Canada to host China PR at BMO Field in Women's Soccer on September 30

Canada to host China PR at BMO Field in Women's Soccer on September 30 




The Canadian Soccer Association has announced that the Canadian women's national team will host China PR this 30 September 2010 at BMO Field in Toronto, ON. The Women's International Friendly match, to be presented by Winners, will kickoff at 19.30 local. Tickets for the match go on sale this Wednesday 1 September via Ticketmaster (Ticketmaster.ca / 416.872.5000)."We are happy to play in front of our fans in Canada," said national coach Carolina Morace. "We hope our support continues to grow as we work towards our qualification for the FIFA Women's World Cup."The Women's International Friendly match against China PR will be an integral part of Canada's preparations for the 2010 CONCACAF Women's World Cup Qualifier. The eight-team CONCACAF championship runs 28 October to 8 November. That championship will qualify the top two teams for the FIFA Women's World Cup Germany 2011. The third-place team will advance to a playoff against the fifth-place team from Europe for an additional spot at Germany 2011.Also part of Canada's upcoming schedule is an away Women's International Friendly match against Germany on 15 September in Dresden, Germany. China PR is a former silver-medalist at the FIFA Women's World Cup (USA 1999) while Germany is a two-time champion at the FIFA Women's World Cup (USA 2003 and China 2007).Canada, whose title sponsor is Winners and presenting sponsor is Teck, has an all-time home record of 26 wins, five draws and 17 losses at home. It has a international record of seven wins, three draws and two losses in Toronto.Canada faced China PR earlier this year on 24 April in Yongchuan, China PR. Canada lost 0:2 in that match. The previous matchup was a 1:1 draw in the group phase at the 2008 Women's Olympic Football Tournament in Tianjin, China PR. In Canada, the two sides last met 19 and 22 August 2006 in St. John's, NL - a 0:0 draw and a 1:1 draw.As for Canada's preparations in advance of the 30 September match, Canada is currently in Roma, Italy from 25 August to 12 September. It then moves to Dresden, Germany until 16 September before returning to Canada for a short break. Coach Morace's Canadian camp will run from 21 September to 1 October. The team will train in Alliston, ON before arriving in Toronto on 28 September.The FIFA Women's World Cup Germany 2011 runs 26 June to 17 July 2011. It will be the sixth edition of the FIFA Women's World Cup. Canada has qualified for each of the last four editions: Sweden 1995, USA 1999, USA 2003 and China 2007.





CANADA

COACH

CAROLINA MORACE

NATIONAL PLAYERS

Kara Lang





Christine Sinclair

NATIONAL FIXTURES

CANADA AT THE FIFA WOMEN'S WORLD CUPCHINA 2007USA 2003USA 1999SWEDEN 1995CANADA AT THE WOMEN'S OLYMPIC
FOOTBALL TOURNAMENT
BEIJING 2008
CONCACAF CHAMPIONS
CONCACAF 1998
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Canada announces roster for home matches against Peru (Sept 4) in Toronto and Honduras (Sept 7) in Montreal

Canada announces roster for home matches against Peru (Sept 4) in Toronto and Honduras (Sept 7) in Montreal

More info at:

 
http://www.canadasoccer.com/


Coach Stephen Hart has announced his roster for the upcoming Men's International Friendly series against Peru and Honduras in Toronto and Montréal. Coach Hart has selected 20 players for the two-match series, with the team schedule to meet this coming week in Alliston, ON. Canada plays Peru on 4 September at BMO Field in Toronto and Honduras on 7 September at Stade Saputo in Montréal.Tickets to both matches are currently on sale to the public. Tickets to the Canada-Peru match at BMO Field are available via Ticketmaster (Ticketmaster.ca / 416.872.5000) while tickets to the Canada-Honduras match at Stade Saputo are available via Admission (ADMISSION.com / 514.790.1245 and 1.800.361.4595).Canada's national roster features a mix of veterans and young players that are progressively making their way into the national program. Paul Stalteri is the most experienced player on the roster, having made 81 appearances for his country - one less than the national record held by Randy Samuel. Staleri is also the oldest player on the roster, although he is only 32 years old.Centre back Adam Straith is the youngest player on the squad at just 19 years of age. Straith is one of several new young players that joined the national team this season. Also new to the national squad this season are centre back Nana Attakora (21 years), goalkeeper Haidar Al-Shaïbani (26) and midfielder Gianluca Zavarise (24).So far this season, coach Stephen Hart has seen 43 different players in his national camps. Four players are taking part in their first camp of the 2010 season: Patrice Bernier, Iain Hume, Atiba Hutchinson and Kevin McKenna. Three of those players were part of Canada's 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup team, with only Hume missing the biennial continental championship for injury reasons. Hart's roster for the pair of home Men's International Friendly matches features 12 players from last year's CONCACAF Gold Cup.Finally, several players have joined new clubs since coach Hart last saw them. Marcel de Jong now plays for FC Augsburg in Germany, Rob Friend now plays for Hertha BSC in Germany, Lars Hirschfeld now plays for Vålerenga Fotball in Norway, Hutchinson now plays for PSV Eindhoven in Netherlands, Simeon Jackson now plays for Norwich City FC in England, and Zavarise now plays for Iraklis FC in Greece. Canada's professional players will group in Alliston, ON next week in advance of the two Men's International Friendly matches. Fifteen players are arriving from Europe while five players are arriving from Major League Soccer, including three from Canada's Toronto FC (Attakora, Julian de Guzman and Dwayne De Rosario).Both matches will be broadcast live on Rogers Sportsnet (all regions), with the 4 September match kicking off at 17.30 ET / 14.30 PT and the 7 September match kicking off at 19.30 ET / 16.30 PT.CANADA1- GK- Lars Hirschfeld
NOR / Vålerenga Fotball2- D- Nana Attakora-Gyan
CAN / Toronto FC3- D/M- Marcel de Jong
GER / FC Augsburg4- D- Dejan Jakovic
USA / DC United5- F- Kevin McKenna
GER / FC Köln6- M- Julian de Guzman
CAN / Toronto FC7- D- Paul Stalteri
GER / Borussia Monchengladbach8- M- Will Johnson
USA / Real Salt Lake9- F- Rob Friend
GER / Hertha BSC10- F- Simeon Jackson
ENG / Norwich City FC11- M- Issey Nakajima-Farran
DEN / AC Horsens12- D/M- Jaime Peters
ENG / Ipswich Town FC13- M- Atiba Hutchinson
NED / PSV Eindhoven14- M/F- Dwayne De Rosario
CAN / Toronto FC15- M- Josh Simpson
TUR / Vestel Manisaspor16- M- Gianluca Zavarise
GRE / Iraklis FC17- M/F- Iain Hume
ENG / Barnsley FC18- D- Adam Straith
GER / Energie Cottbus20- M- Patrice Bernier
DEN / FC Nordsjælland22- GK- Haidar Al-Shaïbani
FRA / Nîmes OlympiqueHead of Delegation / Chef de délegation : Ron Smale Head Coach / Entraîneur-chef : Stephen Hart Assistant Coach / Entraîneur adjoint : Tony Fonseca Goalkeer Coach / Entraîneur des gardiens : Paul Dolan Video Coordinator / Vidéaste : Victor Mendes Team Manager / Gérant d'équipe : Morgan Quarry Equipment Manager / Gérant de l'équipements : Mike Moretto Equipment Assistant / Adjoint de l'équipements : Ryan Bedic Doctor / Docteur : Dr. Mike Campbell Physiotherapist / Physiothérapeute : Ted Tilbury Physiotherapist / Physiothérapeute : Dave Foley
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Victoria's Secret opens its first store in Toronto with three Angels and supermodel Adriana Lima


TORONTO, CANADA.


By JUAN CARLOS CORDERO, UNO International News Service

Victoria’s Secret, the U.S.-based lingerie retailer with a penchant for super-sexy bras and angelic models, opened today August 26 its first Toronto store. Along with the underclothes Canadian women have been going south of the border to buy for years, famous models came and the Yorkdale Mall worked in a celebrity mode, hundreds lined up to take pictures with Brazilian Adriana Lima, as well as get their own angel wings with their images, and an autograph by the model.

Robin Hoffman, of parent company, Limited Brands, told they’re thrilled about “Victoria’s Secret’s Angels landing in Canada!” The Toronto store opening will come just days after the lingerie chain opens its first Canadian Victoria’s Secret store in West Edmonton Mall on Aug. 12. “We are anticipating model appearances at both our Edmonton and Yorkdale openings which will be great!” Hoffman said.

Two more Victoria’s Secret stores will be coming to the GTA: One at Mississauga’s Square One — set to open Sept. 2 — and another at the Eaton Centre with a yet-to-be-confirmed opening date. Earlier this month, the company announced the stores would be coming to Canada, hot on the heels of the four already opened Victoria’s Secret Pink stores. However. the company only released the date of the Toronto opening Wedenesday. Four more Pink stores are planned to open this year with one coming to Yorkdale and another going to Scarborough.

Victoria's Secret is the leading specialty retailer of lingerie and beauty products, dominating its field with modern fashion-inspired collections, prestige fragrances and cosmetics, celebrated supermodels and world-famous runway shows. The full range of lingerie collections including Body by Victoria™, Dream Angels™, Very Sexy™, Miraculous™, Biofit™, The Nakeds™, Sex Little Things™ and The Lacie™ will be available. The Beauty boutique will include prestige Victoria’s Secret beauty collections including fragrance, colour cosmetics, body care and hair. Key products highlighted will be America’s #1 fragrance Dream Angels™, Secret Garden Collection™, VS Makeup™, Beauty Rush™, So Sexy Hair™ and more.
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Trapped Miners In Chile to Get NASA Help, Survived with cans of Tuna and Milk, and maybe will have to stay underground until Christmas


Breaking news info at

Trapped Miners In Chile to Get NASA Help, Survived with cans of Tuna and Milk, and maybe will have to stay underground until Christmas

SANTIAGO OF CHILE, special for UNO INTERNATIONAL NEWS SERVICE. - With 33 miners trapped deep underground, Chile is seeking advice from NASA on how to keep the miners mentally and physically fit as they wait for a complicated rescue mission that could take months to complete.


"We received a request from the Chilean government about advice related to our life science research," John Yembrick, a NASA spokesman, told SPACE.com.

NASA, which routinely trains astronauts to cope with the isolation of months-long International Space Station missions, is providing survival tips to the miners, who could be trapped 2,300 feet (700 meters) below the Earth's surface for up to four months, according to press reports.


NASA officials are currently in a meeting to discuss further details.

Trapped Chile miners survived 18 days underground on pieces of tuna and milk


Thirty three miners trapped more than 2,300ft underground in Chile for the past 18 days have survived on two mouthfuls of tuna and half a glass of milk every 48 hours.

The men, who are caught in a 500 sq ft passage by a rock collapse in the San Jose gold and copper mine, remain in good spirits after alerting the world to their survival at the weekend by passing a note through a shaft.


Amid the celebrations that have gripped Chile, experts warned the real challenge for the trapped men would be to maintain sanity during the four months it could take to build an underground escape tunnel.

After making contact with rescuers late on Monday, the miners were not told it could take until Christmas to be freed.


Officials, who hugged and cried when they learned they were alive, have warned the world that getting them out would be a long and technically complex operation in what some observers described as a "human odyssey".

Using plastic supply tubes called "doves", workers started delivering glucose, hydration gel, oxygen and medications to the miners trapped down the mine near the city of Copiapó, 530 miles north of Santiago.

"We are well. We're waiting to be rescued,” said Luis Urzua, the mine’s shift leader as the trapped miners applauded, cheered, shouted "Viva Chile" and sang the country's national anthem.

Communicating an intercom line lowered through a three-inch diameter bore hole, the miners told how they had survived on rations of two mouthfuls of tuna fish and half a cup of milk every two days.

The food had been stored in an emergency shelter.

"They had two little spoonfuls of tuna, a sip of milk and a biscuit every 48 hours," said Dr Sergio Aguila, who was part of the rescue team.

He said they were in good health and spirits and while they had water they were hungry.

A camera lowered down the borehole showed the miners sweaty and shirtless in the shelter, where temperatures reach 97F (36C), but waving and in apparently good condition.

"They asked for food, and toothbrushes and something for their eyes," said Laurence Golborne, the Mining Minister.

But Andres Sougarret, the chief engineer, admitted he had not told the miners how long the operation would take.

"The umbilical cord is ready," he said.

"Now comes the engineering design, the topography, and then begins the work of drilling.

He said rescuers were organising the families into small groups to make their talks as orderly as possible.

He had earlier warned it would take 120 days to drill a shaft wide enough for the miners to be pulled up one by one.

Work had already started on two smaller shafts, he said, one to ensure ventilation and one to maintain communications along the shaft 2.3 miles from the mine entrance.

Paula Newman, a doctor in charge of monitoring the miners' health, said rescuers had already sent down a glucose solution and medication to prevent ulcers.

She said they should wait another day before taking solid foods.

"They are all in perfect health, and none are traumatised," Dr Newman said.

"Their complaints are much less than we could have expected."

She said they were being asked to answer questions about their medical histories, when they last ate and bathed and who their leaders were to get a more precise picture of the group.

Jaime Manalich, the health minister, said it was important to keep the miners in good spirits.

"We need to urgently establish what psychological situation they are in. They need to understand what we know up here at the surface: that it will take many weeks for them to reach the light," he said.

Engineers had earlier worked through the night to reinforce the six-inch-wide borehole that broke through to the miners' refuge on Sunday.

Using a long hose, they coated the walls with a metallic gel to decrease the risk of more rock falls in the unstable mine and make it easier to pass material in capsules.

The first capsules — which take about an hour to descend from the surface — included water and food in the form of a high-energy glucose gel for the miners, who have almost certainly lost significant weight since being trapped with limited food supplies on Aug 5.

When the drill broke through the solid rock to reach the emergency refuge, the trapped men tied two notes to the end of a probe that rescuers pulled to the surface, announcing in big red letters: "All 33 of us are fine in the shelter".

Brandishing the letter, President Sebastian Pinera stood outside the mine and declared: "Today all of Chile is crying with excitement and joy."

A wave of euphoria has swept Chile after the announcement was made.

Mario Gomez, 63, the oldest of the trapped men, said in a letter sent up the shaft to his wife that the group was braced for a long wait.

"Even if we have to wait months to communicate, I want to tell everyone that I'm good and we'll surely come out OK," he wrote.

Davitt McAteer, an American mine safety expert, said the group should remain physically well over the months ahead but that efforts would have to be put in place to protect their mental state.

"The health risks in a copper and gold mine are pretty small if you have air, food and water," he said.

"There is a psychological pattern there. They've established communication with the guys; there are people who can talk them through that."

Compania Minera San Esteban Primera, the private operator that owns the mine, has suffered a series of incidents in which 16 workers have been killed in recent years.

Chile is the world's leading producer of copper and is also a major producer of gold.

Last year, three workers survived 25 days trapped in a flooded mine in southern China. Few other rescues have taken more than two weeks.







"Right now, we're still waiting to find out what specific questions they have for us, and how best we can assist," Yembrick said.

The workers have already survived 17 days underground, after the small gold and copper mine in the northern Chile collapsed on Aug. 5.

Rescuers found the miners alive on Sunday, and were able to dig a narrow, six-inch tunnel to reach them, the Houston Chronicle newspaper reported. But, it could take another four months to complete the rescue, which involves drilling a 2-foot (0.6-meter) wide tunnel through 2,200 feet (670 meters) of solid rock.

The trapped miners have been able to live so far off of limited food and water supplies, in a large, living room-size area. A physician on the rescue team said that the miners ate two spoonfuls of tuna, a sip of milk and a biscuit every 48 hours, according to the Houston Chronicle.

As the miners prepare to face mounting challenges, NASA may be able to suggest ways for them to cope with the tough physical and psychological conditions, in addition to ways of maintaining positive morale.

"Psychologically speaking we have to try to keep them on the right track and not give them false hope that it will be a short rescue," the Reuters news agency quoted Chile's Mining Minister Laurence Golborne as saying.

Physicians have recommended that the miners do regular exercises to maintain a level of fitness. This will prevent muscle atrophy as they await their extraction from the collapsed mine, Reuters reported.
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Denmark’s Wozniacki crowned Rogers Cup champion in Montreal

Denmark’s Wozniacki crowned Rogers Cup champion in Montreal





http://www.carolinewozniacki.dk/

Denmark's Caroline Wozniacki proved that she is the player of the hour on the women's tennis tour, easily winning the finals of the Rogers Cup presented by National Bank Monday afternoon at the Uniprix Stadium in Montreal.

No.2 on the Sony Ericsson WTA rankings and future top seed at the US Open next week, the 20-year-old Dane completely dominated 25-year-old Russian Vera Zvonareva 6-3, 6-2 to capture her ninth career title and third of the year. The one-sided match lasted just 74 minutes.

It was the fourth duel between the two players, both holding two wins. But in light of her performance in the Rogers Cup final, it appears that Wozniacki's game is only on the rise, with huge achievements ahead of her.

Slightly rusty thanks to the two days of rain delays, the players started the match modestly. Wozniacki immediately lost her serve and Zvonareva followed suit.

But then the Russian had all sorts of difficulties in two fundamental elements of her game: her serve and her movement. Moving slowly and unable to reach Wozniacki's tough angles, Zvonareva was broken again in the fourth game.

She almost returned the complement to Wozniacki in the ninth game, with the Dane serving at 0-40. But Zvonareva was the victim of two powerful serves by her rival, and then she committed two unforced errors to lose the game.

After 35 minutes of uneven battle, the Russian lost the first set, during which she only put 33% of her first serves into play.

The second set didn't allow Zvonareva to step up her level of play. Still unable to move with ease, she was broken in the fourth game to allow Wozniacki to take a 3-1 lead. Two games later, she was broken again for the second time in the set.

An accumulation of forced and unforced errors led to the demise of the eighth seed.

The chain of events showed the difference between the No.2 player in the world - in complete control of her game and the promise of things to come - and the No.11 player in the world - less alert and tired after a long career.

Wozniacki succeeds Elena Dementieva, winner in Toronto last year and Dinara Safina, crowned in Montreal in 2008, as Rogers Cup champion.

She leaves with a $350,000 cheque, while Zvonareva's consolation prize is $175,000.

Wozniacki and Zvonareva reach final

Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark, ranked second in the world, reached the finals of the Rogers Cup presented by National Bank at Montreal's Uniprix Stadium Monday morning.

After a two-day rain delay, action resumed Monday at 10:00am.

Wozniacki needed just one hour and 12 minutes to advance to the final match, completely dominating Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova, No.16 in the world, with a 6-2, 6-3 win.

The Dane broke Kuznetsova's serve three times, placing her baseline shots and her serves absolutely perfectly. She won 62% of the points off her second serve, a significant stat given the circumstances.

The Russian committed 32 unforced errors compared to just 14 for the winner. It was the fifth battle between the two players and the third win for Wozniacki.

At 1:30pm, Wozniacki will battle Russia's Vera Zvonareva - who defeated Belarusian Victoria Azarenka 7-6(6), 1-0 - for the Rogers Cup trophy.

Suffering from an extremely painful blister on her right foot, Azarenka was forced to retire, finding it difficult to move around on the court.
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Rogers Cup 2010: Andy Murray derrotó a Roger Federer y logró bicampeonato en Toronto

ROGERS CUP 2010
TORONTO, CANADA

Andy Murray derrotó a Roger Federer y logró bicampeonato en Toronto


El escocés Andy Murray, No. 4 en el ranking del ATP Tour, se impuso en dos sets al suizo Roger Federer, por 7-5 y 7-5, en un match que fue suspendido tres veces por lluvia.




TORONTO, CANADA, JUAN CARLOS CORDERO, UNO International News Service.- El británico Andy Murray se adjudicó hoy la Copa Rogers de Toronto tras derrotar en la final al suizo Roger Federer en dos sets. El partido, que fue interrumpido en tres ocasiones por la lluvia, terminó con un 7-5 y 7-5 para el número cuatro mundial.



Es el segundo año consecutivo que el escocés Murray se adjudica la Copa Rogers, uno de los torneos del circuito Masters 1000 de la ATP. El año pasado, Murray ganó en la final, disputada en la ciudad de Montreal, al argentino Juan Martín del Potro.



Para llegar a la final de este año, Murray tuvo que superar en semifinales al español Rafael Nadal, el actual número 1 mundial, a quien le propinó una gran derrota al hispano. Federer, número 3 de la ATP, había superado al serbio Novak Djokovic, el segundo del ránking mundial, lugar que ahora ocupa el suizo..



La final estuvo marcada por la lluvia que interrumpió tres veces el match que duró durante 3 horas y 40 minutos el tiempo de juego real fue de sólo 2 horas y 4 minutos. El cuarto favorito Murray se convirtió así en el primer jugador en ganar en dos años consecutivos el cetro del Masters 1000 canadiense, desde que lo hiciera el estadounidense Andre Agassi en 1994 y 1995.

Federer comenta: “El partido lo pudo ganar cualquiera de los dos, pero al final lo hizo Andy. El ya no tiene nada que probar, me ha ganado 6, 7 veces, y lo mismo ha hecho con Rafael Nadal. Nosotros debemos seguir mejorando para llegar a nuevas finales, no pensando solamente en el US Open en Nueva York, sino que en toda la temporada”.
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Andy Murray wins the Rogers Cup for second year in a row

TORONTO MASTERS - ROGERS CUP 2010

Andy Murray wins the Rogers Cup for second year in a row



TORONTO, Canada, JUAN CARLOS CORDERO, UNO International News Service.-Defending champion Andy MUrray won the Tennis Rogers Cup in Toronto, for second year in a row, 7-5, 7-5 against now world No. 2 Roger Federer. Winner took USD $ 443,5000 and 1000 for the ATP ranking and the Swiss got $ 222,000, plus 600 points, moving up to No.2 behind Rafael Nadal.

"It has been an amazing week for me, happy the way I am playing and we expect a lot more at Cincinnatti and the US Open in New York", the champions declared after the win, in a match suspended a couple of time for heavy rain.

Murray leads now 7-5 over Federer, all win on hardcourt. The Scottish is 15-8 in finals (1-2 in 2010) and it is his 23rd ATP World Tour level final. Federer was 62-26 in finals, but certainly the younger and stronger player prevailed here in Toronto.
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Roger Federer survived another difficult night and won Novak Djokovic 6-1, 3-6, 7-5

Roger Federer survived another difficult night and won Novak Djokovic 6-1, 3-6, 7-5 at the Rogers Cup of tennis. The Swiss will the final on Sunday against Andy Murray, who defeated No. 1 Rafael Nadal 6-3, 6-4 in the surprising match for the top-ranked man in the ATP Tour.

Roger Federer and Andy Murray will play on Sunday August 15 at 1:30 p.m., if it doesn't rain
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ANDY MURRAY: “You never expect to beat the best players in the world”

ANDY MURRAY “You never expect to beat the best players in the world”




UNO INTERNATIONAL NEWS SERVICE, Juan Carlos Cordero at the Masters scene



TORONTO – Andy Murray defeated ATP World Tour No. 1 Rafael Nadal of Spain 6-3, 6-4 in the first semifinal of the Rogers Cup on Saturday. Murray, the fourth seed, will play the winner of the Roger Federer-Novak Djokovic semifinal on Sunday.



"You never expect to beat the best players in the world. But I think if I play my best tennis like I did today, I have a very good chance against all of them.", Murray declared to the media at Rexall Centre. "



Murray employed his strong baseline game to knock off the top-seed Rafael Nadal. He kept the pressure on Nadal throughout the whole match and kept the unforced errors to a minimum, while he make the Spaniard run disconcerted after all balls.

.

Using powerful topspin shots from the back of the court, Murray kept Nadal moving from corner to corner. His slice and cut shots were also very effective, preventing the speedy and powerful Spaniard from getting into ahis infernal rhythm. Murray was clearly the aggressor and forced Nadal to play defense for most of the match. "His movements are great from the baseline," Nadal said. "They're fantastic, his movements. And he has unbelievable hands to return the ball. That's one of the best things of his game."



In the opening set, the players held serve until Murray broke for a 5-3 lead. He added three aces in the next game and took the opener in 49 minutes. After exchanging service breaks in the second set, Murray broke again to go up 5-4 before serving out for the win. He improved to 4-8 against Nadal, with all four victories coming on hard courts.

Murray's last ATP World Tour title came in Valencia last November. He's looking to become the first men's player to repeat as Rogers Cup champion since Andre Agassi successfully defended his title in 1995.



Julien Benneteau and Michael Llodra of France advanced to the doubles final with a 7-6 (5), 6-4 victory over Frantisek Cermak of the Czech Republic and Michal Mertinak of Slovakia. Bob and Mike Bryan of the United States were scheduled to play Mahesh Bhupathi of India and Max Mirnyi of Belarus in the late doubles match.



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Rogers Cup 2010: Una semana llena con tenis de fantasia con Nadal, Federer, Djokovic y Murray

ROGERS CUP 2010


Una semana llena con tenis de fantasia con Nadal, Federer, Djokovic y Murray



ROGERS CUP – ATP TOUR MASTERS 1000



Ciudad: Toronto, Ontario, Canadá

Sitio: Rexal Centre, Universidad de York

Fecha: 9 al 15 de agosto del 2010

Dinero en premios: USD$ 2,430,000

Sorteo: 56 singles / 24 dobles

Superficie: Hardcourt



Por JUAN CARLOS CORDERO, director UNO International News Service

TORONTO, Canadá



El sábado de semifinales junto a los cuatro mejores del tenis, algo inédito en tierras canadienses desde 1987 cuando Iván Lendl, Stefan Edberg, Boris Beckers y Jimmy Connor encedieron las luces del Master de tenis en Montreal. También habia ocurrido en Toronto en 1982: John McEnroe, Jimmy Connmors, Iván Lendl y Vitas Gerulaitis. Ahora es el turno del No. 1 Rafael Nadal y sus más cercanos rivales, Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer y Andy Murray.



Nadal vs. Murray (el actual campeón del Rogers Cup) promete un excelente duelo,muy parejo en el 2010 con un triunfo en cuartos de finales para el británico en el Abierto de Australia 6-3, 7-6 (2),y 3-0 por retiro (lesióon de rodilla) y una Victoria para el espanol en el pasto de Wimbledon en semifinals, 6-4, 7-6 (6), 6-4. En las estadísticas generales, Nadal lidera sobre Murray con 8 triunfos contra 3.



No. 2 Novak Djokovic tendrá una cita por la noche en el Rexall Centre, contra Roger Federer que casi hizo sufrir varios ataques cardíacos a los espectadores y coach, con su victoria del viernes sobre el checo Tomas Berdych, en el tie break del tercer set cuando iba abajo 5-2, 40-0 en contra, y quien ha dado una variedad de espectáculo en Toronto, incluyendo una rara ocasión de presenciar el arte perdido del tenis, con servicio y volea, sin eternos passing shots.



RAFAEL NADAL



SF – Andy Murray (Gran Bretana)

QF – P. Kohlschreiber (Alemania)

R16 –K. Anderson (Sudafrica)

FR – S.Wawrinka (Suiza)



“El match de cuartos de final con Phillip Kohlschreiber fue dificil. No puedes jugar defensivamente contra él, debes jugar agresivamente, si no es imposible ganar. Lo mismo será con Andy Murray, que es más dificil de vencer en hardcourt. Es fácil retornar un servicio en el césped de Wimbledon, por ejemplo, porque la pelota rebota un poquito más lenta, que aquí en hardcourt, donde si pierdes el control, pierdes la cancha por lo menos por tres metros detrás de la línea: a veces es imposible regresar y hacer que la devolución esté dentro de la cancha. Pero disfruto todos los partidos, seguro. Es bueno tener toda esta clase de matches. Si es mi mejor temporada este año 2010? Bueno, he ganado dos Grand Slams y 4 Masters, pero el 2008, 34 victorias en los últimos 35 partidos también fue comparable y muy bueno: campeón olímpico en Beijing, Grand Slams y Masters.

Hay que recordar que tuve ahora una cirugía a la rodilla y hace cuatro meses muchos comentaristas no creían que podía volver en excelente estado, pero me he ido sintiendo mejor.Yo siempre me tengo confianza y sé cuando debo poner la presión. Con Kohlschreiber, uno siente – por supuesto – el miedo de perder, cuando pierdes el primer set y especialmente que él es un jugador muy complicado de jugar, muy fuerte. Pero yo tengo confianza siempre en que puedo recuperarme y ganar, me tengo esa confianza incluso estando abajo en los tie breaks, porque aunque me hagan jugar al líimite, yo puedo mantener ese ritmo por mucho tiempo, y sólo pienso en jugar punto por punto, sin colocarme más ansiedad. Y ahora, igual tengo la ilusión de hacer lo mejor posible en la semifinal contra Andy Murray en Toronto.”



ANDY MURRAY



SF – Rafael Nadal Espana)

QF – D.Nalbandian (Argentina)

R16 –G.Monfils (Francia)

FR – X.Malisse (Belgica)



“Mi triunfo sobre David Nalbandian 6-2, 6-2 parece fácil en el papel, pero cuando estas en la cancha, no piensa si va a ser un triunfo o partido cómodo, especialmente cuando el ha demostrado ser uno de los mejores en salvar situaciones casi de derrota. Por cierto, yo esperaba un match mucho mas duro. Aun así, si miras en el primer set, especialmente, hubo varios puntos 30-todos y deuces, juegos largos, yo yo pude manejarlo, le puse primeros servicios muy fuertes cuando los necesitaba, no le dejé devolver con exito. Creo que mi juego tiene más profundidad, ahora, más largo, y eso impide al rival que dicte el partido. No me preocupa mucho el ranking en este minuto, porque simplemente refleja como está la carrera del título en la actualidad, pero el ranking vale al final de cada año, pero creo que voy en la dirección correcta, subiendo poco a poco.”



NOVAK DJOKOVIC



SF – Roger Federer (Suiza)

QF – P. Kohlschreiber (Alemania),

R16 –K. Anderson (Sudafrica),

FR – S.Wawrinka (Suiza),



“Esta semana en Toronto ha sido divertida, para mí. He jugado algunos matches en el Grandstand, algunas en canchas laterales y en el Court Central. Me gusta sentir al público más cercano en Center Court. Y b ueno, también, aunque hayamos perdido, fue una gran experiencia jugar dobles por primera vez con Rafa Nadal, el No. 1 y el 2 del mundo juntos, lo que atrajo historia y cobertura mundial. Es bueno para el deporte, para los fans y los medios, que esto suceda más a menudo en el tenis masculino. Perdimos, es cierto, pero era nuestro primer partido juntos, nos divertimos y por supuesto lo intentaremos nuevamente”



ROGER FEDERER



SF – N.Djokovic (Serbia)

QF – T.Berdych (Rep. Checa)

R16 –M.Llodra (Francia)

FR – J. Chela (Argentina)



“ .Sí, es cierto, yo pensé que habia creado una clase de monstruo para los fans y los medios. No estaba frustrado con mi derrota en Wimbledon ante Tomas Berdych, pero sí desencantadlo. Mi cuerpo no estaba sosteniéndose bien y no pude defender mi sueño de Wimbledon nuevamente y gracias a Dios pude en Toronto, recuperarme contra el mismo. Por cierto, el éxito te malacostumbra, entonces cuando no logras vencer o no llegas a las finales, también ello no es suficientemente bueno para el resto de la gente. Estoy trabajando mi juego con Paul Annaconne, que fue el entrenador de Sampras y Henman, hemos testeado en Toronto y veremos después del US Open, si contínuamos juntos. Pero Severin sigue conmigo y viene a Cincinnatti. Que Pete Sampra ganó solamente un Grand Slam después de cumplir 29 años? En el último año y medio, es divertido, porque he Ganado tres o cuatro Slams, y he estado en el No. 1. Pero hay que reconocer que Rafael Nadal volvió muy fuerte, aunque algunos habían dicho que se había acabado, pero fueron sólo seis semanas que no estuvo en el ATP Tour, lo mismo que yo perdí a comienzos del 2010. Estar en el No. 3 me inspira a tener mayor motivación para recuperar el No. 1, pero hay que tener en cuenta que los muchachos de hoy en el tenis están cada día mejores, y eso lo motiva más a uno a entrenar con mayor esfuerzo”.



LOS TOP 10 DEL ATP TOUR (al 9 de agosto)



1.- Rafael Nadal, España, 10745 puntos, USD $ 5,506,278 en 2010 (total en su carrera, $ 32,730,442)

2.- Novak Djokovic, Serbia, 6905pts, , USD $ 1,507,962 (total, $ 17,492, 062)

3.- Roger Federer, Suiza, 6795pts, USD $ 2,887,135 (total, $ 56,249,204)

4.- Andy Murray, Gran Bretaña, 5305 pts, USD $ 1,755,272 (total, $ 11,675,766)

5.- Robin Soderling, Suecia, 4740 pts, USD $ 1,920,028 (total, $ 7,287,789)

6.- Nikolay Davydenko, Rusia, 4285 pts, USD $ 571,964 (total, $ 13,811,463)

7.- Tomas Berdych, República Checa, 3780 pts, USD $ 1,755,016 (total, $ 6,823,104)

8.- Juan Martín Del Potro, Argentina, 3770 pts, USD $

9.- Fernando Verdasco, España, 3475 pts, USD $ 1,360,844 (total, $ 6,680,025)

10.- Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Francia, 3455 pts, USD $ 1,018,920
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Roger Federer won Tomas Berdych bordering the heart attack in the third set’s tiebreak

TENNIS AT ROGERS CUP

Roger Federer won Tomas Berdych bordering the heart attack in the third set’s tiebreak




TORONTO, Canada, JUAN CARLOS CORDERO, UNO International News Service.- It seemed like an unsuspected defeat for Roger Federer, ATP No. 3, again and again this year in a match with Czech Tomas Berdych. He won easily his first set 6-3, but in the second set started to complicated himself with so many unforced errors that ended up giving the 7-5 in favour of Berdych.



And then the third set, with the Czech 5-2 ahead, as somebody in the Media section put it, Roger Federer woke up. Little by little he got his opponent really nervous, to the point of going to the tiebreak, where he again easily was 4-0, but then everything was tie 6-6. Finally, he broke Berdych completely and Federer, happy for the suffered ending, hit the ball out of the Rexall Centre as if it were a baseball home run.



For tomorrow, the semifinals start at 3:00 p.m with the match between Rafael Nadal vs. Andy Murray, and at 7:00 p.m. Roger Federer with the winner of Jeremy Chardy (France) and Novak Djokovic (Serbia).

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Rogers Cup semifinals: Murray and Nadal, to the last shot!

TORONTO, Canada, JUAN CARLOS CORDERO, UNO International News Service.- It went as not even Andy Murray expected: 6-2, 6-2 so easy over Argentinean David Nalbandian, and now the British player go against a known rival: Rafael Nadal in the semi-finals at Roger Cup this Saturday August 14. “I am pleased with my game. Yeah, it was very good. I served well today and got the first good hits in a lot of rallies so I was able to dictate a lot of the points, yeah. When he did have a chance to get back into the first set 3 – 2, I served a really big ace. Yeah, it was a very good performance. Now, I am looking at the ATP Tour race and I will still try and move my ranking up a little bit”.




Well, in the middle of that, is Rafa Nadal, who after wining the German Phillip Kohlschreiber 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, is waiting for a really strong Andy Murray” Hardcourts are his specialty, I know. But I am confident, I have win 34 of my last 35 matches, it is a season as 2008 when I won the Beijing Olympics, and always try my best, and tomorrow I will do the same, he will play me at my limit, then you have to go point by point, playing aggressively”.



A. MURRAY / D.Naldandian

6-2, 6-2

A. MURRAY/G. Monfils

6-2, 0-6, 6-3



Q. You said you wanted to improve some things on yesterday. Did you feel that you did, your movement and so on?

ANDY MURRAY: First set, start of the match, I played really, really well, and in patches in the third set was very good.

But, yeah, I was just a bit up and down but some good rallies. He's a tough guy to play against. I was happy.



Q. It was up and down, is that because he's an unpredictable guy?

ANDY MURRAY: A bit of everything. I shouldn't get distracted, you know, by what your opponent is doing.

You know, when -- I don't know. Sometimes it happens. You just got to try and refocus, and I managed to do that in the third.



Q. How satisfying to come back as strong as you did from a pretty, by your standards, disastrous second set to finish off strongly in the third?

ANDY MURRAY: Yeah, it was good. You know, it's happened a few times, but I've always managed to turn it around in the end. You know, the start of that third set was important. You know, I was dictating a lot of the points in the first set and let him back in in the second and needed to make sure I started dictating again. And I came forward, came to the net a little bit more in the third and it helped.



Q. When you're out there without a coach, to whom do you turn? Is it yourself? Is it self-motivating? Is it a kind of different dynamic for you just at the moment?

ANDY MURRAY: Yeah, it was definitely a bit different. The guys in my box have been at most of my matches for the last three years, so, you know, it's nice to look over to them after most points, and that helps you calm down a little bit.

But, yeah, it's definitely different not having a coach.



Q. What about Nalbandian next, one of the form guys on the tour, 11-match unbeaten streak, just won a tournament?

ANDY MURRAY: Yeah, he's very tough. You know, I obviously played him at Wimbledon the first year I played there and lost in five sets, and then I played against him after -- I won the tournament in Madrid and St. Petersburg, and then I played him in Paris and I was pretty tired by then, but he's a very, very good player, on his day, one of the best in the world and it's gonna be tough.



Q. What goes through your mind during a set like that second one and then after it's over?

ANDY MURRAY: You just move on from it. It's not something you sort of dwell on. It obviously wasn't good, but, you know, I was -- it was difficult conditions out there, as well. You know, I just had to get back to playing my game like I did in the first set and obviously got up 4-1, a couple of breaks in the third, so you don't -- you know, that's the thing with tennis. At the end of the set, you can kind of regroup and start again and I managed to do that.



Q. How long would you last if you landed on the court as many times as he did in that third set today?

ANDY MURRAY: Yeah, I don't know. You know, he does it in a lot of matches, and he has had a few injuries the last couple of years, and it's -- I mean, it's fun to watch. I'm sure it can be tough to concentrate sometimes against it, and, yeah, he's just -- you know, he's very entertaining to watch, but diving on a hardcourt is not -- unless it's sort of Grand Slam final, you know, I don't know if it's worth the risk.



Q. That's not in your repertoire except for maybe a Grand Slam final?

ANDY MURRAY: Yeah, I won't be doing it any time soon.



Q. You mentioned that you were a bit maybe sluggish moving around the court yesterday. Seemed like you were running around fine today. Were you happy with how you were moving around in that aspect?

ANDY MURRAY: Yeah, I moved better today, but at the start of the match especially, chased a lot of balls down, and a lot of long rallies, good rallies. Both of us did quite a bit of running. So it was definitely, in that department, better than yesterday.





A. MURRAY/X. Malisse

7-5, 6-2



Q. What are your thoughts on that as a beginning of your defense of your title?

ANDY MURRAY: It was decent. I mean, it was a difficult match. He's, you know, everyone knows, a very talented player and he -- he was hitting the ball very well at the start of the match, very flat with his forehand and didn't really give me that many chances.

I had I think three break points maybe his first service game, didn't take it, and then he started playing a lot better after that and just managed to hang in at the end of that set, came up with a couple of good shots at 5-4 and managed to turn it around.

But I guess I got better as the match went on, but it was tough.



Q. You turned it around actually very quickly, didn't you? You played that terrific game to break back, and it seemed to alter the whole feeling of the match.

ANDY MURRAY: Yeah, that can be the case sometimes. You know, it was -- I think he was up 5-4, 30-Love, and played a couple of very good points, and then, yeah, after that he played a bad game at 6-5.

I didn't really have to do much for the break there, but yeah, that changed the momentum, and then I carried on at the beginning of the second.



Q. Playing a very good game, that one at 4-5, I mean, do you sort of think about trying to do that beforehand or does it happen? How did it come about?

ANDY MURRAY: Well, like I say, he was playing very well, and I needed to get a bit more energy into my performance, but sometimes it's difficult when a guy is hitting big balls, lot of winners, not that many long rallies. Just in that game I came up with a couple of very good passes.

There was a few long rallies in that game, and, yeah, that just does make you feel better when you start, get into more of a rhythm when you're hitting more balls. Yeah, just kind of settles you down a little bit, because the first match for anyone in any tournament is always difficult, and you don't normally feel that comfortable. Once I got that break, I settled down a bit.



Q. When was the last time that you feel you could turn a match around just quite so quickly as that?

ANDY MURRAY: Um, well, I don't know. It happens more than people think. It can be -- you know, when you're a break down, you get the break back, it's almost -- you know, when I played Querrey at Wimbledon, for example, I was up 5-4 serving for the first set and then got broken back and I was down Love-40 in my next service game.

Then after I hung on there to, you know, to fight back, I felt just way more comfortable, a lot more relaxed. It happens more than you think, but I don't know when the last time it was.



Q. After this win, what is your confidence level going into the third round of play?

ANDY MURRAY: I feel good. I mean, today could have been a little bit better from the start, but, you know, the first round is tough, and I was playing against a very good player.

I'm sure I'll feel better tomorrow, but I've got a difficult match against Monfils.



Q. Just a question about Nadal. You played him a lot of times. What are the two or three biggest differences between playing him on clay and playing him on hardcourts?

ANDY MURRAY: Um, well, I mean, it's the surface that makes it different, not necessarily the way that -- the way that he plays. You know, he -- he dictates -- it's easier for him to dictate points on clay with his forehand, and it's easier for him to return, as well.

So he gets into more long rallies. When he gets into long rallies is when he's -- you know, that's when he's the best in the world. Against him it's important to try to keep the points as short as you can, and it's a lot harder to do that on the clay compared with on the grass and the hardcourts.



Q. You said you could be a bit better. You said you felt good. Was there anything in your game today that you felt you need to improve for the rest of the tournament with such a strong field in front of you?

ANDY MURRAY: I felt I needed to move better. The start of the match, I didn't feel like I was moving that well and my footwork wasn't that good. Once I started moving better, you know, and got into a few longer rallies I started to feel better. So, you know, the movement does tend to help most of your game. You'll start to hit the ball a lot cleaner and feel a lot more comfortable on the ball if you're in the right position. If you feel you can chase down a lot of balls, you know, you'll feel more comfortable on the court.

So I did move better in the second set, but that's the one thing I'll need to do well in the next matches.



Q. What is it that influences whether you move well or not?

ANDY MURRAY: It comes from just playing matches. You start to move better, but, you know, like I said, I need to have a little bit more energy maybe right at the beginning of the match, you know, need to get a bit more -- just be more energetic from the start. That normally helps.

Sometimes when you aren't feeling your best, you need to force yourself to move and really, you know, put emphasis on your footwork and your movement, and I'll probably do that tomorrow.





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All-time men's leader with 16 Grand Slam titles, Roger Federer looks for new challenges at 29








All-time men's leader with 16 Grand Slam titles, Roger Federer looks for new challenges at 29

TORONTO, ONTARIO, JUAN CARLOS CORDERO, UNO International News Service.- For Roger Federer, tonight’s quarter-finals match with Czech nemesis Tomas Berdych won’t be a piece of cake, even when he leads 8-3 in victories. However, during the whole 2010, the Swiss has not been able to defeat Berdych. He lost at the ATP Masters 1000 in Miami hard court in the round of 16 6-4, 6-7 (3), 7-6 (6) and the most painful defeat at Wimbledon in the quarter-finals of the green grass of the Tennis Cathedral 6-4, 3-6, 6-1 and 6-4.
Some say that Roger Federer looked a little bit rusty in his debut in Toronto, but current No. 3 actually seems determined to recover or at least reduced the distance with Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, who eventually could be his rival in semi-finals if he is able to win Berdych. As in sports, surprises are facts of life, Rexall Centre will be the stage where both men’s battles will re-enact. Berdych has a 70-48 record career, but Federer is the all-time leader in the ATP Masters with 211 match wins (Agassi was surpassed, 209) and also is the all-time men’s leader with 16 Grand Slam title and has won 712 matches vs. 170 defeats. He is away two wins away from No. 9 Boris Becker (713). His 62 titles is only tied for No. 6 with Guillermo Villas and his only one away from tying Bjorn Borg and two away from Pete Sampras at No. 4.
As you can see, there is plenty for Roger Federer still to accomplish, after celebrating his 29 birthday last Sunday in Toronto and starting a great family, changing diapers and playing with his twins, a new life to laugh, cry and enjoy.

ROGER FEDERER, Switzerland
Residence: Bottimingen, Switzerland
Date of Birth: August 8, 1981
Birthplace: Basel, Switzerland
Height: 6’1”” (1.85 m)
Weight: 187 lbs (85 kg)
Pro Since: 1998
Plays: Right-handed
Rogers Cup Appearances: 8
Rogers Cup Record: 27-6
Best Rogers Cup: Champion, 2004 and 2006
R. FEDERER/M. Llodra
7-6, 6-3


Q. Nice to play some old-school tennis again today?
ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, it is fun playing that kind of a style once in a while. Again, I kind of miss it, obviously. Having come through the rankings, you know, back in '98, '99, 2000, I was facing many of those kind of players, especially on the faster courts indoors. You had many more of the clay courters purely playing on clay or slow hardcourt, and hardcourt specialists on the grass and the indoors and the faster hardcourts, and then sometimes they would mix up, and today that's not the case anymore. Everything is much more open for everybody to play on all the surfaces, and it's a different kind of tennis today. But it was fun playing against Michael today. I thought he played well.

Q. Has anyone ever asked for your shirt after a match before? When was the last time you were on the receiving end of an underhanded serve?
ROGER FEDERER: It's the first time I got an underarm serve; third time somebody asked me for the shirt.
He said there was no chance to get a round, that he needed one for his kids. So it's like, Okay, no problem. I've known him 16 years, and he's older one year, so I couldn't say no.

Q. You know, I noticed maybe more than the past when you're ahead in the games you're starting to try and shorten the points, serve and volley. Is it something you focused on, or was it something that you've added with Paul Annacone or...
ROGER FEDERER: No, I think today again is one of those kind of matches, short rallies were always going to happen. This is how it was used to be played. You rather hit a volley than a passing shot.
And he's a good volleyer, a good athlete at the net, and that's why you want to try to move forward early on in the point, because otherwise if you play just one shot a bit passive, he'll be the one making the move, and then you have to come up with maybe a passing shot on the run.
That is not something you want to do. So I think that was obviously one of the reasons why I played offensive today.

Q. Who else asked you for your shirt, and did you give it to them?
ROGER FEDERER: Yeah. No problem. Whoever asks, I give it, you know. It was not on the court. The guy one time, it was in the elevator coming back -- well, in the elevator coming back from the match. (Laughter.)

Q. It was another player?
ROGER FEDERER: It was another player in Bangkok. Yeah, it was fun. He was a Brazilian.

Q. Can you explain exactly how your association with Paul Annacone came to be? Who approached who? Did you speak with Pete or Tim to get their insider info on what he's like as a coach?
ROGER FEDERER: Spoke to Tim about it. Been in touch with Paul for many years, really, because he was always very friendly with our team through obviously work with Henman and Pete before that, so always got along well.
I contacted him after -- we had contact a year ago already, but it's really only this year now that sort of the LTA thing is phasing out that I thought it was the right moment to approach him. That's kind of how it went.

Q. I watched you practice a little bit in Miami this year, and you were with Severin and hitting with Dlouhy, I think. You were just having a great time. You were...
ROGER FEDERER: I like tennis, you know. (Laughter.)

Q. Looked like you like tennis. Today there were some points of levity, also. You kind of framed one shot and turned around and laughed. How important is that attitude for you throughout your career? How does it help you?
ROGER FEDERER: Well, I think it's important in the long run, you know, that -- I mean, in practice, anyway, I'm obviously much more laid back than in the match, because in the match a point here or there can have huge momentum swing and you end up losing the match.
I'd rather be focused and be around for many matches than, you know, play the clown and be only here for one match.
It's always a fine line to know how much can you really laugh, how much can you have fun. But today, I know my opponent so well and having a lot of fun points, I think it was really a possibility to have more fun out there.
In the practice, I always have it. It's important regardless if you're playing well at tournaments or not that the practice, you always, you know, enjoy it, because if you don't enjoy those anymore, then the whole grind becomes really tough.
That's never happened to me, and that's why I'm happy to be here.

Q. Speaking of shirts, your choice of color has been generating a lot of buzz for some reason. Do you get to choose what you wear, or does Nike choose to put both you and Rafa in pink this week?
ROGER FEDERER: I think it was a coincidence that we're both in pink. I didn't even know he was going to be playing in pink, because we kind of decide the colors we are going to play probably over a year ahead.
I don't know where my head was when I chose pink, but I like it, you know (laughter). Honestly I've gotten a lot of praise for it, you know.
People apparently like it, you know. So that's a good thing. It's only for, unfortunately or luckily, only for two tournaments because I'm going to be changing again for the Open, and I thought it was going to be something fun for the summer. That's kind of how it goes.
No, I have a huge impact and input on what I'm going to wear. One time I think I was supposed to wear something yellow. I forgot that I said yes to it. I asked them if I couldn't just change it and play in the old shirt, so that's happened before.
Now I'm much more on top of it from my side, especially, knowing when the deadlines are and when to choose the colors and if it's a shirt or a T-shirt. We work very closely with Nike. It's a lot of fun, and they're great.

Q. You talked about having a fun match and some kind of fun shots. One that jumped out to me, it was like a half volley in the game that you won -- you went up 4-3. Do you know the shot I'm talking about? It was a half volley over the net and it kind of spun back and looked like it hit your opponent in the face almost with -- there was so much spin on it.
ROGER FEDERER: I don't remember it.

Q. You don't remember the shot? It was a good shot.
ROGER FEDERER: Anyway, it was a good one? Perfect.
No, but like you say, I think there were some good ones out there, some unusual shots, you know, like the lob, the passing shots, the little flick stuff. You have to come up with -- I remember that's how I played the whole time, coming up, and then I had to improve so much on my baseline game because all the guys leading the rankings sort of like Ferrero and Nalbandian and Hewitt and Safin and Roddick even, I mean, they were all playing from the baseline.
This is when I realized I also have to be more patient and not just approach on anything, because they were not coming in anymore. You have to maneuver the opponents around a bit more and be smart about it. So it was a really fun match. I enjoyed it.

Q. What are you looking to change -- I guess your next opponent, Tomas Berdych, you lost to him the last few times out.
ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, I definitely have to go back, and, you know, think what didn't go so well against him and what did work well. He's definitely on the run right now, so hope to stop him a bit. He played great in Paris, at Wimbledon, and also, he beat me in Miami in a tough three-setter where I had match point, so that was a bit of a pity, obviously.
So I hope to learn from those mistakes and come up with a good game plan tomorrow.

Q. You talked about how the game has changed in terms of the style. Llodra, you used to see a lot more of those guys. What about the depth? You see at an event like this, you don't have a Tsonga or Del Potro, and Roddick is not here, and yet there seems to be match after match -- the depth, do you notice a change over the past decade?
ROGER FEDERER: Well, what I see is that guys are serving harder in general, you know. Everybody's clocking the 200 quite comfortably today. Before, 200 used to be a big serve. Today it's kind of the norm.
Second serves, you know, we used to have a lot of guys serving 130s, 150s before. Now everybody is around 150, 160, 170, and that kind of neutralizes the point a bit more from the start.
I think also guys maybe return a bit better but then again maybe don't volley as well, so there's not much of those pressure plays like we used to have. Match is played on a couple shots here and there like we see indoors or on grass sometimes. Those you had much more in any surface, you know.
So I don't know if it's harder or not, but I definitely think the depth is big. Guys are hitting the ball bigger than ever. I think the string has been a huge change in how the guys are playing these days. Before, I remember you could hit hard and long. Today you can even hit hard and short cross, which is incredible, you know, the angles we can get when we hit the ball.
And I think that's been the biggest change is that you can just go from hitting long to hitting short cross all of a sudden with the same amount the space, and that's something that was not possible with sort of the all-gut string before when I was coming up.


Q. You've been quoted of saying in the past that you've created a bit of a monster when it comes to expectations that fans and the media have. After Wimbledon, losing in the quarters, you seemed obviously frustrated. Do you feel that sometimes you've created this monster in yourself, or do you think the expectations of fans and the media might be a little much?
ROGER FEDERER: No, I don't think I was frustrated after my loss from Wimbledon. I was disappointed that my body wasn't holding up and that Berdych played such a good match and that I couldn't defend my Wimbledon dream again.
So that was the point for Wimbledon. Obviously with all the success, you know, I got spoiled. Everybody around me got spoiled. So it's obvious when I don't make -- when I don't win the tournament basically or to the finals also not sometimes good enough for people and myself that it's normal that everybody talks a different way all of a sudden. That's something I have to deal with, and I'm looking forward to hopefully change that again and play well again here in the States, for instance, and in Canada.

Q. Could you just talk a little bit about the situation of actually hooking up with Paul Annacone and how it's going and what your expectations might be?
ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, Paul came to Switzerland after Wimbledon at some stage. I had vacation first, which is obviously key for me to just get back on my feet and feel normal again. It took me about 10 days to get over the aches and pains I have had over the three-week period from Halle until the end of Wimbledon.
I've always gotten along very well with Paul, him being obviously the coach of Sampras and Henman who were sort of friends to me and I know very well.
So I thought it was a good time to do a test, and this is our first test tournament we're doing. We're taking it slow, and we'll see what happens next week. We don't even know yet. He's got still some commitments with the LTA, and I respect that, obviously, and I want him to fulfill that, as well. He wants to do that, too.
We'll see how it goes, and we will take a decision maybe after the US Open and see what I'll do.

Q. Severin still...
ROGER FEDERER: Severin's coming to Cincinnati, yeah.

Q. Obviously you've been working with Paul. What else have you been doing with your time off?
ROGER FEDERER: Like I said, I had a great vacation after Wimbledon. Beautiful weather obviously in Europe, and we enjoyed that, and then it was nice to be home for like three weeks which is, for us, a very long time. I know it's not that long, but three weeks for us is a big deal.
So that was nice, you know, just get away from it all. Did a couple of sponsor things. Didn't do any media whatsoever. So it was nice to get away from it all, you know, also, just the people, like the whole scene I know throughout the whole year, and then, you know, you get very excited again to go back on tour and pack your bags and go on a trip again. So very happy to be back on tour obviously again.

Q. It's a big change for you to hire someone like Paul. What do you hope to get out of him? How do you hope to tweak your game to get back to the No. 1 ranking again?
ROGER FEDERER: Well, I mean, the goal has always been for me to improve as a player, and, you know, I won't just be happy of playing the same way for years and years and years. I've always questioned myself in the best of times and in, you know, in the worst of times, even though there were not many worst moments, bad moments, the last seven years or so. But I always look at new ways I can improve on. Paul, I think, with his experience can bring something to our team, and that's what we're exploring right now.

Q. Could you just maybe assess your season in general? You obviously got the Australian Open win off the top, but it's been a few struggles throughout the year. Can you just talk a little bit about what you want to do to move forward, and have you done anything to your game, any changes, any major things you need to work on?
ROGER FEDERER: Yeah. I mean, I think it would be great to have more time off to work on my game, but it's the same dilemma for all the players. You know, the season is long. It's the way it is. That's why it, for me, was important to take a rest and really work on my game again.
I think, by doing that, I'm confident that the results will come back eventually. I'm doing all the right things with the last years and stuff. I was definitely disappointed, as well, that I couldn't play better right after the Australian Open, which I thought was some of my best tennis I ever played in my life, you know.
But I think the lung infection threw back a bit, lost a bit confidence, only played two tournaments in a three-month period and I got to clay and had a couple tough losses early on. I started to play better only when Rome came around, and I actually played okay in Paris and ran into, you know, Soderling who played great, and also at Wimbledon I ran into Berdych who played great.
It was a bit of a disappointing obviously Grand Slam run there as well for me. I thought the guys played great, and I have to make some adjustments just to make sure I stay ahead of the pack, and that's what I've been trying to do in the practice. I haven't played that many tournaments, after all. It's hard to judge.

Q. Can you tell us why you're not entered into the doubles here in Toronto this year? What's your take on the pairing of Nadal and Djokovic, the world's No. 1 and 2 players together?
ROGER FEDERER: Um, yeah, I think it's always fun when singles guys enter the doubles at tournaments. You know, I do it occasionally. Now having, you know, Paul around, I didn't want to spend extra time on, you know, warming up for doubles or thinking about it. I just wanted to focus on singles and getting back onto the tour, even though usually after six weeks' break or so I do come back and like to have that extra doubles match maybe.
But I didn't choose to, but I think it's great Nadal is playing with Novak. They know each other. We all know each other. We've been on the council, and they have the same guy who handles the press. So I'm sure they're very friendly and it's great for the fans, good for the game, so I'm for it.

Q. It's only been a short period, but have there been one or two things Paul has said that you've found insightful?
ROGER FEDERER: Sure. We've been spending two or almost three weeks together. It's been interesting, you know, with all the experience he's had with all the top players, and just hearing someone else for a change is good, too, you know.
It's also been interesting with the combination with Severin in Switzerland, you know, my coach who has been with me the last three years who has been looking at ways to adjust and play differently or play more aggressive or more defensive, use the right shots and also just handled the tour, you know, the daily routine that I'm doing. It's interesting that we're going through all the different things. It's been a long break.
It also gave me a lot of time to think about how I now want to approach and attack the end of the year and the next following years after that.

Q. You have had probably the most extended dominant run that any athlete has ever had, and you've been doing it for an awfully long time. You're 29 now. I think Pete Sampras only ever won one Slam after 29. You have talked during this kind of struggle that you still believe you can do this. Has there ever been a moment during this last year, year and a half where you don't think you can be No. 1 again and don't believe you can be the best player in the world for an extended period again?
ROGER FEDERER: Well, the last one-and-a-half years I've won like three or four Slams, and I got to No. 1, so I felt I could get to No. 1 because I was No. 1. So it's a funny question.
But no, I mean, obviously Rafa came back very strong. They wrote him off, too, which was to me surprising, especially because he couldn't play Wimbledon last year. There was a bit of negativity hype around him being awfully injured and stuff, but he also only missed six weeks. I missed about the same at the beginning of the year, too, but I only missed Dubai but he missed Wimbledon.
Sometimes, you know, the press gets too carried away too quickly. It's understandable with our success we've had, Rafa, myself, you know, but I think, you know, the last couple years I've been a bit -- especially when I wanted to practice, you know, I had mono, the lung infection, I had back issues a couple of times. So I just had to -- I was maybe lacking some practice and maybe all of that, then, you know, came together. Seems that I was not playing so well when I really wanted to, but at the same time I still had a great run I think in the last two or three years.
I did pick up a handful of Grand Slam titles I got back to No. 1 and had an amazing streak in Paris, to win that last year, and Wimbledon, as well. It was unbelievable what I was able to experience, you know. Now it's, you know, coming from behind again, you know.
Being ranked No. 3 in the world is something I haven't been in a very long time, so also gives me motivation and a drive to come forward again, and I'm doing all the right things and it's, to me, just a matter of time. But guys are getting good and it's inspiring for me also to get better.

Q. Just to add on to the doubles question quickly from earlier, do you feel you'd ever play with Nadal if he asked you to play doubles together, or like a Djokovic, or do you view that as a conflict of interest?
ROGER FEDERER: Well, Rafa asked me a few years ago to play doubles in I think it was Madrid indoors or so, but then I think our rivalry was so intense, I just felt like it was the wrong thing to do. Like you say, could be like a conflict and not something we should be doing.
It would have been great for the game, but I think it would have been a bit of a curveball for everybody. It was fierce rivals, now all a sudden they're being friendly. I don't think the press would have enjoyed that so much. They want to put us against each other, not with each other. But today I think we're much more laid back, me especially, too, because I didn't have a rival for a long period of time, and then Rafa came up and there was -- it was great, you know, but I just didn't feel like we needed to play doubles together.
No, I would see myself playing with Rafa. It's just, if I do play, I want to play with my friends from Switzerland, help those guys out, and I don't know, play with other top guys. I could imagine myself doing that.

Q. It's been a very long time since you've gone into a tournament ranked No. 3. I'm just wondering how that number specifically affects you mentally sort of preparing for your play this week.
ROGER FEDERER: Not at all. I didn't even know I dropped to 3 until I looked at the rankings once. I was like, Oh, didn't even know it happened. So it doesn't change my life if it's 2, 3, 4 really. Doesn't change much in the way that the draw is set up, you know.
Of course you could maybe play No. 1 in the world in the semis, but that's something I did in Cincinnati last year, too. I played Murray in the semis. He was No. 2 in the world, and that's just sometimes something that can happen, you know. Yeah, as long as you're not No. 50 in the world, there's no reason to be concerned.

Q. I'm interested in your thoughts on the importance of the tennis coach you've just started with, with Paul. Andy Murray is looking for a new coach. Interesting dynamic, isn't it, in tennis? Because in football the coach is the boss, but in tennis it's almost the other way around. What is the goal of a coach? How important is it as a coach?
ROGER FEDERER: Depends. I think it really depends on the character of the player. Some give coaches more weight; some don't, you know. I obviously have a very special sort of a career, you know, obviously from success itself, but also, I became No. 1 in the world having no coach, really.
So I went through a period of time which was very interesting almost at the peak. I didn't have a management company; nor did I have a coach. I thought that was a great learning experience for me, and that's why I think I'm super-stable today, you know, regardless if I do have all the stuff around me.
I know I can handle a lot by myself, but obviously at this stage now I do need help from all sorts of sides, you know, because my family has grown. You know, the business is much bigger than it has ever been. The success has been massive over the last few years.
I think it's interesting for players. They need to know for themselves what's most important for them. Sometimes it can be just a friend traveling with them, making them feel good, you know. Then maybe having the coach or a conditioning coach or a physio, I think the player needs to know for himself what that really is. Obviously if you can afford all of it, great. But also that can put a pressure on you thinking you have to make like a semis of a tournament to break even, you know, in terms of the financial part. You know, you do sometimes think of that, too, as a player.
So it depends on what kind of a personality you are. I like to give my coaches -- some people think I control everything, I'm a control freak. That's not at all the case. I like that actually the coach does have a lot of say, a lot of input. I never have arguments, have ever had arguments with my coaches, because I like them to criticize me. I need that, you know, to become a better player.
That's why I think all my relationships with all my coaches have been great. I have been very fortunate having great coaches over the years. We'll see if something is going to happen with Paul. I don't know yet.

Q. A year ago you were at your first tournament with the twins, and now, looking back, how have they changed your lifestyle both when you're on the tour and at home? One or two ways.
ROGER FEDERER: It's always been kind of busy at home, but now it's even more busy. I didn't know that was possible. We got that going, so it's a lot of fun, it's a lot of work. But we love doing it on tour, honestly. We're lucky we're staying at great hotels, so everything makes it a bit easier.
But, sure, the traveling is getting a little bit harder now with the kids wanting to run around. But obviously, now coming over here, the kids were great on the flight, and that's obviously a good sign for the future, too, knowing they can travel still a lot with me in the future.
And it's nice, you know, knowing that there's definitely something else, as well, than just tennis. I always knew that, because I had a very stable and great relationship with Mirka and we love spending time together. I knew tennis was just a part of, you know, sort of a short period of my life, you know.
But now with the kids it always has a great meaning and it's wonderful. They're doing great. I love spending a lot of time with them. Honestly it hasn't kept me away from hitting the practice courts and going to all the tournaments. I thought they might actually -- not pull me away but maybe just make me play maybe less tournaments, or maybe I will have to always practice in the morning and stuff, you know, but it hasn't happened. I've been able to follow my normal routines, and as a team and with Mirka, we've decided family and tennis come first, and we're able to juggle it because we have great help and it's been possible. So I'm very happy.
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