Federer sets out to stay king of the courts
Switzerland's Roger Federer is planning to extend his dominance of world tennis this year.
Federer, who opens the defence of his Australian Open title in Melbourne later this month, won 12 tournaments in 2006. In 2007 he hopes to win the French Open in Paris, the only Grand Slam event to have eluded him.
In 2006, the Swiss won the Australian and United States Opens as well as Wimbledon but the clay court in the French capital proved a stumbling block.
If Federer had not lost in the Paris final to his Spanish rival Rafael Nadal, he would have become the first player since Rod Laver of Australia in 1969 to win all Grand Slam titles in one year.
If he had won in Paris, Federer would also have become only the sixth tennis player in history to have his name engraved on all the Grand Slam trophies.
Those players who have achieved that success are Fred Perry, Donald Budge, Roy Emerson, Rod Laver and Andre Agassi.
Exceptional year
But the world number one had an exceptional year in 2006, marked by a fourth triumph at Wimbledon, a second in Australia and a third at the US Open.
And that does not take into account nine other victories, including his home tournament in Basel, which he had not won before.
His triumph against Chile’s Fernando Gonzalez in the Swiss Indoors final will go down as one of the most notable successes of his career.
Previously he had failed in the Basel tournament against Sweden’s Thomas Enqvist in 2000 and Britain’s Tim Henman the following year.
After missing two Basel tournaments through injury, Federer came back in 2006 to beat the jinx on him on home territory.
“This Basel title is right on top of my list when it comes to emotions, just behind those I won at Wimbledon. I would have played till I was 65 to win here,” he commented after winning in the northern Swiss city.
His last important success in 2006 was taking the Masters in Shanghai, an event that brings together world’s top eight players. In China, Federer was never in danger and took the title after defeating the US player James Blake in the final.
Incredible season
“It’s quite incredible to finish off by winning the Masters Cup, the world championship so to speak,” he said after winning in Shanghai.
“It’s obviously a perfect end to an incredible season. I had to laugh at one stage. I was playing so well everything I tried worked.”
Federer is the first player since Ivan Lendl (106 victories and nine defeats in 1982) to have won more than 90 matches in one season. He is also the first since Lendl to have reached the Masters final four years in a row.
On February 26, Federer will start the 161st week of his reign as world tennis number one, beating the record currently held by Jimmy Connors of the US.
swissinfo, Mathias Froidevaux
Roger Federer won 92 matches in 2006. He lost on only five occasions.
He won 12 tournaments, including the Australian Open, Wimbledon and the US Open.
His only defeat was against Rafael Nadal at the French Open in Paris.
The International Tennis Federation named Federer player of the year in 2006. He is only the fourth player to be named men’s world champion for three consecutive years, following Björn Borg, Ivan Lendl and Pete Sampras.
He was also voted Swiss sports personality of the year in the recent Credit Suisse Sports Awards held in Bern.
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