ENGLAND: TENNIS - SWISS ROGER FEDERER PLAYS REAL TENNIS AT HAMPTON COURT PALACE, LONDON, INTERVIEWED AHEAD OF THE WIMBLEDON CHAMPIONSHIPS.

Record ID: 510121

  • Title: ENGLAND: TENNIS - SWISS ROGER FEDERER PLAYS REAL TENNIS AT HAMPTON COURT PALACE, LONDON, INTERVIEWED AHEAD OF THE WIMBLEDON CHAMPIONSHIPS.
  • Date: 15th June 2005
  • Summary: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (JUNE 15, 2005) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. HAMPTON COURT PALACE 2. WIDE OF ROGER FEDERER AND PARTNER ON 'REAL' TENNIS COURT 3. VARIOUS OF FEDERER HITTING BALLS ON 'REAL' TENNIS COURT 4. FEDERER WALKING TO STAGE 5. FEDERER BEING INTERVIEWED AT STAGE 6. (SOUNDBITE) (English) WORLD NUMBER 1 TENNIS PLAYER, ROGER FEDERER SAYING: "Oh yeah, first time. Very nice. You feel the history you know when you walk on the court, you know you see the numbers, the roof - I mean you play along the roof. It's very different. The crowns around the court, the net the way it is, everything you know, the wooden racquet. It goes back a long way. It felt great on the court." 7. FEDERER BEING INTERVIEWED 8. (SOUNDBITE) (English) ROGER FEDERER SAYING: "Andy and Lleyton are the biggest threats, I have the feeling for this year's Wimbledon. I don't like to look that far ahead, but if I would come that far I would pick one of the two, but ahh that's my feeling that I have." 9. CROWD LISTENING TO FEDERER 10. (SOUNDBITE) (English) ROGER FEDERER SAYING: "I would be quite surprised. Nothing against his game, he beat me but I still have the feeling. I saw him play in Halle, I thought he was going to play better on the grass than he did. But he played a tough opponent who just came to the net, you know so he didn't give him any rythym. ButI feel like here maybe on the Wimbledon courts where the courts are a little bit harder and he gets a little bit more time from the baseline he definitely can be a threat. He could win the tournament as well because he is so good. But the same thing is for other players. I would rather give Tim (Henman) the edge to do much better than (Rafael) Nadal." 11. FEDERER BEING INTERVIEWED 12. (SOUNDBITE) (English) ROGER FEDERER SAYING: "Well I came in to Wimbledon last year with a lot of pressure because it was my first time I had to defend a Grand Slam title and on top of that it was Wimbledon, the biggest one of all. I think this year will be much easier because I have lived through it already. Once you have lived through it you know it is always.... well the pressures will be there but not as big you know." 13. CLOSE UP OF FEDERER BEING INTERVIEWED 14. (SOUNDBITE) (English) ROGER FEDERER SAYING: " If I lose a match it's no problem because I've had so much success in my career already, and I feel like I have been brought up the way that you know, media and sponsors it belongs it tennis, even though I never believed that it would be that extreme. You get used to it and in the end I have the feeling the you have to enjoy it because if you don't , don't do it. I have the option to do that. So when I go somewhere I make sure I am in a good mood because I don't want to be sitting here and going like Oh no I hope this is over soon." 15. CLOSE UP OF FEDERER 16. FEDERER TALKING TO MAN Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 30th June 2005 13:00
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  • Location: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM
  • City:
  • Country: United Kingdom
  • Reuters ID: LVAD5QHQ9AV91WR1G1JDPKD6IIAO
  • Story Text: Eager Federer oozes Wimbledon confidence, despite
    poor showing at "real tennis"


    World Number 1 tennis player, Swiss Roger Federer was oozing
    confidence as he looked ahead to next week's
    English grasscourt grand slam, Wimbledon, which starts on June 20.

    Taking time out from his preparations Federer
    attempted to play a game of 'Real Tennis', the sport's
    royal and ancient forerunner at the historic grounds of
    Hampton Court Palace, outside London. The game is played on
    high walled indoor courts with a sloping porch that runs
    around three sides, above viewing galleries based on the
    original monastic cloisters from which the game developed.

    The hand made balls are hit with asymmetric wooden racquets
    over a drooping net and off the walls, which means players
    have to cope with a variety of spins and cuts.

    It was a variation on the game that Federer found
    difficult as he tried it for the first time on the most
    historic 'Real Tennis' court in the world.

    "You feel the history you know when you walk on the court,
    you know you see the numbers, the roof - I mean you play
    along the roof. It's very different. The crowns around the
    court, the net the way it is, everything you know, the
    wooden racquet. It goes back a long way. It felt great on
    the court."
    Federer is hoping to win his third Wimbledon title.

    Having successfully defended his crown last year, he is
    expecting an easier ride in 2005. "Well I came in to
    Wimbledon last year with a lot of pressure because it was
    my first time I had to defend a Grand Slam title and on top
    of that it was Wimbledon, the biggest one of all. I think
    this year will be much easier because I have lived through
    it already. Once you have lived through it you know it is
    always.... well the pressures will be there but not as big
    you know."
    Last year's runner-up Andy Roddick was promoted from
    his ranking of four to be named second seed for the
    tournament while world number two and 2002 champion Lleyton
    Hewitt was named third seed. Federer said he thinks they
    will be his two toughest opponents this year. "Andy and
    Lleyton are the biggest threats, I have the feeling for
    this year's Wimbledon. I don't like to look that far ahead,
    but if I would come that far I would pick one of the two."
    Newly-crowned French Open champion Rafael Nadal was
    seeded fourth but Federer said he does not expect the
    Spaniard to fulfil that expectation. "I would be quite
    surprised. Nothing against his game, he beat me but I still
    have the feeling. I saw him play in Halle, I thought he was
    going to play better on the grass than he did. But he
    played a tough opponent who just came to the net, you know
    so he didn't give him any rythym. But I feel like here
    maybe on the Wimbledon courts where the courts are a little
    bit harder and he gets a little bit more time from the
    baseline he definitely can be a threat. He could win the
    tournament as well because he is so good."
    British hope Tim Henman, four-times a semi-finalist
    at the All England Club, was rewarded for his record at the
    tournament by being bumped up three places from his world
    ranking of nine to sixth seed. No Briton has won the men's
    singles since Fred Perry in 1936.

    Federer said he was feeling confident going in to
    Wimbledon, and he would be comfortable with his position
    whether he won or lost. "If I lose a match it's no problem
    because I've had so much success in my career already, and
    I feel like I have been brought up the way that you know,
    media and sponsors it belongs it tennis, even though I
    never believed that it would be that extreme. You get used
    to it and in the end I have the feeling the you have to
    enjoy it because if you don't, don't do it. I have the
    option to do that. So when I go somewhere I make sure I am
    in a good mood because I don't want to be sitting here and
    going like, oh no I hope this is over soon."
    Federer was named number one seed by the All England
    Club and will learn his first opponent when the draw is
    made on Thursday (June 16).

    The season's third grand slam will take place from June 20 to July 3.



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