YACK!

By Alastair Himmer Fri Nov 9, 9:01 AM ET
SHANGHAI (Reuters) - World number one Roger Federer won a four-way shave-off in Shanghai on Friday in an unusual warm-up for the Tennis Masters Cup.


Appearing at a publicity event for a vibrating razor, Federer demonstrated his skills with a blade to 1,000 youths at a Chinese coming of age ceremony.

Introduced as the world's sexiest man, Federer also said he wanted to play until he was 35 -- and that he wants Brad Pitt to play him if a movie was made about the Swiss player's life.

"I still want to play for a very long time. Up to 35 I definitely want to play," said the 26-year-old in between dishing out shaving tips. "I still feel fit and healthy."

Dressed in a charcoal suit, Federer chose "Fight Club" star Pitt over fellow Hollywood idols Johnny Depp, Matt Damon -- even Denzil Washington and Jet Lee -- to play him in a film.

"Brad Pitt did some tough movies and I'd like mine to be a tough movie too," said Federer, who will be bidding for a fourth title at the Masters Cup beginning on Sunday.

"Comedy would be fine too but I'm more a tough-guy movie kind of guy."

Federer finished his appearance in downtown Shanghai by shaving alongside three baby-faced Chinese 20-year-olds, who appeared not to know one end of a razor from the other.

"You have to put water on your face," Federer advised his fellow shavers, who shook nervously under the glare of flashlights and television cameras. "Then add the shaving cream."

(Editing by Miles Evans)

BREAKING BACK

Reading this right now. It's really interesting. James Blake is a good writer!

USA in DAVIS CUP FINAL!!!!!

Call it a life-altering experience. Fifteen years ago, Andy Roddick attended the Davis Cup final and decided tennis was in his blood. Now, he's a step away from leading the U.S. to its first title since 1995.


"I wasn't one of these kids raised to be a tennis player at all. But just seeing something like that is pretty powerful. You know, being with the other fans in an arena like that, seeing your heroes play, hearing the anthem for the first time, it really was the first time I'd been at a sporting event which was just, you know, completely about patriotism and that whole thing. I think I fell in love with it then."
Now the fifth-ranked Roddick will try to lead an accomplished and perhaps uniquely unified U.S. team to its first title in 12 years. He, like fellow singles player James Blake and the Bryan twins, have played for only one captain in their Davis Cup careers -- Patrick McEnroe, who has casted and guided the team since 2001.
"It would be just a huge accomplishment, especially since we've been doing this for a lot of years together as a team," said McEnroe, whose inclusive management style and open elation on the bench have forged a strong bond of loyalty with his players. "I enjoy the journey with these guys because they're so committed and they're so easy to be around and they love playing, they love playing for their country."
From the start, the 2007 Davis Cup campaign looked as if it would present one of the best opportunities in recent years to go all the way, especially when the U.S. was able to win a tough opener on clay in the Czech Republic in February. Roddick won both his singles matches there and Bob and Mike Bryan took the doubles in straight sets.
In the quarterfinals, James Blake's opening win over fellow top-10 resident Tommy Robredo set the tone as the U.S. swept Spain on indoor hard court in early April in Winston-Salem, N.C. Next up were the Swedes, who made the tactical decision to play to their own strength rather than the U.S. vulnerability on clay and selected indoor carpet as the surface.

Sweden put up a fight, as the 56th-ranked Thomas Johansson upset No. 7 Blake on the first day and the scrappy doubles combination of Bjorkman and Simon Aspelin pressured the top-ranked Bryans throughout a marathon first-set tiebreak before going fairly quietly in the second two sets.
Roddick booked the team's trip to the final by executing on both his service and return games, keeping Bjorkman on his heels in the second-set tiebreak. The crafty Bjorkman, still capable of acrobatic moments at age 35, mixed in his characteristic mix drop shots and angled volleys to try to keep Roddick off-balance. But he couldn't make a dent in Roddick's serve.
"If you would have told me going into this weekend that I wasn't going to get broken for the entire weekend, I would have looked at you like you were a little bit nuts, a little bit crazy," Roddick said. "But I kind of found a groove. I guess I was able to just build upon what I did at the [U.S.] Open. … My serve definitely, definitely was able to bail me out at some pretty key moments this weekend."
While Roddick's serve is still one of the main structural beams in his game, Bjorkman said he also deserves credit for his staying power in rallies.
"Sometimes it doesn't look that he moves well, but he does," said Bjorkman, who hadn't played Roddick since a Davis Cup tie in 2004. "Sort of the way he moves, long steps, it looks maybe sometimes not so smooth, but he's always there.
Best W-L, USA Davis Cup
Chance to Clinch Tie
Player W-L
Andy Roddick 9-0
John McEnroe 6-0
Arthur Ashe 4-0
Jim Courier 5-1
Andre Agassi 4-1
Pete Sampras 3-3
Todd Martin 2-2
"Everyone speaks about his serve, but I think sometimes they forget about the variety of his game. He actually has good movement back from the baseline and also he makes a lot of returns. He's always been a great fighter. I think his backhand is much better now. I would say when I played him three years ago, you felt that if you came in on a good approach, it was really tough for him to make a pass. I think now he's much more confident to hit it."
Roddick accepted the compliment and added that he thinks he's better than he used to be at keeping his cool in these matches that mean as much to him as anything in tennis. "I've kind of found this comfort level with playing Davis Cup, whereas early on in my career I would be maybe get a little bit too overanxious," he said.
McEnroe agreed. "He's obviously very high-strung in a good way, energetic," the U.S. captain said of Roddick. "Sometimes that could get the best of him when he was a little younger. Now he rides, I think, the emotional wave a little better in these best-of-five-set matches. & I think today was just another example of him sort of weathering a great set from Jonas and playing a great tiebreak."
There was always a possibility that Bjorkman would get thrown into the singles mix as well as playing doubles, but that became a necessity when Thomas Johansson, who beat James Blake on Friday, was hit with what may have been the same stomach bug that depleted the U.S. team a few days before. Swedish captain Mats Wilander said Johansson had a fever and elected to replace him two hours before the match.
Four U.S. cities are candidates to host the Nov. 30-Dec. 2 final, although Portland, Ore., appears to be the front-runner ahead of San Diego, Oklahoma City and Winston-Salem. The only certainty is that the Americans will choose hard court.
Roddick appeared to tip off the site selection during his post-match comments when he promised that "We're going to try to export all of the clay out of the state of Oregon. … I don't know if they have clay courts in Oregon, but hopefully they'll cover them up during that weekend."
U.S. Tennis Association CEO Arlen Kantarian said the location will be formally announced within a couple of days. Kantarian also said he hopes to have the Hawk-Eye electronic line-calling system, which has not been used in U.S. Davis Cup play before, installed at whatever site is chosen.
International Tennis Federation rules currently call for unlimited challenges in Davis and Fed Cup play. That's been a sticking point in the past for the U.S., which prefers the limited challenge system used in Grand Slams for the last two seasons. Kanterian said he is confident the issue can be resolved.

HOT!!!! GO USA!

What is the POINT of this?

Last Updated: Thursday, 13 September 2007, 09:55 GMT 10:55 UK

Federer to take on legend Sampras

Federer is closing in on Sampras's all-time Grand Slam record
World number one Roger Federer will face seven-time Wimbledon champion Pete Sampras in an exhibition match in Malaysia in November.
Federer, 26, won his 12th Grand Slam title at the US Open last week and said afterwards that he was focused on overhauling Sampras's record of 14.

The night match on 22 November will be played in the Malawati Stadium in Kuala Lumpur on a medium speed indoor carpet.

Sampras, 36, last played competitively when winning the US Open in 2002.

"Roger is a true class act," said Sampras. "He is obviously a great player but his manners on and off the court set him apart just as much."

Federer and Sampras met only once in competition, with the Swiss winning a five-set thriller in the fourth round of Wimbledon in 2001.

But the pair did practise together earlier this year at Sampras's Los Angeles home.

"Although I will not get into who won the practice tie-breakers and sets we played, I will say that the tennis was of very high quality," said Federer.


Federer has also announced via his website that he will take on Sampras in another exhibition match on 10 March, 2008 at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Gee. I wonder who is going to win. Fuck, Sampras didn't even beat him when he was PLAYING in the the TOP TEN! Why are they trying to waste our time like this. It doesn't even say if it's for charity. This better be for charity, damn it! AGASSI would do it for charity! I'll show YOU class act! WHAT CHARITY DOES FEDERER HAVE? THE MAKE DUBAI RICHER CHARITY?

We don't care unless you are hot and or american

NEW YORK -- The overnight TV ratings for both U.S. Open singles finals dropped from last year.

The men's final, in which Roger Federer beat Novak Djokovic, drew a 4.2 overnight rating on CBS on Sunday, down from a 5.1 for Federer against Andy Roddick in 2006.

The women's final, in which Justine Henin defeated Svetlana Kuznetsova, ended up with a 2.6 overnight rating on CBS on Saturday night. That's a decline from the 3.2 CBS received in 2006, when Henin lost to Maria Sharapova.

The overnight ratings measure the 55 biggest television markets, covering about 70 percent of the country.

AP NEWS
The Associated Press News Service

SEE, ROGER? NO ONE CARES ABOUT YOU HERE

Now let my boyfriend fucking WIN for once...Or get injured or something...

They weren't even in the same ROOM together??!?!?!?

Oh technology! I totally thought R&T DID IT after the shoot was over!

Guess not!

Djokovic in the Locker Room

His Federer is SOOOOO dead on.



Awesome!

I love Justin Gimelstob!

Justin Gimelstob was just on The Tonight Show - which I never watch but knew he was going to be on. Hilarious.

I'm sort of obsessed with all things Justin Gimelstob all of the sudden.

US OPEN, Opening day!

Here we go!



We started the day off with 12 dollar drinks in commerative cups! Delish!


Then it was on to see the Saggyfatass, I mean Baghdatis, match. Which, he lost. Two years in a row, the first match I saw was Baghdatis and two years in a row, he lost. I should stop going to him matches, for his career's sake.


Being an AmEX card holder, you can listen to the match commentary! Members has its prilideges!!!!


There's my forearm!


The most "Into It" Electric Violinist I have ever seen in my life.


Ljbucic practicing. I hate him.


Djokovic practicing! I love him!


See. Andy Did win..Once...


Karyn is drunk.


Commemorative cups...Make you drink alot...


Federer....zzzzzzzzzzzzzz


Johnny Mac!


"What's that? You want to suck Federer's dick? NO!"


Dorks sitting in front of us.


Dorks with a dog and cat umbrella.


Federer....zzzzzzzzzz.


I thought this was the Bryan Brothers when I took this picture. I was drunk. And wrong.


Our new friends, Dave & Anders!


Roddick Practicing.....


(SIGH)


More drinks at the ISNER match.


GO ISNER!!!!


My new American boyfriend, John Isner. At 6'9, he is a tall drink of...you get the point.


MORE DRINKS!




Dave is now drunk too.


Canas. I think he lost?


Me & Andy.


Karyn & Snoresville.


High five Ana! I grabbed James' crotch!


"I can't believe it either!"

DAY TWO


Chris and his man fan.


Arthur Ashe.


We are going to see Roddick tonight!


Blake.

More Blake.


Chris watching Blake.


Some chick match that me and Chris ripped on the manly girl in the far court. Then realized her coach was sitting right in front of us. Good thing he don't speaka english!


Sharapova. Catch her while she can! MWHAHAHAHAHA.


Hello, there...


I would like to point out he wore Black at night TWO DAYS before Federer.





That's all I have for now...I need to get another camera devoloped if you want to see me at the track winning SIXTY ONE BUCKS on a horse named (What else?) Sunset Cocktail .

Good times!

Demoralized

Well.

Maybe its time I faced facts about Andy Roddick.

I don't want to, but with tonight's crushing by Djokovic, I think some reasessing maybe in order.

I've been a fan on Andy's since the moment I started getting into tennis about 8 years ago. He is a big part of the reason I even began to watch tennis.

I've dealt with the fact that Federer is number 1. I dealt with that when Andy was #2. I thought "well #2 ain't too bad!".

I dealt with the fact that Nadal was number 2. I thought "well, at least some of that pressure is off Andy. Its ok to be number three when the other two guys are so unbelievable."

At the same time, I still believed that on a good day for Andy, he could beat them. Granted, it would have to be on maybe one of their not-so-good days, but hey, those happen, right? But Nadal, he's as good on grass and hard courts as Andy, right?

Then Nadal stepped up his game.

And so has everyone else. Djokovic announced to Andy tonight that he is number three now, and I can only see this as a trend.

I mean, its hard enough to think there is no way to beat Federer, but to have two or three other guys you can never beat too? I say that because Roddick keeps on meeting people on their "unbeatable" days. I mean, looka t what happened against Gasquet in Wimbledon. Up a break in the third, and Gasquet came BACK!?!?!?!?!! And Andy wasn't playing bad! That's the shit part! He keeps on playing great against these guys.

These guys aren't beating him, he isn't beating himself. These guys are just WINNING.

So - the demoralizing part of this is that Andy is 24 - 25 next month. How long do you put your heart and soul and belief in the fact that you can beat these guys when you keep getting better and better, and so do they? It makes you grateful that he had his moment at #1, he won the US Open. That's huge. But its demoralizing because the sad reality is that that may be it for him. A player so good that will be relagated to being a "One Slam Wonder". Never truly get the respect he deserves.

It pains me as a person who lives and dies by every point he plays. It pains me even more to think of him not even playing at all (What am i going to do then!?!?!?!?!)

Man - this is depressing...

Ummmm...

Ummm....



hey...



are Nadal's arms getting bigger?

Holy crap...