PARIS SEMIS

Nikolay Davydenko (No6) – David Nalbandian (No8)

24 hours ago, few would have been expecting this particular semi-final line-up. The great shame of the quarter-finals however is that we did not get to see Nikolay Davydenko do battle with a fully fit Rafael Nadal. The 2006 BNP Paribas Masters winner has been getting better and better as the tournament wears on and is very much the pleasant surprise of the tournament after a run of poor results this autumn.

The match will be a battle between a model of consistency and a flawed genius. Davydenko is solid as a rock when he’s in a rhythm, while David Nalbandian is the kind of person who can beat anyone on the world on his day with his variations of pace and length. The No8 seed took out the form player of the tour Andy Murray in the quarter-finals, and with a Davis Cup final to look forward to next month, Nalbandian seems to have got his appetite for tennis back. Particularly since he is now only four sets away from becoming the first holder to retain his title at Bercy, and also qualify for the Masters Cup while he is about it.

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (No13) – James Blake (No11)

Whatever happens, Tsonga has won the hearts of the Parisian crowd already with his incredible three-set wins over Novak Djokovic and Andy Roddick on consecutive days. The crowd will be looking forward to another show in Saturday’s second semi-final and will be right behind the spectacular and charismatic 23-year-old. His three-hour epic against Roddick will no doubt have taken its toll on him, while his opponent has enjoyed a day off.

James Blake has had a far easier passage through to the semis, with Roger Federer pulling out just before their quarter-final clash. The New Yorker struggled to get past Italian youngster Simone Bolelli in the second round, but he now finds himself a mere two sets away from a Masters Cup berth – surely motivation enough for the 28-year-old who finished runner-up in the season-ending competition two years ago.

Tsonga is also still in the running for Shanghai – a final berth will suffice if Davydenko wins, but should Nalbandian get through, then Jo-Wil will face another winner-takes-all shoot-out. And the way he is playing at the moment, anything is possible.

NADAL'S KNEES AND ROGER'S BACK

Rafael Nadal retired with a knee injury after losing the first set 6-1 against Nikolay Davydenko in the Paris Masters quarterfinals Friday, just hours after Roger Federer pulled out of the tournament with a sore back.

Nadal had received a lengthy massage treatment on his right thigh at 4-1 down to try and loosen the muscles around his right knee but was unable to start the second set.

"When I push with the right leg all the time the knee wasn't there, the knee is going down," Nadal said. "I felt a sharp, acute pain."

The Spaniard felt nagging knee pains earlier this week, and it got worse Friday morning.

"Today when I woke up I felt it a lot. I try to practice but still feel it," Nadal said. "Later I went the doctor and the doctor gave me some anti-inflammatories."

Nadal said he has never had a similar injury and that he needs further tests before he decides whether to play the season-ending Masters Cup, which begins Nov. 9 in Shanghai.

"We are going to have the tests and everything," Nadal said. "Hopefully it's going to be fine for Shanghai, but you never know."

Federer, meanwhile, pulled out shortly before his quarterfinal against James Blake because of a stiff back, but said he didn't have a serious injury.

AP

NALBANDIAN BEATS MURRY

Fourth-seeded Argentine David Nalbandian (pictured) maintained his chances of clinching a spot at Tennis Masters Cup Shanghai by reaching the BNP Paribas Masters semifinals on Friday. The defending champion snapped the 14-match winning streak of fourth seed Andy Murray with a 7-6(3), 6-3 win in one hour and 44 minutes for a place in the semifinals.

The 26-year-old Cordoba resident must clinch his 10th career ATP title to be guaranteed of qualification for the prestigious circuit finale to be held at the Qi Zhong Stadium in Shanghai from November 9-16. With 320 points in the ATP 2008 Race, he stands 36 points behind No. 8-placed Gilles Simon of France who made a third round exit (l. to Roddick) on Thursday.

FED BACKS OFF

Roger Federer pulled out of the Paris Masters with a back injury just before his quarter-final against American James Blake on Friday.

"My back has been stiff for the last couple of days and I woke up this morning and it did not respond to the treatment I had last night."

Federer's withdrawal means the Swiss has failed to win a regular Masters Series event this year for the first time since 2003.

Federer is next scheduled to play in the season-ending Masters Cup in Shanghai, which starts on November 9.

ARRIVING IN SHANGHAI VIA PARIS

MASTERS CUP : RODDICK THROUGH

With his win over Gilles Simon and Juan Martin del Potro's loss to David Nalbandian, Andy Roddick has secured his berth at the Tennis Masters Cup in Shanghai in 10 days time. Del Potro and Simon are still seventh and eighth, and will qualify unless Blake or Tsonga make the final here or Nalbandian, Verdasco or Monfils win the tournament.

No. 13 seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga recorded his second successive victory in three meetings over No. 3 seed Novak Djokovic of Serbia with a 6-4, 1-6, 6-3 win in one hour and 54 minutes. Tsonga, who captured his first ATP title over Djokovic in Bangkok last month, is 41 points behind No. 8-placed Simon in the ATP 2008 Race.

THURSDAY IN PARIS

ONLY CHALLENGE "OUT" CALLS

Two tennis players are locked in a furious baseline exchange. Eventually, a line judge calls the ball "out." Should the player who lost the point protest the ruling?

Yes, a new study suggests. Researchers say professional tennis players could increase their chances of having a ruling reversed in their favor by an instant replay review if they challenge "out" calls more than "in" calls.

A study of 57 randomly selected matches during the 2007 Wimbledon tournament found that officials were more likely to err by calling a shot "out" than "in." It's not a matter of bad refereeing, scientists say, but rather, it has to do with a bias in the way humans perceive moving objects.

"When a ball is called 'in,' a player should usually not challenge the call, even when she believes it to be an incorrect call," psychologist David Whitney of the University of California, Davis wrote in the study. "Players should concentrate their challenges on balls that are called 'out."'

In the study, three scientists independently reviewed TV footage of 4,457 points from Wimbledon in 2007. Calls were spot on most of the time. Of the 83 wrong rulings, researchers found, 70 -- or 84 percent -- were instances of a shot landing in but being called "out." Only in 13 cases was a ball that landed out ruled "in."

Researchers attributed the errors to perceptual bias in which a moving target appears to be farther along its path than it really is -- a bias phenomenon also seen in the general population.

AP

PARIS WILL DECIDE 3 SPOTS IN SHANGHAI

Three spots in the season-ending Masters Cup are up for grabs.

Andy Roddick, Juan Martin del Potro and Gilles Simon hope to earn enough points to hold their rankings in the top eight and reach the prestigious year-end championship in Shanghai.

But David Ferrer is just behind Simon, with James Blake, Stanislas Wawrinka and Australian Open finalist Jo-Wilfried Tsonga all hoping a good showing at Paris will help them qualify.

Robredo beat Jeremy Chardy 7-6 (4), 7-6 (5) and Tursunov defeated Adrian Mannarino 6-3, 6-2. Robredo saved the only break point he faced in the first set, while Tursunov broke Mannarino's serve five times.

Tursunov next plays third-seeded Novak Djokovic, while Robredo faces No. 15 Fernando Verdasco.

Roddick dented his chances of reaching Shanghai after losing to Robin Soderling in the quarterfinals of the Lyon Grand Prix on Friday. Simon picked up points there by reaching the semis, and Roddick could play Simon in the third round in Paris.

Top-ranked Rafael Nadal, 13-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer, Djokovic, Andy Murray and Nikolay Davydenko have already clinched their spots for Shanghai, but Davydenko is the only one among them to have won the Paris tournament, in 2006.

AP

ATP

GETTING SERIOUS

Roger Federer will cut exhibition matches from his 2009 schedule as he pursues Pete Sampras' record of 14 Grand Slam singles titles, his agent said Sunday. Federer and Sampras played three exhibition matches across Asia last November and again in New York City last March. Such commitments won't be repeated in 2009.

AP

FED WINS BASEL

Roger Federer won his hometown tournament for the third straight year on Sunday, beating second-seeded David Nalbandian of Argentina 6-3, 6-4 in the Swiss Indoors final.

The top-seeded Federer hit eight aces and conceded just seven points on his serve all match.

"I'm very happy, everything worked as planned," Federer said. "It was a match played at a high level."

It was Federer's fourth title of the season after victories at the U.S. Open, in Estoril, Portugal; and Halle, Germany. He is 4-4 in finals this season and 57-21 overall.

Federer improved to 10-8 against the 26-year-old Nalbandian, who won in Basel in 2002 and is a three-time runner-up.

PARIS ON TSN

DOKIC COMEBACK?

Jelena Dokic was ranked as high as four in the world, but a split from her family - specifically her over-bearing father Damir - led to her career slipping into free fall. She has since made half-hearted attempts and short-lived attempts to come back, but they’ve always come to nothing. Until now.

Very quietly, with minimum fuss or publicity, the 25-year old has been going about her business this year. It’s meant starting again right at the bottom, with no ranking and playing $25,000 events instead of the Centre Court at Wimbledon, but her effort and perseverance have paid off.

She has won 35 matches and three small tournaments, and now that she has a ranking of 187 that is enough to get her into the qualifying rounds of the Australian Open. She’s also eyeing Auckland or Brisbane, and Hobart.

"It’s been good," she said of her 2008 season. "I’ve won a lot of matches this year and gone a couple of steps forward, which is the main thing. I just need to continue working hard and playing as many matches as I can get and just continue to be there when things don’t go well.

NALBANDIAN - FED IN BASEL FINAL

Top-seeded Roger Federer defeated Feliciano Lopez of Spain 6-3, 6-2 Saturday to reach the final of the Swiss Indoors.

Roger Federer stands to face a more formidable challenge from David Nalbandian in order to win a third straight Swiss Indoors title.

Federer will seek a third straight Swiss Indoors title Sunday against 2002 champion David Nalbandian of Argentina.

Federer was never in trouble against the 39th-ranked Lopez, winning in 61 minutes.

The second-seeded Nalbandian defeated Davis Cup teammate Juan Martin del Potro 6-4, 6-4 in the other semifinal.

AP

LUZZI DIES AT 28

Federico Luzzi, a former top-100 tennis player, has died of leukemia. He was 28.

Luzzi died at a hospital in Arezzo, the Italian Tennis Federation said Saturday. He had been there for a few days after retiring last weekend from an Italian league match citing a high fever.

Luzzi reached a career-high ranking of No. 92 in 2002 before a shoulder injury that affected him the rest of his career.

He had a 2-2 record with Italy’s Davis Cup team. In 2001, Luzzi beat Ville Liukko of Finland 14-12 in the fifth set after 4 hours, 35 minutes—the longest Davis Cup match ever played by an Italian.

In February, Luzzi was suspended for 200 days and fined $50,000 by the ATP for betting on tennis.

Luzzi is survived by his parents, Paola and Maurizio, and his sister, Francesca.

AP

ABU DHABI

Negotiations are understood to be at an advanced stage between prominent events organisers in Abu Dhabi and the world’s top-six men’s players to bring a three-day, unsanctioned tournament to the capital to kick off the sporting new year.

The plan is to secure contracts for that six to compete in Abu Dhabi just before the 2009 Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) season opens in neighbouring Qatar on Jan 5.

Others on the Abu Dhabi list are the world No 1 Rafael Nadal, the Spaniard who earlier this year swapped places with Switzerland’s Roger Federer, a man who has a residence in Dubai and has won the popular tournament at the Aviation Club there on four occasions, Novak Djokovic, the outstanding young Serb, Spain’s David Ferrer and Nikolay Davydenko, of Russia.

The unsanctioned showpiece involving the world’s top six would undoubtedly assist in any future initiative to present an official men’s draw of 32 players.

HOLIDAY IN DUBAI

Jesse Levine of Boca Raton, Fl., ranked No. 99 and just six days past his 21st birthday, has been invited for a second extended practice session with Federer.

The former University of Florida star had been invited a year and a half ago to work two weeks with Federer during the middle of summer. This time the weather will be cooler and, since Levine is no longer an NCAA player, he won't have to worry about taking a free first-class plane ticket to Dubai or staying in a five-star hotel at Federer's expense.

Levine is only 8-17 this season, but he's used the Challengers and a few key regular ATP wins to reach at career best No. 95 in September. Since the U.S. Open, he's gone three sets with both David Ferrer and Sam Querrey, but lost each time.

Federer likes the energy Levine brings to his practice sessions and also possibly the fact that he's left-handed, like his No. 1 rival, top-ranked Rafael Nadal.

YEAR END TOURNAMENTS

PILGRIM'S PROGRESS

After Andy Murray overcame Roger Federer in the semifinals of the Madrid Masters, the talk amongst the British press was not how the 21-year-old Scot had already surpassed Tim Henman in stature, but that he has now clearly upped his level to the point where he might equal Fred Perry, the last British male to win a Grand Slam title some 73 long years ago.

Murray then backed up that accolade in the final, dismissing the steady game of Gilles Simon 6-4, 7-6 (6) after the rising Frenchman had upset world No. 1 Rafael Nadal in the other semifinal.

The irascible Scot was brilliant most of the week, combing his usual sleight-of-hand tactics from the baseline with blowtorch serves and deep returns. He's always been a scrappy, confident sort, but physically, it has taken the gangly Murray a few years to grow into his body. He's added a lot of muscle to his thin frame and is happy to show it off, taking to flexing his biceps after wins.

But it takes more than just increased muscle to be able to best the likes of the world's top 3. It takes guile and technical proficiency. Murray now has a fair amount of both, and in the past three months, has scored a win over Djokovic in the Cincinnati final (his first Masters Series shield), hit through Nadal in the U.S. Open semis and then last weekend, avenged his tired-looking loss to Federer in the U.S. Open final by adeptly taking care of the big points.

"I always knew from the first moment I saw him in Bangkok (in 2005) that if he didn't screw it up, he'd be top 10 pretty soon," said Federer. "He's improved at his own pace. First he had to grow up a little bit, become a man; he's taken that step well and he seems much more relaxed on the court."

Murray is very much a perfectionist on court, a quality he shares with many other top players, but the three other elite players do not curse themselves at the top of their lungs when they miss an easy shot. They try not to show their vulnerability to their opponents. Murray has shown his dark side way too often in the past three years, but is learning that keeping his chin up and his temper at a medium boil — like Federer was talking about — is more beneficial. Former racket-tosser Federer learned that lesson himself.

"I didn't see Roger play a whole lot as a junior when he was coming up, when he was 18-19 and I heard that he was pretty temperamental," Murray said. "I'm not comparing myself to him and anything that he has achieved, but the way that we play the game is a little bit easier than how some of the players make it look. It's nice to see someone who was similar at the start of their career.

Being recognized for legitimate wins over Federer is not easy to do, but Murray's third win in Madrid was completely above board, as Federer came into the tournament healthy [Right! Federer still has mono.] and well rested. Two years ago when he scored his first upset of Federer In Cincinnati, the Swiss was tapped after having won Canada the week prior. Earlier this year in Dubai when Murray scored win No. 2, Federer was still suffering the after-effects of mononucleosis. But in Spain, there were no excuses on either side and the British No. 1 didn't allow the Swiss to attack his second serve or expose his forehand on the run. Amazingly, the teenager who used to kick in first serves consistently hit big-boy territory, nailing 14 aces, with two struck at 141 miles per hour.

Murray is already assured of his place at the year-end Tennis Masters Cup. With his title run in Madrid, he became the first British player in the Open Era to win four titles in a season.

He is still Slam-less, but has played better than Djokovic and Nadal (who with Federer's loss clinched the year-end top spot) since Wimbledon and now heads into the home stretch of the season with a chance to send up a couple of more warning shots to the other primetime Grand Slam contenders that he could be ready to make serious noise at the Australian Open in January.

SCRAMBLING FOR SHANGHAI

MURRY WINS MADRID

Fourth-ranked Andy Murray beat Gilles Simon of France 6-4, 7-6 (6) Sunday to win the Madrid Masters.

The U.S. Open finalist became the first Briton to win four titles in a season. He will be the first Briton in the Open era since Fred Perry in 1936 to finish the year at No. 4 after winning four titles and playing in a Grand Slam final.

Greg Rusedski and Tim Henman both reached No. 4 but never finished the year there and never won four titles and played in a Grand Slam final in one season.

Murray won in Doha, Marseille and Cincinnati. Mark Cox of Britain captured three titles in 1975.

MURRY AS A JUNIOR

CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO

SIMON INTO MADRID FINALS

Frenchman Gilles Simon advanced to his first ATP Masters Series final after an exhilarating 3-6, 7-5, 7-6(6) victory over World No. 1 and home favorite Rafael Nadal in the semifinals of the Mutua Madrilena Masters Madrid on Saturday.

Simon, who will become the No. 1 Frenchman on Monday, strengthened his bid for one of the remaining four berths at Tennis Masters Cup Shanghai. Currently 10th in the ATP 2008 Race, he now moves to within just six points of No. 8 Juan Martin del Potro, in the process leapfrogging James Blake. If he were to win the final on Sunday, he would move to No. 7 in the ATP 2008 Race with 361 points.

ROGER'S APPEARANCE MONEY

........ his decision to pull out of the Stockholm Open recently, thereby forfeiting €700,000 in appearance money........

MURRY BEATS ROGER

Andy Murray reached the Madrid Masters final on Saturday after rallying to beat Roger Federer 3-6, 6-3, 7-5 in a rematch of last month's U.S. Open championship match. The fourth-seeded Briton broke the second-ranked Federer in the final set on his seventh breakpoint chance to reach his second Masters Series final this season

MARIO AND MONO

When Mario Ancic sustained a serious case of mono that nearly ended his career last year, he knew he'd never be the same physically. Unfortunately for the Croat with the thunderous serve, imposing wingspan and tireless work ethic, a relapse came at the wrong time.

Ancic just reached the quarterfinals at Wimbledon, where a few grueling encounters didn't help, and was about to embark on one of the biggest events of the season, for him and a few others -- the Beijing Olympics.

Having felt sluggish in an opening-round loss at the Toronto Masters and having skipped the Cincinnati Masters in the summer as the fatigue intensified and the weight loss mounted, to about 15 pounds in total, the 24-year-old knew he couldn't go. 

Ancic, who teamed with veteran Ivan Ljubicic to win doubles bronze at the Athens Games four years ago, has missed six of the past nine Grand Slams, including three straight at the U.S. Open. The main culprit was mono, which first surfaced in January 2007, though knee and shoulder injuries also arose.

That semifinal showing at the All England Club (in 2004), downing Roger Federer on grass (in '02), clinching Croatia's maiden Davis Cup title in hostile surroundings (in '05) and rising to seventh in the rankings a year later all seem like a distant memory.

Ancic, down to No. 136 in January and back up to 31st now as the pendulum continues to swing, knows that, too.

Ancic is an intelligent character, earning his law degree in the spring, and thus is well aware another mono-induced setback might be around the corner.

KARLOVIC ACES DJOKOVIC

Ivo Karlovic hammered 21 aces and won 89 percent of first-serve points in a 7-6(4), 7-6(5) upset win over ATP World No. 3 Novak Djokovic. Djokovic failed to convert three break point chances in the match.

In addition to his overwhelming serve Karlovic was often brilliant at net and on match point, with Djokovic serving, he charged the net after a brief baseline exchange and forced a forehand error.

The 6' 10" Croatian is currently 27th in the ATP 200 Race, but should he win the tournament he would rise close to the Top 10 of the Race and be within reach of a Tennis Masters Cup berth.

FED OVER TSONGA

                                                                                                                            Roger Federer became the ATP Tour’s career leader in prize money Thursday, topping $43.3 million to overtake Pete Sampras.

Federer, a 13-time Grand Slam champion, set the earnings total with his 6-4, 6-1 win over Jo-Wilfried Tsonga that put him in the Madrid Masters quarterfinals.

“It’s not very special,” Federer said. “It’s very nice to have records. Sure, money is important in life but it’s not everything.”

The five-time Wimbledon champion’s total is now $43,317,870. Sampras, who won a record 14 Grand Slams, held the mark at $43,280,489.

Federer, who turned pro 10 years ago, paid homage to the tennis stars before him.

FED PLAIN' IN SPAIN

World No. 2 Roger Federer began his bid to reclaim the title at the Mutua Madrilena Masters Madrid by defeating Czech Radek Stepanek 6-3, 7-6(6) on Wednesday.

In doing so, Federer surpassed Pete Sampras as the all-time leader in career prize money in men's tennis. The Swiss, who earned 24,200 Euros ($32,428) for reaching the third round in Madrid, increased his career total to $43,300,847. Sampras earned $43,280,489 during his outstanding career.

Federer made a confident start to his second round opener, dropping just two points on serve in the first set. Stepanek saved the one break point chance of the ensuing set to force a tie-break, where the No. 2 seed delivered on his second match point to secure the straight-sets win in under 90 minutes.

OZ OPEN STAYS IN MELBOURNE

Australian Open organizers have no intention of moving the tennis major from Melbourne despite overtures from other cities in the Asia-Pacific region wanting to bid for the tournament.

Melbourne Park, adjacent to the city's downtown area, has a contract to host the tournament until 2016, although backers of a new facility in Sydney have publicly stated they'll try to poach the event from the southern city.

Other reports suggest that Shanghai, China, among other Asian cities, wants to host one of the sport's four Grand Slam events.

Melbourne Park has hosted the Australian Open since 1988, when the tournament switched to a hardcourt event and moved across town from the Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club, where it had been held since 1972.

The Australian championship, or Australasian Championship as it began in 1905, has been held predominantly in Melbourne but also in Australia's other mainland state capitals of Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, and twice in New Zealand.

AP

RACE TO SHANGHAI

MADRID ON TSN

 

TWO-HANDLED RACKET

 

 

TWO-HANDLED RACKET VIDEO

 

ROGER IN MADRID

Roger Federer will play at the Madrid Masters next week, ending a three-week layoff and setting up a possible meeting with top-ranked Rafael Nadal.

“Without a doubt it’s a wonderful thing knowing we can count on Roger Federer being here for another year,” tournament director Manolo Santana said on Thursday.

The second-ranked Federer won the tournament in 2006 and was runner-up last year. The Swiss star skipped this week’s Stockholm Open saying he needed rest as he continues to rebound from a bout of mononucleosis at the start of the year.

AP

OZ OPEN INCREASES PRIZE MONEY

The 2009 Australian Open will offer 22 million Australian dollars (US$15.6 million) in prize money, with the men's and women's singles winners receiving an 18 percent increase.

Tournament officials said at the event launch Wednesday that the singles winners will receive A$1.62 million each, or about US$1.15 million each based on current exchange rates.

The Australian Open, the first Grand Slam tournament of next year, will be held from Jan. 19-Feb. 1.

AP

LORD OF THE RING

 

The world's top tennis player went shopping at Dubai's luxurious Atlantis resort last weekend with love match Miroslava Vavrinec.

The couple browsed a selection of diamond rings, necklaces and bracelets in the swish jewellery store Levant.

"He was looking at a ring with a large stone," a shopper said.

One of the items that Federer looked at was a 60 carat D-flawless diamond ring - the biggest diamond on sale at the hotel - and another was a 15 carat pink cusion cut diamond ring.

JOACHIM JOHANSSON TRIES AGAIN

Former ATP World No. 9 Joachim "Pim-Pim" Johansson of Sweden announced on Friday that he would resume his professional tennis career starting at the If Stockholm Open, where he has received a wild card for the main draw, which starts on Monday.

The 26-year-old Johansson originally retired from the ATP circuit in February after suffering from shoulder injuries for three years.

“My shoulder feels much better and when Pelle (Per Hjertquist, Tournament Director) asked me to play here it felt like a very exciting challenge. It’s extra special for me to play this tournament, with home court advantage and with the wonderful atmosphere in the arena”, Johansson said.

The If Stockholm Open will be Johansson’s only tournament this year, while he will resume a full schedule starting in 2009. Johansson said after Stockholm he will consult with his doctor and build a workout program to get back in shape. He will start playing a full schedule towards the second half of 2009.

The 6’6’’ right-hander played his last professional match in Stockholm last year, defeating Carlos Berlocq in the first round before withdrawing from his second match due to illness.

Johansson captured three ATP titles at 2004 Memphis (d. Kiefer) and 2005 Adelaide (d. Dent) and Marseille (d. Ljubicic). His best Grand Slam performance came at the ’04 US Open, when he beat defending champion Andy Roddick in the quarterfinals before falling to Lleyton Hewitt in the semifinals. He reached a career-high No. 9 in the South African Airways ATP Rankings on February 14, 2005.

FINALLY, HE ADMITS TO MONO

Roger Federer has withdrawn from next week's Stockholm Open, saying he needs to rest before starting his quest to reclaim the top spot in the world rankings.

Federer said in a statement on his Web site Wednesday that he had been playing catch-up all year after being diagnosed with mononucleosis at the start of 2008.

"I feel fortunate to be healthy again, but I want to remain at the top of the game for many more years to come and go after the No. 1 ranking again," Federer said. "In order to do that, I need to get a proper rest and get strong again so that I am 100 percent fit for the remainder of the year or next year."