, too. Can’t have them all. I’ve had an amazing summer and a great run. I’m not too disappointed just because I thought I played another wonderful tournament. Had chances today to win, but couldn’t take them. It was unfortunate.

Q. What happened in that fifth set, the first three games?

ROGER FEDERER: I thought he served twice, held twice; I got broken; then he got the 3‑0 lead. Pretty obvious.

Q. Did he do anything differently today than he did in prior matches?

ROGER FEDERER: Not a whole a lot. I just thought he was more consistent throughout. You know, I mean, he played pretty much the same.

Q. Can you look back five years ago and think about how he must be feeling as he’s lying on the court after match point?

ROGER FEDERER: Well, I mean, got to compare it to my first Wimbledon. I think the first major is always a big deal. Best feeling on the planet after all the hard work you put in. Especially nice when it comes when you’re quite young because it comes kind of unexpected for him as well even though he put himself in a good opportunity and position. But it’s great. It was good to see him being so happy and emotional about it.

Yeah, I mean, he should enjoy it. He deserves it. It was a great match for him, too.

Q. You seemed to get disturbed about the length of time he was taking to take the challenges. Talk about what was going on with the conversation with the umpire.

ROGER FEDERER: No, just one time. You know, what I think about Hawk‑Eye. Shouldn’t be there in the first place. So then second question shouldn’t happen. It is what it is.

Q. Was that a lot of distraction for you?

ROGER FEDERER: No, I don’t get distracted by that stuff.

Q. How do you look back at the Grand Slam results of this year? You got two titles of Grand Slam, two finalists. How did you look back?

ROGER FEDERER: Unbelievable. Unbelievable run. Being in all major finals and winning two of those, I’m losing the other two in five sets. Sure, I would have loved to win those two as well. Being so close, I think was two points from the match today. That’s the way it goes sometimes.

But year has been amazing already and it’s not over yet. Got married and had kids, don’t know how much more I want.

Q. With all the good that’s happened this year, will that eventually help ease the sting of this?

ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, I mean, this one I think is easy to get over just because I’ve had the most amazing summer. I tried everything, you know. Didn’t work. I missed chances. He played well and in the end it was a tough fifth set. It’s acceptable. But life goes on. No problem.

Q. You were fully in control early on, and then the match start to change. Was there a moment where you said, uh‑oh, I got to get more serious or things aren’t going the way I need them to go?

ROGER FEDERER: Not really. I thought I had him under control for the first two sets. I should never have lost so many chances. It was just a pity. I think if I win the second set, I’m in a great position to come through. Unfortunately, I didn’t win that and that was it.

Q. Would you say this defeat, looks like a little bit the one you had in Australia with Nadal?

ROGER FEDERER: I don’t remember the match almost in Australia. Was I up or down two sets to one?

Q. Down.

ROGER FEDERER: Down. I felt like today I was much more in control. You know, I had many more chances. It’s one of those finals maybe I look back and have some regrets about it.

But, you know, you can’t have them all and can’t always play your best. He hung in there and did well. In the end, he was just too tough. Just the way it is.

Q. Are you at all surprised that he was able to keep his composure and not get sucked up by the moment of his first major final?

ROGER FEDERER: Well, I mean, I guess, yeah. It’s always an amazing effort coming through and winning your first in your first final. Got to give him all the credit because it’s not an easy thing to do, especially coming out against someone like me with so much experience. I think it’s not easy to have a steel racquet.

Towards the end, of course, up 5‑2 in the fifth. That was easy. But he had to live through some really tough moments earlier on in both breakers throughout those sets to come back.

So his effort was fantastic. I thought himself he went through quite a few ups and downs. This is the one I should have used to make a difference, but I couldn’t.

In the end, was really good.

Q. Your play is pretty much revered across the sport. The vibe inside the stadium was to pull for the underdog. Do you notice it and how did to feel to be on the other side?

ROGER FEDERER: Had it lots in my career, so this wasn’t the first. I thought there was many Argentines there singing away. That’s what I think you heard. Other than that, I thought the crowd was pretty even, which is a nice thing.

Q. Could you talk about his forehand, just talk about it and how it compares to other big forehands on the tour.

ROGER FEDERER: Well, it’s different. I guess he hits it well on the forehand side. The inside‑out is good, too. But I mean, there are some better ones out there. He definitely strikes it with great pace and good margin, too. Sometimes he hits crazy ones, too, but that’s what happens when you go for it a lot. He has a great technique at backhand. Rock solid.

Q. The other ones, you’ve spoken highly of González’s forehand. Who are the others, the better ones?

ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, his is different. I don’t know if I could put it up to González and Blake and Nadal. He’s got a very good forehand, but I don’t know if it’s the best in the world right now. I don’t think so. But it doesn’t matter. He won the match, right? Doesn’t matter if you have a great backhand or forehand.

Q. So far Rafa is the only one to defeat you in a major final. How do you feel about this other name coming into that list?

ROGER FEDERER: No problem. He deserved it. He played well. I don’t know what to say. Rafa, we’ve had some epic ones, sure, great ones over the years. Who knows, maybe Del Potro is gonna to join that as well. I wish him all the best for the future. That’s for sure.

Q. Seemed like a little turning point in the second set, there was that call on the line that was challenged. Seemed look you thought it was maybe another mark there. Can you talk about that?

ROGER FEDERER: It was only one mark. That mark was out. But apparently in. I mean, I don’t know what to say. This thing is so ridiculous anyway. I see the ball landing, I see the ball hanging, and then it’s called in.

I mean, I should have made the difference earlier so I’m not in a position where a challenge like that is gonna make a difference. Still, I’m ‑‑ whatever.

Q. It’s very tough to lose a Grand Slam final, but looks to me that maybe this one you didn’t express your feelings of losing. The last ones were Australia, Wimbledon, you didn’t take it so sad.

ROGER FEDERER: Well, sometimes it does and sometimes it doesn’t. I can’t push a button. I don’t want to. I want it to be natural. Today I’m okay with it. I’m tired. I was tired in the other ones, too. Sometimes they hit you more than other ones.

Maybe here with the whole music thing, it’s maybe different. I don’t get hit emotionally as bad as maybe in Wimbledon and Australia where it becomes super quiet at the end of the finals and you have a lot of things going through your mind. Here it’s music, so your mind goes to the music instead of the match, which is a good thing I guess.

Q. You mentioned before the US Open that you probably will have a better idea how it is like to travel with a family on the tour. Have you got a better idea now? Have you got time to think about your approach to next year?

ROGER FEDERER: Next year, not really. I mean, I have sort of a plan in place obviously. I only look more or less to Australia, and after that, you know, I don’t know.

No, traveling was not the most difficult part here. It was just nice that they were with me every day. That’s what we’re gonna try to do in the future. Now we’ll see what’s gonna happen the next few weeks and months. Right now I’m just tired. I want to get a rest.

Q. When you look back at this, how will this strengthen your resolve now?

ROGER FEDERER: “Resolve” meaning?

Q. To get back and win the Aussie.

ROGER FEDERER: There’s a lot of time between now and the Australian Open. We have some big ones, you know, along the way. So I hope I can keep it up because I’m playing great tennis right now. I’m confident and I think I’m hitting a good ball. This doesn’t take away anything from how much I’ve achieved this year, so I’ve had a wonderful season in terms of Grand Slams. Next to that, I also got back to No. 1 in the world. I hope I can defend that until the end of the year and then hopefully win the World Tour final in London. Along the way, I hope I can get some other titles like my home tournament in Basel. We’ll see how it goes.

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