Wimbledon 2014 Mens Finals - Where it end all - Roger Federer vs Novak Djokovic

Awesome match and a fitting climax for a tournament full of upsets, its Wimbledon Final come Sunday and it will be contested by 7 time Champion Roger Federer and the No.1 Seed Novak Djokovic.


Federer

Key Strengths - Experience , Grass court movements, Serve and finally anticipation.

A-Game - Serve, volley, aggression, grass court movements, big forehands [all], backhand slices, topspins and flatout shots DTL and experience in handling points and holding nerves.

Weakness - Lack of Stamina to play a longer 5 set game [compared to his prime], Mid match focus lapse, Loops balls on backhands, slow 2nd servers [off late a big problem].

Crowd Support - Big time on, will be undoubtedly the crowd favorite , 80-20 should be expected.

Historical Achievement - First ever Men's Champion of all time [Yes all time] to win 8 Wimbledon titles. 18 Grand Slams.


Djokovic

Key Strengths - Return, movement, stamina, Backhand [all], Big points play.

A-Game - Backhand [all], Forehand [all], Super Serbian Serves, Rebound Aces [Returns], Pace Variance [Slow and Fast Mix], passing shots, lobs, slices, top spins, volleys, drop shots.

Weakness - Grass court movements, lack of confidence, mid match focus lapse pressure to perform and Lack of Crowd Support

Crowd Support - Generally loves to play against the crowd, it won't be different tomorrow, 20% plus support should be expected.

Historical Achievement - Multiple Wimbledon Winner, World No. Status

H2H

In General - Federer 16-14
@Wimbledon - Federer 1-0
@GS Finals - Federer 1-0
@GS - Federer 6-5
@All Finals Djoko 5-4

Wimbledon 2014 Stats

Djoko vs Fed

Aces - 73 vs 69
DF - 9 vs 5
1st Serve in 68 vs 66
Server Broken 8 vs 1
Service Held - 93% vs 98%
Forehand Winners 53 vs 56
Backhand Winner 55 vs 31
Time on Court 15:09 vs 10:16

Prediction: Djoko is more or less determined and I guess destined to win his 2nd Wimbledon given his age , stamina and experienced coach Becker.

Federer confirms Monte Carlo 2014, enters as Wild Card

Not sure whats the reason behind Federer sudden acceptance as wild card in Monte Carlo, a tournament he traditionally skipped after being a losing finalist on 3 attempts to GOD of clay on his prime years.

Like I suspected that Nadal is not in the right frame of mind and looks mentally tired to defend all his clay points once again, Roger's team might have sensed it too and trying to make

There is also a word of mouth that Mirka is expecting another kid around July and hence he might skip some tournament like Rogers masters in Toronto [what a shame I get not to see him again ] so decided to play more right now.

Another common sentiment among RF fans is that he is in a good nick and wants to capitalize on it so that he is a top 4 for FO and Wimbledon.

Whatever be the reason, RF in Monte Carlo is an awesome news, and I want him to be drawn on Rafa's half to see the most famous greatest yet one sided rivalry.

Last but not least I am predicting him to win the tournament

Roger Federer presented another cow by Gstaad

Roger Federer received a warm welcome Tuesday night at the Crédit Agricole Suisse Open Gstaad, presented with a cow named Desiree during a homecoming ceremony on Roy Emerson Arena. Ten years ago, in commemoration of his first Wimbledon triumph, he had received another cow, Juliette, on the same court.

“She won’t be in my trophy room, that’s for sure,” said Federer. “But we’ll find a good solution, she needs a nice place and enough to eat.”

During the on-court ceremony, Federer was also shown the sport of flag throwing, a traditional activity in the Swiss Alps and one of the country’s oldest sports. He asked his instructor for advice before showcasing his skill in handling flags.

Federer is making his first appearance at the Crédit Agricole Suisse Open Gstaad since his triumph in 2004. He made his ATP World Tour debut as a wild card at this tournament 15 years ago.

Roger Federer to face Florian Mayer in Hamburg Quarter Finals

Top seed Roger Federer will face German Florian Mayer in his eighth tour-level quarter-final of the season. The Swiss reached the last eight at the bet-at-home Open - German Tennis Championships on Thursday in Hamburg as he defeated Jan Hajek 6-4, 6-3.

Federer squandered 10 of his 13 break points, including five match points in the eighth game of the second set, but prevailed in 72 minutes.

"I’m just still looking for the timing and the rhythm here, but the longer I stay in the tournament, the more confident I am that I’m going to play better and better as the tournament goes on," he said.

In his first tournament since a shock second-round exit at Wimbledon, the Swiss is playing with a new racquet, with a larger 98 square-inch frame, and is bidding to win his second ATP World Tour title of the season.

"I guess it’s to a degree some more getting use to, just to see how it reacts on every single shot," he said of his new racquet. "Clearly it reacts better to some shots. But it's important not to think of it the whole time, not to talk about it all the time, but more just sort of go with it, fight for every point, have the right mindset, be optimistic about playing here now and wanting to achieve a good result and that’s what I'm doing."

The 31-year-old Federer has a 31-4 event record in Hamburg, where he is playing for the first time since 2008. He won the title in 2002, 2004-05 and 2007 and finished runner-up in 2008 (l. to Nadal).

Mayer will be looking to oust a seeded player for a third straight match when he plays Federer, whom he trails 0-4 in the FedEx ATP Head2Head. The 45th-ranked German followed up his win over No. 7 Alexandr Dolgopolov by defeating No. 11 seed Feliciano Lopez 7-6(1), 6-2.

The 29 year old advances to his third quarter-final of the year on home soil, and also to the Hamburg quarter-finals for a fourth straight year. Mayer is two match wins shy of 200 career singles wins.

Roger Federer wins 77th title to equal Johny Mac

Roger Federer wins 77th title

World No. 3 Roger Federer won his first ATP World Tour title of the season, and the 77th of his career, on Sunday as he came from a set down to beat Mikhail Youzhny 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-4 in the final of the Gerry Weber Open in Halle. His 77 titles see him draw level with John McEnroe in third position in the career titles list.

"I'm very happy. It was a great week for me and my family," said Federer. "I thought I played well from the start and I really had to fight for it, in the semis against Tommy Haas and in the finals against Mikhail Youzhny. I think I did well today and they are exactly the kind of wins I need at this part of the season. I've been preparing well for this part of the season and I'm happy it's paying off. It's obviously important for my confidence looking forward to Wimbledon now."

The Swiss lifted the trophy in Halle for the sixth time, having previously triumphed in 2003-06 and 2008 (d. Kohlschreiber). He also finished runner-up in 2010 (l. to Hewitt) and 2012 (l. to Haas) and has a 43-5 event record.

The 31-year-old Federer clinched his 13th tour-level grass-court title, having also won The Championships at Wimbledon seven times. He will look to complete the Halle-Wimbledon double for the fifth time (2003-06) by retaining the Wimbledon crown he won last year with victory over Andy Murray.

"It's totally different [than 2003]," said Federer. "Ten years ago I went into Wimbledon with so much pressure, even though I had lost in the first round the year before. In terms of needing to prove my point that I was a legitimate Grand Slam contender, I had incredible pressure. Now, ten years later, I know Wimbledon, I know Halle, I know my way around and what I need to do to perform well. I'm going in with pressure because I'm defending my title. There's always pressure because it's a privilege to play at Wimbledon and I want to do so, so well. I feel good right now and I hope I can show it on the tennis court."

Federer improved to a 15-0 FedEx ATP Head2Head record over Youzhny, dropping a set for only the fourth time against the Russian, whom he beat at both Halle and Wimbledon last year.

The Swiss failed to convert five break points in the first set and paid the prices for 13 unforced errors as Youzhny clinched the opener in 57 minutes. A tidier second set from Federer saw the Basel native cut his unforced error count to just four, and he secured the first service break of the match in the eighth game to level the match. The Swiss then broke Youzhny in the seventh game of the decider to claim victory in just over two hours.

Roger Federer double bagels Zverev in Halle 2013

Roger Federer recorded the second 6-0, 6-0 victory of his career on Friday.

The top seed required just 40 minutes to beat Mischa Zverev at the Gerry Weber Open in Halle.

“It’s not something that is easy to do. You never anyway go into a match aiming for that score,” Federer said. “Eventually you start feeling that there is an opportunity maybe and even then it’s not what you really want to think about because at the end of the day you just want to win the match and not start thinking too far ahead and then it comes back and gets you. I was very surprised today that it happened, especially on the grass.”

Federer, 31, has played 1,107 tour-level matches (902-205) since turning professional in 1998. He also beat Gaston Gaudio 6-0, 6-0 at the 2005 Tennis Masters Cup in Shanghai (now known as the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals).

The Swiss is making his 11th appearance at the ATP World Tour 250 grass-court tournament in Halle (41-5 record). He has won five titles from seven finals.

For quite a while we have been saying Djoko not as popular among fans as Rafa is, but sponsors didn't see that way and Djoko's earnings [Prize money and sponsorship] seized ahead of Nadal. We can argue Nadal's prize money for 2012 is way too little as he took more than 1/2 the year in injury time out from the sport but that seemed to have affected his sponsorship as well.

Djoko is at 28 and Nadal is at 30 and no strange Fed sits a top of Tennis players and 2nd only behind Tiger woods for a whopping 70 + million income for last year.

For all those who think Fed should quit the game, think twice he makes 10 times more money in sponsorships just for playing the game, I guess he is doing the right thing by continuing his job, no wonder he wanna play for 5 more years, I am not saying he is money greed and playing for money, but what I am saying is this is his job and he does it to perfection. As long as as he plays the sponsors will still be queued up for him and whats wrong in it?

Roger Federer is No. 2 on Forbes Magazine’s list of World’s Highest-Paid Athletes with estimated earnings of $71 million in 2012, trailing just golfer Tiger Woods, who earned $78 million.

“Federer has the most impressive endorsement portfolio in sports,” writes Forbes, listing Nike, Rolex, Wilson, Credit Suisse and Moët & Chandon among his 10 sponsors.

“Federer is as bankable as they come,” the magazine explains of the 10-time ATP World Tour Fan Favourite. “He has never faced major injury that sidelined him for months, like many elite players, and over the past decade, he has reached at least the semi-finals in the vast majority of tournaments, which keeps him in front of TV viewers and in the press.”

Novak Djokovic (No. 28) and Rafael Nadal (No. 30) join Federer in the Top 100, along with WTA stars Maria Sharapova (No. 22), Serena Williams (No. 68) and Li Na (No. 85) - the only three women to make the list.

The magazine elaborates on the appeal of tennis for sponsors, calling it “wildly attractive” with its lucrative fan base, 11-month season and international reach.

“The demographics of its fans are strong thanks to high disposable incomes to be spent on tennis apparel, rackets, watches and cars,” Forbes writes. “In addition, the tennis season is almost year-round, keeping Federer in the spotlight… Another plus for tennis is the global nature of the sport, so Nike and Gillette can utilise him in advertising in Asia, Europe and the U.S.”

Rounding out the Top 10 are Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers, Phil Mickelsen, David Beckham, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.

Roger Federer vs. Andy Murray Wimbledon 2012 preview

Federer v Murray

Federer, age 30, #3
Murray, age 25, #4

H2H 7-8
Last meeting: Dubai 2012, Federer won 7-5, 6-4
Have never met on grass.

I find that last stat most telling... Murray, like Djokovic, is going to taste Federer on grass. And it is a whole new level. I do not believe Murray has the bottle or the variety or the attacking mindset to win. The huge expectations on his shoulder and against Federer will likely prove too much. I think he has been exceedingly lucky his last 2 matches to pull through, but he is going to need his A game and hope Federer comes with his C game. Both will be up for this match like never before. Murray aiming for the grandest of slams, and his first slam. Federer, aiming to break records and make history. Federer showed against Djokovic why he is the greatest player of all time on grass; at almost 31 years old he is still competing and setting a benchmark. Murray's defensive game is likely to come up short against Federer. Federer to win this in 4 sets.

Djokovic says that Roger Federer's return to World No. 1 will be well deserved

Novak Djokovic says that Roger Federer's return to World No. 1 will be well deserved if it happens. The Swiss will usurp the top spot from Djokovic in the South African Airways ATP Rankings if he wins a seventh Wimbledon title Sunday.

“If he wins and becomes No. 1, it's going to be well deserved,” Djokovic said. “He's played fantastic this year. He's been so consistent. If he wins, he wins. There's nothing I can do about it. The best player will win this tournament. I'm out.

I guess this speaks volume of how well players conduct themselves off and on the court these days, players have great respect for each other and understands this is just a game and not war.

Roger Federer hires Paul Annacone as the new Coach

ROGER TO DO TEST WITH PAUL ANNACONE


Dear Fans

I've been looking to add someone to my team and I've decided to spend some days with Paul Annacone. As Paul winds down his responsibilities working for the Lawn Tennis Association, we will explore our relationship through this test period. Paul will work alongside my existing team and I am excited to learn from his experiences.

See you soon

Roger

www.rogerfederer.com/en/roge...

An article from last year with some of Annacone's thoughts on Federer's game.

There are definitely some parallels [between Sampras and Federer],” said Paul Annacone. “Just as it was for Pete, it’s a particularly interesting, challenging time in Roger’s career. But I would look at it with Roger in the same way as for Pete. For guys like that, it is daunting but not that daunting. They are so skilled, they can adjust, but a lot of the adjustment is mental.”

…

Annacone thinks Roger grew accustomed to overwhelming opponents from the back court: to being the better athlete and hitting a more, consistent and heavier ball.

“We are all creatures of habits,” Annacone said. “Roger has won a lot a certain way, and when you’ve done that for four or five years and then in year six or seven, that shot that used to be a winner isn’t a winner anymore, the tendency in human nature is to overplay a little bit. And that’s what’s happening. His couple of patterns that used to be very dominant are still successful against 95 percent of the guys — just not against that last five percent.”

Annacone understandably leans toward Federer’s hiring a full-time coach. “I always feel in an individual sport, it’s up to the guy on court, but as you watch the evolution of careers, it’s good to have someone you trust and who understands you and what you’re trying to do and also your game and the history of what’s gone on,” he said.

…

“He may choose to keep doing what he’s been doing and not tweaking, and that’s his choice as a champion,” Annacone said. “But for me it would be a shame. If you have a lot of weapons in your arsenal and choose not to use them, what’s the point in having them? It’s a matter of managing them a bit differently than he did a few years ago.”

Session Sponsored by - WWE RAW Results 26 12 2010 - Team Cena vs Team Nexus

Nothing to lose attitude - Federer will bounce back even stronger

People have written off champions in the past, so its no big issue they write Federer off and I am not going to discuss that but something more interesting to look for.

Federer all his prime years kept winning slams like there is no tomorrow , and the monster of pressure grew heavily onhis back that anything less than a title is deemed as failure, I still can't figure when another champion had to face this kinda pressure, even Sampras at his prime was not expected to win everything, this is the pressure Federer has to face during his prime years.

Nearing 30, he won a Slam and made two QF, but barring the slam win the other two results are deemed as terrible failure for Fed, I understand Fed's level was so high but that graph has to fall some day to rise back again.

Actually these failures are good for Federer, since he has lost all his precious title he won last year, I don't expect him to win USO 2010 either, but do that mean there will be more pressure on Fed?

Answer would be no, Fed would come back 2011 with nothing to lose attitude and every thing is a win-win situation for him.

Nadal is a great warrior, and everybody do agree he is a mental beast, but how will he cope-up of defending the titles next year, after all he was found wanting physically and mentally in 2009 after a super-success year in 2008, its a tough road ahead for Nadal to stamp a legacy on his own specially all the media focus will be on him more than any player.

2011 could easily be the toughest year for Rafa and hope so his bashers do jump on him if there is a failure, since its easy to win when you have nothing to lose and easy to lose when you have everything to win. Given that there could be a blessing in disguise for Rafa in 2012 since he would come back even stronger with the same attitude.

2009 ATP World Tour Awards - Roger Federer wins again

Roger Federer was formally recognized for his triumphant return to the top spot in men’s tennis on Wednesday, as the 2009 ATP World Tour Awards were announced.

The 28-year-old superstar collected Player of the Year, the Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award and ATPWorldTour.com Fans' Favorite Player of the Year presented by RICOH honors. Federer was named Player of the Year for the fifth time after finishing as ATP World Tour Champion and his fellow players voted him with the sportsmanship award for a record sixth consecutive year, surpassing Edberg, who was a five-time recipient over eight years. In a poll of fans, Federer was voted ATPWorldTour.com Fans' Favorite for the seventh straight season.

ATP World Tour Doubles Champions Bob and Mike Bryan were announced as the Doubles Team of the Year for the fifth time in seven years.

Former ATP World Tour pro MaliVai Washington, a winner of four career ATP World Tour titles and a finalist at Wimbledon, won the prestigious Arthur Ashe Humanitarian of the Year award for his charitable efforts.

Federer Makes Emotional Visit To Ethiopia

World number one Roger Federer sends the ball spinning into the net. His opponent, Ethiopian teenager, Jirata Demksa, smiles and prays the Swiss is having an off day.

But Federer just pauses and, taking a deep breath, serves a blistering ace. The 17-year-old, realising he's beaten, simply shrugs.

"He's the best tennis player ever," he says. "I am just lucky we played ping-pong."

Jirata says he will never forget taking two points from Federer in an impromptu game of table tennis at a school the tennis ace funds in the poor country. For Federer, this week's visit to Ethiopia was one that moved him to tears.

"When I arrived at the school and all of the children were singing, it was very emotional," Federer told Reuters. "They sang, 'Roger, our Father' to me. I didn't really understand it at the beginning but I still had tears in my eyes.

How many more for Roger Federer?

Well, after the US Open final, I predicted Fed might never win another slam - so much for that! I am redeemed a little bit, though, by having predicted he'd get one or two more at most, and I'll tentatively stick with that for the moment - the competition is still great, and his occasional inconsistency (as in the Davydenko match) is bound to start biting him soon. On the other hand, he proved today that he still has the world-beating game when he feels like it, so anything is possible!

So, I'll repetitively predict he'll get one, maybe two more slams at best, most likely at Wimbledon - the competition is strongest on the hardcourts, and his chances at Roland Garros depend very much on how Nadal and Del Potro fare. What does everyone else think?

Federer Wins Fourth Australian Open, 16th Major Singles Title

Contesting his 22nd career Grand Slam singles final, World No. 1 Roger Federer collected his 16th major title with a 6-3, 6-4, 7-6(11) win over No. 5 seed Andy Murray at the Australian Open on Sunday.

The 28-year-old Swiss master, appearing in his 18th final from the past 19 Grand Slam events, notched his fifth win over Murray from 11 contests in the two-hour, 41-minute clash as he regained the title he lost to Rafael Nadal last year. It was a repeat of the 2008 US Open final (Murray's first in a major), which Federer also won in three straight sets.

Federer becomes the fifth man to win at least four Australian Open titles (2004, 2006, 2007, 2010) and only the second to do so at Melbourne Park alongside Andre Agassi. It is his first Grand Slam title won as a father, with his wife Mirka giving birth to twin girls six months ago.

"Coming here at the beginning of the year and playing so well, it's a beautiful feeling," said Federer, who edged ahead of Pete Sampras to win a record 15th major at Wimbledon last year. "I definitely had to play some of my best tennis tonight to come through. That was clearly the case."

Winning French Open or Wimbledon more Important for Federer in 2010?

An awful lot of talk on 606 over the past weeks and months about Roger Federer going for a 7th Wimbledon and the total weeks at no 1 record. That has importance for sure, but if Federer were to wish for one thing in 2010, surely, it has to be something different: the French Open.

Here´s why:
Let´s have a look at the list of players who have won each slam twice:
Roy Emerson
Rod Laver

But now let´s exclude amateur tournaments. Who has won each slam twice in the professional era.

Here's the list:
.

Hm. No-one on it.

Now let´s look at the list of players who have defended every slam title (i.e won two years in a row). This is for the entire history of tennis, amateur, professional, 1900s, whatever.
Here´s the list:
.

Hm. No-one on that one either.

Federer has already defended the other three successfully (he had that by 2005). If Federer could not only win each slam twice but defend every slam it would be an absolutely unique achievement.

Now I´m not saying the FO this year for Fed is even half as important as last year, the first one. It isn´t. But surely more important than a 7th Wimbledon or total weeks at no 1 - because when tennis history is written many years from now the question of GOAT won't be about Sampras versus Federer. Sampras will be in the all time top 5 or the top 10 at least while Federer will be up for the no 1 spot against perhaps Bill Tilden or Rod Laver or perhaps more likely some future champion who has yet to play a professional match or hasn't even been born. And so a 2nd French has to beat a 7th Wimbledon, if you could choose one.

Now I am saying it will be great if he gets it (for his legacy). I am not saying that it will necessarily actually happen. Djokovic, Del Potro and Nadal will be gunning for a perhaps no longer peak Fed on his weakest surface. And you can even see a shock(ish) defeat in an earlier round. Haas nearly had him this year, you can´t keep repeating matches like that against lower opponents and never lose one, this year he did, but sooner a later he will lose to someone outside the top 5 in a slam. On the other hand, the man has been in every final since 2005 when he lost to Nadal in the semi so he can hardly be written off. On the whole I´d rate his chance at about 20% maybe 25% max.

But if he does do it, the no 1 record would likely follow in any case. And perhaps so would another Wimbledon, the confidence would be so high. A very big if but a very big achievement if he makes it.

The absolute ideal would be to do in a five set thriller against a fully rejuvenated Nadal in the final. Maybe I am dreaming a bit now, but you never know.

2010 slams a Record Point for Roger Federer

Fed will surely love to hold 8 Wimby and 1 FO compared to 2 FO and 7 Wimby, and to add those it could have been 9 continious if a little luck woudl have favoured him on 2008 Wimby, which everybody will gloat if Fed go on to win 8 Wimby, so yea in all terms Wimby comes first.

On the other hand Fed will to defend FO at all cost,as long as he is fit and in form I dont find a reason for him not to win the Wimdy- FO combination again.

Anycase All GS are important for Fed in 2010 why?

1]If he win AO he becomes the joint leader in Open Era to win the AO maximum number of times [4 Tied with Agassi]

2]Would love to win FO- the only he hasn't defended yet.

3]Wimbledon win would put on him on par with Samprason Grass [7th title]

4]USO win would put him at the top of the chart with 6 wins in Open era.

#Outside USO win means, he would be the first man since Rod Laver to win a calander slam [if the other three are won].

So yes all slams are important.

Every slam is important for Fed, here are the reasons for it.

Davydenko takes on Federer on the 1st semifinal of World Tour Finals

Sixth seed Nikolay Davydenko booked his place in the semi-finals of the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals at the expense of defending champion Novak Djokovic Friday evening as he defeated Group B winner Robin Soderling 7-6(4), 4-6, 6-3.

While Davydenko and Djokovic, who earlier beat Rafael Nadal, have both compiled 2-1 match records, Davydenko has the edge over the Serbian on sets won. Davydenko has a 5-3 win-loss record in sets, while Djokovic has won one set less with a 4-3 mark. Sweden’s Soderling tops the group with a 2-1 match record and a 5-2 mark in sets won and lost.

Davydenko will now take on Group A winner Roger Federer in the first semi-final, as he bids to reach the final for the second year in a row, while Soderling faces US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro on Saturday evening.

Davydenko is yet to beat 2009 ATP World Tour Champion Federer in 12 meetings with the Swiss, but believes he can overturn that tomorrow. “Each of the 12 times I played him I came in believing I could win,” said Davydenko. “It's not like I was coming into the match and already saying I'm losing.

“But I know Federer is older, I'm also older. Maybe I am starting to play better and Federer not so good. We'll see. I played great in all three matches [this week]. I would like to play the same way as I did today, and I hope I can run well tomorrow, fast, and not make any mistakes.”

Roger Federer has a tough draw in London Year end masters tour final

LONDON: Roger Federer will face US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro, Andy Murray and Spain's Fernando Verdasco in the tougher of the two round
robin groups for the ATP World Tour Finals.

Group B in the end-of-season showpiece event features former wold number one Rafael Nadal, recent Paris Masters champion Novak Djokovic, Nikolay Davydenko and late-entrant Robin Soderling.

Soderling had failed to qualify for the eight-man event but was brought in following the withdrawal of Wimbledon finalist Andy Roddick, who has not played since injuring his left knee in Shanghai last month.

Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga is now on standby in case of any other withdrawals.

The top two players in each of the round robin groups advance to the semi-finals of the tournament, which starts Sunday at London's O2 Arena. The final is on November 29.

Roger Federer confirms his participation on Estoril tournament in 2010 to defend his title

ATP World Tour No. 1 and former champion Roger Federer has confirmed he will return to compete at the Estoril Open, an ATP World Tour 250 clay-court tournament, from 1-9 May 2010.

The Swiss superstar snapped a five-month title drought by winning his 54th career ATP World Tour trophy at the Estoril Open (d. Davydenko) in May 2008, when a record 53,888 spectators visited the Estadio Nacional.

Federer is the all-time Grand Slam title-leader, having broken Pete Sampras’ record of 14 triumphs (1990-2002) at The Championships, Wimbledon, in July 2009.