The Bests: Roger Federer

Roger Federer was born 8 August 1981. He is a Swiss professional tennis player who as of August 2012 is ranked World No.1 by the ATP. Several sports analysts, tennis critics and former and current players consider him to be the greatest tennis player of all time. Federer was born in Binningen, Switzerland near Basel, to Swiss national Robert Federer and South African-born Lynette Durand, of Dutch and French Huguenot ancestry. He holds both Swiss and South African citizenship. He grew up in nearby Münchenstein, close to the French and German borders and speaks Swiss German, German, French and English fluently, Swiss German being his native language. He was raised as a Roman Catholic and met Pope Benedict XVI while playing the 2006 Internazionali BNL d'Italia tournament in Rome. Like all male Swiss citizens, Federer was subject to compulsory military service in the Swiss Armed Forces. He owns several men's world records of the Open Era: holding the number 1 position for 295 weeks overall, a 237-consecutive-week stretch at the top from 2004 to 2008, winning 17 Grand Slam singles titles; reaching the finals of each Grand Slam tournament at least five times (an all-time record); and reaching the Wimbledon final eight times.

Federer has appeared in 24 men's Grand Slam finals, with ten in a row, both records, and appeared in 18 of 19 finals from the 2005 Wimbledon Championships through to the 2010 Australian Open. He is the only man to reach the semifinals of 23 consecutive Grand Slam tournaments, from the 2004 Wimbledon Championships through the 2010 Australian Open. At the 2012 Wimbledon men's championship, he reached his 32nd Grand Slam semi-final and seventh trophy, both records. At the 2012 US Open, he reached a record consecutive 34th Grand Slam quarter-final. He has also won the most matches, 247, in men's Grand Slam tournaments. He also won the Olympic gold medal in doubles with his compatriot Stanislas Wawrinka at the 2008 Summer Olympic Games and the Olympic silver medal in singles at the 2012 Summer Olympic Games. He is one of seven men, and one of four in the Open Era, to capture the career Grand Slam, and one of three to do so separately on clay, grass, and hard courts.

However, in 2003 he was deemed unfit because of a long-standing back problem and was subsequently not required to fulfill his military obligation. Federer himself also credits the range of sports he played as a child—he also played badminton, cricket and basketball—for his hand-eye coordination. Federer has stated in various interviews that he is an avid cricket fan, having met Sachin Tendulkar twice. "I was always very much more interested if a ball was involved," he says. Most tennis prodigies, by contrast, play tennis to the exclusion of all other sports. In later life, Federer has been friends with the golfer Tiger Woods.

Federer supports a number of charities. He established the Roger Federer Foundation in 2003 to help disadvantaged people and to promote sports. In 2005, he auctioned his racquet from his US Open championship to aid victims of Hurricane Katrina. He was appointed a Goodwill Ambassador by UNICEF in 2006. At the 2005 Pacific Life Open in Indian Wells, Federer arranged an exhibition involving several top players from the ATP tour and WTA tour called. Federer currently plays with a customised Wilson Pro Staff 6.1 90 BLX tennis racquet, which is characterised by its smaller hitting area of 90 square inches, heavy strung weight of 364 grams, and thin beam of 17.5 millimeters. His grip size is 4 3/8 inches (sometimes referred to as L3). Federer strings his racquets at 21.5 kg mains/20 kg crosses pre stretched 20%, utilizing Wilson Natural Gut 16 gauge for his main strings and Luxilon Big Banger ALU Power Rough 16L gauge (polyester) for his cross strings. When asked about string tensions, Federer stated «this depends on how warm the days are and with what kind of balls I play and against who I play. So you can see – it depends on several factors and not just the surface; the feeling I have is most important.» Federer also shares the Open Era record for most Grand Slam titles at the Australian Open with Agassi (4 titles), at Wimbledon with Pete Sampras (7 titles) and at the US Open with Jimmy Connors and Sampras (5 titles). Federer's ATP tournament records include winning six ATP World Tour Finals, winning 21 ATP Masters 1000 titles (a record shared with Rafael Nadal), playing in the finals at all nine ATP Masters 1000 tournaments, and, matching Agassi, winning seven.

Federer won a victory in the second round in the United States

In the second round of the Open Championship United States Swiss tennis player Roger Federer played against German Bjorn Phau B.. Winning in three sets, 6:2, 6:3, 6:2 won a Swiss athlete.

In the third round, Federer will face Spaniard Fernando Verdasco, who in the second round in four sets to beat his compatriot Albert Ramos.

Federer refused to participate in the Masters in Toronto

World Swiss Roger Federer withdrew from the tournament Masters-1000 series-in Toronto, which will be held from 6 to 12 August. 

«I am very disappointed that it must withdraw from the tournament in Toronto because I love this city and these competitions. I will need some time to recover. Hope that I can return to Canada a year later,» - commented his decision tennis player. 

We remind that Federer reached the final of the Olympic Games, beating Argentina's Juan Martin del Potro, 3: 6, 7: 6 (7: 5), 19:17.

Mikhail Youzhny: '' not going to say how semi-final between Federer and Djokovic ''

Russian Mikhail Youzhny, who lost in the quarterfinals of Wimbledon Swiss Roger Federer with a score of 1: 6, 2: 6, 2: 6, refused to give a prediction for the semi-final between Federer and Novak Djokovic. 

"It's difficult to say, match for the match. Federer has always played against me very well, but his relationship with Djokovic are quite different. And how the struggle between them in the semifinals, I say do not say ". 

The South also talked about how to be prepared for the Olympics, which will be held on the courts of Wimbledon. 

"On Earth in Gstaad or on Earth but also in Moscow. And then, for three to four days before the start of the Olympic tournament, come here. Sit on the grass for a long time I didn't want to, because this year it had enough matches. You see, the grass is a special coating. It is not always the correct ball bounce, and therefore lost technique. In addition, there is a grass-specific footwork. 

From experience I can say that for me personally, the lengthy training sometimes are not herbal in plus and minus. Therefore, before the Olympics I would be better to lay a base before returning to the grass, - "Said Mikhail Youzhny.

Andy Roddick: “Andy Murray knows how to play”

American Andy Roddick commented on the chances of Fourth World racquets appointed Andy Murray to win the Grand Slam tournament. 

“I think Andy copes with the situation. He knows how to play. It seems to me that he's the best player in history, to win the Helmet. But this one is certainly strong enough to do so. My entire career struggled with Roger Federer, but Andy fights with three such Federer, Nadal and Novak Djokovic. Andy in a difficult situation, but I think he will win the Helmet. 

Will not try to predict when. But he will win. It is too strong to be left without "Helmet". He handle them all. The best chances on fast surfaces - the Wimbledon, at the US Open. He knows how to build practical jokes, he can think of, and it helps to feed. It should only raise the percentage of hitting the first ball,” – said Andy Roddick.