Re: RF Tennis News 2019

by **Cromar** Mon Aug 12, 2019 8:05 pm

Considering the all-important issues that need to be resolved within the ATP, Djokovic may welcome stronger voices on the Council. It may take some weight off his shoulders. With Roger and Nadal, the two most influential members amongst the elite players, the Council's future decisions will most certainly get greater support amongst the tennis world and are likely to quiet down the rumors and criticism within the media.

And with this development, Kermode may not be out yet?!

This from The Guardian - Aug 8, 2019:

The Guardian wrote:

Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have rejoined the ATP players’ council in surprise twist

• Chief executive Chris Kermode’s contract expires at end of year
• Novak Djokovic rumoured to want Mark Leschly as replacement

Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have rejoined the ATP players’ council, an intriguing twist to the power struggle at the top of the men’s game.

The unexpected development, confirmed on Thursday, will complicate the rumoured ambitions of the council president, Novak Djokovic, to replace the ATP’s chief executive, Chris Kermode, with Mark Leschly, CEO of Universal Tennis Rating, a rival to the ATP’s long-established ranking system. Leschly is the son of the millionaire Danish businessman, Jan Leschly, who reached the fourth round at Wimbledon in 1966.

Federer and Nadal have joined Jürgen Melzer as replacements for Jamie Murray, Robin Haase and Sergiy Stakhovsky, who left the council just before Wimbledon this year. Djokovic complained during the tournament that a “one-sided agenda” was being leaked to “certain media”. He said: “It’s a very complex process … the vote to decide if we want Chris to stay or someone else to come in.”

The latest move will further complicate lobbying on the 10-member council, who voted at their last meeting, in Indian Wells in March, not to renew Kermode’s contract, which expires at the end of 2019 after five years. However, Kermode is understood to be preparing a rebuttal to his critics at the players’ next mandatory meeting, which will take place in New York at the end of the month before the start of the US Open.

Other members of the council are Kevin Anderson, John Isner, Sam Querrey, Bruno Soares, Lu Yen-hsun, Vasek Pospisil and Colin Dowdeswell.

Federer and Nadal, the two most influential voices among the elite players who have dominated tennis for the past 15 years, will “begin their roles with immediate effect and will serve until the end of the existing term which runs through to Wimbledon 2020”, the ATP announced on Thursday.

by **Cromar** Sun Sep 15, 2019 3:34 am

Roger will kick off his 2020 season at the ATP CUP in Australia. Thumbs up

Great to see the strong participation by the top players. Did the ATP find the magic wand to reinvent the failing Davis Cup... Time will tell! Wink Gif

Big Three' plus Murray confirmed for inaugural ATP Cup

RF Tennis News 2019 - Page 9 499602eaa916aaacd6827e08d66252e2

FILE PHOTO: Tennis: US Open

MELBOURNE (Reuters) - The 'Big Three' of Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal and Novak Djokovic have confirmed they will play in the inaugural ATP Cup in a boost for the nation-based event in the leadup to the Australian Open.

The ATP, governing body of the men's tour, said every member of the top 10 and 27 of the top 30 had committed to play the $15 million tournament to be hosted in Brisbane, Perth and Sydney from Jan. 3-12, 2020.

"Having the top players competing in this new global event is critical, and the ATP Cup looks set to kick off the ATP Tour season in a big way in 2020," ATP boss Chris Kermode said in a statement.

Former world number one Andy Murray, on the comeback trail after having hip surgery, is also confirmed to play for Great Britain with compatriot Kyle Edmund.

Eighteen countries qualified for the tournament after the first round deadline on Friday, with hosts Australia given a wildcard spot.

Another five national teams will be added after the Nov. 13 second entry deadline.

The 24 countries will play in six groups of four for group stage, round-robin play, with the group winners and the two best second-placed finishers across the groups reaching the ATP Cup Finals in Sydney.

Each tie comprises two singles and one doubles match.

Each nation is allowed up to five players, with their qualification to be determined by their world ranking after the November deadline.

(Reporting by Ian Ransom; Editing by Amlan Chakraborty - YAHOO! Sports )

More info here: ATP Cup FAQ

by HeartoftheMatter Sun Sep 15, 2019 6:44 pm

It will be so welcome to see Roger play! I hope this format wil look and perform well. As for Kermode, I don't know why he was not considered suitable and why at one point he was supposed to leave.... but now it looks as though there will be a review of the situation, with Kermode explaining himself.
Just from this brief bit of news, it appearss that it is the ranking consideration that may be the fact why Djokovic wants Mark Leshcly of Universal Tennis Ranking to come in--and he is the CEO of this organization which ranks and values players differentlhy.
Well, this is stated in the article above, along with Djokovic's complaints about one-sided news and certain media. Whereever he is concerned, I feel that the "agenda' he had charged these "news and media' with are in fact his own agenda. He always seems to have some agenda, for himself, and maybe with a camouflage of some sort to make it appear as though it is for other reasons.
It is a good thing that Roger and Nadal will be part of the council!!
Thank you for this news, Cromar: I have no idea why Kermode was to be let go at the end of his contract. I shall try to look at this other tennis rating company, to see what it is about.

by **Cromar** Tue Oct 08, 2019 4:16 am

We showed @RogerFederer his old Pro Staff rackets and asked him to share some of his top memories with each!

What are your top Roger memories? pic.twitter.com/Gre2Gcayuy
— Wilson Tennis (@WilsonTennis) October 6, 2019

by **Cromar** Sat Oct 12, 2019 3:11 am

Roger to play with John Isner in a charity match in Tokyo next week

Roger was originally scheduled to play with Kei Nishikori at the Uniqlo event in Tokyo on October 14, 2019. But Kei hasn't recovered from his elbow injury, so Isner has kindly accepted to replace him.

Uniqlo statement:
We are pleased to announce that John is a guest player of the charity tennis match scheduled to be held on October 14. We sincerely apologize for the time it took to decide on the guest player. Uniqlo expresses its sincere gratitude to Isner for his willingness to participate.

Event Details
Venue: Ariake Coliseum, Tokyo (Koto Ward)
Event: UNIQLO Life Wear Day
Date: Monday, October 14, 2019 (public holiday)

Roger Federer and John Isner will play a three-set match, with the final set being a 10-point tie-breaker.

But due to the expected typhoon, no one knows if the event will actually take place:

Roger, please don't put yourself in harm's way! Surprised face

www.uniqlo.com/ambassador/jp website

by HeartoftheMatter Sat Oct 12, 2019 2:14 pm

Please don't take the least chance of danger, Roger! Weather or its aftermath can be odd. When people think it's safe there can be unexpected dangers, so don't think that you are obligated. Safety must always come first, and never mind anything else!

by **Cromar** Mon Oct 14, 2019 4:28 am

Latest news from the Japanese Uniqlo website regarding the Charity match in Tokyo and the typhoon situation:

【Important Notice】

October 14 (Mon) UNIQLO LifeWear Day Tokyo

This is a charity match to be held on Monday, October 14, when we were considering whether or not to carry out the vent due to the large-scale and ferocious Typhoon landing in the Japanese Archipelago.

After careful consideration of the situation, we decided to hold the charity match as scheduled.

The typhoon has already passed the Kanto area, but please be careful with your feet when you come.

Roger has actually arrived in Tokyo this afternoon (Sunday) with Isner, as posted by Norinchi in the Off-Court thread:

norinchi wrote:
"Roger left Shanghai earlier in the afternoon with his team and John Isner, arrived Tokyo an hour ago"
Via Toni Lau on FB

by Marly 103-20 Mon Oct 14, 2019 2:25 pm

Roger will play Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2020! Thumbs up

by Steerpike60 Mon Oct 14, 2019 4:39 pm

^^^ I was pretty sure Roger was going to play. It would be difficult not to with his being a brand ambassador for UNIQLO and it being held in Tokyo. He's going to need a waiver from the ITF to do it, but I can't imagine them denying him.

by **Cromar** Mon Oct 14, 2019 7:36 pm

Uniqlo Charity Event, Tokyo

The match with Roger and the two wheelchair players... priceless! Love Eyes

And really nice to see Nishikori, seating in the Empire chair for the doubles. Great fun! Smile

Thank you Dinora for this video! Clapping Hands

"It was such an exciting event. I played doubles with Roger Federer. My dream came true today.
Thank you Uniqlo, thank you Roger!!" Shingo Kunieda (shingokunieda Instagram

)

Roger playing "Tenni-ping" with kids

Click the image to see full size

by Sherl Mon Oct 14, 2019 8:23 pm

What wonderful news!!!!!

Go get it Rog!!!!

by **Cromar** Mon Oct 14, 2019 9:07 pm

More on Roger's decision to play at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.

Federer announces plans to compete at Tokyo 2020: "My heart decided"

The 20-time Grand Slam champion won silver in the singles at London 2012 after claiming doubles gold at Beijing 2008

By Michael Hincks
14 October 2019

Roger Federer will be going for gold at Tokyo 2020 after confirming he will represent Switzerland at next year’s Olympic Games on Monday.

The 38-year-old stated "if I am healthy, I am coming" when making the announcement in Tokyo after playing an exhibition match against John Isner.

“I've been debating with my team for a few weeks now, months actually, what I should do in the summer time (of 2020) after Wimbledon and before the US Open,” Federer added.

“At the end of the day my heart decided I would love to play the Olympic Games again."

“I carried the flag twice for Switzerland in Athens and Beijing, I’ve got a gold and a silver, and I would love to play again so I’m very excited.”

The 20-time Grand Slam champion made the announcement after an exhibition match in Tokyo, Japan.

Federer teamed up with Stan Wawrinka to claim doubles gold at Beijing 2008, and four years later he won silver at London 2012 after losing to Andy Murray in the final.

Tokyo 2020 will mark Federer's fifth appearance at the Olympics, having first featured at Sydney 2000. He missed Rio 2016 due to injury.

Federer added: "I checked with the team if it was okay for me to announce it here, while I am actually in the city where the Olympics will take place. I just figured it was an organic place to do that. So I am very happy to announce it, yes.

"Every Olympic Games has been very, very special to me. This is something I would like to do if I am healthy. And that is why I really hope I will be and I cannot wait."

by HeartoftheMatter Wed Oct 16, 2019 1:20 am

Lovely to hear it from Roger himself! And his heart decided? That is an added benefit, besides liking or wanting to play and weighing the odds; it is the heart's desire that is the strongest force, when it underlies the will. Bravo, Roger! My mins flies forward in time, and it comes to me that it will be a special event!
I hope everyone saw or heard about the famed Kenyan long distance/marathon runner, who bested his own time. Congratulations to him. I always had a special admiration for the long distance runners, which not only takes conditioning and stamina but also a most important sense of timing and a strategy.

by **Cromar** Wed Oct 16, 2019 6:22 am

Watch Macfarlane interview with Roger today on CNN (International) World Sport (CNNi channel @8:30am ET / 1:30pm London)). I already set my PVR! Smile

#rogerfederer tells me there was one important reason he chose to commit to the Tokyo 2020 Olympics...watch our interview Wednesday on #CNN World Sport to hear the backstory @cnnsport pic.twitter.com/UlkQ35ZApe
— Christina Macfarlane (@chrissymacCNN) October 14, 2019

Roger Federer’s Olympic roots run deep...watch full interview on tomorrow’s CNN World Sport. 130p London/ 830a ET #Tokyo2020 #RogerFederer #CNN pic.twitter.com/TeaVhWJofe
— Christina Macfarlane (@chrissymacCNN) October 15, 2019

Macfarlane has done some great interviews with Roger in the past. You can view the interview she did in Dubai last January, ahead of the Australian Open, here in the General Interviews topic (broken down in five parts).

Roger Federer wants to compete at Tokyo 2020 Olympics

By Christina Macfarlane and Rob Hodgetts, CNN
October 14, 2019

As he nears the end of a remarkable career Roger Federer says he wants to play for Switzerland at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

The Swiss great, 38, had been undecided on competing in a fifth Games, but after an exhibition match with John Isner in Tokyo he revealed he will have another shot at one of the very few titles to have eluded him -- Olympic singles gold.

[...]

First kiss

Federer said the biggest driver was the decision of his wife Mirka and four children to join him in Japan for the Games next summer.

The Olympics runs from July 24-August 9, falling two weeks after Wimbledon and three weeks before the US Open. He also confirmed he will play the French Open in Paris ahead of Wimbledon.

"The biggest decision is always, 'Are you guys [his family] going to Japan for two weeks, or am I going to be alone for two weeks?' I don't like being alone without my family," he said.

"I just want to be happy on the road -- we are on the road a lot -- and No.1 one concern for Mirka and myself is the kids -- we don't want to rush them all around the world. We did a lot of traveling last year so we cooled things down a little bit this year, but she was crazy excited to go back to Japan, and she knows what the Olympics means to me."

He added: "We met at the Olympics back in 2000 -- we kissed there for the very first time and every Olympics after that was very special and it did hurt me a lot when I missed Rio because of my knee issues in '16."

See the full article and more videos here ('Roger Revealed').

by **Cromar** Fri Oct 18, 2019 2:10 am

Macfarlane full interview with Roger in Tokyo

Roger talks about how he came to the decision to play the Olympics and what he had to take into consideration (which obviously included Mirka and the kids), plus a few Rugby questions! Shocked

by **Cromar** Fri Oct 18, 2019 2:24 am

Roger seems to have enjoyed his trip to Tokyo. Smile

Posted by Roger on Twitter

6 hours ago

ROGER FEDERER : Nice to be back in front of a Japanese crowd for the 1st time in 13 years. Can't wait to be back in 2020 #UNIQLOLifewearday (from FB) #tennissamurai #japan #tennis #tenis #Federer pic.twitter.com/Gv1eIFwQEq
— LoveSetMatch (@LoveSetMatch_) October 17, 2019

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