RogiRulz
Junior Member
Rogi for #1!
Posts: 48
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Post by RogiRulz on May 11, 2003 11:57:37 GMT -5
Yep, Rogi was very tired today and he was totally off. But Mantilla played great! However Rogi is playing very well in this weeks, I'm very happy for this! Good luck in Hamburg! ;D  |
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Post by ILR on May 11, 2003 15:06:52 GMT -5
Hi Marion Marti I dont believe we have met  |
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Post by RogiFan on May 12, 2003 8:48:00 GMT -5
Read this article: Italian Open Federer is bearded by Spaniard Stephen Bierley in Rome Monday May 12, 2003 The Guardian Spain's Felix Mantilla, who by his own admission has neither "the serve of Pete Sampras, the volley of Pat Rafter, nor the talent of Andre Agassi", struck a blow for clay-court journeymen when he won the Italian Open at a sun-drenched Foro Italico yesterday against Switzerland's Roger Federer, arguably the most naturally gifted player in the current top 10. Having been at his best for virtually the whole of the week in Rome, the Swiss world No5 picked the final to be at his profligate worst and duly lost 7-5, 6-2, 7-6. This victory by the bearded and largely unsung Mantilla, aged 28 and ranked No 47, echoed Albert Costa's triumph in the French Open last year. Those who always yearn to see the most talented succeed could only shake their heads. All of Mantilla's nine previous career titles had been ground out on clay, ranging from Barcelona to Bournemouth. But the world's most prestigious prizes had steadfastly eluded him. Five years ago he reached the last four at Roland Garros, losing to his fellow Spaniard and fellow champion Carlos Moya, and the previous year he finished runner-up in Hamburg which, like the Italian Open, is part of the nine-tournament Tennis Masters Series. The 21-year-old Federer entered the tournament on the back of his third ATP tournament success of the year in Munich, also on clay, where he did not drop a set. He maintained this form in Rome and, when he defeated Spain's Juan Carlos Ferrero in Saturday's semi-final, it appeared the last obstacle had been overcome. True, Ferrero - the favourite for this year's French Open - had to retire with a damaged shoulder but Federer's win appeared to underline his burgeoning self-belief and maturity. "I feel like I have found my inner self," he said. "It's a big step for me and I think I have proved I can play consistently." Alas, this did not extend into yesterday's final when all the old waywardness resurfaced. Federer had seven chances to break Mantilla's serve in the first set alone. The Swiss youngster had 17 break points and took only three. He also had 69 unforced errors and in the second set his first-serve percentage fell to a feeble 33. Mantilla simply kept plugging away, moving the ball from side to side and waiting for Federer's altogether more extravagant strokes to hurtle wide or long. The Swiss had talked earlier in the week about his ability to make tennis appear easy being a disadvantage, and the need to work hard on the physical and mental side of the game if he were to achieve his dream of becoming the world No1. Certainly the game can ill afford the waste of such talent because Federer, with his array of glittering shots, is a crowd-pleaser, unlike so many of today's biff-and-bashers. "The whole match was extremely disappointing for me," he said. "He [Mantilla] plays patient and it's a little bit boring. Whatever shot you play, good or bad, it comes back the same way. "It just became frustrating, and after making such a dreadful start I had the feeling that his victory was meant to be." Tim Henman returns to action today against Jan-Michael Gambill of the United States, one of only two players he has beaten this year, in the Hamburg Open - from which Andre Agassi and Ferrero have withdrawn. Greg Rusedski, out since last year's US Open, plays Spain's Marc Lopez tomorrow in the first round of the Zagreb challenger. source sport.guardian.co.uk/What do you think?
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Sue
Full Member
Posts: 225
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Post by Sue on May 12, 2003 8:48:52 GMT -5
Fed up about Rogis loss yesterday, but by all accounts Mantilla played out of his socks..and Rogi was not up to his best.So lets hope that he has learnt something from this loss and that it can help him to become an even BETTER player Good luck against Max...and hope you're not burning yourself out with all these matches! |
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Post by RogiFan on May 12, 2003 8:52:07 GMT -5
Fed up about Rogis loss yesterday, but by all accounts Mantilla played out of his socks..and Rogi was not up to his best.So lets hope that he has learnt something from this loss and that it can help him to become an even BETTER player Good luck against Max...and hope you're not burning yourself out with all these matches! Hi Sue! That's all we can hope for -- that Rogi always learns fr his losses! Did you read the article? Lots of Rogi-bashing all round it seems... they love to take him down, don't they? I guess it's cos he's SO talented and he OBVIOUSLY wastes it time and again!  Pls don't overdo it, Rogi! He's not playing dbles this wk, good! |
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Post by Doris on May 12, 2003 9:21:38 GMT -5
G'day all
Well I don't think the article is bashing Roger. But after having seen bits and peaces of the match one has to admitt that Roger really should have won. He just wasn't patient enough. And he's temper came up again. And sooo many df's at really crusial points....
....he really gave it to Felix. Sure Felix was lucky in some ways but he just was more patient and maybe less experimental. Just keep the ball in play and Roger made the error by thinking he must produce an unbeliveble shot which turned into an error.
Yes when he can learn one thing from this match then beeing more playful and maybe less creative - even when this will turn into a really boring match - but hey at the end the result is the only thing that counts no one is going to ask wether he used his full range of shots or not....
.... well enough of critics....
.... let's start with cheering him on for Hamburg
Allleezzzz Roger hope you did get enough rest for tomorrow!!
Good luck against Max (to bad you have to play him in first - and to be honest I wouldn't be surprised to see the same winner than last time you played him... but hey I hope you prove me wrong!!)
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Post by RogiFan on May 12, 2003 9:27:00 GMT -5
Doris! This "boring" tennis that Rogi talks about is what a lot of Spaniards do... and they win w it! Look at Arantxa -- never gave up, always got the ball back, back and back until she won... incl RG 3 times and USO once! So... Rogi can learn fr the Spaniards, esp on clay -- that's how it's done! Well, Rogi IS improving every yr... getting better all the time! Yes, good luck vs. Max -- I'll be a nervous one for that match... don't really want to watch the scores and we don't get TV til Thu Rd 3 -- actually it w be cool if Rogi ended up meeting Alex then! [in my dreams, right?] 
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Post by RogiFan on May 12, 2003 15:36:12 GMT -5
Interesting what Felix said: No unseeded player had won in Rome for 40 years, but Mantilla's defensive consistency flummoxed his opponent who failed to produce his best tennis. "It's incredible. The biggest win of my career," said Mantilla. "To beat such a strong player as Roger makes it extra special. "I've played solid tennis all week and physically I've felt stronger as the tournament has gone on. Game-by-game: Federer v Mantilla "It was far from easy and had he put some of his chances away it would have been a lot closer." Federer had 17 break-point chances in the match, but was only able to take three and this proved crucial.
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Post by RogiFan on May 12, 2003 21:33:10 GMT -5
Hamburg already! HOPP, ROGI! All the best and do your best! We're cheering for you! Ideally, I want to see you play Alex in the third round!
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Post by Doris on May 13, 2003 2:51:55 GMT -5
And here comes the day of the prove... ... how has Roger put away this final.... ... was he able to rest enough.... ... how much will it bother him he has to play May ... has he really improved his mental strenght ... well Roger you can show us now how much you have improved - in your head!! (we all know that tennis wise you're pretty near to be perfect ) Gooo Roger gooo!! Good luck today against Max!! |
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Post by Lee on May 13, 2003 10:32:59 GMT -5
Rogi is playing and it's quiet here  Anyway, he is doing great. Break Max twice in 1st set winning 6-3 and on serve on 2nd set! |
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Post by Lee on May 13, 2003 10:59:13 GMT -5
Congrat Rogi! 6-3 6-3!
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Post by RogiFan on May 13, 2003 11:00:05 GMT -5
Rogi is playing and it's quiet here Anyway, he is doing great. Break Max twice in 1st set winning 6-3 and on serve on 2nd set! Hi Lee! Working and was afraid to check Rogi's score today... Max is NOT easy to beat! When Rogi plays his friend, he kinda lets that get in the way... not ruthless! OK, Rogi, keep going... Almost lunchtime! Forgot to ask how your Mother's Day was! |
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Post by ILR on May 13, 2003 11:04:36 GMT -5
RF not to worry Rogi was excellent! ;D I got hmoe from school turned on TV and it was just starting! He backhand was almost perfect and he was passing Max far too easily! His BP % was 60% and I think he won 100% net shots and no DF's. Hardly any UE's too  It was awesome and he didnt seem to be affected by Sundays loss at all |
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Post by RogiFan on May 13, 2003 11:05:58 GMT -5
;D YES, ROGI won! Sorry Max! Hope Rogi's rested up and on the upswing now! So much for my dream of him playing Alex in the 3rd rd... poor Alex!  Not many good results for me today, only Rogi, Carlos, Fernando, Albert, Mariano...
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Post by Lee on May 13, 2003 11:07:26 GMT -5
Hi Lee! Working and was afraid to check Rogi's score today... Max is NOT easy to beat! When Rogi plays his friend, he kinda lets that get in the way... not ruthless! OK, Rogi, keep going... Almost lunchtime! Forgot to ask how your Mother's Day was! It seems quite an easy match for Rogi. Max is not as dangerous on clay than on faster court. My mother's day is OK! I am not big on any kind of days. My hubby and Vince made a special card for me when I was out with my mom friends on Tuesday. Vince also made a bracelet (lol with a twist tie) with his price beads and it's too small for my wrist but for me it's priceless. It's funny that his dad never indulges me with jewelries but his son is very good at that. |
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Post by RogiFan on May 13, 2003 11:12:58 GMT -5
Hi ILR! You saw Rogi's match on TV? COOL!! Hope he keeps going at least to rd3 if not further! I feel a little better now! Guess he's put the loss behind him... good boy, Rogi! Lee, I'm not a fan of such days either -- guess I'm selfish cos I'm not a mother or grandmother or anyone special, i.e., single mom, gay person, divorced person... only a single woman... and the older you get the less respect and recognition you have... I know! Not to say I don't honour my Mom but I think one s do nice things all year round not just on one day! Besides, you can't get into any restos on Mother's Day! It's a ZOO!
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Post by ILR on May 13, 2003 11:19:20 GMT -5
Oh yeh RF ;D but my coverage finishes tomorrow remember maybe I will be able to revise properly! Oh yeh he seems he has completely forgotten about sundays final, definately not at the back of his mind during that match |
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Post by Doris on May 13, 2003 11:27:54 GMT -5
Concrats Roger!! Good to see you won pretty easy!! Well with my boss around I can't only be in the internet then I have to work |
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Post by RogiFan on May 13, 2003 16:09:24 GMT -5
Hmmm... interesting article -- what do you think? Game left gutted as men's dross rises to the top Stephen Bierley Tuesday May 13, 2003 The Guardian Cream is supposed to float to the surface. Unfortunately in men's tennis there is increasing evidence that it is the dross that is rising to the top. This was underlined by Felix Mantilla's win in Sunday's Italian Open. The Spaniard is an extremely nice chap, and was understandably thrilled by his unexpected triumph. Unfortunately he is as boring a clay-court tennis player as has ever come out of Iberia. It did not help that Switzerland's Roger Federer, who has talent oozing from every pore of his body, played like a novice. Federer, you may remember, took Pete Sampras to the cleaners in the fourth round of Wimbledon two years ago, which at that time was only Pistol Pete's second defeat on the centre court in nine years. The 21-year-old has the natural ability to be a huge star on any surface, and plays the sort of attacking tennis that can thrill the most stolid of audiences (eg centre court), yet he continues to drive his most ardent admirers into fits of the screaming abdabs with his profligacy. OK, that's sport. And Britain has produced any number of Federers, notably in football and cricket, who have either wasted their God-given talents or failed to apply them to the fullest extent within the context of a team game. We curse them and berate them, yet we also retain vivid memories of them - say a Rodney Marsh shuffle, or a Stan Bowles dribble, while one sumptous, waftingly casual cover drive by David Gower was always, just always, worth more than any of Sir Geoffrey's hundred hundreds. Every generation bemoans the lack of flair-filled individuals, but it has to be a real concern to any sport when those who are winning or getting to the finals of its key events are nothing more than journeymen or, at best, journeymen de luxe. And this is currently happening far too often in men's tennis for its own good. Or for it to be a coincidence. Something is wrong. Something needs to be changed. Of last year's four grand slam events only the US Open was truly memorable, and that was because it involved Sampras and his greatest rival, Andre Agassi. And as Günther Bosch, the former coach of Boris Becker, remarked: "Anyone who revives history beats to death the future." In the other three slams, Sweden's Thomas Johansson won the Australian Open and Spain's Albert Costa the French Open, journeymen both, while the Wimbledon final threw up the extremely ordinary David Nalbandian. And as if that wasn't enough, this year's Australian Open saw yet another artisan, Germany's Rainer Schüttler, reach the final where, mercifully, he was dispatched post haste by Agassi. And yet the ATP, which governs men's professional tennis, insists the game is stronger than it has ever been because - and read and digest this very carefully - anybody in the top 100 can beat anyone else. This is the ATP's mantra, one which the brainwashed players dutifully chorus, and it is a complete nonsense. It may be true, but it is meaningless. For the simple reason that nobody cares. The artistry has been gutted out of the game by a racket technology that has led to a slug-fest, and attempts to slow play down by tinkering with balls and surfaces have merely laid the dead hand of sameness on concrete, carpet, clay and - last year - grass. A baseline final at Wimbledon? It was virtually unheard of until Argentina's Nalbandian and Australia's Lleyton Hewitt locked ground strokes, and mightily, mightily boring it was too. Radical measures are needed. A strong caucus favours cutting down the size of racket heads, thereby reducing the sweet spot, and returning the skill factor. Others have suggested reducing the size of the service box. My own view is that all double-fisted shots, both forehand and backhand, should be outlawed, which if nothing else would restore the aesthetic pleasure of the game. But above all the calendar must be restructured. Too much tennis is being played, with too many of the talented youngsters burning themselves out. And when this occurs the mediocre men who place physical fitness above talent take over. And it's happening. The evidence is clear. source sport.guardian.co.uk
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Post by RogiFan on May 13, 2003 16:20:17 GMT -5
Forgot that I had a dream about PL last night... we were in the players' hotel I guess and there was this "common" shower room where everyone showers together... weird, I know, but there you are! I must have glimpsed PL there and possibly Rogi but the images were rather fuzzy... too bad! Then PL knocked on our door to wake us up and rhymed off the breakie menu -- fresh pineapple, muffins, etc.! That's it really!
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Sue
Full Member
Posts: 225
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Post by Sue on May 13, 2003 16:48:34 GMT -5
LOL RF! Funny dream....room service from PL! I'm still waiting for my first Rogi dream. Though I did once dream that I met Pat Rafter in the bar of a hotel in Paris and we both got very drunk on Baileys!
Anyway, enough nonsense....good win for Rogi today, it must be tricky to play someone who knows his game so well from playing dubs together.
GOOOO ROGER!!!!
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Lily
Full Member
Posts: 211
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Post by Lily on May 13, 2003 17:35:51 GMT -5
;D YES, ROGI won! Sorry Max! Hope Rogi's rested up and on the upswing now! So much for my dream of him playing Alex in the 3rd rd... poor Alex! Not many good results for me today, only Rogi, Carlos, Fernando, Albert, Mariano... RF, we both said sorry Max...(he had semi pts) Thank God Rogi won! I mean, he just cant lose to the same person 3x in a row. That w have been pitiful...(Rogi's word in some interviews) oh Alex  Malisse  he never wins... why now? w love to see Moya/Nadal...s be fun. Go Guga! Go Calleri! ;D Has Rogi ever played Sarg before? |
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Lily
Full Member
Posts: 211
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Post by Lily on May 13, 2003 18:03:40 GMT -5
Hmmm... interesting article -- what do you think? Game left gutted as men's dross rises to the top Stephen Bierley Tuesday May 13, 2003 The Guardian Cream is supposed to float to the surface. Unfortunately in men's tennis there is increasing evidence that it is the dross that is rising to the top. This was underlined by Felix Mantilla's win in Sunday's Italian Open. The Spaniard is an extremely nice chap, and was understandably thrilled by his unexpected triumph. Unfortunately he is as boring a clay-court tennis player as has ever come out of Iberia. It did not help that Switzerland's Roger Federer, who has talent oozing from every pore of his body, played like a novice. Federer, you may remember, took Pete Sampras to the cleaners in the fourth round of Wimbledon two years ago, which at that time was only Pistol Pete's second defeat on the centre court in nine years. The 21-year-old has the natural ability to be a huge star on any surface, and plays the sort of attacking tennis that can thrill the most stolid of audiences (eg centre court), yet he continues to drive his most ardent admirers into fits of the screaming abdabs with his profligacy. OK, that's sport. And Britain has produced any number of Federers, notably in football and cricket, who have either wasted their God-given talents or failed to apply them to the fullest extent within the context of a team game. We curse them and berate them, yet we also retain vivid memories of them - say a Rodney Marsh shuffle, or a Stan Bowles dribble, while one sumptous, waftingly casual cover drive by David Gower was always, just always, worth more than any of Sir Geoffrey's hundred hundreds. Every generation bemoans the lack of flair-filled individuals, but it has to be a real concern to any sport when those who are winning or getting to the finals of its key events are nothing more than journeymen or, at best, journeymen de luxe. And this is currently happening far too often in men's tennis for its own good. Or for it to be a coincidence. Something is wrong. Something needs to be changed. Of last year's four grand slam events only the US Open was truly memorable, and that was because it involved Sampras and his greatest rival, Andre Agassi. And as Günther Bosch, the former coach of Boris Becker, remarked: "Anyone who revives history beats to death the future." In the other three slams, Sweden's Thomas Johansson won the Australian Open and Spain's Albert Costa the French Open, journeymen both, while the Wimbledon final threw up the extremely ordinary David Nalbandian. And as if that wasn't enough, this year's Australian Open saw yet another artisan, Germany's Rainer Schüttler, reach the final where, mercifully, he was dispatched post haste by Agassi. And yet the ATP, which governs men's professional tennis, insists the game is stronger than it has ever been because - and read and digest this very carefully - anybody in the top 100 can beat anyone else. This is the ATP's mantra, one which the brainwashed players dutifully chorus, and it is a complete nonsense. It may be true, but it is meaningless. For the simple reason that nobody cares. The artistry has been gutted out of the game by a racket technology that has led to a slug-fest, and attempts to slow play down by tinkering with balls and surfaces have merely laid the dead hand of sameness on concrete, carpet, clay and - last year - grass. A baseline final at Wimbledon? It was virtually unheard of until Argentina's Nalbandian and Australia's Lleyton Hewitt locked ground strokes, and mightily, mightily boring it was too. Radical measures are needed. A strong caucus favours cutting down the size of racket heads, thereby reducing the sweet spot, and returning the skill factor. Others have suggested reducing the size of the service box. My own view is that all double-fisted shots, both forehand and backhand, should be outlawed, which if nothing else would restore the aesthetic pleasure of the game. But above all the calendar must be restructured. Too much tennis is being played, with too many of the talented youngsters burning themselves out. And when this occurs the mediocre men who place physical fitness above talent take over. And it's happening. The evidence is clear. source sport.guardian.co.uk RF, I saw this article earlier and it really made me angry How dare this person criticize Rogi. Doesn't he know who Rogi is? Doesn't he know Rogi had been on a 12 match win streak before the final? Okay, so he played one bad match. He makes it seem as if the whole tennis world is going to hell just cause Rogi lost in the final. It just seems as if Rogi's damned if he does and damned if he doesnt. And why did he call Mantilla boring? Does he know Mantilla personally or is he just grouping all clay courters together. oh wait, didnt Rogi call Mantilla's tennis boring?  And saying theres no artistry in tennis?! Hello! Roger Federer! You know, the guy you're putting down! The Artful Roger! (Guess he never read the Tennis mag article)  The only thing this idiot got right is when he said theres too much tennis being played. Thats always been talked about and no ones done anything about it. |
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Lily
Full Member
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Post by Lily on May 13, 2003 18:30:33 GMT -5
Forgot that I had a dream about PL last night... we were in the players' hotel I guess and there was this "common" shower room where everyone showers together... weird, I know, but there you are! I must have glimpsed PL there and possibly Rogi but the images were rather fuzzy... too bad! Then PL knocked on our door to wake us up and rhymed off the breakie menu -- fresh pineapple, muffins, etc.! That's it really! sounds like a great dream RF...PL, Rogi and showers ;D I think i've only had one Rogi dream...we were at a sleepover, but no one was sleeping! We were all talking late into the night. really! |
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Post by Doris on May 14, 2003 4:18:39 GMT -5
RF thanks for the article Don't think the writter actually wanted to bash Roger but guess it just was one match to many with the "wrong" winner who lead him to write this article. But still I don't think mens tennis uninterresting as you actually never know who might be in the final... ... look at the womens side it's hardly ever happening again that an unseeded player wins a tournament.... ...well guess some ppl would like to see the top 10 winning everything (me too as long as its name is Roger Federer ;D ;D ) but sometimes it's just as amusing to see outsiders doing well even when they play booring tennis.... .... that only means that the opponent wasn't prepared for that and had no answer to it when he looses to such a boring player or gets fustrated and unconcentrated as Roger did in that very final. Well that's the past let's look ahead Goooo Roger gooo good luck today (guess he'll play around 5 PM our time ) |
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Post by Doris on May 14, 2003 5:19:12 GMT -5
Here's the first interview from Hamburg. It's a pretty good one still the german version is longer and I'll try to translate the missing questions later some good ones amongh them... Q: It seems you recovered very quickly? A: There weren’t many long rallies today. It wasn’t very physical. It was more like a doubles match. You have to be sharp on the big points and try to get as many opportunities as possible and then not miss them. It was a dangerous match, because of the different conditions. Last week was fast, slippery. This one is slow and you get stuck very quickly. It’s a quite dangerous surface right now. I hit half an hour before this match. Q: Drawing someone like him would be a good draw? A: Maybe, after playing a lot it’s maybe a better draw, but I can say this after I beat him. If I had lost, I would have said it’s the worst draw, because you don’t get any rhythm at all. I think I was fortunate today. Quite a few points went my way. I got a few let calls when I needed them. I guess defending champions get some luck. Q: After two quite full weeks playing, how do you feel physically and mentally now? A: Sunday, I was terribly tired and also hurting. I had a day of rest even though I had to travel. But, I still feel much better now, sitting here after a match. I hope I can get the rhythm as quick as possible, because I didn’t get it. Q: Even if it gets much warmer and the sun shines brightly, how different is this court from Paris? A: I don’t know. It’s just in this cold conditions, the court is terrible. I mean, in any city, in any country, because you make a lot of holes in the court and then you get a lot of bad bounces. Right now it’s terrible when you play long to the baseline, you get 50% of bad bounce. Maybe people don’t realise this, but you are always a little on the back foot waiting for the bad bounce to come. The French Open, I don’t know, is quite similar I guess. Q: A lot of players say that the court has a different texture? A: I’m not a specialist and don’t work in this business. Q: You’ve got two Masters Series events and the French Open in a few weeks. Is it difficult to peak for each event? A: I think these back-to-back Masters Series is something to think about for sure, because I find it very extreme. At the same time the focus is so big on the Slams with which I don’t agree at all. I am playing my seventh match in eight days. In the French Open, to win you have to play seven to win the whole tournament in two weeks. It’s not logic. Plus the Slams get all the attention and Rome and Hamburg don’t. I don’t agree with this way of thinking. I believe that last week and this week are very very big and important tournaments and this is why I’m not trying to think too much about the French Open. I just try to play well in Rome, to defend my title here and then when I go from here, I can start to make my French Open preparation. Right now, I just try to win as many matches as I can, to move up in the rankings and play well. Q: Are you saying that Rome and Hamburg are really too close to the French Open? A: The same as maybe Indian Wells and Key Biscayne and Toronto and Cincinnati. Maybe it’s too many Masters Series. It’s just difficult. Key Biscayne is o.k., because you have a bigger draw, the seeds get a by and it’s played over 9, 10 days. That’s why Indian Wells in front is o.k. But here it’s very tough. When the players are in the finals you only get one day rest, if they play on Tuesday. Q: Do you think when you’ve got back-to-back masters you only should have a 32 draw? A: That would be one of the options, or make it longer. But, we shouldn’t worry about these things right now. Here in this tournament trying to do our best. Q: Coming back as the title defendant, how is it different? A: It’s special for me to come back, because I cracked top 10 here last year. It was a big step in the right direction for me here last year. I had some problems with clay courts. I always believed I could play well on clay. I proved it again in Munich last week. So, I am happy that I can play well on clay. In the Davis Cup I showed it and now I can also show it on the Tour, which is nice. It’s a nice event. Hopefully the weather gets better. Q: Is it much much slower than in Rome? A: I played 1 ½ hours on this court and the court seems definitely slower. And also the ball travels slower. Just with the heat you can feel the difference. Q: Have you played the Armenian guy already? A: Yes, I played him at the French Open 2 or 3 years ago. I beat him in 5 sets, came back from 2:0. And I played him indoors in Milan and beat him in three sets. I think, we always had tough matches. So, I’m looking forward to it. source: www.amrotenmbaum.de |
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Post by Doris on May 14, 2003 6:20:14 GMT -5
And here's the rest from the german version:
Q: What do you think how big is your chance to defend your title
A: Little (laughts) That's not negativ, but I'm comming from Rome, beeing a bit tired. Last year was already pretty surprising that I won the title. That's why I think my chances are rather small. That's normal, there are so many good players here, but I'll try my best to get as clouse as possible to defend my title. When I'll be able to do it again it would be a surprise again even for me. Couse I've been playing great during the last two weeks and to keep it up during 3 weeks and on clay is pretty hard for me. But we'll see how it's going on. Hoppefully I can do it.
F: It must be pretty frustrating when one is entering such a big tournament, having all these matches in the bones already and having the feeling that it's impossible to defend the title.
A: Not impossible otherwise I haven't had to come here. But it depense a bit how though the matches are going to be. I believe that it's better to come here with a lot of match practice, otherwise one has the whole pressure on its shoulders. This way I can play free and have the selfconfidense and that's very important. Thatway i'm glad that I could take this from Munich to Rome and who knows, maybe I took something from Rome to here, what I'm really hopping.
Q: Is the field thougher this year than last year?
A: That I also only can juge after the tournament, it depends how the opponent is playing, what the conditions are. Maybe it's raining then it's not so good for me. But I do feel that I'm playing better on clay than last year. Last year I had the feeling, beeing always in the defencive like against Kuerten or even Safin.
Q: You mentioned that's not so good to have 2 master Series in a row. Are there any sights that there could be changed something on this?
A: Not likely. But that has to be solved intern. The players had to talk with the tournaments. I don't even know how many players do agree with me. I think a lot. But one could change the whole calender or saying that the Australian Open at the beginning of the year is too early hte gras season too short. There are a lot of things one could change. There are many tournaments. It's important that the europeans play in Europe the southamericans in Southamerica, couse the german players (think that should be spectators ) prefere to see a german player than one from Southamerica and the other way round. It's important that the local players can play at home and attract the public that way. The rest has to be built around it, but.....
There are a lot of discussions going on about it. next year with the olympics, that's always a problem. A retourn flight, but the players are doing this without thinking but it takes from you. Then one maybe should play less smaler tournements. Especially when you are playing on top and the chances are big that you'll be in the semis or final, one has to take care of it's shedule.
Q: Right now you are the Nr. 3 in the Champions race. What's your aim for the end of the year?
A: I want to make it to the Masters that's for sure. I just hope it won't be as interresting as last year. After Hamburg I have nothing to defend till the US Open. (Well close to nothing seeing Halle and Rotterdam just my two cents...) There a lot is possible. I'd like to stay in the top 5 and then I see big chances to make the step ahead, when I'll play good in the summer. That's what I'm going to concentrate of. I've been playing pretty constant since the US Open hand hope that I can keep it that way.
Q: Boris Becker said that you are the future Nr. 1.
A: I've heard that a lot of times (laughts). Boris is one more on the list. What shall I say. For me there's just a little to much pressure on it. It's not easy to live with this, then i'm always in a no-win situation. When I become the nr. 1 everybody will say well that's logical, and if not, then they say, now when will he finally get there. That I don'r really like. I'll try to explain that to the ppl, that it's not so easy and that I have to work very hard, even when it doesn't look like it on court. I work very hard behind the scene and I hope that one day I'll win a Grand Slam or become the Nr. 1. But there's no guarantee for that.
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Post by Lee on May 14, 2003 12:45:30 GMT -5
About that article:
When I read that he said to ban all players playing 2 hands bh/fh, I seriously considered he was joking in the whole article.
The only point I agreed is about the technology and tennis racket size. But still, this is not something new and so as the other points (which IMO, are garbage)
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Post by RogiFan on May 14, 2003 14:38:02 GMT -5
YAY for ROGI today beating Sargsian 61 61 in about an hour! Now THAT'S the way we like it, Rogi!! Fast and efficient! Now go for Flip tomorrow, baby, yeah!
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It was awesome and he didnt seem to be affected by Sundays loss at all 
Malisse 
