Roger Federer and Belinda Bencic of Switzerland hoist the Hopman Cup after defeating Alexander Zverev and Angelique Kerber of Germany in the mixed doubles final.

Roger Federer paid tribute to the influence of countrywoman and former Hopman Cup team-mate Martina Hingis on his career after guiding Switzerland to their third success in the mixed teams tournament in Perth on Saturday.

&quot;I could look up to her and think, wow, how is she being so mentally strong and so consistent at such a young age,&quot; the Swiss star recalled.

Federer looked primed for his Australian Open title defence when he came from a set down to beat world number four Alexander Zverev in the men&#39;s singles before Angelique Kerber accounted for Belinda Bencic in straight sets to level the tie against Germany.

The Swiss duo then claimed the tournament with a straight-sets win in the deciding mixed doubles.

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Take a bow, <a href="https://twitter.com/rogerfederer?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@rogerfederer</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/BelindaBencic?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BelindaBencic</a> ?? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HopmanCup?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HopmanCup</a> <a href="https://t.co/aN0SoEjqIC">pic.twitter.com/aN0SoEjqIC</a>
&mdash; Hopman Cup (@hopmancup) <a href="https://twitter.com/hopmancup/status/949621192452796416?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 6, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Unbeaten in his three singles matches in the tournament prior to the final, Federer dropped the first set against the 20-year-old Zverev but recovered to win in three sets, 6-7 (4/7), 6-0, 6-2.

Zverev beat Federer at the Hopman Cup last year and came out all guns blazing on Saturday in a high-intensity first set where both players produced moments of brilliance and each holding multiple breakpoints.

Federer&#39;s frustration was obvious as the set slipped away, dropping his racquet after missing an easy volley and then launching a ball towards the roof.

However, he turned the match around by approaching the net more often and using drop shots to catch Zverev napping.

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Hopman Cup Chaaaaaaampssss! ?????????????????????? ahhhh<a href="https://twitter.com/rogerfederer?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@rogerfederer</a> <a href="https://t.co/97kQqt2zxE">pic.twitter.com/97kQqt2zxE</a>
&mdash; Belinda Bencic (@BelindaBencic) <a href="https://twitter.com/BelindaBencic/status/949645914871808001?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 6, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The frustration changed sides of the net as the German copped a code violation for an audible obscenity after disputing the chair umpire&#39;s decision to replay one of his serves during the second set.

Zverev&#39;s serve, and resolve, was broken in the third game of the third set and fittingly it was a Federer drop shot which sealed the win.

Kerber, who is ranked 21st after starting last year at number one, then maintained her perfect singles record during the event to beat Bencic 6-4, 6-1 to level the tie.

Bencic, who was ranked seventh in the world before injuries stalled her progress, started brightly but Kerber soon took control and raced through the second set with breaks in the fourth and sixth games.

That set the scene for the mixed doubles, where Bencic produced some stunning returns on the Zverev serve and teamed superbly with Federer to claim the title with an emphatic 4-3 (5/3), 4-2 win under the Fast4 format.

&nbsp;

Federer remains unbeaten in his three singles matches in the tournament prior to the final as he prepared for his Australian Open title defence

Roger Federer and Belinda Bencic of Switzerland hoist the Hopman Cup after defeating Alexander Zverev and Angelique Kerber of Germany in the mixed doubles final. Roger Federer paid tribute to the influence of countrywoman and former Hopman Cup team-mate Martina Hingis on his career after guiding Switzerland to their third success in the mixed teams tournament in Perth on Saturday. "I could look up to her and think, wow, how is she being so mentally strong and so consistent at such a young age," the Swiss star recalled. Federer looked primed for his Australian Open title defence when he came from a set down to beat world number four Alexander Zverev in the men's singles before Angelique Kerber accounted for Belinda Bencic in straight sets to level the tie against Germany. The Swiss duo then claimed the tournament with a straight-sets win in the deciding mixed doubles. Take a bow, @rogerfederer and @BelindaBencic ?? #HopmanCup pic.twitter.com/aN0SoEjqIC — Hopman Cup (@hopmancup) January 6, 2018 × Unbeaten in his three singles matches in the tournament prior to the final, Federer dropped the first set against the 20-year-old Zverev but recovered to win in three sets, 6-7 (4/7), 6-0, 6-2. Zverev beat Federer at the Hopman Cup last year and came out all guns blazing on Saturday in a high-intensity first set where both players produced moments of brilliance and each holding multiple breakpoints. Federer's frustration was obvious as the set slipped away, dropping his racquet after missing an easy volley and then launching a ball towards the roof. However, he turned the match around by approaching the net more often and using drop shots to catch Zverev napping. Hopman Cup Chaaaaaaampssss! ?????????????????????? ahhhh@rogerfederer pic.twitter.com/97kQqt2zxE — Belinda Bencic (@BelindaBencic) January 6, 2018 × The frustration changed sides of the net as the German copped a code violation for an audible obscenity after disputing the chair umpire's decision to replay one of his serves during the second set. Zverev's serve, and resolve, was broken in the third game of the third set and fittingly it was a Federer drop shot which sealed the win. Kerber, who is ranked 21st after starting last year at number one, then maintained her perfect singles record during the event to beat Bencic 6-4, 6-1 to level the tie. Bencic, who was ranked seventh in the world before injuries stalled her progress, started brightly but Kerber soon took control and raced through the second set with breaks in the fourth and sixth games. That set the scene for the mixed doubles, where Bencic produced some stunning returns on the Zverev serve and teamed superbly with Federer to claim the title with an emphatic 4-3 (5/3), 4-2 win under the Fast4 format.

Tennis: Roger Federer and Belinda Bencic claim Hopman Cup

&quot;If Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal are still winning I think there&rsquo;s something wrong,&quot; said former World No. 1 Marat Safin. Throwing light on the domination these two legends have had in the history of tennis. Let&#39;s roll back to the start of the 2017 season, where both Federer and Nadal were written off, forget getting to a Grand Slam final.

&nbsp;

The Swiss maestro had taken a break in the mid of the 2016 season to give his body some rest and allow enough time to recover for the 2017 season. And Nadal&#39;s never-ending knee injuries saw him have an abysmal 2016. But the two bounced back and bounced back how!

&nbsp;

Federer and Nadal split the Grand Slam titles, winning two each. The 37-year-old won as many as seven titles despite missing the whole of the clay court season. And it was a good decision by Federer to skip the clay season as the &#39;King of clay&#39; was in sublime form, winning all the clay court tournaments -- but one-- in the calendar season.

&nbsp;

It all began in the month of January where Federer, who started the year as World No. 16, went on to defeat Nadal at the Melbourne Park, his first Australian Open title since 2010. It was as if the evergreen Federer came out of his hiatus rolling back the years. His moments on the court was swift, agile and he was moving pain-free. Federer even defeated his biggest nemesis Nadal in all the finals they played in the 2017 season.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&quot;I&rsquo;m out of words and Rafa said so many great things. I&rsquo;d like to congratulate Rafa on an amazing comeback. I don&rsquo;t think either of us thought we&rsquo;d be in the finals when we were at your academy four or five years ago. I&rsquo;d just like to thank my team. It&rsquo;s been a different last six months. I didn&rsquo;t think I was going to make it here,&rdquo; said Federer.

There it was, Federer won his 18th Grand Slam title, aged 35.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The stage then moved to Wimbledon. Considered as one the most prestigious of the Grand Slams, the stage was set for Federer to add to his tally of his 18 Grand Slam titles. Everyone tipped Federer to lift the Wimbledon, even the promos suggested the same. The road was not easy for the Swiss. But the wizard that he is, he streamed past a teary-eyed Marin Cilic, to be on seventh heaven, winning the 2017 edition of Wimbledon.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

And then there was another Grand Slam title added to Federer, making it his 19th overall.

&nbsp;

Then came the season of clay. And the &#39;King of clay&#39; stood up and stamped his authority, instilling fears in his counterparts. So much so that, Federer opted to skip the whole of the clay season, including the French Open. The Spaniard went on to win all the clay titles, barring the Rome Masters.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Then came the French Open. A Grand Slam, that the southpaw had won for nine times before 2017. Going into the French Open, the 31-year-old was tipped to win the clay Grand Slam. Having won the event nine times, Nadal knew the courts and the conditions like the back of his palm. The beast came out roaring. He went on to win the French Open for an unprecedented 10th time, making him the only player ever to win a Grand Slam 10 times!

&nbsp;

&quot;I play my best in all events but the feeling I have here is impossible to describe and you can&#39;t compare it. The nerves and adrenaline I feel on this court is impossible to compare. It&#39;s the most important event in my career,&quot; said Nadal after lifting the La Coupe des Mousquetaires (The Musketeers&#39; Trophy).

&nbsp;

Nadal stamped the authority over the world as to who the true &#39;King of clay&#39; really is.

&nbsp;

Then came the US Open. The last Grand Slam of the season. Federer went down in the quarterfinal stage, losing to Juan Martin del Potro in a pulsating four-setter. While, Nadal defeated the&nbsp; Argentine, in four-setter to make the final of the 2017 edition of US Open. Nadal broke no sweat in defeating South Africa&#39;s Kevin Anderson to take his 16th Grand Slam title. With Federer winning two and Nadal just one, it was only poetic justice that Nadal won the fourth.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

And there it was. Federer-2, Nadal-2.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Entering 2017, Federer had not won a Grand Slam in almost five years while Nadal had not won a Grand Slam in three years. &#39;Fedal&#39; were considered essentially done as title contenders. And yet! And yet! As we come to the end of 2017, both roared back in style to redefine the prowess, the greatness that &#39;Fedal&#39; are!

&nbsp;

For all those who say, &quot;Wine ages better with time.&quot; For once, just once, watch Federer-Nadal play. Watch them roll back the years, the rivalry and the drama. You will know for sure, &quot;Nothing ages better than &#39;Fedal&#39;! Not even wine!

&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).

For once, just once, watch Federer-Nadal play. Watch them roll back the years, the rivalry and the drama. You will know for sure, "Nothing ages better than 'Fedal'! Not even wine!

"If Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal are still winning I think there’s something wrong," said former World No. 1 Marat Safin. Throwing light on the domination these two legends have had in the history of tennis. Let's roll back to the start of the 2017 season, where both Federer and Nadal were written off, forget getting to a Grand Slam final. The Swiss maestro had taken a break in the mid of the 2016 season to give his body some rest and allow enough time to recover for the 2017 season. And Nadal's never-ending knee injuries saw him have an abysmal 2016. But the two bounced back and bounced back how! Federer and Nadal split the Grand Slam titles, winning two each. The 37-year-old won as many as seven titles despite missing the whole of the clay court season. And it was a good decision by Federer to skip the clay season as the 'King of clay' was in sublime form, winning all the clay court tournaments -- but one-- in the calendar season. It all began in the month of January where Federer, who started the year as World No. 16, went on to defeat Nadal at the Melbourne Park, his first Australian Open title since 2010. It was as if the evergreen Federer came out of his hiatus rolling back the years. His moments on the court was swift, agile and he was moving pain-free. Federer even defeated his biggest nemesis Nadal in all the finals they played in the 2017 season. "I’m out of words and Rafa said so many great things. I’d like to congratulate Rafa on an amazing comeback. I don’t think either of us thought we’d be in the finals when we were at your academy four or five years ago. I’d just like to thank my team. It’s been a different last six months. I didn’t think I was going to make it here,” said Federer. There it was, Federer won his 18th Grand Slam title, aged 35. The stage then moved to Wimbledon. Considered as one the most prestigious of the Grand Slams, the stage was set for Federer to add to his tally of his 18 Grand Slam titles. Everyone tipped Federer to lift the Wimbledon, even the promos suggested the same. The road was not easy for the Swiss. But the wizard that he is, he streamed past a teary-eyed Marin Cilic, to be on seventh heaven, winning the 2017 edition of Wimbledon. And then there was another Grand Slam title added to Federer, making it his 19th overall. Then came the season of clay. And the 'King of clay' stood up and stamped his authority, instilling fears in his counterparts. So much so that, Federer opted to skip the whole of the clay season, including the French Open. The Spaniard went on to win all the clay titles, barring the Rome Masters. Then came the French Open. A Grand Slam, that the southpaw had won for nine times before 2017. Going into the French Open, the 31-year-old was tipped to win the clay Grand Slam. Having won the event nine times, Nadal knew the courts and the conditions like the back of his palm. The beast came out roaring. He went on to win the French Open for an unprecedented 10th time, making him the only player ever to win a Grand Slam 10 times! "I play my best in all events but the feeling I have here is impossible to describe and you can't compare it. The nerves and adrenaline I feel on this court is impossible to compare. It's the most important event in my career," said Nadal after lifting the La Coupe des Mousquetaires (The Musketeers' Trophy). Nadal stamped the authority over the world as to who the true 'King of clay' really is. Then came the US Open. The last Grand Slam of the season. Federer went down in the quarterfinal stage, losing to Juan Martin del Potro in a pulsating four-setter. While, Nadal defeated the Argentine, in four-setter to make the final of the 2017 edition of US Open. Nadal broke no sweat in defeating South Africa's Kevin Anderson to take his 16th Grand Slam title. With Federer winning two and Nadal just one, it was only poetic justice that Nadal won the fourth. And there it was. Federer-2, Nadal-2. Entering 2017, Federer had not won a Grand Slam in almost five years while Nadal had not won a Grand Slam in three years. 'Fedal' were considered essentially done as title contenders. And yet! And yet! As we come to the end of 2017, both roared back in style to redefine the prowess, the greatness that 'Fedal' are! For all those who say, "Wine ages better with time." For once, just once, watch Federer-Nadal play. Watch them roll back the years, the rivalry and the drama. You will know for sure, "Nothing ages better than 'Fedal'! Not even wine! (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).

Opinion: 'Fedal' age better than wine

Bulgarian tennis star Grigor Dimitrov has surged up to the career-high third spot in the latest rankings after clinching biggest title of his career at the ATP World Tour Finals in London.

After comfortably winning the first set, the sixth-seeded went down in the second before he rebounded strongly and held his nerve to beat David Goffin of Belgium 7-5, 4-6, 6-3, in a thrilling summit showdown clash of the ATP Finals that lasted two-and-a-half hours at London&#39;s O2 Arena.

The victory saw him move up by three places to stand only behind Spain&#39;s Rafael Nadal and Swiss star Roger Federer.

Germany&#39;s Alexander Zverev has slipped by one spot to fourth, after he failed to reach beyond the round-robin stage in London, while Jack Sock of America moved up one place to the eighth spot following his semi-final finish in the season-ending tournament.

Meanwhile, Goffin has also climbed up to the seventh spot after making it to the finals of the ATP Finals. He will now lead Belgium&#39;s bid for a first Davis Cup title this weekend against France in Lille.

Nadal continues to remain at the top of the rankings despite pulling out from the end-of-season finale with a knee injury after losing his first match of the Boris Becker Group.

Federer, on the other hand, is now trailing Nadal by 1, 040 points following his semi-final exit in London.

Nadal, who moved his Grand Slam haul to 16 after clinching this year&#39;s French and US Open titles, had already secured the year-end world number one ranking for the fourth time - after achieving the feat in 2008, 2010 and 2013.

The current ATP top 10 are:

1. Rafael Nadal

2. Roger Federer

3. Grigor Dimitrov

4. Alexander Zverev

5. Dominic Thiem

6. Marin Cilic

7. David Goffin

8. Jack Sock

9. Stan Wawrinka

10. Pablo Carreno.

The victory saw Dimitrov move up by three places to stand only behind Spain's Rafael Nadal and Swiss star Roger Federer

Bulgarian tennis star Grigor Dimitrov has surged up to the career-high third spot in the latest rankings after clinching biggest title of his career at the ATP World Tour Finals in London. After comfortably winning the first set, the sixth-seeded went down in the second before he rebounded strongly and held his nerve to beat David Goffin of Belgium 7-5, 4-6, 6-3, in a thrilling summit showdown clash of the ATP Finals that lasted two-and-a-half hours at London's O2 Arena. The victory saw him move up by three places to stand only behind Spain's Rafael Nadal and Swiss star Roger Federer. Germany's Alexander Zverev has slipped by one spot to fourth, after he failed to reach beyond the round-robin stage in London, while Jack Sock of America moved up one place to the eighth spot following his semi-final finish in the season-ending tournament. Meanwhile, Goffin has also climbed up to the seventh spot after making it to the finals of the ATP Finals. He will now lead Belgium's bid for a first Davis Cup title this weekend against France in Lille. Nadal continues to remain at the top of the rankings despite pulling out from the end-of-season finale with a knee injury after losing his first match of the Boris Becker Group. Federer, on the other hand, is now trailing Nadal by 1, 040 points following his semi-final exit in London. Nadal, who moved his Grand Slam haul to 16 after clinching this year's French and US Open titles, had already secured the year-end world number one ranking for the fourth time - after achieving the feat in 2008, 2010 and 2013. The current ATP top 10 are: 1. Rafael Nadal 2. Roger Federer 3. Grigor Dimitrov 4. Alexander Zverev 5. Dominic Thiem 6. Marin Cilic 7. David Goffin 8. Jack Sock 9. Stan Wawrinka 10. Pablo Carreno.

Dimitrov surges to career-best third spot after ATP Finals triumph

The Swiss 19-time grand slam champion had encouraging words for his friend and rival while helping Murray start his comeback gently by playing him in a charity match in Glasgow on Tuesday.

Former world number one Murray, who has been sidelined with a hip injury since Wimbledon, is targeting a return in the New Year with a view to competing at the Australian Open.

Federer, who was in a similar position last year when he missed the second half of the season through injury, took time out to completely recover and was rewarded with a spectacular return in 2017 featuring two grand slam triumphs.

Before beating Murray in the knockabout exhibition match, Federer told the three-time grand slam winner: &rdquo;My best advice is just to get fit again. Take your time, however long it takes.

&rdquo;When you come back you want to be at 100 percent, otherwise the problem is you feel you just can&rsquo;t beat the best at the big tournaments, so it&rsquo;s wise and worthwhile to take the extra week, extra month maybe.

&ldquo;I&lsquo;m sure Andy has a lot of years left so there shouldn&rsquo;t be a hurry but as a professional athlete, you always want to come back as quickly as possible and you need to have goals but sometimes they need to be postponed.&rdquo;

It is extraordinary how the pair&rsquo;s fortunes have changed in 12 months, but the experience of 36-year-old Federer can act as an inspiration to a player six years his junior.

This time last year, Murray had just achieved his ambition of becoming world number one while questions were being asked about Federer&rsquo;s future after his injury-decimated campaign.

Yet the Swiss returned to win the Australian Open and Wimbledon, shoot back up to number two in the world and play some of the best tennis of his garlanded career while injury-hit Murray&rsquo;s form and confidence dipped.

From number one, Murray has plummeted to 16th in the rankings, his lowest position for nine years but Federer is confident his rival will climb back to the top again.

Roger Federer believes Andy Murray should follow his lead by ensuring he does not rush back to competitive action too quickly following the Scot?s injury-ruined season.

The Swiss 19-time grand slam champion had encouraging words for his friend and rival while helping Murray start his comeback gently by playing him in a charity match in Glasgow on Tuesday. Former world number one Murray, who has been sidelined with a hip injury since Wimbledon, is targeting a return in the New Year with a view to competing at the Australian Open. Federer, who was in a similar position last year when he missed the second half of the season through injury, took time out to completely recover and was rewarded with a spectacular return in 2017 featuring two grand slam triumphs. Before beating Murray in the knockabout exhibition match, Federer told the three-time grand slam winner: ”My best advice is just to get fit again. Take your time, however long it takes. ”When you come back you want to be at 100 percent, otherwise the problem is you feel you just can’t beat the best at the big tournaments, so it’s wise and worthwhile to take the extra week, extra month maybe. “I‘m sure Andy has a lot of years left so there shouldn’t be a hurry but as a professional athlete, you always want to come back as quickly as possible and you need to have goals but sometimes they need to be postponed.” It is extraordinary how the pair’s fortunes have changed in 12 months, but the experience of 36-year-old Federer can act as an inspiration to a player six years his junior. This time last year, Murray had just achieved his ambition of becoming world number one while questions were being asked about Federer’s future after his injury-decimated campaign. Yet the Swiss returned to win the Australian Open and Wimbledon, shoot back up to number two in the world and play some of the best tennis of his garlanded career while injury-hit Murray’s form and confidence dipped. From number one, Murray has plummeted to 16th in the rankings, his lowest position for nine years but Federer is confident his rival will climb back to the top again.

Federer's advice to Murray: 'Get fit, take your time'

Roger Federer got one over his old rival Rafael Nadal to win the Shanghai Masters 6-4, 6-3 on Sunday in a showdown between the two best players on the planet.

It was a 94th title for the Swiss legend, drawing him level with the great Ivan Lendl, and was a fifth victory in a row against world number one Nadal.

Nadal was ahead in their overall record down the years, with 23 wins to Federer&#39;s 14, but he was up against it almost right away.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/sharapova-wins-first-title-since-return-from-doping-ban-has-to-fight-for-it-22460" target="_blank">Also read:&nbsp;Sharapova wins </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/sharapova-wins-first-title-since-return-from-doping-ban-has-to-fight-for-it-22460" target="_blank">first</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/sharapova-wins-first-title-since-return-from-doping-ban-has-to-fight-for-it-22460" target="_blank"> title since return from doping ban, has to fight for it</a>

Number two Federer put Nadal under the cosh immediately on the Spaniard&#39;s serve, breaking him in the first game -- to roars of approval from the majority inside the arena.

Another break to 36-year-old Federer in the pivotal fifth game of the second set put him in reach of a second Shanghai Masters crown -- and a sixth title in 2017.

&quot;We didn&#39;t think maybe we were going to have the year we did, I definitely didn&#39;t,&quot; Federer said on court afterwards, looking at Nadal, reflecting on their continued success even at this late stage of their careers.

&quot;It&#39;s nice to share this court with you today and I hope there are more to come in the tournaments we&#39;ve got left.

&quot;It&#39;s been a pleasure playing against you here today.&quot;

Federer, fondly known as &quot;Cow&quot; in China for his laid-back personality, had started the better in grabbing the break and he then rattled through his own service game for 2-0.

Federer, a 19-time Grand Slam champion, was in full flow under the Qizhong Tennis Center roof, which was closed because of downpours in Shanghai.

Nadal, 31, fresh from winning the US Open and China Open, groaned while lashing many of his shots; Federer was all quiet efficiency.

Somewhere in the stadium somebody rattled a cow bell.

Federer rapidly made it 4-2 with two booming aces in a row, drawing huge cheers from much of the stadium.

In contrast, Nadal -- a 16-time Grand Slam winner but who had never won the Shanghai Masters -- was labouring through his service games.

&#39;Emotional year&#39; 
There were suggestions that Federer might not be quite as fresh as his old foe, having been pushed to three sets a day earlier in the second semi-final against Juan Martin del Potro.

The timeless Federer rubbished that notion as he seared his way to a 5-3 first-set lead.

Nadal sent down his fourth ace for 5-4, only for Federer to seal the set with his seventh ace of the match.

There was little between the great rivals in the early exchanges of the second set until the fifth game.

Nadal saved the first break point but could not survive the second one to put Federer in reach of the title.

Nadal, for whom defeat sees Federer close the gap at the top of the world rankings as the year approaches its climax, has nevertheless enjoyed a remarkable season.

His triumph in Beijing last weekend was also his sixth of the year as he continues to defy doubts about his fitness following repeated injury.

The Spaniard called it &quot;an emotional year&quot;.

&quot;Today you played a fantastic match so well done, may congratulations,&quot; he told Federer.&nbsp;

This was Federer's fifth victory in a row against world number one Nadal

Roger Federer got one over his old rival Rafael Nadal to win the Shanghai Masters 6-4, 6-3 on Sunday in a showdown between the two best players on the planet. It was a 94th title for the Swiss legend, drawing him level with the great Ivan Lendl, and was a fifth victory in a row against world number one Nadal. Nadal was ahead in their overall record down the years, with 23 wins to Federer's 14, but he was up against it almost right away. Also read: Sharapova wins first title since return from doping ban, has to fight for it Number two Federer put Nadal under the cosh immediately on the Spaniard's serve, breaking him in the first game -- to roars of approval from the majority inside the arena. Another break to 36-year-old Federer in the pivotal fifth game of the second set put him in reach of a second Shanghai Masters crown -- and a sixth title in 2017. "We didn't think maybe we were going to have the year we did, I definitely didn't," Federer said on court afterwards, looking at Nadal, reflecting on their continued success even at this late stage of their careers. "It's nice to share this court with you today and I hope there are more to come in the tournaments we've got left. "It's been a pleasure playing against you here today." Federer, fondly known as "Cow" in China for his laid-back personality, had started the better in grabbing the break and he then rattled through his own service game for 2-0. Federer, a 19-time Grand Slam champion, was in full flow under the Qizhong Tennis Center roof, which was closed because of downpours in Shanghai. Nadal, 31, fresh from winning the US Open and China Open, groaned while lashing many of his shots; Federer was all quiet efficiency. Somewhere in the stadium somebody rattled a cow bell. Federer rapidly made it 4-2 with two booming aces in a row, drawing huge cheers from much of the stadium. In contrast, Nadal -- a 16-time Grand Slam winner but who had never won the Shanghai Masters -- was labouring through his service games. 'Emotional year' There were suggestions that Federer might not be quite as fresh as his old foe, having been pushed to three sets a day earlier in the second semi-final against Juan Martin del Potro. The timeless Federer rubbished that notion as he seared his way to a 5-3 first-set lead. Nadal sent down his fourth ace for 5-4, only for Federer to seal the set with his seventh ace of the match. There was little between the great rivals in the early exchanges of the second set until the fifth game. Nadal saved the first break point but could not survive the second one to put Federer in reach of the title. Nadal, for whom defeat sees Federer close the gap at the top of the world rankings as the year approaches its climax, has nevertheless enjoyed a remarkable season. His triumph in Beijing last weekend was also his sixth of the year as he continues to defy doubts about his fitness following repeated injury. The Spaniard called it "an emotional year". "Today you played a fantastic match so well done, may congratulations," he told Federer.

Federer beats old rival Nadal to win Shanghai Masters

Not every day, do&nbsp;we see something funny come out of a serious press conference.&nbsp;

On Tuesday, a kid reporter cum fan was at the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/us-open-federer-narrowly-beats-american-teenager-frances-tiafoe-19656">US Open Tennis Tournament press conference where Roger Federer </a>was addressing the media.

The kid got his chance to speak at the conference and he went on to ask the 19-time champion (Grand Slam singles titles) about why he&#39;s referred to by the nickname of G.O.A.T even though there is not a lot of livestock in his native country, Switzerland. The kid thought he was actually nicknamed after the farm animal.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/photos/us-open-japanese-teen-naomi-osaka-upsets-defending-champion-kerber-429">Roger Federer looked amused by the question</a> and he laughed before answering it. The tennis champion said, &ldquo;Some fans call me that; I don&rsquo;t call myself that.&quot; After taking a pause, he added, &ldquo;But yeah, we have a lot of animals in Switzerland and goats are part of the livestock we have over there, yes.&rdquo;

After this the cute kid went on to say that he has a &quot;serious&nbsp;question&quot; and asked if he &quot;could continue playing for another 8-9 years&quot; so that he could get to play Roger Federer when he &quot;becomes a pro&quot; himself.&nbsp;

Being a sport, Federer answered that he would try to &quot;make a comeback&quot; for him and that it is a &quot;pinky promise&quot;.&nbsp;

Roger Federer, is currently ranked world No. 3 in men&#39;s singles tennis by the Association of Tennis Professionals and is commonly referred to by the nickname G.O.A.T which stands for&nbsp;Greatest of All Time.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

<h2>Watch the video:&nbsp;</h2>

<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0gfEqBdUkfE" width="970"></iframe>

(WION)

&nbsp;

He seemed amused with the question and laughed before answering

Not every day, do we see something funny come out of a serious press conference. On Tuesday, a kid reporter cum fan was at the US Open Tennis Tournament press conference where Roger Federer was addressing the media. The kid got his chance to speak at the conference and he went on to ask the 19-time champion (Grand Slam singles titles) about why he's referred to by the nickname of G.O.A.T even though there is not a lot of livestock in his native country, Switzerland. The kid thought he was actually nicknamed after the farm animal. Roger Federer looked amused by the question and he laughed before answering it. The tennis champion said, “Some fans call me that; I don’t call myself that." After taking a pause, he added, “But yeah, we have a lot of animals in Switzerland and goats are part of the livestock we have over there, yes.” After this the cute kid went on to say that he has a "serious question" and asked if he "could continue playing for another 8-9 years" so that he could get to play Roger Federer when he "becomes a pro" himself. Being a sport, Federer answered that he would try to "make a comeback" for him and that it is a "pinky promise". Roger Federer, is currently ranked world No. 3 in men's singles tennis by the Association of Tennis Professionals and is commonly referred to by the nickname G.O.A.T which stands for Greatest of All Time. Watch the video: (WION)

Kid reporter asks Roger Federer why he's called the G.O.A.T. at the US Open

John&nbsp;McEnroe&nbsp;says the ATP Tour must consider reviewing its schedule in a bid to cut down on injuries after Canadian Milos Raonic joined the list of top players sitting out the U.S. Open.

While Raonic (wrist) is expected to rejoin the Tour later in the year, the three other high-profile absentees from Flushing Meadows, Novak Djokovic (elbow), Kei Nishikori (wrist) and Stan Wawrinka (knee), have been ruled out for the rest of the season.

Seven-time grand slam winner&nbsp;McEnroe&nbsp;said players had become more prone to injuries as the game evolved over the years and said officials should take another look at the schedule to see if they can lighten the load.

&quot;They have worked over the years to get it down to nine or 10 months,&quot;&nbsp;McEnroe&nbsp;told ESPN. &quot;I think perhaps they would be better served to continue to look at that.

&quot;Sometimes it&#39;s unpredictable. But certainly, the wear and tear are there because the ball is being hit harder so you have to react quicker. So things happen more often than they did in the past. That&#39;s part of why you&#39;re seeing a lot of injuries.

&quot;But let&#39;s face it, there have been injuries for a long time. This is nothing new. They are going to continue to look at it... we should continue to try to figure out ways to get the maximum out of all the players.&quot;

Swiss ace Roger Federer and world number one Rafa Nadal were sidelined for the latter stages of last season as they sought to recover from long-term problems.

Federer withdrew from the Cincinnati Masters earlier this month due to a back injury while world number two Andy Murray has struggled with a hip problem since the French Open but both have said that they would play in New York.

The US Open, the final grand slam of the season, is being held from Aug. 28 to Sept. 10.

While Raonic (wrist) is expected to rejoin the Tour later in the year, the three other high-profile absentees from Flushing Meadows

John McEnroe says the ATP Tour must consider reviewing its schedule in a bid to cut down on injuries after Canadian Milos Raonic joined the list of top players sitting out the U.S. Open. While Raonic (wrist) is expected to rejoin the Tour later in the year, the three other high-profile absentees from Flushing Meadows, Novak Djokovic (elbow), Kei Nishikori (wrist) and Stan Wawrinka (knee), have been ruled out for the rest of the season. Seven-time grand slam winner McEnroe said players had become more prone to injuries as the game evolved over the years and said officials should take another look at the schedule to see if they can lighten the load. "They have worked over the years to get it down to nine or 10 months," McEnroe told ESPN. "I think perhaps they would be better served to continue to look at that. "Sometimes it's unpredictable. But certainly, the wear and tear are there because the ball is being hit harder so you have to react quicker. So things happen more often than they did in the past. That's part of why you're seeing a lot of injuries. "But let's face it, there have been injuries for a long time. This is nothing new. They are going to continue to look at it... we should continue to try to figure out ways to get the maximum out of all the players." Swiss ace Roger Federer and world number one Rafa Nadal were sidelined for the latter stages of last season as they sought to recover from long-term problems. Federer withdrew from the Cincinnati Masters earlier this month due to a back injury while world number two Andy Murray has struggled with a hip problem since the French Open but both have said that they would play in New York. The US Open, the final grand slam of the season, is being held from Aug. 28 to Sept. 10.

McEnroe calls for tennis schedule review as injuries mount

By Yash Jha

&quot;I wasn&#39;t sure if I was going to ever be here in another finals after last year. I had some tough ones losing to Novak in 2014 and 2015. But I always believed that I can maybe come back and do it again, and if you believe you can go really, really far in your life, and I think I did that and I&#39;m happy. I kept on believing and dreaming and here I am today, with the eighth. It&#39;s fantastic.&quot;

When Roger Federer first won a Wimbledon Men&#39;s Singles title, on July 6, 2003, George W Bush was President of the USA, Facebook was yet to launch, Wayne Rooney played for Everton, and Andre Agassi was ranked world number one.

Over 14 years from the day he became a Grand Slam champion - in a world where Donald Trump presides over the US, the world seemingly exists on social media, Rooney has returned to Everton after about a lifetime at Manchester United, and Agassi has been retired for over a decade - <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/roger-federer-wins-record-8th-wimbledon-title-as-cilic-bid-ends-in-tears-17973" target="_blank">Federer became the most successful male player in the history</a> of the oldest and most prestigious competition in tennis.&nbsp;

&quot;It is very special. Wimbledon was always my favourite tournament, will always be my favourite tournament. My heroes walked the grounds here, the courts here, and because of them, I think I became a better player too. So to mark history here at Wimbledon means a lot to me,&quot; he said at the post-match press conference following his capturing of a record-extending 19th Grand Slam title.

<h2><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/martina-hingis-jamie-murray-win-wimbledon-mixed-doubles-17976" target="_blank">Also Read: Swiss dish the flavour in mixed doubles</a></h2>

At 35 years and 342 days, he also became the oldest singles champion at Wimbledon, irrespective of gender, in the Open Era.&nbsp;

History would have always had room - one of its better suites, even - for Federer, regardless of what happened on Sunday. Regardless of what happened in 2017. Or the year before that.

In July 2009, with his securing of a sixth title at the All England Club after a four-hour, 77-game long marathon against Andy Roddick, Federer had become the most decorated player in men&#39;s tennis, surpassing Pete Sampras&#39; haul of 14 titles.

A 16th Slam followed soon at the 2010 Australian Open, but then came 2011 - his first year without a Slam since his breakthrough win in 2003.&nbsp;

He continued the love affair with Wimbledon in 2012, but then came four-and-a-half years bereft of victory.&nbsp;

It wasn&#39;t so much the slide of the Swiss maestro that was discomforting - what goes up comes down, the best get bettered, it&#39;s all par for the course - as the manner. Federer was losing his mojo, his opponents were finding their feet, the aura of invincibility was gone.&nbsp;

Then, in 2016, came the &quot;clicking&quot;&nbsp;of his knees while he ran a bath for his twin daughters at home. A torn cartilage would need a surgery; the return would read 18 matches, zero finals, zero wins against top-10 players.

And when it was known that Federer would miss the entire season post-Wimbledon, including the US Open - only the second major he skipped in 17 years - the inevitable question of retirement that had been following him ever since he completed his career Grand Slam at Roland Garros in 2009 had resurfaced.

&quot;I&rsquo;ve heard retirement [talk]since 2009 when I won the French Open and people were like, well, what else are you playing for? I&rsquo;m like, what&rsquo;s wrong with you people? Don&rsquo;t you understand that playing tennis is great fun? I don&rsquo;t need to win three slams a year to be content. If the body doesn&rsquo;t want to do it, if the mind doesn&rsquo;t want to do it, if my wife doesn&rsquo;t want me to do it, if my kids don&rsquo;t like it, I&rsquo;ll stop tomorrow. zero problem. But I love tennis in such a big way that I don&rsquo;t care if I don&rsquo;t win so much any more. For me that is irrelevant,&quot; the then-17-time-major-winner said in an interview with The Guardian during his hiatus.

Away from the tour for six months, Federer returned at the Australian Open in January. &nbsp;His record since: 31-2. At Grand Slams and Masters 1000 events: 25-0. Titles won: Australian Open, Indian Wells, Miami, Wimbledon.

The king of SW19 had waited five years to regain his kingdom. His Center Court audience had never had to endure as long between any two Federer titles.

But all that was now over; the man who turns 36 next month had made it 19 at SW19.

&quot;It&#39;s a dream to play here really, and I hope this wasn&#39;t my last match, and I hope I can come back next year and try to defend the title,&quot; was his parting shot to the faithful.

In the time between Federer&#39;s first title and this, his latest, the landscape of the world has changed a fair bit. It isn&#39;t the greatest place to be around.

But till the time Roger Federer keeps winning Grand Slams, till he keeps turning up at Center Court at Wimbledon, till he keeps playing this sport - the world doesn&#39;t need any saving.

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Asian Games gold medallist and former India No 1 Somdev Devvarman speaks to WION&#39;s sports editor Digvijay Singh Deo on Roger Federer&#39;s record 8th Wimbledon title. (WION)
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With his Wimbledon win, Federer becomes the most successful male player in the history of the oldest and most prestigious competition in tennis

By Yash Jha "I wasn't sure if I was going to ever be here in another finals after last year. I had some tough ones losing to Novak in 2014 and 2015. But I always believed that I can maybe come back and do it again, and if you believe you can go really, really far in your life, and I think I did that and I'm happy. I kept on believing and dreaming and here I am today, with the eighth. It's fantastic." When Roger Federer first won a Wimbledon Men's Singles title, on July 6, 2003, George W Bush was President of the USA, Facebook was yet to launch, Wayne Rooney played for Everton, and Andre Agassi was ranked world number one. Over 14 years from the day he became a Grand Slam champion - in a world where Donald Trump presides over the US, the world seemingly exists on social media, Rooney has returned to Everton after about a lifetime at Manchester United, and Agassi has been retired for over a decade - Federer became the most successful male player in the history of the oldest and most prestigious competition in tennis. "It is very special. Wimbledon was always my favourite tournament, will always be my favourite tournament. My heroes walked the grounds here, the courts here, and because of them, I think I became a better player too. So to mark history here at Wimbledon means a lot to me," he said at the post-match press conference following his capturing of a record-extending 19th Grand Slam title. Also Read: Swiss dish the flavour in mixed doubles At 35 years and 342 days, he also became the oldest singles champion at Wimbledon, irrespective of gender, in the Open Era. History would have always had room - one of its better suites, even - for Federer, regardless of what happened on Sunday. Regardless of what happened in 2017. Or the year before that. In July 2009, with his securing of a sixth title at the All England Club after a four-hour, 77-game long marathon against Andy Roddick, Federer had become the most decorated player in men's tennis, surpassing Pete Sampras' haul of 14 titles. A 16th Slam followed soon at the 2010 Australian Open, but then came 2011 - his first year without a Slam since his breakthrough win in 2003. He continued the love affair with Wimbledon in 2012, but then came four-and-a-half years bereft of victory. It wasn't so much the slide of the Swiss maestro that was discomforting - what goes up comes down, the best get bettered, it's all par for the course - as the manner. Federer was losing his mojo, his opponents were finding their feet, the aura of invincibility was gone. Then, in 2016, came the "clicking" of his knees while he ran a bath for his twin daughters at home. A torn cartilage would need a surgery; the return would read 18 matches, zero finals, zero wins against top-10 players. And when it was known that Federer would miss the entire season post-Wimbledon, including the US Open - only the second major he skipped in 17 years - the inevitable question of retirement that had been following him ever since he completed his career Grand Slam at Roland Garros in 2009 had resurfaced. "I’ve heard retirement [talk]since 2009 when I won the French Open and people were like, well, what else are you playing for? I’m like, what’s wrong with you people? Don’t you understand that playing tennis is great fun? I don’t need to win three slams a year to be content. If the body doesn’t want to do it, if the mind doesn’t want to do it, if my wife doesn’t want me to do it, if my kids don’t like it, I’ll stop tomorrow. zero problem. But I love tennis in such a big way that I don’t care if I don’t win so much any more. For me that is irrelevant," the then-17-time-major-winner said in an interview with The Guardian during his hiatus. Away from the tour for six months, Federer returned at the Australian Open in January. His record since: 31-2. At Grand Slams and Masters 1000 events: 25-0. Titles won: Australian Open, Indian Wells, Miami, Wimbledon. The king of SW19 had waited five years to regain his kingdom. His Center Court audience had never had to endure as long between any two Federer titles. But all that was now over; the man who turns 36 next month had made it 19 at SW19. "It's a dream to play here really, and I hope this wasn't my last match, and I hope I can come back next year and try to defend the title," was his parting shot to the faithful. In the time between Federer's first title and this, his latest, the landscape of the world has changed a fair bit. It isn't the greatest place to be around. But till the time Roger Federer keeps winning Grand Slams, till he keeps turning up at Center Court at Wimbledon, till he keeps playing this sport - the world doesn't need any saving. Asian Games gold medallist and former India No 1 Somdev Devvarman speaks to WION's sports editor Digvijay Singh Deo on Roger Federer's record 8th Wimbledon title. (WION) ×

Eighth heaven: King Federer reclaims his kingdom

Roger Federer won a record eighth Wimbledon title and became the tournament&#39;s oldest champion Sunday with a straight-sets victory over injury-hit Marin Cilic who dramatically broke down in tears midway through the final.

Federer claimed his 19th Grand Slam title 6-3, 6-1, 6-4 and at 35 is Wimbledon&#39;s oldest men&#39;s winner of the modern era, succeeding Arthur Ashe, who was almost 32 when he won in 1976.

However, the Swiss superstar&#39;s 11th Wimbledon final, and 29th at the majors will also be remembered for the moving sight of the popular Cilic breaking down in tears after slipping 3-0 behind in the second set.

The seventh seeded Croatian, the 2014 US Open champion, sobbed inconsolably and buried his head in his towel as his title dream slipped away.

He then had his left foot taped at the end of the second set but it was in vain as Federer became the first player since Bjorn Borg in 1976 to win Wimbledon without dropping a set in the entire tournament.

Beneath a star-studded Royal Box where Prince William and wife Kate rubbed shoulders with actors Hugh Grant and Bradley Cooper, Cilic had his first break point in the fourth game.

It was saved by Federer and it was to be Cilic&#39;s only glimmer of hope.

Federer broke in the next game when his opponent suffered a nasty fall on the worn surface which was to ultimately undermine his challenge.

Federer then served up two love service games before claiming the opener 6-3 off a Cilic double fault, the Croatian&#39;s second of the final.

The Swiss superstar swept into a 3-0 lead in the second set and at the changeover, Cilic slumped in his courtside chair in tears and in obvious pain.

The trainer and doctor were summoned before Cilic hid his head in his towel in a desperate attempt to compose himself.

The 28-year-old held serve on the resumption but the lethal barrage continued, Federer stretching his lead over his friend to 4-1.

Cilic dropped the set 6-1 and called a medical timeout to have his left foot bandaged and take a painkiller.

His discomfort was reflected in his statistics.

By the end of the second set, he had served just two aces compared to the 130 he had fired past bamboozled opponents in his previous six rounds.

Federer pounced again with a break for 4-3 and wrapped up the one-sided final with a second serve ace to complete his coronation after just 1hr 41 minutes.

Fittingly, he too wept at the end.

Federer claimed his 19th Grand Slam title 6-3, 6-1, 6-4

Roger Federer won a record eighth Wimbledon title and became the tournament's oldest champion Sunday with a straight-sets victory over injury-hit Marin Cilic who dramatically broke down in tears midway through the final. Federer claimed his 19th Grand Slam title 6-3, 6-1, 6-4 and at 35 is Wimbledon's oldest men's winner of the modern era, succeeding Arthur Ashe, who was almost 32 when he won in 1976. However, the Swiss superstar's 11th Wimbledon final, and 29th at the majors will also be remembered for the moving sight of the popular Cilic breaking down in tears after slipping 3-0 behind in the second set. The seventh seeded Croatian, the 2014 US Open champion, sobbed inconsolably and buried his head in his towel as his title dream slipped away. He then had his left foot taped at the end of the second set but it was in vain as Federer became the first player since Bjorn Borg in 1976 to win Wimbledon without dropping a set in the entire tournament. Beneath a star-studded Royal Box where Prince William and wife Kate rubbed shoulders with actors Hugh Grant and Bradley Cooper, Cilic had his first break point in the fourth game. It was saved by Federer and it was to be Cilic's only glimmer of hope. Federer broke in the next game when his opponent suffered a nasty fall on the worn surface which was to ultimately undermine his challenge. Federer then served up two love service games before claiming the opener 6-3 off a Cilic double fault, the Croatian's second of the final. The Swiss superstar swept into a 3-0 lead in the second set and at the changeover, Cilic slumped in his courtside chair in tears and in obvious pain. The trainer and doctor were summoned before Cilic hid his head in his towel in a desperate attempt to compose himself. The 28-year-old held serve on the resumption but the lethal barrage continued, Federer stretching his lead over his friend to 4-1. Cilic dropped the set 6-1 and called a medical timeout to have his left foot bandaged and take a painkiller. His discomfort was reflected in his statistics. By the end of the second set, he had served just two aces compared to the 130 he had fired past bamboozled opponents in his previous six rounds. Federer pounced again with a break for 4-3 and wrapped up the one-sided final with a second serve ace to complete his coronation after just 1hr 41 minutes. Fittingly, he too wept at the end.

Roger Federer wins record 8th Wimbledon title as Cilic bid ends in tears

Roger Federer&#39;s relentless pursuit of an eighth Wimbledon title continued as he beat stubborn Czech Tomas Berdych 7-6(4) 7-6(4) 6-4 to reach the final for the 11th time on Friday.

The 35-year-old Swiss was given a tough test by the 11th seed, who beat him in the quarter-finals in 2010, but raised his game at the crucial moments to become the oldest men&#39;s singles finalist here since Ken Rosewall in 1974.

Rosewall, 39, went on to lose to Jimmy Connors but Federer will be a huge favourite to reclaim the title against big-serving Croatian Marin Cilic on Sunday.

Federer has now reached 29 grand slam finals, winning 18, and he has carved his way through the draw without dropping a set.

This was his toughest test so far, though, as Czech Berdych put in a solid shift at the coalface to keep Federer on his toes.

Twice he dragged Federer into tiebreaks but on both occasions he was helpless as Federer simply flicked the switch, conjuring winners at will to move two sets ahead.

Berdych refused to throw in the towel and even had breaks points at 3-3 in the third set, only for Federer to smash down three aces and an unreturnable serve.

Federer, who took six months off after losing in the semis last year, broke in the next game and the end came quickly as he held serve at 5-4 to seal his 90th win at the All England Club.

The 35-year-old Swiss was given a tough test by the 11th seed Tomas Berdych, who beat him in the quarter-finals in 2010

Roger Federer's relentless pursuit of an eighth Wimbledon title continued as he beat stubborn Czech Tomas Berdych 7-6(4) 7-6(4) 6-4 to reach the final for the 11th time on Friday. The 35-year-old Swiss was given a tough test by the 11th seed, who beat him in the quarter-finals in 2010, but raised his game at the crucial moments to become the oldest men's singles finalist here since Ken Rosewall in 1974. Rosewall, 39, went on to lose to Jimmy Connors but Federer will be a huge favourite to reclaim the title against big-serving Croatian Marin Cilic on Sunday. Federer has now reached 29 grand slam finals, winning 18, and he has carved his way through the draw without dropping a set. This was his toughest test so far, though, as Czech Berdych put in a solid shift at the coalface to keep Federer on his toes. Twice he dragged Federer into tiebreaks but on both occasions he was helpless as Federer simply flicked the switch, conjuring winners at will to move two sets ahead. Berdych refused to throw in the towel and even had breaks points at 3-3 in the third set, only for Federer to smash down three aces and an unreturnable serve. Federer, who took six months off after losing in the semis last year, broke in the next game and the end came quickly as he held serve at 5-4 to seal his 90th win at the All England Club.

Federer beats Berdych, breezes into Wimbledon final

Canadian Milos Raonic has once again lost to Roger Federer at Wimbledon. He had earlier lost to the former Wimbledon&nbsp;champion three years ago in the semi-final, in fact, the 26-year-old Canadian&nbsp;has lost 13 finals in his career including the Wimbledon final&nbsp;to Andy Murray last year.&nbsp;

Raonic climbed to No-3 in the world rankings last year, however, he has&nbsp;won&nbsp;just 8 titles. He&nbsp;has failed to raise his game at the right time losing twice to Roger Federer at Wimbledon and last year in the finals to Andy Murray. It could be nerves, the &#39;fear of finals&#39; or maybe he has found Federer, Murray, and Nadal too hot to handle.&nbsp;

Milos Raonic&#39;s career statistics:

-Lost 2013: Rogers Cup final to Rafael Nadal 
-Lost 2014: Paris Masters final to Novak Djokovic 
-Lost Grand Slam semi-final:&nbsp;2014 Wimbledon Championships against Roger Federer 
-Lost 2016 Indian Wells Masters final to Novak Djokovic 
-Lost Grand Slam semifinal&nbsp;2016 Australian Open against Andy Murray 
-Lost Grand Slam final:&nbsp;2016 Wimbledon Championships against Andy Murray 
-Lost Grand Slam quarter-final:&nbsp;2017 Wimbledon Championship against Roger Federer

&nbsp;

Raonic has won?just 8 titles but has failed to raise his game at the right time losing twice to Roger Federer at Wimbledon

Canadian Milos Raonic has once again lost to Roger Federer at Wimbledon. He had earlier lost to the former Wimbledon champion three years ago in the semi-final, in fact, the 26-year-old Canadian has lost 13 finals in his career including the Wimbledon final to Andy Murray last year. Raonic climbed to No-3 in the world rankings last year, however, he has won just 8 titles. He has failed to raise his game at the right time losing twice to Roger Federer at Wimbledon and last year in the finals to Andy Murray. It could be nerves, the 'fear of finals' or maybe he has found Federer, Murray, and Nadal too hot to handle. Milos Raonic's career statistics: -Lost 2013: Rogers Cup final to Rafael Nadal -Lost 2014: Paris Masters final to Novak Djokovic -Lost Grand Slam semi-final: 2014 Wimbledon Championships against Roger Federer -Lost 2016 Indian Wells Masters final to Novak Djokovic -Lost Grand Slam semifinal 2016 Australian Open against Andy Murray -Lost Grand Slam final: 2016 Wimbledon Championships against Andy Murray -Lost Grand Slam quarter-final: 2017 Wimbledon Championship against Roger Federer

Meet Milos Raonic, the 'unluckiest player' in tennis

Seven-time champion Roger Federer reached the Wimbledon semi-finals for the 12th time on Wednesday with a 6-4, 6-2, 7-6 (7/4) win over Milos Raonic.

Federer, 35, and playing in his 100th match at the All England Club, will now face 2010 runner-up Tomas Berdych for a place in Sunday&#39;s final.

Berdych made the last-four when three-time champion Novak Djokovic retired with a right elbow injury when trailing the Czech 7-6 (7/2), 2-0.

Federer is the second oldest man to reach the semi-finals after Ken Rosewall who finished runner-up in 1974 at the age of 39.

&quot;100 matches, I can&#39;t believe it, that&#39;s a lot,&quot; said Federer, who is chasing a record eighth Wimbledon title.

&quot;I&#39;m very happy my body kept me going over all these years. It was a perfect setting, beautiful weather -- a Mexican wave on Centre Court, you don&#39;t see that every day. I&#39;m so happy to be through.

&quot;I&#39;m very pleased with how I&#39;m playing. You can always play a little better. You adjust to the conditions.

&quot;It&#39;s like going to work, you can&#39;t produce the best every single day but you have to make sure your average is as high as possible.&quot;

Canadian sixth seed Raonic had knocked out Federer in the semi-finals in 2016, a defeat which led the Swiss superstar to shut down the rest of his season to rest a knee injury.

On Wednesday, Federer matched the big-serving Canadian with 11 aces while crunching a spectacular 46 winners.

He also saved all five break points he faced and has reached the semi-finals without dropping a set.

Elbow injury forces Djokovic to quit quarter-final

Novak Djokovic said a right elbow injury was to blame for his retirement from Wednesday&#39;s Wimbledon quarter-final against Tomas Berdych.

Djokovic needed treatment on his elbow at the end of the first set and was already dealing with a long-term right shoulder problem.

The three-time Wimbledon champion, who would have regained the world number one ranking if he had won the tournament, was trailing 7-6 (7/2), 2-0 when he called it quits on Court One.

Czech world number 15 Berdych, the 2010 Wimbledon runner-up, goes on to face seven-time champion Roger Federer for a place in Sunday&#39;s final.

&quot;It&#39;s my elbow. It&#39;s been bothering me for a year and a half. It&#39;s unfortunate I have to finish Wimbledon like this,&quot; said Djokovic after his first Grand Slam retirement since the 2009 Australian Open quarter-finals.

&quot;I started feeling it at the beginning of the tournament. The level of pain was always increasing and today was the worst day.

&quot;I tried what I could do to get it in condition to be able to play.

&quot;All the treatments couldn&#39;t really help. The serve and forehand were the shots I could feel it most.&quot;

Djokovic was especially frustrated to have had to pull out with an injury after complaining bitterly that Wimbledon organisers should have allowed his last 16 match to be played on Monday evening instead of Tuesday morning.

The 12-time Grand Slam champion had to face Adrian Mannarino a day later than scheduled due to the late finish of Rafael Nadal&#39;s defeat against Gilles Muller.

Djokovic had needed treatment on his shoulder during his victory over Mannarino.

&quot;Those kinds of circumstances don&#39;t really help. This is the kind of situation you have to accept and try to make the most out of it,&quot; Djokovic said.

&quot;I spent about two hours on the treatment table in between the warm-up and the match to make me fit.

&quot;It wasn&#39;t to be. For an athlete in an individual sport, there is no way out when you are injured.

&quot;I will have to take some time and see what needs to be done. I guess a break is something I will have to consider right now.&quot;

Decline

The 30-year-old Serb had held a 25-2 career record over Berdych and hadn&#39;t lost to the Czech in four years.

But instead of extending that streak, the world number four will leave London nursing his injury and his pride as the worst period of his career shows no sign of improving.

Since winning the French Open last year to complete his career Grand Slam, Djokovic has failed to win another major title.

He crashed out of the Australian Open in the second round and the French Open in the quarter-finals.

With world number one Andy Murray crashing out against Sam Querrey earlier on Wednesday, Djokovic walked onto Court One knowing he would regain top spot in the rankings if he won Wimbledon for a fourth time.

But if that should have served as extra motivation for Djokovic, there were immediate signs that his fitness was a problem when a sloppy tie-break cost him the first set.

The Serb called for a medical timeout after the first set to have his right elbow massaged by a physio.

But Berdych seized the chance to add to Djokovic&#39;s woes with a break in the second game of the second set.

That was the signal for Djokovic to trudge forlornly to the net to withdraw from the match.

Federer becomes the second oldest man to reach the semi-finals, elbow injury forces Djokovic to quit quarter-final

Seven-time champion Roger Federer reached the Wimbledon semi-finals for the 12th time on Wednesday with a 6-4, 6-2, 7-6 (7/4) win over Milos Raonic. Federer, 35, and playing in his 100th match at the All England Club, will now face 2010 runner-up Tomas Berdych for a place in Sunday's final. Berdych made the last-four when three-time champion Novak Djokovic retired with a right elbow injury when trailing the Czech 7-6 (7/2), 2-0. Federer is the second oldest man to reach the semi-finals after Ken Rosewall who finished runner-up in 1974 at the age of 39. "100 matches, I can't believe it, that's a lot," said Federer, who is chasing a record eighth Wimbledon title. "I'm very happy my body kept me going over all these years. It was a perfect setting, beautiful weather -- a Mexican wave on Centre Court, you don't see that every day. I'm so happy to be through. "I'm very pleased with how I'm playing. You can always play a little better. You adjust to the conditions. "It's like going to work, you can't produce the best every single day but you have to make sure your average is as high as possible." Canadian sixth seed Raonic had knocked out Federer in the semi-finals in 2016, a defeat which led the Swiss superstar to shut down the rest of his season to rest a knee injury. On Wednesday, Federer matched the big-serving Canadian with 11 aces while crunching a spectacular 46 winners. He also saved all five break points he faced and has reached the semi-finals without dropping a set. Elbow injury forces Djokovic to quit quarter-final Novak Djokovic said a right elbow injury was to blame for his retirement from Wednesday's Wimbledon quarter-final against Tomas Berdych. Djokovic needed treatment on his elbow at the end of the first set and was already dealing with a long-term right shoulder problem. The three-time Wimbledon champion, who would have regained the world number one ranking if he had won the tournament, was trailing 7-6 (7/2), 2-0 when he called it quits on Court One. Czech world number 15 Berdych, the 2010 Wimbledon runner-up, goes on to face seven-time champion Roger Federer for a place in Sunday's final. "It's my elbow. It's been bothering me for a year and a half. It's unfortunate I have to finish Wimbledon like this," said Djokovic after his first Grand Slam retirement since the 2009 Australian Open quarter-finals. "I started feeling it at the beginning of the tournament. The level of pain was always increasing and today was the worst day. "I tried what I could do to get it in condition to be able to play. "All the treatments couldn't really help. The serve and forehand were the shots I could feel it most." Djokovic was especially frustrated to have had to pull out with an injury after complaining bitterly that Wimbledon organisers should have allowed his last 16 match to be played on Monday evening instead of Tuesday morning. The 12-time Grand Slam champion had to face Adrian Mannarino a day later than scheduled due to the late finish of Rafael Nadal's defeat against Gilles Muller. Djokovic had needed treatment on his shoulder during his victory over Mannarino. "Those kinds of circumstances don't really help. This is the kind of situation you have to accept and try to make the most out of it," Djokovic said. "I spent about two hours on the treatment table in between the warm-up and the match to make me fit. "It wasn't to be. For an athlete in an individual sport, there is no way out when you are injured. "I will have to take some time and see what needs to be done. I guess a break is something I will have to consider right now." Decline The 30-year-old Serb had held a 25-2 career record over Berdych and hadn't lost to the Czech in four years. But instead of extending that streak, the world number four will leave London nursing his injury and his pride as the worst period of his career shows no sign of improving. Since winning the French Open last year to complete his career Grand Slam, Djokovic has failed to win another major title. He crashed out of the Australian Open in the second round and the French Open in the quarter-finals. With world number one Andy Murray crashing out against Sam Querrey earlier on Wednesday, Djokovic walked onto Court One knowing he would regain top spot in the rankings if he won Wimbledon for a fourth time. But if that should have served as extra motivation for Djokovic, there were immediate signs that his fitness was a problem when a sloppy tie-break cost him the first set. The Serb called for a medical timeout after the first set to have his right elbow massaged by a physio. But Berdych seized the chance to add to Djokovic's woes with a break in the second game of the second set. That was the signal for Djokovic to trudge forlornly to the net to withdraw from the match.

Wimbledon: Federer cruises, Djokovic defaults

<p content="Johannesburg [South Africa], May 1 (ANI): Swiss maestro Roger Federer, who has been brimming with confidence after resounding victories at the Australian Open and ATP events in Miami and Indian Wells, has said he plans to play in French Open scheduled for next month." data-reactid="11" type="text">Swiss maestro Roger Federer, who has been brimming with confidence after resounding victories at the Australian Open and ATP events in Miami and Indian Wells, has said he plans to play in French Open scheduled for next month.

<p content="Federer, after defeating John Isner 6-4, 7-6 (9/7) in an exhibition at Seattle, Washington, to benefit his charity foundation, on Saturday said he plans to play at Roland Garros for the first time since 2015." data-reactid="12" type="text">Federer, after defeating John Isner 6-4, 7-6 (9/7) in an exhibition at Seattle, Washington, to benefit his charity foundation, on Saturday said he plans to play at Roland Garros for the first time since 2015.

&quot;I am registered and my intention is to play Roland Garros,&quot; Sport24 quoted him as saying.

<p content="The 18-time Grand Slam champion had made to the quarterfinals of the 2015 French Open where he had eventually lost and missed last year's event while dealing with knee and back injuries." data-reactid="14" type="text">The 18-time Grand Slam champion had made to the quarterfinals of the 2015 French Open where he had eventually lost and missed last year&#39;s event while dealing with knee and back injuries.

<p content="He last won at the Roland Garros in 2009 and completed a career Grand Slam. Apart from the lone French Open title, the 35-year-old owns five US and Australian Open crowns and seven Wimbledon titles." data-reactid="15" type="text">He last won at the Roland Garros in 2009 and completed a career Grand Slam. Apart from the lone French Open title, the 35-year-old owns five US and Australian Open crowns and seven Wimbledon titles.

&quot;I feel very privileged to be back on a tennis court,&quot; Federer said.

<p content="&quot;Last year was extremely difficult, having had surgery and the knee never healing. Then I had back pain too, and it all got too much at Wimbledon and I was out for six months." data-reactid="17" type="text">&quot;Last year was extremely difficult, having had surgery and the knee never healing. Then I had back pain too, and it all got too much at Wimbledon and I was out for six months.

<p content="&quot;But I was able to spend some incredible time with the family and start preparing for this season and hoping that the work that I put in the off season was going to really pay off." data-reactid="18" type="text">&quot;But I was able to spend some incredible time with the family and start preparing for this season and hoping that the work that I put in the off season was going to really pay off.

<p content="Federer, currently ranked fourth in the world, has indicated that he has no plans on retiring having signed a deal to play in the Basel tournament until 2019. (ANI)" data-reactid="19" type="text">Federer, currently ranked fourth in the world, has indicated that he has no plans on retiring having signed a deal to play in the Basel tournament until 2019.

<p content="Federer, currently ranked fourth in the world, has indicated that he has no plans on retiring having signed a deal to play in the Basel tournament until 2019. (ANI)" data-reactid="19" type="text">(ANI)

The 18-time grand slam champion said after beating John Isner in an exhibition match

Swiss maestro Roger Federer, who has been brimming with confidence after resounding victories at the Australian Open and ATP events in Miami and Indian Wells, has said he plans to play in French Open scheduled for next month. Federer, after defeating John Isner 6-4, 7-6 (9/7) in an exhibition at Seattle, Washington, to benefit his charity foundation, on Saturday said he plans to play at Roland Garros for the first time since 2015. "I am registered and my intention is to play Roland Garros," Sport24 quoted him as saying. The 18-time Grand Slam champion had made to the quarterfinals of the 2015 French Open where he had eventually lost and missed last year's event while dealing with knee and back injuries. He last won at the Roland Garros in 2009 and completed a career Grand Slam. Apart from the lone French Open title, the 35-year-old owns five US and Australian Open crowns and seven Wimbledon titles. "I feel very privileged to be back on a tennis court," Federer said. "Last year was extremely difficult, having had surgery and the knee never healing. Then I had back pain too, and it all got too much at Wimbledon and I was out for six months. "But I was able to spend some incredible time with the family and start preparing for this season and hoping that the work that I put in the off season was going to really pay off. Federer, currently ranked fourth in the world, has indicated that he has no plans on retiring having signed a deal to play in the Basel tournament until 2019. (ANI)

Roger Federer intends to play French Open

Roger Federer, fresh from winning his third title of the year in Miami, said Sunday he will take a nearly two-month break from the sport before returning for the French Open in late May.

Federer has won the Australian Open, Indian Wells and Miami since coming back from a six-month injury lay-off and he said he won&rsquo;t be playing clay court events including Masters series events in Monte Carlo, Madrid and Rome.

&quot;I&#39;m not 24 any more so things have changed in a big way and I probably won&#39;t play any clay court event except the French. That is what it is going to look like, I need rest, my body needs healing, I need time as well to prepare, you will probably see me at the French again,&quot; he told ESPN in an on-court interview.

&quot;I want to stay healthy and enjoy myself. Because when I am healthy and feeling good, I can produce tennis like this, when I am not feeling this good there is no chance I will be in the finals competing with Rafa.

&quot;That is why this break coming now in the clay court season and focusing everything now on the French, the grass and then the hard courts after that is going to be the key for me,&quot; he added.

Federer beat Nadal in straight sets in the Miami final on Sunday.

(AFP)

The world number four will take a nearly two-month break by skipping all Masters events on clay

Roger Federer, fresh from winning his third title of the year in Miami, said Sunday he will take a nearly two-month break from the sport before returning for the French Open in late May. Federer has won the Australian Open, Indian Wells and Miami since coming back from a six-month injury lay-off and he said he won’t be playing clay court events including Masters series events in Monte Carlo, Madrid and Rome. "I'm not 24 any more so things have changed in a big way and I probably won't play any clay court event except the French. That is what it is going to look like, I need rest, my body needs healing, I need time as well to prepare, you will probably see me at the French again," he told ESPN in an on-court interview. "I want to stay healthy and enjoy myself. Because when I am healthy and feeling good, I can produce tennis like this, when I am not feeling this good there is no chance I will be in the finals competing with Rafa. "That is why this break coming now in the clay court season and focusing everything now on the French, the grass and then the hard courts after that is going to be the key for me," he added. Federer beat Nadal in straight sets in the Miami final on Sunday. (AFP)

Federer to skip nearly two months, will return for French Open

Roger&nbsp;Federer&nbsp;dramatically fought his way into the Miami Open semi-finals with a 6-2, 3-6, 7-6 (8/6) victory over Czech 10th seed Tomas Berdych on Thursday.

The 35-year-old Swiss, who has already won the Australian Open and Indian Wells so far this year, extended his win streak over Berdych to seven matches.

There was plenty of tension in the match-deciding tie-breaker, where&nbsp;Federer&nbsp;saved match point and then Berdych lost on a double-fault.

&quot;I definitely got very lucky at the end, but I think I showed great heart today,&quot;&nbsp;Federer&nbsp;said. &quot;I fought and Tomas definitely started to step it up, but it was a great match at the end.&quot;

Federer&nbsp;will face Nick Kyrgios in the semi-finals after the Australian came through an entertaining 6-4, 6-7 (9/11), 6-3 victory over 19-year-old German Alexander Zverev.

Should&nbsp;Federer&nbsp;win Friday, there is a chance he will play Sunday&#39;s final against long-standing rival Rafael Nadal, who faces Italy&#39;s Fabio Fognini in the other semi-final.

But Thursday could very easily have been the end of the tournament for the&nbsp;18-time Grand Slam champion, who entered the match having not dropped a set over eight consecutive matches at Indian Wells and Miami.

Berdych was broken in the opening game of the match and then&nbsp;Federer&nbsp;dealt with a break point in the second game. The Swiss was comfortable on his serve and then broke Berdych again at 4-2 to put the opening set beyond doubt.

But then, the Czech dug deep and came out fighting.

Berdych broke to go 5-3 up and took the contest into a third set, where&nbsp;Federer&nbsp;made the most of some unforced errors from his opponent to break at 4-2 but then, uncharacteristically,&nbsp;Federer&nbsp;let some sloppiness creep into his game.

Federer&nbsp;was broken when serving for the match at 5-3 and was unable to convert on match-point at in the next game.

Berdych led 6-4 in the tie-breaker but gave up two points and&nbsp;Federer&nbsp;blasted a superb ace to get in front before the double-fault from the Czech ended the contest.

It was the second demoralising defeat this month for Berdych. He lost at Indian Wells in the third round after leading 6-1, 5-2 against Japan&#39;s Yoshihito Nishioka.

Asked about his frustration, Berdych said: &quot;What should I do? Should I destroy the table? Then you see how much I&#39;m frustrated. I don&#39;t know.

&quot;It&#39;s obviously not something that you want, to finish the tournament like that. But I got a lesson in the last tournament, so this is going to be fine to get over with. I think this is going to be a strawberry cake after that. It&#39;s going to be fine.&quot;

Federer&nbsp;improved to 17-1 in 2017, his best start to a season since 2006, and has now won seven tie-breakers in a row.

The Kyrgios-Zverev quarter-final was billed as a glimpse at the future of top-level tennis and if so, the sport should have an entertaining era ahead.

The match featured huge serves from Kyrgios, audacious and expertly executed lobs from Zverev and an intense second set tie-breaker decided for the German after his rival tried unsuccessfully to return a lob on set point through his legs.

Kyrgios, though, has added greater control to his always explosive game and finished strong to set up a fascinating clash with&nbsp;Federer.

(AFP)

The reigning Australian Open champion saved a match point in the deciding set tie-breaker to sneak through to the semi-finals

Roger Federer dramatically fought his way into the Miami Open semi-finals with a 6-2, 3-6, 7-6 (8/6) victory over Czech 10th seed Tomas Berdych on Thursday. The 35-year-old Swiss, who has already won the Australian Open and Indian Wells so far this year, extended his win streak over Berdych to seven matches. There was plenty of tension in the match-deciding tie-breaker, where Federer saved match point and then Berdych lost on a double-fault. "I definitely got very lucky at the end, but I think I showed great heart today," Federer said. "I fought and Tomas definitely started to step it up, but it was a great match at the end." Federer will face Nick Kyrgios in the semi-finals after the Australian came through an entertaining 6-4, 6-7 (9/11), 6-3 victory over 19-year-old German Alexander Zverev. Should Federer win Friday, there is a chance he will play Sunday's final against long-standing rival Rafael Nadal, who faces Italy's Fabio Fognini in the other semi-final. But Thursday could very easily have been the end of the tournament for the 18-time Grand Slam champion, who entered the match having not dropped a set over eight consecutive matches at Indian Wells and Miami. Berdych was broken in the opening game of the match and then Federer dealt with a break point in the second game. The Swiss was comfortable on his serve and then broke Berdych again at 4-2 to put the opening set beyond doubt. But then, the Czech dug deep and came out fighting. Berdych broke to go 5-3 up and took the contest into a third set, where Federer made the most of some unforced errors from his opponent to break at 4-2 but then, uncharacteristically, Federer let some sloppiness creep into his game. Federer was broken when serving for the match at 5-3 and was unable to convert on match-point at in the next game. Berdych led 6-4 in the tie-breaker but gave up two points and Federer blasted a superb ace to get in front before the double-fault from the Czech ended the contest. It was the second demoralising defeat this month for Berdych. He lost at Indian Wells in the third round after leading 6-1, 5-2 against Japan's Yoshihito Nishioka. Asked about his frustration, Berdych said: "What should I do? Should I destroy the table? Then you see how much I'm frustrated. I don't know. "It's obviously not something that you want, to finish the tournament like that. But I got a lesson in the last tournament, so this is going to be fine to get over with. I think this is going to be a strawberry cake after that. It's going to be fine." Federer improved to 17-1 in 2017, his best start to a season since 2006, and has now won seven tie-breakers in a row. The Kyrgios-Zverev quarter-final was billed as a glimpse at the future of top-level tennis and if so, the sport should have an entertaining era ahead. The match featured huge serves from Kyrgios, audacious and expertly executed lobs from Zverev and an intense second set tie-breaker decided for the German after his rival tried unsuccessfully to return a lob on set point through his legs. Kyrgios, though, has added greater control to his always explosive game and finished strong to set up a fascinating clash with Federer. (AFP)

Miami Masters: Federer pips Berdych to set up clash with Kyrgios

Roger Federer survived a brave challenge from American qualifier Frances Tiafoe before emerging with a 7-6 (7/2) 6-3 victory as he got his Miami Open title bid underway on Saturday.&nbsp;

Tiafoe, ranked 101st in the world, struggled against Federer&#39;s serve but was strong on his own and forced a first set tie-break in which the Swiss came out on top.

The 19-year-old son of immigrants from Sierra Leone then broke Federer&rsquo;s serve in the first game of the second set only for the 18-times Grand Slam winner to break back twice and run out a comfortable winner in the end.

Federer was full of praise for his opponent and said he would have gained valuable experience from the contest.

&quot;I hope he&#39;s going to learn a lot from a match like this just because playing on a centre court with a lot of people, under pressure, saving break points, making break points, playing breakers. That&#39;s what it&#39;s about, and it should feed a player like him with a lot of energy moving forward,&quot; he said.

Federer is in fine form having clinched the Australian Open and Indian Wells so far this year and extended his record to 14-1.

The 35-year-old is looking for his third Miami title following wins in 2005 and 2006.

Federer should have met Del Potro in Miami last year but the Swiss had to pull out with an illness and he says he is looking forward to renewing his rivalry with the South American

&quot;We&#39;ve had some epic matches against each other: Semis at the French, Olympic semis, finals at the US Open. You name it, we&#39;ve had some really good ones,&quot; he said.

Reigning US Open champion Stan Wawrinka got off to a solid start, beating Argentina&rsquo;s Horacio Zeballos 6-3, 6-4 at Crandon Park on Saturday.

In the absence of Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic, the top two ranked players in the world, Wawrinka is the number one seed and is fired up after reaching the final at Indian Wells last week, where he was beaten by Federer.

&quot;I&#39;m playing better tennis. I feel that I&#39;m playing good here. I took the confidence from Indian Wells. So let&#39;s see... When I&#39;m playing well, when I am confident with my game, I know I can beat anybody,&quot; said Wawrinka, who turns 32 on Tuesday.

&quot;It has been quite tough conditions these last few days here. Raining, really windy today. It&#39;s really windy on the court, so it&#39;s never easy.

&quot;I&#39;m happy the way I was moving, the way I was playing, and my attitude in general was really positive,&quot; added Wawrinka, who next faces Tunisia&#39;s Malek Jaziri, a 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 winner over Spain&#39;s Feliciano Lopez.

Wawrinka will face either Malek Jaziri next after the Tunisian beat Feliciano Lopez 6-3, 4-6, 6-3.

Australia&rsquo;s Nick Kyrgios also progressed on Saturday enjoying a 6-4 6-3 win over Bosnian Damir Dzumhur.

(AFP)

Federer, the reigning Australian Open champion, will face del Potro in the next round

Roger Federer survived a brave challenge from American qualifier Frances Tiafoe before emerging with a 7-6 (7/2) 6-3 victory as he got his Miami Open title bid underway on Saturday. Tiafoe, ranked 101st in the world, struggled against Federer's serve but was strong on his own and forced a first set tie-break in which the Swiss came out on top. The 19-year-old son of immigrants from Sierra Leone then broke Federer’s serve in the first game of the second set only for the 18-times Grand Slam winner to break back twice and run out a comfortable winner in the end. Federer was full of praise for his opponent and said he would have gained valuable experience from the contest. "I hope he's going to learn a lot from a match like this just because playing on a centre court with a lot of people, under pressure, saving break points, making break points, playing breakers. That's what it's about, and it should feed a player like him with a lot of energy moving forward," he said. Federer is in fine form having clinched the Australian Open and Indian Wells so far this year and extended his record to 14-1. The 35-year-old is looking for his third Miami title following wins in 2005 and 2006. Federer should have met Del Potro in Miami last year but the Swiss had to pull out with an illness and he says he is looking forward to renewing his rivalry with the South American "We've had some epic matches against each other: Semis at the French, Olympic semis, finals at the US Open. You name it, we've had some really good ones," he said. Reigning US Open champion Stan Wawrinka got off to a solid start, beating Argentina’s Horacio Zeballos 6-3, 6-4 at Crandon Park on Saturday. In the absence of Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic, the top two ranked players in the world, Wawrinka is the number one seed and is fired up after reaching the final at Indian Wells last week, where he was beaten by Federer. "I'm playing better tennis. I feel that I'm playing good here. I took the confidence from Indian Wells. So let's see... When I'm playing well, when I am confident with my game, I know I can beat anybody," said Wawrinka, who turns 32 on Tuesday. "It has been quite tough conditions these last few days here. Raining, really windy today. It's really windy on the court, so it's never easy. "I'm happy the way I was moving, the way I was playing, and my attitude in general was really positive," added Wawrinka, who next faces Tunisia's Malek Jaziri, a 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 winner over Spain's Feliciano Lopez. Wawrinka will face either Malek Jaziri next after the Tunisian beat Feliciano Lopez 6-3, 4-6, 6-3. Australia’s Nick Kyrgios also progressed on Saturday enjoying a 6-4 6-3 win over Bosnian Damir Dzumhur. (AFP)

Miami Master: Federer, Wawrinka register contrasting wins

A revived Roger Federer beat fellow Swiss Stan Wawrinka 6-4 7-5 in the BNP Paribas Open final on Sunday (March 19th) to earn a record-tying fifth Indian Wells title and distinction as the tournament&#39;s oldest winner.

The win by the 35-year-old Swiss master, who made a stunning return from a six-month layoff by winning the Australian Open in January, capped an impressive run in the California desert in which he did not lose a set the entire way.

The rematch of the Australian Open semi-final saw the close friends hold serve until the 10th game of the opening set when Federer, ahead 5-4, outlasted Wawrinka in a thrilling 21-shot rally for the service break.

Wawrinka, who was making his first appearance in an Indian Wells final, broke right back and held serve to move ahead 2-0 in the ensuing set but Federer never wavered.

Federer now joins Novak Djokovic a five-time winner at the event and becomes the oldest champion in the tournament&#39;s history, surpassing Jimmy Connors who was 31 when he triumphed in 1984.

(Reuters)

The win by the 35-year-old Swiss master capped an impressive run in the California desert in which he did not lose a set the entire way

A revived Roger Federer beat fellow Swiss Stan Wawrinka 6-4 7-5 in the BNP Paribas Open final on Sunday (March 19th) to earn a record-tying fifth Indian Wells title and distinction as the tournament's oldest winner. The win by the 35-year-old Swiss master, who made a stunning return from a six-month layoff by winning the Australian Open in January, capped an impressive run in the California desert in which he did not lose a set the entire way. The rematch of the Australian Open semi-final saw the close friends hold serve until the 10th game of the opening set when Federer, ahead 5-4, outlasted Wawrinka in a thrilling 21-shot rally for the service break. Wawrinka, who was making his first appearance in an Indian Wells final, broke right back and held serve to move ahead 2-0 in the ensuing set but Federer never wavered. Federer now joins Novak Djokovic a five-time winner at the event and becomes the oldest champion in the tournament's history, surpassing Jimmy Connors who was 31 when he triumphed in 1984. (Reuters)

Roger Federer defeats Stan Wawrinka for historic Indian Wells title

Andy Murray saved seven match points in a 31-minute tiebreak that stretched to 38 points before he finally subdued Germany&#39;s Philipp Kohlschreiber 6-7(4) 7-6(18) 6-1 to reach the Dubai Championships semi-final on Thursday.

A day after Australian Open champion Roger Federer was surprisingly beaten in the second round, world number one Murray found himself a point away -- time and time again -- from following the Swiss great through the exit door.

But Murray showed the resilience that carried him to the top of the tennis rankings last November as he inflicted a heartbreaking loss on Kohlschreiber.

He finally bagged the second set tiebreak on his eighth set point to level the match. The ATP said it was the longest breaker on the men&#39;s tour since the 2007 Australian Open.

The marathon tiebreak effectively left Kohlschreiber running on empty in the third set and Murray needed only another 30 minutes to secure a last-four meeting with either Frenchman Lucas Pouille or Federer&#39;s Russian conqueror Evgeny Donskoy.

The other semi-final will feature Fernando Verdasco and Robin Haase.

(Reuters)

The 31-minute tiebreak stretched to 38 points before he finally subdued Germany's Philipp Kohlschreiber 6-7(4) 7-6(18) 6-1

Andy Murray saved seven match points in a 31-minute tiebreak that stretched to 38 points before he finally subdued Germany's Philipp Kohlschreiber 6-7(4) 7-6(18) 6-1 to reach the Dubai Championships semi-final on Thursday. A day after Australian Open champion Roger Federer was surprisingly beaten in the second round, world number one Murray found himself a point away -- time and time again -- from following the Swiss great through the exit door. But Murray showed the resilience that carried him to the top of the tennis rankings last November as he inflicted a heartbreaking loss on Kohlschreiber. He finally bagged the second set tiebreak on his eighth set point to level the match. The ATP said it was the longest breaker on the men's tour since the 2007 Australian Open. The marathon tiebreak effectively left Kohlschreiber running on empty in the third set and Murray needed only another 30 minutes to secure a last-four meeting with either Frenchman Lucas Pouille or Federer's Russian conqueror Evgeny Donskoy. The other semi-final will feature Fernando Verdasco and Robin Haase. (Reuters)

Dubai open: Murray survives 38-point tiebreak to reach semi-finals

Roger Federer suffered a shock 3-6 7-6(7) 7-6(5) loss to world number 116 Evgeny Donskoy of Russia in the Dubai Open second round on Wednesday.

Swiss Federer, playing his first tournament since winning his 18th grand slam title at the Australian Open in January, wasted three match points in the second set and led 5-2 in the third before the 26-year-old Donskoy fought back.

Third seed Federer, the former world number one and seven-times champion in Dubai, surged 5-1 ahead in the deciding tiebreaker but qualifier Donskoy reeled off six points in a row to secure a remarkable victory.

Earlier, top seed Andy Murray beat Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 6-2 6-0 to reach the last 16.

(Reuters)

Federer wasted three match points in the second set and led 5-2 in the third before the 26-year-old Donskoy fought back

Roger Federer suffered a shock 3-6 7-6(7) 7-6(5) loss to world number 116 Evgeny Donskoy of Russia in the Dubai Open second round on Wednesday. Swiss Federer, playing his first tournament since winning his 18th grand slam title at the Australian Open in January, wasted three match points in the second set and led 5-2 in the third before the 26-year-old Donskoy fought back. Third seed Federer, the former world number one and seven-times champion in Dubai, surged 5-1 ahead in the deciding tiebreaker but qualifier Donskoy reeled off six points in a row to secure a remarkable victory. Earlier, top seed Andy Murray beat Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 6-2 6-0 to reach the last 16. (Reuters)

Dubai Open: Federer suffers shock loss to world number 116 Donskoy

Roger Federer shrugged off a decade of grand slam heartbreak against Rafa Nadal, felling his great rival 6-4 3-6 6-1 3-6 6-3 in a classic Australian Open final to capture his 18th major title.

Roared on by a partisan Rod Laver Arena crowd, Federer roared back from 3-1 down in the nerve-shredding final set before closing it out on the second championship point with a forehand winner to seal his fifth crown at Melbourne Park.

Seeded 17th and playing his first tour tournament after six months out of the game, Federer capped his brilliant comeback from injury with his first grand slam title since Wimbledon in 2012.

The win made Federer the first player ever to win five titles at three different grand slams and at 35, the oldest grand slam winner since Ken Rosewall won the 1972 Australian Open at 37. 
 
(Reuters)

Roger Federer shrugged off a decade of grand slam heartbreak against Rafa Nadal, felling his great rival 6-4 3-6 6-1 3-6 6-3 in a classic Australian Open final to capture his 18th major title. Roared on by a partisan Rod Laver Arena crowd, Federer roared back from 3-1 down in the nerve-shredding final set before closing it out on the second championship point with a forehand winner to seal his fifth crown at Melbourne Park. Seeded 17th and playing his first tour tournament after six months out of the game, Federer capped his brilliant comeback from injury with his first grand slam title since Wimbledon in 2012. The win made Federer the first player ever to win five titles at three different grand slams and at 35, the oldest grand slam winner since Ken Rosewall won the 1972 Australian Open at 37. (Reuters)

Roger Federer beats Rafael Nadal in five-set thriller to win Australian Open

Roger&nbsp;Federer&nbsp;edged a five-set thriller against his fellow Swiss and close friend Stan Wawrinka at the Australian Open on Thursday to become the oldest Grand Slam finalist in 43 years.

The 17-time Grand Slam champion saw off the world number four 7-5, 6-3, 1-6, 4-6, 6-3 in three hours and five minutes and will face either Rafael Nadal or Grigor Dimitrov in Sunday&#39;s final.

It will be 35-year-old&nbsp;Federer&#39;s sixth Australian final and 28th Grand Slam decider in total, and caps a marvellous comeback after the second half of last season was ruined by a knee injury.

The four-time Australian Open champion becomes the oldest man to reach a Grand Slam final since Australia&#39;s Ken Rosewall (39 years 310 days) at the 1974 US Open.

In an enthralling contest,&nbsp;Federer&nbsp;won the opening two sets before Wawrinka clawed back to take the semi-final into a fifth, only for&nbsp;Federer&nbsp;to prevail with a service break in the sixth game.

&quot;Yes, it is real now. I can talk about playing in finals for the first time,&quot;&nbsp;Federer&nbsp;said on court.

&quot;I have been dodging that bullet for the last few days now talking about the next round and the next round but this is the last one.

&quot;So I will leave it all out here in Australia and (even) if I cannot walk for another five months, I will give it all I have.&quot;

Wawrinka, who beat Nadal in the 2014 Australian Open final, was bidding to reach his fourth Grand Slam final and his second in Melbourne.

Racquet smash

The two Swiss jockeyed in the opening games with&nbsp;Federer&nbsp;having three break points in Wawrinka&#39;s second service game and Wawrinka getting two break points, but all were saved.

Wawrinka had another break point saved in the 11th game but he paid for a netted forehand in his next service game to drop the opening set in 50 minutes.

Wawrinka netted a backhand on break point in the sixth game of the second set and angrily smashed his smash in reaction, receiving a code violation warning from the chair umpire.

The match turned quickly for Wawrinka as&nbsp;Federer&nbsp;raced to a two sets lead after holding three set points.

Wawrinka left the court for a medical timeout and returned to the court with tape around his right knee.

But Wawrinka hit back with two breaks to take the third set in just 26 minutes as&nbsp;Federer&nbsp;became loose, giving his Swiss friend the chance to play his way back into the contest.

Wawrinka broke again in the opening game of the fourth set with a beautiful backhand return winner, but&nbsp;Federer&nbsp;broke straight back.

Wawrinka earned three break points in the ninth game with some splendid groundstrokes and on his third break point he rifled a forehand cross-court winner to break, and then served out for a fifth set.

But Wawrinka cracked with a poor service game and a double-fault on double break point gave&nbsp;Federer&nbsp;a crucial 4-2 advantage.

Federer&nbsp;held his two remaining service games to win on the first of his three match points.

(AFP)

The 17-time grand slam winner saw his two-set lead disappear before overcoming his compatriot to reach the final

Roger Federer edged a five-set thriller against his fellow Swiss and close friend Stan Wawrinka at the Australian Open on Thursday to become the oldest Grand Slam finalist in 43 years. The 17-time Grand Slam champion saw off the world number four 7-5, 6-3, 1-6, 4-6, 6-3 in three hours and five minutes and will face either Rafael Nadal or Grigor Dimitrov in Sunday's final. It will be 35-year-old Federer's sixth Australian final and 28th Grand Slam decider in total, and caps a marvellous comeback after the second half of last season was ruined by a knee injury. The four-time Australian Open champion becomes the oldest man to reach a Grand Slam final since Australia's Ken Rosewall (39 years 310 days) at the 1974 US Open. In an enthralling contest, Federer won the opening two sets before Wawrinka clawed back to take the semi-final into a fifth, only for Federer to prevail with a service break in the sixth game. "Yes, it is real now. I can talk about playing in finals for the first time," Federer said on court. "I have been dodging that bullet for the last few days now talking about the next round and the next round but this is the last one. "So I will leave it all out here in Australia and (even) if I cannot walk for another five months, I will give it all I have." Wawrinka, who beat Nadal in the 2014 Australian Open final, was bidding to reach his fourth Grand Slam final and his second in Melbourne. Racquet smash The two Swiss jockeyed in the opening games with Federer having three break points in Wawrinka's second service game and Wawrinka getting two break points, but all were saved. Wawrinka had another break point saved in the 11th game but he paid for a netted forehand in his next service game to drop the opening set in 50 minutes. Wawrinka netted a backhand on break point in the sixth game of the second set and angrily smashed his smash in reaction, receiving a code violation warning from the chair umpire. The match turned quickly for Wawrinka as Federer raced to a two sets lead after holding three set points. Wawrinka left the court for a medical timeout and returned to the court with tape around his right knee. But Wawrinka hit back with two breaks to take the third set in just 26 minutes as Federer became loose, giving his Swiss friend the chance to play his way back into the contest. Wawrinka broke again in the opening game of the fourth set with a beautiful backhand return winner, but Federer broke straight back. Wawrinka earned three break points in the ninth game with some splendid groundstrokes and on his third break point he rifled a forehand cross-court winner to break, and then served out for a fifth set. But Wawrinka cracked with a poor service game and a double-fault on double break point gave Federer a crucial 4-2 advantage. Federer held his two remaining service games to win on the first of his three match points. (AFP)

Australian Open: Federer sees off Wawrinka in see-saw five-set tussle

Seventeen-time grand slam winner and world number 17 Roger Federer outlasted Japan&#39;s Kei Nishikori in a titanic five-set battle to reach the 49th quarter-final of his career.

Federer, who is coming off six-month injury layoff, beat the world number 6-7 6-4 6-1 4-6 6-3 &nbsp;in Melbourne, Australia.

The 35-year-old will now play Andy Murray&#39;s conqueror Mischa Zverev.

The Swiss legend started the match slowly and withing some minutes into the match, he found himself trailing 0-4. Federer then levelled the match 5-5 before Nishikori struck a faultless backhand return to win the tie-break.

The next two sets were wrapped up by the former world number one in no time before Nishikori stepped up in the four by breaking the Swiss against the run of play to level the match.

But Nishikori aggravated his existing hip injury at the start of the fifth set and capitulated under Federer&#39;s relentless pressure.

Federer improved his five-set record to 25-20.

&quot;Kei&#39;s a tough customer. This is a huge win for me in my career,&quot;&nbsp;Federer&nbsp;said.&nbsp;

&quot;Kei will give you some looks, he&#39;s not the biggest server on tour but one of the greatest on the baseline.&quot;

Federer&nbsp;holds a career 2-0 record over Zverev, who pulled off a massive upset over world number one Andy Murray earlier on Sunday.

&quot;I would never have picked it, I like Mischa a lot and he has a nice game coming forward. It will be different,&quot;&nbsp;Federer&nbsp;said.

(WION with inputs from AFP)

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Roger Federer will play Zverev, who earlier stunned the sporting world by beating world number one Andy Murray

Seventeen-time grand slam winner and world number 17 Roger Federer outlasted Japan's Kei Nishikori in a titanic five-set battle to reach the 49th quarter-final of his career. Federer, who is coming off six-month injury layoff, beat the world number 6-7 6-4 6-1 4-6 6-3 in Melbourne, Australia. The 35-year-old will now play Andy Murray's conqueror Mischa Zverev. The Swiss legend started the match slowly and withing some minutes into the match, he found himself trailing 0-4. Federer then levelled the match 5-5 before Nishikori struck a faultless backhand return to win the tie-break. The next two sets were wrapped up by the former world number one in no time before Nishikori stepped up in the four by breaking the Swiss against the run of play to level the match. But Nishikori aggravated his existing hip injury at the start of the fifth set and capitulated under Federer's relentless pressure. Federer improved his five-set record to 25-20. "Kei's a tough customer. This is a huge win for me in my career," Federer said. "Kei will give you some looks, he's not the biggest server on tour but one of the greatest on the baseline." Federer holds a career 2-0 record over Zverev, who pulled off a massive upset over world number one Andy Murray earlier on Sunday. "I would never have picked it, I like Mischa a lot and he has a nice game coming forward. It will be different," Federer said. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Australian Open: Old warhorse Federer outlasts Nishikori in titanic five-set battle

Andy&nbsp;Murray&nbsp;saw off giant-killer Sam Querrey on Friday as he ramped up his bid for a first Australian Open title after the shock departure of six-time champion Novak Djokovic.

On a cool day in Melbourne, the men&#39;s number one and women&#39;s top seed Angelique Kerber both hit a hot patch of form as the final rounds beckoned.

Murray&nbsp;will have watched from the sidelines as second seed Djokovic, his conqueror in four Melbourne finals, suffered a stunning defeat to 117th-ranked Denis Istomin on Thursday.

Querrey also upset Djokovic at Wimbledon last year but&nbsp;Murray, made a knight in Britain&#39;s New Year honours, never looked like slipping on any banana skins in round three.

He put Querrey away 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 in just under two hours, winning 77 percent of points on his first serve and facing only three break points in a clinical display.

The Scot also showed no signs of discomfort in his right ankle, after he rolled it painfully during his second-round win over Andrey Rublev.

&quot;I felt better and better as the match went on in terms of my movement,&quot; he said. &quot;The ankle was a little sore and I was a little tentative at the start but it got better and better through the match.&quot;

Murray bats for Djokovic

Andy&nbsp;Murray&nbsp;on Friday downplayed Novak Djokovic&#39;s shock exit from the Australian Open and said it was &quot;unreasonable&quot; to expect to the Serb to maintain his dominance long-term.

The top seed was as surprised as anyone by Djokovic&#39;s defeat to 117th-ranked Denis Istomin in the second round, but he dismissed suggestions his rival was &quot;struggling&quot;.

&quot;I mean, struggling by the highest standards,&quot;&nbsp;Murray&nbsp;said, after he beat Sam Querrey&nbsp;6-4, 6-2, 6-4 to reach the fourth round.

Next up for&nbsp;Murray&nbsp;is an assignment with Mischa Zverev, the elder brother of highly-rated German teen Alexander who came through in four sets against Tunisia&#39;s Malek Jaziri.

The winner of that meeting will play either Roger Federer or Tomas Berdych, the old Grand Slam rivals who play the night match on Rod Laver Arena later.

Stan through to next round

Stan Wawrinka, the 2014 champion, survived a four-set tussle with Viktor Troicki 3-6, 6-2, 6-2, 7-6 (9/7) and now faces Italy&#39;s Andreas Seppi, who ousted Steve Darcis of Belgium.

Former finalist Jo-Wilfried Tsonga also came through in four sets against American Jack Sock and will play Briton Dan Evans, who beat Australia&#39;s Bernard Tomic 7-5, 7-6 (7/2), 7-6 (7/3).

In the women&#39;s draw, Kerber finally got into her stride with a 6-0, 6-4 destruction of Kristyna Pliskova, the 58th-ranked twin sister of Czech fifth seed Karolina.

The German defending champion was an early loser at both of her warm-up tournaments and was taken to three sets in unconvincing wins in round one and two.

But Kerber clicked into gear against Pliskova, winning in just 55 minutes to set up a last-16 clash with America&#39;s Coco Vandeweghe, who ousted Canadian starlet Eugenie Bouchard.

&quot;I&#39;m looking forward to the next one. Yeah, I think that I find my rhythm to the tournament now,&quot; Kerber said.

Svetlana Kuznetsova outlasted fellow veteran Jelena Jankovic&nbsp;6-4, 5-7, 9-7 and will next play fellow Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.

Venus Williams beat Duan Yingying 6-1, 6-0 to end Chinese involvement, earning a fourth-round match against German qualifier Mona Barthel, who overcame Australia&#39;s Ashleigh Barty in three sets.&nbsp;

(AFP)

In the women's section, defending champion Angelique Kerber finally came into her own as she beat Kristyna Pliskova in straight sets

Andy Murray saw off giant-killer Sam Querrey on Friday as he ramped up his bid for a first Australian Open title after the shock departure of six-time champion Novak Djokovic. On a cool day in Melbourne, the men's number one and women's top seed Angelique Kerber both hit a hot patch of form as the final rounds beckoned. Murray will have watched from the sidelines as second seed Djokovic, his conqueror in four Melbourne finals, suffered a stunning defeat to 117th-ranked Denis Istomin on Thursday. Querrey also upset Djokovic at Wimbledon last year but Murray, made a knight in Britain's New Year honours, never looked like slipping on any banana skins in round three. He put Querrey away 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 in just under two hours, winning 77 percent of points on his first serve and facing only three break points in a clinical display. The Scot also showed no signs of discomfort in his right ankle, after he rolled it painfully during his second-round win over Andrey Rublev. "I felt better and better as the match went on in terms of my movement," he said. "The ankle was a little sore and I was a little tentative at the start but it got better and better through the match." Murray bats for Djokovic Andy Murray on Friday downplayed Novak Djokovic's shock exit from the Australian Open and said it was "unreasonable" to expect to the Serb to maintain his dominance long-term. The top seed was as surprised as anyone by Djokovic's defeat to 117th-ranked Denis Istomin in the second round, but he dismissed suggestions his rival was "struggling". "I mean, struggling by the highest standards," Murray said, after he beat Sam Querrey 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 to reach the fourth round. Next up for Murray is an assignment with Mischa Zverev, the elder brother of highly-rated German teen Alexander who came through in four sets against Tunisia's Malek Jaziri. The winner of that meeting will play either Roger Federer or Tomas Berdych, the old Grand Slam rivals who play the night match on Rod Laver Arena later. Stan through to next round Stan Wawrinka, the 2014 champion, survived a four-set tussle with Viktor Troicki 3-6, 6-2, 6-2, 7-6 (9/7) and now faces Italy's Andreas Seppi, who ousted Steve Darcis of Belgium. Former finalist Jo-Wilfried Tsonga also came through in four sets against American Jack Sock and will play Briton Dan Evans, who beat Australia's Bernard Tomic 7-5, 7-6 (7/2), 7-6 (7/3). In the women's draw, Kerber finally got into her stride with a 6-0, 6-4 destruction of Kristyna Pliskova, the 58th-ranked twin sister of Czech fifth seed Karolina. The German defending champion was an early loser at both of her warm-up tournaments and was taken to three sets in unconvincing wins in round one and two. But Kerber clicked into gear against Pliskova, winning in just 55 minutes to set up a last-16 clash with America's Coco Vandeweghe, who ousted Canadian starlet Eugenie Bouchard. "I'm looking forward to the next one. Yeah, I think that I find my rhythm to the tournament now," Kerber said. Svetlana Kuznetsova outlasted fellow veteran Jelena Jankovic 6-4, 5-7, 9-7 and will next play fellow Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. Venus Williams beat Duan Yingying 6-1, 6-0 to end Chinese involvement, earning a fourth-round match against German qualifier Mona Barthel, who overcame Australia's Ashleigh Barty in three sets. (AFP)

Australian Open: Andy Murray, Stan Wawrinka march on to Round 4

Roger Federer made a winning return to competitive tennis after six months out of the game, thrilling a packed Rod Laver Arena as he beat Austrian qualifier Juergen Melzer 7-5 3-6 6-2 6-2 to reach the Australian Open second round.

The 35-year-old Swiss had to battle hard throughout the two-hour contest and only really eased clear of his dogged opponent when the Austrian tired in the final set. Federer who has returned after a long&nbsp;absence due to a knee injury, made 36 unforced errors but there were also plenty of reminders of the brilliant skills that have won him 17 grand slam titles, four at Melbourne Park.

Seeded 17th, Federer has tougher battles ahead if he makes it through to the second week of the tournament but will next pit his skills against American qualifier Noah Rubin in the next round.

In another match, Rafael Nadal avoided the embarrassment of another back-to-back first-round exit&nbsp;at the Australian Open ramping up his serve and rattling off 39 winners to beat Florian Mayer 6-3 6-4 6-1 at the Rod Laver Arena. The 2009 champion, seeded ninth after a disappointing injury-disrupted 2016 season, grasped his chances ruthlessly to overcome the German in a little over two hours in the afternoon heat at Melbourne Park.

A single break in each of the first two sets followed by some dominant serving was enough to give him a comfortable lead going into the third, which the Spaniard wrapped up with a 25th sizzling forehand winner.

The 14-times Grand Slam champion, who was watched by new coach Carlos Moya, moves on to the&nbsp;second round where he is set to clash against Cyprusfinalist Marcos Baghdatis.

In the women&#39;s draw defending champion and top seed Angelique Kerber battled her nerves and faltered badly with victory in sight before finally overcoming Lesia Tsurenko 6-2 5-7 6-2 to reach the second round. 
The 28-year-old German was starting the defence of a Grand Slam title for the first time and initially struggled with her serve and the accuracy of her groundstrokes on Rod Laver Arena.

Once she found her range, however, Kerber proved more than a match for world number 51 Tsurenko, who was reduced to scrapping to save her serve and the odd pearl of a consolation point off her rasping backhand.

(Reuters)

Roger Federer made a winning start beating Austrian qualifier Juergen Melzer in the first round

Roger Federer made a winning return to competitive tennis after six months out of the game, thrilling a packed Rod Laver Arena as he beat Austrian qualifier Juergen Melzer 7-5 3-6 6-2 6-2 to reach the Australian Open second round. The 35-year-old Swiss had to battle hard throughout the two-hour contest and only really eased clear of his dogged opponent when the Austrian tired in the final set. Federer who has returned after a long absence due to a knee injury, made 36 unforced errors but there were also plenty of reminders of the brilliant skills that have won him 17 grand slam titles, four at Melbourne Park. Seeded 17th, Federer has tougher battles ahead if he makes it through to the second week of the tournament but will next pit his skills against American qualifier Noah Rubin in the next round. In another match, Rafael Nadal avoided the embarrassment of another back-to-back first-round exit at the Australian Open ramping up his serve and rattling off 39 winners to beat Florian Mayer 6-3 6-4 6-1 at the Rod Laver Arena. The 2009 champion, seeded ninth after a disappointing injury-disrupted 2016 season, grasped his chances ruthlessly to overcome the German in a little over two hours in the afternoon heat at Melbourne Park. A single break in each of the first two sets followed by some dominant serving was enough to give him a comfortable lead going into the third, which the Spaniard wrapped up with a 25th sizzling forehand winner. The 14-times Grand Slam champion, who was watched by new coach Carlos Moya, moves on to the second round where he is set to clash against Cyprusfinalist Marcos Baghdatis. In the women's draw defending champion and top seed Angelique Kerber battled her nerves and faltered badly with victory in sight before finally overcoming Lesia Tsurenko 6-2 5-7 6-2 to reach the second round. The 28-year-old German was starting the defence of a Grand Slam title for the first time and initially struggled with her serve and the accuracy of her groundstrokes on Rod Laver Arena. Once she found her range, however, Kerber proved more than a match for world number 51 Tsurenko, who was reduced to scrapping to save her serve and the odd pearl of a consolation point off her rasping backhand. (Reuters)

Australian Open: Federer, Nadal enter second round

Tennis star Rafael Nadal said the emergence of a new generation is just what tennis needs, while welcoming back old foe Roger Federer to help him keep them at bay.

The Spanish great, a 14-time Grand Slam champion, is on the comeback trail after his 2016 season was ruined by a wrist problem which has seen him slip to nine in the world.&nbsp;Swiss great Federer is also easing his way back after six months out with a knee injury, with both of them keen to return to winning ways at the big tournaments.

They will have their work cut out at the opening Grand Slam of the year at Melbourne Park next week with not just Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic to contend with but an emerging new breed.&nbsp;Leading the pack are the likes of Austria&#39;s Dominic Thiem, Germany&#39;s Alex Zverev and Australia&#39;s Nick Kyrgios.

Nadal, 30, said it was good for the game to see younger players starting to make their mark.&nbsp;&quot;These guys are doing well,&quot; he said in The Australian newspaper.

&quot;It&#39;s great to have a new generation of fantastic players there and that&#39;s good for tennis. Tennis needs it. People sometimes get bored to see the same players all the time.&quot;

While excited by the young guns, Nadal is not yet ready to hand over the baton, believing he can still compete at the top level despite the last of his major titles coming at the French Open in 2014. The Spanish star&nbsp;he is pleased to see Federer, 35, also back in the fold and playing well.

&quot;The good thing is that Roger is back on tour after probably his first important injury,&quot; Nadal said.&nbsp;&quot;That`s tough but he looks great. He`s played some good matches there in Perth at the Hopman Cup&nbsp;so I&#39;m very happy for him.&quot;

After opening his season in Doha for seven of the past eight years, Nadal instead opted this year to begin at the Brisbane International in a bid to better adapt to Australian conditions.&nbsp;But he lost in the quarter-finals last week to big-serving Milos Raonic.

Nadal admitted he may not hit his best form until later in the year.&nbsp;&quot;I think that I had a great off-season so I am excited about these next few months,&quot; he said.

&quot;You cannot say something about how Roger is, how I am, in just two weeks.&nbsp;In Melbourne anything could happen, but I give myself a little bit more time, three months, and after Miami, let&#39;s see how I am,&quot; he added, referring to the Miami Open.

(AFP)

Tennis star Rafael Nadal said it was good for the game to see younger players starting to make their mark

Tennis star Rafael Nadal said the emergence of a new generation is just what tennis needs, while welcoming back old foe Roger Federer to help him keep them at bay. The Spanish great, a 14-time Grand Slam champion, is on the comeback trail after his 2016 season was ruined by a wrist problem which has seen him slip to nine in the world. Swiss great Federer is also easing his way back after six months out with a knee injury, with both of them keen to return to winning ways at the big tournaments. They will have their work cut out at the opening Grand Slam of the year at Melbourne Park next week with not just Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic to contend with but an emerging new breed. Leading the pack are the likes of Austria's Dominic Thiem, Germany's Alex Zverev and Australia's Nick Kyrgios. Nadal, 30, said it was good for the game to see younger players starting to make their mark. "These guys are doing well," he said in The Australian newspaper. "It's great to have a new generation of fantastic players there and that's good for tennis. Tennis needs it. People sometimes get bored to see the same players all the time." While excited by the young guns, Nadal is not yet ready to hand over the baton, believing he can still compete at the top level despite the last of his major titles coming at the French Open in 2014. The Spanish star he is pleased to see Federer, 35, also back in the fold and playing well. "The good thing is that Roger is back on tour after probably his first important injury," Nadal said. "That`s tough but he looks great. He`s played some good matches there in Perth at the Hopman Cup so I'm very happy for him." After opening his season in Doha for seven of the past eight years, Nadal instead opted this year to begin at the Brisbane International in a bid to better adapt to Australian conditions. But he lost in the quarter-finals last week to big-serving Milos Raonic. Nadal admitted he may not hit his best form until later in the year. "I think that I had a great off-season so I am excited about these next few months," he said. "You cannot say something about how Roger is, how I am, in just two weeks. In Melbourne anything could happen, but I give myself a little bit more time, three months, and after Miami, let's see how I am," he added, referring to the Miami Open. (AFP)

New generation players good for tennis: Nadal

Roger Federer says he hopes to play for at least another two to three years and that his &quot;mindset is for the long-term&quot; in assessing his tennis future.

Federer, who has not played since re-injuring his surgically repaired left knee at Wimbledon in July, will make his tournament return in the January 1-7 Hopman Cup team event at Perth, representing Switzerland with Belinda Bencic.

The 35-year-old Federer said Friday he&#39;s not sure of the form he&#39;ll produce upon his return, but that retirement isn&#39;t part of his thought process.

&quot;Only when I get asked do I think of things like this,&quot; said Federer, who has 17 Grand Slam singles titles, the most of any male player.

&quot;I don&#39;t see it like this, that this could be my last Australian trip, even though it might very well be,&quot; he added.

&quot;I&#39;m really positive. I took these six months off so I would be playing for hopefully another two to three years, not just another six months or so. So my mindset is for the long-term.&quot;

Federer hasn&#39;t won a Grand Slam singles title since Wimbledon in 2012, and with his injury, has slipped to No. 16 in the world rankings.

&quot;Winning titles is a beautiful feeling, rankings at the moments ... Completely secondary,&quot; Federer said Friday.

&quot;As long as I&#39;m healthy and injury free I think I can really do some damage.&quot;

Federer and Bencic begin&nbsp;their play&nbsp;against Britain, represented by Heather Wilson and Dan Evans, on Monday night at Perth Arena.

Defending champions Australia, represented by Daria Gavrilova and Nick Kyrgios, begin&nbsp;their play Sunday night against Spain.

Americans Coco Vandeweghe and Jack Sock take on Czech Republic&#39;s Lucie Hradecka and Adam Pavlasek earlier Sunday in the men&#39;s singles, women&#39;s singles and mixed doubles format.

(PTI)

Federer, who is embarking on a comeback trail at the Hopman Cup, insists he doesn't want to retire any time soon

Roger Federer says he hopes to play for at least another two to three years and that his "mindset is for the long-term" in assessing his tennis future. Federer, who has not played since re-injuring his surgically repaired left knee at Wimbledon in July, will make his tournament return in the January 1-7 Hopman Cup team event at Perth, representing Switzerland with Belinda Bencic. The 35-year-old Federer said Friday he's not sure of the form he'll produce upon his return, but that retirement isn't part of his thought process. "Only when I get asked do I think of things like this," said Federer, who has 17 Grand Slam singles titles, the most of any male player. "I don't see it like this, that this could be my last Australian trip, even though it might very well be," he added. "I'm really positive. I took these six months off so I would be playing for hopefully another two to three years, not just another six months or so. So my mindset is for the long-term." Federer hasn't won a Grand Slam singles title since Wimbledon in 2012, and with his injury, has slipped to No. 16 in the world rankings. "Winning titles is a beautiful feeling, rankings at the moments ... Completely secondary," Federer said Friday. "As long as I'm healthy and injury free I think I can really do some damage." Federer and Bencic begin their play against Britain, represented by Heather Wilson and Dan Evans, on Monday night at Perth Arena. Defending champions Australia, represented by Daria Gavrilova and Nick Kyrgios, begin their play Sunday night against Spain. Americans Coco Vandeweghe and Jack Sock take on Czech Republic's Lucie Hradecka and Adam Pavlasek earlier Sunday in the men's singles, women's singles and mixed doubles format. (PTI)

Roger Federer keen on playing for another 2-3 years

Roger Federer whipping a forehand down-the-line off Pete Sampras&#39; famous serve during Wimbledon 2001 and sinking to the ground in jubilation will go down as a momentous occasion in tennis folklore for more reasons than one. Even though it took the Swiss a couple of years after that to consolidate his big arrival, the world knew only too well that the game&#39;s next grand daddy was here.

From 2004 to 2007, Federer showcased a type of dominance similar to the one achieved by the great Rod Laver in the 1960s. Notching up a staggering 11 Grand Slams through that period of four years, the genius from Basel was arguably the greatest active sportsperson at that time.

However, for all his success on grass and hard courts, Federer was never quite able to stamp his authority on clay. And the reason for that, of course, was tennis&#39; next big thing Rafael Nadal. The Spaniard&#39;s victories in nine out of the ten French Opens from 2005 to 2014 is testament to his supremacy on the slow, dusty surface. The passing of the baton from Federer to Nadal, though, happened after the latter&#39;s victory in the 2008 Wimbledon final, probably the greatest match in tennis history.

From that year on, through to 2010, the Mallorcan won six Majors and an Olympic singles Gold medal, along with ending Federer&#39;s record four-and-a-half year reign at the top of the rankings.

A physically brutal game, leading to a damning knee injury, spelt doom for Nadal&#39;s stay at the top of the rankings. And that paved the way for Novak Djokovic to take centre-stage. The Serbian had already made a mark by winning the Australian Open in 2008, but 2011 was the year when he truly came into his own. Winning all the Grand Slams, apart from the French Open, Djokovic stitched together an astonishing 41-match winning streak at the beginning of the season.

In the years to come, the Serb raced to the top of the rankings, stocking up a tally of 12 Majors, and opened up a sizable gap between him and the rest of the field. What he also did was establish himself as the single dominant force in the, now prevalent, &#39;Big Four&#39; of the men&#39;s game.

This was possible partly because of the fact that, up until then, the fourth wheel of this club hadn&#39;t really done much to stake his claim at the top in the first place.

Andy Murray, who was born a week before Djokovic, came on to the stage with the hopes of an entire nation riding on his shoulders. Great Britain hadn&#39;t seen a Grand Slam champion since Fred Perry in 1936, but had seen enough potential in Murray to pin all their hopes on him. But their expectations weren&#39;t matched until Murray&#39;s 100th career Grand Slam match, when he finally broke through the shackles and laid his hands on the US Open trophy in 2012. The Scot backed that up with a memorable Wimbledon triumph in 2013, followed by an Olympic Gold medal on the same hallowed grass the next month.

However, those victories proved to be a flash in the pan as Murray failed to win a single Major for the next three years. Having turned pro in 2005, he spent the better part of his career living in the shadows of Federer, Nadal and Djokovic. No one ever doubted his abilities, but the results never matched up to the talent. Was it the simple case of Murray&#39;s peers being better than him, or was his infamous temperament getting the better of him?

The year 2016, though, has finally given real hope to his supporters. After bulldozing through the first half of the season, Djokovic&#39;s form took a sudden turn for the worst during Wimbledon where he was blasted off the court by American Sam Querry, paving the way for Murray to claim his second All England title. The Brit carried that form through to Rio, where he became the first tennis player, male of female, to win a second Olympic singles Gold medal. As of today, Murray is sitting on an unbeaten 24-match winning streak, after his victories in the Shanghai Masters, Paris Masters and the year-ending ATP World Tour Finals in London.

Murray&#39;s domination of Djokovic in Sunday&#39;s ATP Finals is hugely significant. The two right-handers, having grown up playing together in the junior circuit, share one of modern tennis&#39; biggest rivalries, albeit, one-sided. The duo have contested 35 times in their careers and the Serbian leads the head-to-head by 24-11. Be it the ATP 1000 Masters or the Grand Slams, Djokovic has largely had the measure of Murray. Sunday&#39;s lop-sided result, thus, could be an important mental victory for the Scot and a sign of things to come.

If one glances through the annals, one will find that most great players, including, Federer, have sustained sudden, inexplicable falls from sovereignty. Just when you start believing that they&#39;re untouchable, something snaps. Is it Djokovic&#39;s turn now?

&quot;If you had told me six months ago that this would even be an issue, I would have said you&#39;re crazy,&quot; American legend John McEnroe said of Djokovic&#39;s sudden vulnerability to BBC.

With Federer making a comeback in 2017 after sitting out the second half of this season with an injury, Nadal struggling to find lost form since returning from injury, young guns like Milos Raonic and Dominic Thiem not quite arriving yet, and Djokovic&#39;s career entering an uncharted territory, now is the time for Murray&#39;s era to finally arrive.

(This articlle first appeared on DNA)

A glance through the past decade-and-a-half of men's tennis' power game

Roger Federer whipping a forehand down-the-line off Pete Sampras' famous serve during Wimbledon 2001 and sinking to the ground in jubilation will go down as a momentous occasion in tennis folklore for more reasons than one. Even though it took the Swiss a couple of years after that to consolidate his big arrival, the world knew only too well that the game's next grand daddy was here. From 2004 to 2007, Federer showcased a type of dominance similar to the one achieved by the great Rod Laver in the 1960s. Notching up a staggering 11 Grand Slams through that period of four years, the genius from Basel was arguably the greatest active sportsperson at that time. However, for all his success on grass and hard courts, Federer was never quite able to stamp his authority on clay. And the reason for that, of course, was tennis' next big thing Rafael Nadal. The Spaniard's victories in nine out of the ten French Opens from 2005 to 2014 is testament to his supremacy on the slow, dusty surface. The passing of the baton from Federer to Nadal, though, happened after the latter's victory in the 2008 Wimbledon final, probably the greatest match in tennis history. From that year on, through to 2010, the Mallorcan won six Majors and an Olympic singles Gold medal, along with ending Federer's record four-and-a-half year reign at the top of the rankings. A physically brutal game, leading to a damning knee injury, spelt doom for Nadal's stay at the top of the rankings. And that paved the way for Novak Djokovic to take centre-stage. The Serbian had already made a mark by winning the Australian Open in 2008, but 2011 was the year when he truly came into his own. Winning all the Grand Slams, apart from the French Open, Djokovic stitched together an astonishing 41-match winning streak at the beginning of the season. In the years to come, the Serb raced to the top of the rankings, stocking up a tally of 12 Majors, and opened up a sizable gap between him and the rest of the field. What he also did was establish himself as the single dominant force in the, now prevalent, 'Big Four' of the men's game. This was possible partly because of the fact that, up until then, the fourth wheel of this club hadn't really done much to stake his claim at the top in the first place. Andy Murray, who was born a week before Djokovic, came on to the stage with the hopes of an entire nation riding on his shoulders. Great Britain hadn't seen a Grand Slam champion since Fred Perry in 1936, but had seen enough potential in Murray to pin all their hopes on him. But their expectations weren't matched until Murray's 100th career Grand Slam match, when he finally broke through the shackles and laid his hands on the US Open trophy in 2012. The Scot backed that up with a memorable Wimbledon triumph in 2013, followed by an Olympic Gold medal on the same hallowed grass the next month. However, those victories proved to be a flash in the pan as Murray failed to win a single Major for the next three years. Having turned pro in 2005, he spent the better part of his career living in the shadows of Federer, Nadal and Djokovic. No one ever doubted his abilities, but the results never matched up to the talent. Was it the simple case of Murray's peers being better than him, or was his infamous temperament getting the better of him? The year 2016, though, has finally given real hope to his supporters. After bulldozing through the first half of the season, Djokovic's form took a sudden turn for the worst during Wimbledon where he was blasted off the court by American Sam Querry, paving the way for Murray to claim his second All England title. The Brit carried that form through to Rio, where he became the first tennis player, male of female, to win a second Olympic singles Gold medal. As of today, Murray is sitting on an unbeaten 24-match winning streak, after his victories in the Shanghai Masters, Paris Masters and the year-ending ATP World Tour Finals in London. Murray's domination of Djokovic in Sunday's ATP Finals is hugely significant. The two right-handers, having grown up playing together in the junior circuit, share one of modern tennis' biggest rivalries, albeit, one-sided. The duo have contested 35 times in their careers and the Serbian leads the head-to-head by 24-11. Be it the ATP 1000 Masters or the Grand Slams, Djokovic has largely had the measure of Murray. Sunday's lop-sided result, thus, could be an important mental victory for the Scot and a sign of things to come. If one glances through the annals, one will find that most great players, including, Federer, have sustained sudden, inexplicable falls from sovereignty. Just when you start believing that they're untouchable, something snaps. Is it Djokovic's turn now? "If you had told me six months ago that this would even be an issue, I would have said you're crazy," American legend John McEnroe said of Djokovic's sudden vulnerability to BBC. With Federer making a comeback in 2017 after sitting out the second half of this season with an injury, Nadal struggling to find lost form since returning from injury, young guns like Milos Raonic and Dominic Thiem not quite arriving yet, and Djokovic's career entering an uncharted territory, now is the time for Murray's era to finally arrive. (This articlle first appeared on DNA)

After Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, has Andy Murray's time finally come?

Australia&#39;s Nick Kyrgios dethroned John Isner by beating the three-time defending champ 7-6 (7/3), 7-6 (7/4) in the Atlanta Open final to win his second ATP Tour crown. 
 
The second seeded Kyrgios needed one hour and 47 minutes to win his first career match over Isner and snap the hard-serving American&#39;s 15-match winning streak. 
 
&quot;Returning is very crucial against John,&quot; said Kyrgios. &quot;That serve is world class.&quot; 
 
The 21-year-old Kyrgios also improved to 2-1 in ATP Tour finals. His only other title came in February at the Marseille indoor tournament. 
 
Kyrgios, of Canberra, had his back against the wall Sunday in his opening service game when he faced three break points. He saved them all and then won five straight points to hold serve. 
 
Kyrgios will rise to a career high ranking of 16 with this win. He lost to Isner at ATP Tour tournaments in Madrid and Montreal last year. 
 
Isner was seeking to become just the fifth active player to win four consecutive titles which would have allowed him to join Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, and Kei Nishikori. 
 
He has appeared in the Atlanta final in six of the tournament&#39;s seven years, also finishing runner-up to Mardy Fish in both 2010-11. 
 
(AFP) 
&nbsp;

The Australian ended Isner's 15-match winning streak and the dream to become just the fifth active player to win four consecutive titles

Australia's Nick Kyrgios dethroned John Isner by beating the three-time defending champ 7-6 (7/3), 7-6 (7/4) in the Atlanta Open final to win his second ATP Tour crown. The second seeded Kyrgios needed one hour and 47 minutes to win his first career match over Isner and snap the hard-serving American's 15-match winning streak. "Returning is very crucial against John," said Kyrgios. "That serve is world class." The 21-year-old Kyrgios also improved to 2-1 in ATP Tour finals. His only other title came in February at the Marseille indoor tournament. Kyrgios, of Canberra, had his back against the wall Sunday in his opening service game when he faced three break points. He saved them all and then won five straight points to hold serve. Kyrgios will rise to a career high ranking of 16 with this win. He lost to Isner at ATP Tour tournaments in Madrid and Montreal last year. Isner was seeking to become just the fifth active player to win four consecutive titles which would have allowed him to join Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, and Kei Nishikori. He has appeared in the Atlanta final in six of the tournament's seven years, also finishing runner-up to Mardy Fish in both 2010-11. (AFP)

Atlanta Open: Nick Kyrgios dethrones defending champion John Isner to win second ATP Tour finals

Roger Federer has pulled out of the Rio Olympics and will miss the rest of the season, including the US Open, because he needs &quot;more extensive rehabilitation&quot; to prolong his career after knee surgery earlier this year. 
 
Last month he described how &quot;one stupid move&quot; sparked a chain of bad luck - which resulted in left knee surgery in February and sitting out the French Open with a back injury - culminating in yesterday&#39;s decision to end his wretched season. 
 
&quot;I&rsquo;m extremely disappointed to announce that I will not be able to represent Switzerland at the Olympic Games in Rio and that I will also miss the remainder of the season,&quot; the 17-times grand slam champion said on his Facebook page. 
 
&quot;Considering all options after consulting with my doctors and my team, I have made the very difficult decision to call an end to my 2016 season as I need more extensive rehabilitation following my knee surgery earlier this year. 
 
&quot;The doctors advised that if I want to play on the ATP World Tour injury free for another few years, as I intend to do, I must give both my knee and body the proper time to fully recover. It is tough to miss the rest of the year.&quot; 
 
For much of his career, the former world number one had been blessed with a body that seemed bullet-proof against the aches, pains and injuries suffered by most top athletes. 
 
But one false move by the man known for his gliding footwork, while running a bath for his twin daughters following his Australian Open semi-final loss, means he would have gone a whole season without a title for the first time since 2000. 
 
Now aged 34, Tuesday&#39;s announcement also probably ended the 2012 silver medallist&#39;s hopes of ever winning an Olympic singles title. 
 
&quot;The silver lining is that this experience has made me realise how lucky I have been throughout my career with very few injuries,&quot; said Federer, who won an Olympic doubles gold with Stan Wawrinka in 2008. 
 
&quot;The love I have for tennis, the competition, tournaments and the fans remains intact. I am as motivated as ever and plan to put all my energy towards coming back strong, healthy and in shape to play attacking tennis in 2017.&quot; 
 
Knee trouble 
 
Until May this year, Federer had appeared in 65 successive grand slam tournaments and the last time he was absent from one of the four majors was at the 1999 US Open. 
 
When he reached the last four at Wimbledon, which included winning a five-set thriller in the quarter-finals against Marin Cilic, it appeared as if Federer&#39;s injury woes were finally behind him and his absence from the French Open was a one off. 
 
However, he was clearly rattled when he landed heavily on his left knee after rolling his ankle during the fifth set of his semi-final defeat by Candaian Milos Raonic at Wimbledon. 
 
Although Federer, who was left sprawled face down on the turf following the fall, got up to complete the match, he was worried about the long term effects on his knee. 
 
&quot;I just hope with the slip I had in the fifth, I&#39;m going to be fine. I hope I didn&#39;t hurt myself,&quot; the world number three said at the time. 
 
&quot;Is it (the pain) a three-day thing, is it a 24-hour thing or is it more? I don&#39;t know at this point.&nbsp;With the body that&#39;s been playing up this year, I just hope I&#39;m going to be fine.&quot; 
 
It seems his worst fears were realised on yesterday as he called time on his season after appearing in only seven tournaments and with a 21-7 win-loss record. 
 
(Reuters)

The 17-times grand slam champion said he needed extensive rehabilitation following his knee injury earlier this year

Roger Federer has pulled out of the Rio Olympics and will miss the rest of the season, including the US Open, because he needs "more extensive rehabilitation" to prolong his career after knee surgery earlier this year. Last month he described how "one stupid move" sparked a chain of bad luck - which resulted in left knee surgery in February and sitting out the French Open with a back injury - culminating in yesterday's decision to end his wretched season. "I’m extremely disappointed to announce that I will not be able to represent Switzerland at the Olympic Games in Rio and that I will also miss the remainder of the season," the 17-times grand slam champion said on his Facebook page. "Considering all options after consulting with my doctors and my team, I have made the very difficult decision to call an end to my 2016 season as I need more extensive rehabilitation following my knee surgery earlier this year. "The doctors advised that if I want to play on the ATP World Tour injury free for another few years, as I intend to do, I must give both my knee and body the proper time to fully recover. It is tough to miss the rest of the year." For much of his career, the former world number one had been blessed with a body that seemed bullet-proof against the aches, pains and injuries suffered by most top athletes. But one false move by the man known for his gliding footwork, while running a bath for his twin daughters following his Australian Open semi-final loss, means he would have gone a whole season without a title for the first time since 2000. Now aged 34, Tuesday's announcement also probably ended the 2012 silver medallist's hopes of ever winning an Olympic singles title. "The silver lining is that this experience has made me realise how lucky I have been throughout my career with very few injuries," said Federer, who won an Olympic doubles gold with Stan Wawrinka in 2008. "The love I have for tennis, the competition, tournaments and the fans remains intact. I am as motivated as ever and plan to put all my energy towards coming back strong, healthy and in shape to play attacking tennis in 2017." Knee trouble Until May this year, Federer had appeared in 65 successive grand slam tournaments and the last time he was absent from one of the four majors was at the 1999 US Open. When he reached the last four at Wimbledon, which included winning a five-set thriller in the quarter-finals against Marin Cilic, it appeared as if Federer's injury woes were finally behind him and his absence from the French Open was a one off. However, he was clearly rattled when he landed heavily on his left knee after rolling his ankle during the fifth set of his semi-final defeat by Candaian Milos Raonic at Wimbledon. Although Federer, who was left sprawled face down on the turf following the fall, got up to complete the match, he was worried about the long term effects on his knee. "I just hope with the slip I had in the fifth, I'm going to be fine. I hope I didn't hurt myself," the world number three said at the time. "Is it (the pain) a three-day thing, is it a 24-hour thing or is it more? I don't know at this point. With the body that's been playing up this year, I just hope I'm going to be fine." It seems his worst fears were realised on yesterday as he called time on his season after appearing in only seven tournaments and with a 21-7 win-loss record. (Reuters)

'I'm extremely disappointed,' Federer to miss Rio, rest of season due to injury

Roger Federer will kick off his 20th season as a professional at the Hopman Cup next year, returning to the international team tournament in Perth for the first time since he teamed up with his now wife Mirka in 2002. 
 
The 34-year-old Swiss will be partnered at the Perth Arena from Jan. 1-7 by compatriot Belinda Bencic, who was a year old when Federer turned professional in July, 1998. 
 
&quot;I do remember it was a good preparation way back when so I thought it would be nice to do it again,&quot; the 17-times grand slam champion, a Hopman Cup winner with Martina Hingis in 2001, said in a video release. 
 
&quot;I can&#39;t wait to come back because I think it will be the perfect way to start the new season.&quot; 
 
Federer and the then Miroslava Vavrinec lost two of their three group matches at the 2002 Hopman Cup, which was won by Tommy Robredo and Arantxa Sanchez Vicario for Spain. 
 
Earlier this year, Nick Kyrgios and Daria Gavrilova teamed up to give Australia their first Hopman Cup triumph since 1999. 
 
(Reuters)

Roger Federer returns to the international team tournament in Perth for the first time since he teamed up with his now wife Mirka in 2000

Roger Federer will kick off his 20th season as a professional at the Hopman Cup next year, returning to the international team tournament in Perth for the first time since he teamed up with his now wife Mirka in 2002. The 34-year-old Swiss will be partnered at the Perth Arena from Jan. 1-7 by compatriot Belinda Bencic, who was a year old when Federer turned professional in July, 1998. "I do remember it was a good preparation way back when so I thought it would be nice to do it again," the 17-times grand slam champion, a Hopman Cup winner with Martina Hingis in 2001, said in a video release. "I can't wait to come back because I think it will be the perfect way to start the new season." Federer and the then Miroslava Vavrinec lost two of their three group matches at the 2002 Hopman Cup, which was won by Tommy Robredo and Arantxa Sanchez Vicario for Spain. Earlier this year, Nick Kyrgios and Daria Gavrilova teamed up to give Australia their first Hopman Cup triumph since 1999. (Reuters)

Federer to open 20th pro season at Hopman Cup

Roger Federer saved three match points to beat Marin Cilic 6-7 (4/7), 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (11/9), 6-3 and reach a record-equalling 11th Wimbledon semi-final. 
 
The 34-year-old seven-time champion also claimed a new record for Grand Slam match wins of 307 as he made a 40th semi-final at the majors. 
 
His dramatic triumph was his 84th win at Wimbledon taking him level with Jimmy Connors and gave him a semi-final against Canada&#39;s Milos Raonic as he continues his pursuit of an 18th Grand Slam title and a record eighth All England Club crown. 
 
In a thrilling Centre Court confrontation, it was Federer&#39;s 10th career comeback from two sets down. 
 
It was a tie which saw him save three match points in a titanic fourth set as Federer became the oldest Wimbledon semi-finalist since 39-year-old Ken Rosewall in 1974. 
 
Federer fired 27 aces and 67 winners to avenge his semi-final loss to ninth seed Cilic in the semi-finals of the 2014 US Open. 
 
&quot;Marin is such a wonderful player and I knew I was in so much trouble in the third set and in the fourth,&quot; said Federer. 
 
&quot;I wasn&#39;t seeing his serves, he had one chance and took it and then I was down 2-0. He was playing very well and reading my serve and I couldn&#39;t read his.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;I just tried to stay in the match and hoped for his level to drop and get a bit lucky. That happened and obviously the breaker was crazy.&quot; 
 
&quot;My legs and back were there and serving was key, plus mentally this will give me a hell of a boost.&quot; 
 
Federer carved out the only break points of the first set in the fifth game, both of which were saved by the giant Croatian. 
 
Serve dominated with the 27-year-old Cilic racing to a 5/0 lead in the tiebreaker and four set points soon after. 
 
Federer saved one but Cilic held his nerve to snatch the opener, leaving the Swiss facing the grim statistic that he&#39;d only taken one point off his opponent&#39;s first serve. 
 
His mood would have darkened knowing that he lost a set in which he had not faced a single break point. 
 
Cilic then showed him the way, breaking for a 2-1 lead and saving a break point in the fourth game when Federer dumped a return off a second serve into the net. 
 
Centre Court groaned when sentimental favourite Federer netted another routine backhand volley in the ninth game before two further uncharacteristic errors off the same wing in the 10th helped Cilic to a two sets lead. 
 
With his coach and 2001 champion Goran Ivanisevic looking on, Cilic looked to have Federer on the ropes, forcing the 17-time major champion into saving three break points in the seventh game of the third set. 
 
But Federer grabbed the lifeline when a fifth double fault by Cilic gave him a first break of the contest before the Swiss star unleashed a text-book backhand drive to secure the set in the next game. 
 
The fourth set, lasting just under an hour, veered from one drama to another. 
 
Cilic sent down his 19th and 20th aces of the afternoon to save break points in the fifth game. 
 
Federer then saved match point in the 10th game thanks to Cilic meekly going long on a return and another with his 18th ace in the 12th. 
 
The Swiss squandered two set points in the tiebreaker, the first with a ballooned forehand with the court at his mercy before he saved a third match point when Cilic netted a forehand of his own. 
 
Then it was Federer&#39;s turn to feel the pressure as two more set points came and went before Cilic played one loose forehand too many into the net and the semi-final was level. 
 
Federer had the momentum and broke for a 5-3 lead in the decider, racing to a famous victory with back-to-back aces. 
 
(AFP)

The 34-year-old seven-time champion also claimed a new record for Grand Slam match wins of 307 as he made a 40th semi-final at the majors

Roger Federer saved three match points to beat Marin Cilic 6-7 (4/7), 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (11/9), 6-3 and reach a record-equalling 11th Wimbledon semi-final. The 34-year-old seven-time champion also claimed a new record for Grand Slam match wins of 307 as he made a 40th semi-final at the majors. His dramatic triumph was his 84th win at Wimbledon taking him level with Jimmy Connors and gave him a semi-final against Canada's Milos Raonic as he continues his pursuit of an 18th Grand Slam title and a record eighth All England Club crown. In a thrilling Centre Court confrontation, it was Federer's 10th career comeback from two sets down. It was a tie which saw him save three match points in a titanic fourth set as Federer became the oldest Wimbledon semi-finalist since 39-year-old Ken Rosewall in 1974. Federer fired 27 aces and 67 winners to avenge his semi-final loss to ninth seed Cilic in the semi-finals of the 2014 US Open. "Marin is such a wonderful player and I knew I was in so much trouble in the third set and in the fourth," said Federer. "I wasn't seeing his serves, he had one chance and took it and then I was down 2-0. He was playing very well and reading my serve and I couldn't read his. "I just tried to stay in the match and hoped for his level to drop and get a bit lucky. That happened and obviously the breaker was crazy." "My legs and back were there and serving was key, plus mentally this will give me a hell of a boost." Federer carved out the only break points of the first set in the fifth game, both of which were saved by the giant Croatian. Serve dominated with the 27-year-old Cilic racing to a 5/0 lead in the tiebreaker and four set points soon after. Federer saved one but Cilic held his nerve to snatch the opener, leaving the Swiss facing the grim statistic that he'd only taken one point off his opponent's first serve. His mood would have darkened knowing that he lost a set in which he had not faced a single break point. Cilic then showed him the way, breaking for a 2-1 lead and saving a break point in the fourth game when Federer dumped a return off a second serve into the net. Centre Court groaned when sentimental favourite Federer netted another routine backhand volley in the ninth game before two further uncharacteristic errors off the same wing in the 10th helped Cilic to a two sets lead. With his coach and 2001 champion Goran Ivanisevic looking on, Cilic looked to have Federer on the ropes, forcing the 17-time major champion into saving three break points in the seventh game of the third set. But Federer grabbed the lifeline when a fifth double fault by Cilic gave him a first break of the contest before the Swiss star unleashed a text-book backhand drive to secure the set in the next game. The fourth set, lasting just under an hour, veered from one drama to another. Cilic sent down his 19th and 20th aces of the afternoon to save break points in the fifth game. Federer then saved match point in the 10th game thanks to Cilic meekly going long on a return and another with his 18th ace in the 12th. The Swiss squandered two set points in the tiebreaker, the first with a ballooned forehand with the court at his mercy before he saved a third match point when Cilic netted a forehand of his own. Then it was Federer's turn to feel the pressure as two more set points came and went before Cilic played one loose forehand too many into the net and the semi-final was level. Federer had the momentum and broke for a 5-3 lead in the decider, racing to a famous victory with back-to-back aces. (AFP)

Comeback king Federer beats Cilic, reaches 11th Wimbledon semi-final

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