It must be a scary thought to the other players on the ATP Tour that Roger Federer thinks he's only "midway" through his career. In an interview with Londay's Sunday Times, Federer said that he plans to play past the 2012 Olympics and hopes to extend his playing days long enough so that his infant twin daughters can see him play.

"I'm midway [through my career]. It feels like the second part of my career right now, although I am trying to avoid saying that because the second part sounds like ‘neehhhhrrrrr' [motions straight down]. You can definitely play your greatest tennis until 32 or 33, it's just a matter of how you look at it. I've always been a big believer in looking at the big picture. It's not about, ‘What will we do tomorrow?', it's about, ‘How will my life and tennis look in the next five years?' And I still have the same vision, so that's going to help me."

Federer turned 28 in August so, by his math, he could still be on top of his game through 2014. With 15 Grand Slams already to his credit, could his unspoken goal to top Steffi Graf's all-time modern record of 22 Slams? Graf (whom I now want to call "Stefanie" after reading Andre Agassi's autobiography) had a prime that lasted nine years, but she started winning Slams much earlier in her life than Federer did. For Federer to reach her, he'd probably need to win six of the next 12 and then hope to win another one or two in the twilight of his career.

It sounds daunting, but are you going to put anything past Federer? His last two years at the Slams have been considered disappointments, yet he's still won three of eight.

Like his buddy Tiger Woods, Federer's unprecedented string of success set such unrealistic expectations that mere greatness seems ordinary. When Tiger goes a year without winning a major (like he did in 2009), people ask if his season was a failure. Federer won two this year, but he loses to Del Potro at the U.S. Open and it causes buzzing that his game is on the decline. Can't a guy lose a match every now and then?

Paris, France (AHN) - Russian tennis superstar Marat Safin, who announced his planned retirement before this season, played his final ATP match Wednesday after absorbing a 6-4, 5-7, 6-4 loss to U.S. Open champ Juan Martin del Potro in Paris.

Known for his unpredictability and temper, Safin, 29, the older brother of current World No. 1 women's player Dinara Safina, took a bow at the this year's Paris Open, where won three of his 15 career singles titles.

The charismatic and outspoken Muscovite, renowned for his emotional outbursts during matches, reportedly had broken more than 700 rackets during his career.

He even reportedly criticized former American star Andre Agassi about his revelations in his recently released autobiography, "Open".

Considered as an underachiever by many, the former world No. 1 managed to finish among the year-end Top 5 only on three occasions ('00, '02, '04).

After starting his pro career in 1997, Safin won the 2000 U.S. Open and ruled the Australian Open in 2005. He also finished runner-up at two other Grand Slam events.

Safin reached the highest ranking No. 1 on Nov. 20, 2000.

Marat with younger sister Dinara are the only siblings to take the No. 1 spot in singles tennis history.

Safin, who departs with a 421-266 singles record, had also won two career titles in doubles events, where he went 96-120.

Marat Safin needs to score a massive upset on Wednesday in Paris if he wants to prolong his career. Safin's opponent is U.S. Open champion Juan Martin Del Potro.

Marat Safin was one point away from retirement on three different occasions in his first-round match at the BNP Paribas Open. Now he faces an even tougher test on Wednesday afternoon in the form of a first-ever meeting with Juan Martin Del Potro.

Safin, who will call it a career after this final regular-season tournament of 2009, faced three match points on Monday against Thierry Ascione before surviving 6-4, 4-6, 7-6(3). Normally this year it has been Safin who has been throwing away matches he had every chance of winning. The 29-year-old Russian owns a mere 19-21 match record in his last season and the former world No. 1 has dropped No. 65 in the ATP rankings. That said, he always seems to play well in Paris, having won this Masters title in 2000, 2002, and 2004.

Furthermore, he has a real shot against Del Potro. Although, Safin won't hear it. "The way he's playing right now, I don't think I have a chance," said the two-time Grand Slam Champion. "At the end of the day, I don't think I'm going to be the winner."

Del Potro, however, has not won a single match since his triumph over Roger Federer at the U.S. Open. The 21-year old Argentine returned for the first time in Tokyo, where he suffered a shocking first-round defeat to Edouard Roger-Vasselin. Hampered by a wrist injury, Del Potro retired in his opening match at the Shanghai Masters while trailing Jurgen Melzer by a set. Nonetheless, the world No. 5 is an impressive 49-13 for his 2009 campaign, which also includes titles in Auckland and Washington, D.C.

If 100 percent, Del Potro is obviously a huge favorite against Safin. Del Potro often struggles on lightning-fast surfaces because his forehand motion is longer than that of most players, but the Paris court is not playing extremely quick. Safin, as his Paris record indicates, excels on indoor hard courts, but he most likely needs another off day from Del Potro in order to advance.

"I'm going to try," added Safin. "Why not? If I'm going to serve well and he's not going to be at his best, I have a chance."

The pick here is that Safin has more than a chance; Safin in three.

Serena Williams has 23 Grand Slam victories to her name, but she still has one burning ambition - to win Olympic gold.

Williams is the richest female tennis player in history, and finished last season as the world number one.

2009 saw her break the record set by Justine Henin, for most prize money earned by a female tennis player in one season.

She earned an outstanding $6,545,586 during the year, which was more than Rodger Federer.

In doubles, Williams finished as world number three with sister Venus, despite playing only six tournaments as a pair.

Despite all this, it is the London 2012 title she still craves.

She told Sky News: "I would love to win the gold medal in the London Olympics.

"Any type of medal would be great, but I've never won an Olympic gold, so that's my long term goal."

Frankfurt, Germany (AHN) - German tennis star Tommy Haas, forced out of last week's Stockholm Open due to swine flu, is reportedly on his way to recovery after a bout with the virus.

The 17th-ranked player from Germany, bedridden for three days, indicated in the reports that his recovery can be attributed to his good physical condition.

Haas, 31, initially thought it was normal flu, but got confirmation that he contracted the H1N1 virus after tests in Munich.

Wimbledon semifinalist Haas also withdrew from this week's big indoor tournament in Basel, which is headed by world No. 1 Roger Federer.

Haas, owner of 12 career titles on the ATP World Tour, is not expected to play at next week's Masters tournament in Paris.

Serena Williams bested her sister Venus again Sunday, winning the season-ending WTA Championships final, 6-2, 7-6 (4), in Doha, Qatar.  

Serena Williams broke serve twice in the first set and lost only seven points on serve in her last match of the year. She looked sharper than Venus in every facet of a match that featured few long rallies.

Serena Williams earned $1.55 million after finishing the event undefeated. She also clinched the year-end No. 1 ranking last week after Dinara Safina of Russia pulled out of the tournament with an injury in her first match. It was Williams’s third tournament win of the season after Wimbledon and the Australian Open.

 

 

 She sealed the match with a crosscourt forehand winner and celebrated calmly with a simple fist pump before hugging her sister at the net.

“It feels great,” said Serena Williams, who also won the WTA Tour’s season-ending event in 2001. “I totally didn’t expect to come here and win.”

 

VIENNA — Jurgen Melzer earned a 6-4, 6-3 defeat of Marin Cilic to win the Austria Tennis Trophy and put the Croatian on the back foot in his quest for a place in the ATP year-end final on Sunday.

The home hero became the first from the nation to lift the trophy since Horst Skoff in 1988, who beat Thomas Muster.

Muster, the former king of clay, was the last Austrian into the final at the Stadthalle, where he lost the 1995 final to Belgian Filip Dewulf.

"This is unbelievable, to beat Cilic for this title is really a great accomplishment. I'm really happy," said the winner, now owner of a second career title after Bucharest three years ago.

Melzer was buoyed by support from a victory-starved home crowd, which willed him to victory in just over 90 minutes with just one ace but successful salvage efforts on the five break points he faced.

Cilic is still in the hunt for one of two places remaining in his month's eight-man ATP World Tour Finals in London.

But the Croatian will need a superhuman effort in his next two events to end the regular season.

"I really have to produce something for the rest of the season," said the 13th-ranked Croatian, who lost his only sets of the week in the final as he was denied a third trophy in 2009 after Chennai and Zagreb.

"I have a lot of things to improve in my game, just about everything. These last two weeks will be very important for me. I really want to do everything to try and get to London."

Cilic went down with a break in the opening set and was broken to trail 2-3 in the second after saving three break points.

Melzer bore the pressure well in the final game as Cilic recovered from 0-30, and then saved two match points before losing serve to hand over the victory to the Austrian on a forehand wide.