Ht: 5-5

DOB: November 17, 1988 In: California

First Memory Of Tennis: “Oooh. Probably getting really angry after missing a shot (age 6).

Tennis Inspirations: “All the small players that have done well, Justine Henin.”

Last Book Read: “Outliers.”

Favorite Movie: “Shawshank Redemption.”

Pre-Match Feeling: “Definitely listen to music. And focusing on getting my feet going, and a good start.”

First Job: “Tennis.”

First Car: “An old Mercedes (black).”

Current Car: “A black Lexus.”

Favorite Meal: “Lobster.”

Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: “Chocolate chip cookie dough.”

Greatest Career Moment (so far): “Winning NCAAs with the team at Stanford.”

Most Painful Moment: “Losing the final of NCAAs with Stanford (vs. Florida).”

Funniest Player Encountered: “Irini Falconi is pretty funny.”

Toughest Competitor Encountered: “Hmmm…I don’t know, that’s tough…Never played Serena but I’d say Serena. She looks scary [smiles].”

Favorite Sport Outside Tennis: “Basketball.”

Embarrassing Tennis Memory: “Probably whiffing a ball in front of a crowd. That’s pretty common [smiles].”

Funny Match Memory: “I like to laugh a lot on the court. Maybe after a bad shot that I hit. I remember a skateboard dropping down on the side of the court, from one of the fans, a kid who was playing with it. Dropped down the stairs. Made a huge thud.”

Favorite Players To Watch: “Obviously, Fed, Nadal. I like watching Stosur play. And Serena.”

People Qualities Most Admired: “Definitely caring. Genuine. Funny. Intellectual – good conversation.”

www.tennis-prose.com

Scoop’s tennis book “Marcelo Rios: The Man We Barely Knew” will be published later this month and available at www.Amazon.com

Ht: 6-2 Wt: 176

DOB: May 22, 1987 In: Belgrade, Serbia

Tennis Heroes: “Well, Pete Sampras, he was always my idol. I always liked his game even if I don’t have the same game as he does. I liked his attitude and the way he played. The way he act on the court I like a lot. He was concentrated a lot during all the matches. And he was playing the best tennis on the very important points, during the very important matches. That’s what I liked about Pete Sampras. That’s why he was always my idol. He finished his tennis career – I’m really sorry that I didn’t have a chance to meet him and to play with him. But I hope in the next two years I will have a chance to meet him. And since he finished the tennis, I like a lot Federer’s game and Safin. Safin actually played, not same, but similar game to mine – very aggressive and using all the opportunities. I had the chance to play against Safin in Australian Open and it was a great moment and a great experience, my first appearance on the big center court.”

Tennis Inspirations: “A win. The feeling of winning a match or winning a tournament. The feeling of winning a tennis match is irreplacable.”

Favorite Movies: “Yeah, I’m a movie watcher. I like all kinds of movies, action and thrillers, drama and horror. The favorite one – maybe Pulp Fiction is one of the best.”

Musical Tastes: “I’m a music fan also like everybody. For me, it is also important the company you have. When you are going out, company that’s around you, then you don’t really pay attention to music so much. I like R&B, house music, I don’t like actually Serbian music, our music, so I’m not a big fan of this. So I’m listening to American, R&B, hip-hop, reggae, house. I like all kinds. Also classical sometimes when I need to relax.”

Favorite Meal: “As a tennis player I have to eat a lot because I expend a lot of energy. Mostly during the day I’m eating pasta. So this is one of my favorite meals. But I also like a lot of chicken with mashed potatoes, and some salad. That’s like my favorite [laughs].”

Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: “Well, I like a lot of chocolate. I have to admit that. I like sweets a lot. So I like chocolate ice cream.”

First Tennis Memory: “Yeah sure, I remember I started when I was four. My father owns a restaurant in one mountain in our country. And when I was four they were making three tennis courts in front of my restaurant. And I was helping them to make these courts. And I was interested a lot because no one in my family ever played tennis. My father was a professional skier. My mother was also skiing. And he also played soccer and wallyball, a lot of different sports, but not tennis. So I was the first to start playing tennis when I was four. The first coach, Jelena Gencic, she teach me how to play tennis and how to act on the court. She teach me a lot. This was very important to have a good coach in the period when I was seven years old to eleven. And I was really lucky to have her.”

Pre-Match Feeling: “Well, I try not to think too much because I want to be focused for the match. Before the match I do the usual warmup, stretching. I need 30-45 minutes to prepare all my racquets and everything. I’m thinking…mostly I’m speaking with my coach about what tactics we should prepare for this player. Think tactics, strategy, how I should act on the court, what should I use more. These kinds of things. I try not to think too much. I just go out on the court and do my best. I have more motivation to play and to win more Grand Slams – now more than ever, that I know that I can actually, you know, perform equally well on any surface, that I have equal chances on any Grand Slam that I play. So this is something that gives me a lot of desire.”

Early ATP Memories: “I have a few moments that I like. At Wimbledon when I reached the third round in 2005 was really great. In second round I saved five match points from 0-2, I came to 3-2 to win. This was a great moment. And this was really important match for me. Because when I won the match I got to top 100. So this was really nice feeling. And also the fact that I played the first time on the grass. So that’s really nice, I like Wimbledon a lot.”

Greatest Sports Moment: “Well, since I started the professional tennis I had great moments, I don’t have exactly the one moment. Winning Wimbledon was my dream. Becoming #1. Winning the Australian Open in 2008 and this year and winning the Davis Cup for Serbia was a very nice moment.”

Most Painful Moment “Well, I cannot say that I really had a painful tennis moment that I wanted to quit tennis or something like that. I hope that I will not have. Probably being injured or not feeling 100% healthy. But I never had any really like painful moments.”

Favorite Tournaments: “I like Australia and Wimbledon a lot. I like the grand slams. And I like to play Belgrade.”

Funny Tennis Memory: “I like to watch McEnroe playing. He was really funny on the court. And Safin, when he would throw the racquet when he was really nervous. And it was really fun watching Yannick Noah. I like watching the old matches when I was really a baby. And McEnroe was really funny.”

Embarrassing Tennis Memory: “Well, when I lost to one guy from Serbia actually. It was about seven or eight years ago when I was first in Europe. I lost to this guy and it was really embarrassing because everybody expected me to win easily, so.”

Closest Tennis Friends: “I’m really in good relationship with everybody. So I’m trying to keep it that way. I’m really good friends with Janko Tipsarevic and the players from my country.”

Funniest Players Encountered: “I don’t know. Everybody is funny. I don’t put out one. John McEnroe made me laugh.”

Toughest Competitors Encountered: “Well, all the players are tough to play against, everybody is trying their best to win the match.”

People Qualities Most Admired: “Just I like people who have a lot of sense of humor. And who are very honest. I like nice people, like really honest person, who can be good friends of yours. It’s really difficult because every where you go you meet a lot of people and it’s difficult to find your friend. Like real honest friends.”

Tennis Inspirations: “A lot of guys. I try to take something from every player – Agassi, Sampras, Rafter.”

Hobbies/Interests: “I have lots of hobbies. I like life so, maybe my best hobby is fishing. I like music, being with my friends.”

Favorite Movies: “Lord of the Rings.”

Favorite TV Shows: “I don’t watch TV too much, so.”

Musical Tastes: “Everything.”

Last Book Read: “DaVinci Code.”

First Tennis Memory: “Final, Davis Cup, between Sweden and France. I watched it on TV. I remember the last match, it was (Nicklas) Kulti against (Arnaud) Boetsch and it was unbelievable. Both players finished with cramps. It was unbelievable.”

Favorite Meal: “Meal from Congo – it’s like chicken with peanut butter.”

Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: “Vanilla.”

Pre-Match Feeling/Mindset: “To think of my game. Visualize my game and how it’s gotta be.”

Favorite Non-Tennis Sport To Watch: “Basketball.”

Greatest Sports Moment: “Winning the Paris title in Bercy. Also my victory in juniors at U.S. Open.”

Most Painful Moment: “My injury five years ago – my back. And I was out for two years.”

Favorite Tournaments: “U.S. Open. Because I won juniors. I like New York. People enjoy to watch us, so it’s good in New York.”

Favorite Players To Watch Today: “Maybe Nadal.”

Closest Tennis Friends: “Richard Gasquet, Gael Monfils, Marcos Baghdatis.”

Funniest Players Encountered: “For me, because he’s my friend, it’s Gael Monfils. I’ve known him since we are kids. (What is it about him?) There is a lot of expression to his face [smiles]. So, for me, it’s funny. But maybe for someone else it’s not funny.”

Toughest Competitor: “Federer.”

Funny Memory: “Against Ancic in Bercy three years ago. Because I serve a big serve and he put his racquet out and the racquet broke at the middle of the racquet. So, for me, it was funny because I serve a big serve and he was like this – with a broke racquet. I think he broke the racquet before he play with it. When he hit the ball it go BOOM!”

Last Vacation: “Was in France, La Baule.”

Best You Ever Felt on Court: “Winning Paris (indoors in ’08). Australian Open final last year. Three years ago against Feliciano Lopez. Everything I did on the court it was easy.”

People Qualities Most Admired: “Generous.”

DOB: April 1950 In: Swansea, Wales

First memory of tennis: Watching on television the 1956 Wimbledon final between Lew Hoad and Ken Rosewall.

Last book read: “Our Kind of Traitor” by John Le Carre.

Tennis inspirations: My father, John Crooke – coach to the Welsh National Junior squad, Ken Rosewall.

Favorite movies: The King’s Speech, Chariots of Fire, The Italian Job (original version), Ben Hur.

First job: Lawyer.

Childhood dreams: To win Wimbledon.

Greatest career moment: Umpiring and subsequently commentating on the Men’s Singles final at Wimbledon.

Most painful career moment: When I played on the equivalent of the Futures Circuit in 1971, realizing very quickly that I was never going to make a living as a tennis player.

Funny career memory: Commentating on a British Davis Cup tie in Poland, I sat under an umbrella as rain was coming through the roof of the commentary box and was in danger of dripping onto the electrical equipment.

Embarrassing career memory: While commentating on the French Open for BBC Television, saying that there had been ‘an erotic start’ to a match when I meant to say erratic.

Favorite players to watch (present and past): Rosewall, Laver, Graf, Edberg, Leconte, Federer.

Favorite sport outside tennis: Golf.

People qualities most admired: Honesty, modesty and a sense of humor.

www.tennis-prose.com

The Mayweather ship is sinking fast. And there’s no hope really. It’s inevitable that Mayweather is going to hit the bottom and be humbled. “The humble shall be exalted and the exalted shall be humbled.”

Floyd’s in a no-win situation, really, outside of the money factor (and Floyd recently said it’s not about the money any more). Almost 34, his skills and confidence are fading fast, he is ignored or deplored by most of the sporting public, and he absolutely is going to get knocked out by Manny Pacquiao, the younger, faster, stronger, more beloved and humble man who is everything Floyd wishes he could be.

A friend of mine named Luther Chiles made a good point. “I was watching “24/7″ on HBO, as a boxing fan I must admit that the overwhelming popularity of Manny Pacquiao has to be great for boxing,” wrote Luther. “As much as I respect and admire my man Floyd Mayweather’s ability, he needs to steal a page or two from the positive feedback Manny gets from doing positive things consistently – those TV endorsements can carry you a long way and earn you some good money even when you can’t participate in combat anymore. Look at what George Foreman did when he came back with a new attitude and commitment. I don’t think George made anywhere near in ring earnings as much as he made in endorsements. It’s a no brainer!”

It was interesting to hear an honest Mayweather fan raise this issue. Luther’s comment made me remember hearing many boxer and tennis player say how important the positive support of the crowd was, that it was the reason they won a certain fight or match. So I replied to Luther:

“Interesting point Luther. Floyd should sign the Pacquiao deal, get knocked out like he knows it’s inevitable and just learn from it. Get touched by the greatness of Pac and learn from it. Like Foreman learned from getting knocked out by Ali. And ultimately became a better man from it. This is Floyd’s only hope, he needs to be humbled and humiliated. Experience rock bottom. His current ugly act will never endear him to the public.”

Luther responded. “Good comparison Scoop! That’s your journalistic creativity coming out, we will never agree on the outcome of this fight but after Ali vs Foreman, it was actually Philadelphia native Jimmy Young who sealed the deal for Foreman and sent him into retirement the first time around.”

Another excellent point from Luther. I re-watched Young vs. Foreman about a year ago for the first time since seeing it on ABC in 1977, and was enthralled seeing how the huge, vocal Puerto Rican stadium embraced Young in this fight, while totally rejecting Foreman who was acting like a bully jerk, fouling Young repeatedly. At first the crowd was neutral but after seeing Foreman act like a goon, they got behind Young booed and jeered Foreman relentlessly. And it actually seemed to break Foreman’s spirit as the fight proceeded. The entire Roberto Clemente Stadium helped the underdog Young who got off to a slow start and then energized and willed him to victory. It was an incredible fight to see the audience be such an important factor.

I strongly believe it was the rowdy Puerto Rican crowd support for Young and AGAINST George which was the key factor in this fight. In his heart, Foreman had to feel ashamed again (like in Zaire) for being so hated by the crowd and that was the last straw that broke him and his career. He left boxing and found religion and completely changed his life and later, public image.

Make no mistake about it: Crowd support can be so crucially important sometimes – and it can even make the difference between victory or defeat.

Mayweather knows when he faces Pacquiao he will get treated worse than what Foreman got in Zaire and Puerto Rico. He just can’t win. I remember Floyd even said last year, “It’s a no-win situation.” The only hope is to just accept his fate and let it happen. The public is never wrong. Floyd certainly deserves all the scorn he gets.

The only hope for Floyd is to accept it and learn from it and try to better himself and become a better man. After Floyd takes his beating from Pacquiao, the people will forgive him, just like they forgave Foreman and later embraced him. Humanity always forgives.

But Floyd Mayweather has to admit to himself, the way he has behaved for the last decade – the false drug accusations against Pacquiao, the materialism, the whoring himself for money, gambling, the bad examples he’s shown in public, the immaturity – this must be changed.

George Foreman learned a lot from Muhammad Ali and how to become a great person.

Likewise, Floyd Mayweather will learn a lot from Manny Pacquiao and how to finally become a great person instead of just a great boxer.

Scoop Malinowski is the author of “Heavyweight Armageddon: The Tyson-Lewis Championship Battle.” He has also created www.tennis-prose.com

(Mayweather artwork by John Paul Raloto.)

DOB: November 22, 1913 In: Washington DC

First Tennis Memory: “When my father (Robin) and two uncles built a clay tennis court in our backyard and they made me take care of it. I was 10. I didn’t like tennis much at first because I had to work at it. He made me play every Sunday morning. When he invited his cronies over and one was tired or one didn’t show up, I played. When I got to be 11 I got to be better than them, so I didn’t want to play with them any more.”

Tennis Inspirations: “Make the Davis Cup team, which I finally did. Win a national championship, which I finally won several. And travel and play at Wimbledon.”

Last Book Read: “Helter Skelter. Written Vincent Bugliosi. He was a tennis player, I got him a scholarship at the University of Miami.”

Favorite Movies: “Not really.”

First Job: “Paper boy for Miami Daily News, on my bike.”

First Car: “Oh, let me see. My father had the agency for the Franklin which of course are long and dead. He gave me one of his trade-ins for high school – a 1919 black aluminum Franklin. I used to pile the neighborhood in and kept it in high school and college.”

Favorite Meal: “I like breakfast most. Cereal and milk. (Which kind?) Any kind.”

Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: “Vanilla.”

Greatest Career Moment: “Winning match point at Wimbledon doubles, when we won against Hoad and Fraser of Australia.”

Most Painful Moment: “The match point at Wimbledon.”

Funny Tennis Memory: “With Art Larsen. He had so many superstitions, we harassed him all the time, Talbert and I.”

Embarrassing Tennis Memory: “We were playing Australia in the Davis Cup and the captain of the Davis Cup team was wondering who to play in singles. He finally picked me. On the way to the draw, he changed his mind, and I didn’t know it. I was told I was going to play. Everybody was congratulating me. Then at the draw I found out the captain changed his mind. (Who was the captain?) Billy Talbert, my doubles partner.”

Favorite Players To Watch: “Roger Federer. Little Mo, on the womens side. Just like the way she played. (What about her playing style did you like?) She wasn’t a big serve and volleyer, she was an all around player. I played mixed doubles with her, that helped. Alice Marble too. She was a great gal. (Any women from today?) Not many from today. Like Pancho Segura says, They don’t play tennis any more, they play ping pong. Which means, very steady all the time.”

Closest Tennis Friends: “Well, Billy Talbert and Tony Trabert. I was just talking with him on the phone yesterday. And of course Art Larsen.”

Funniest Players Encountered: “Art Larsen, by far. Also Earl Cochell. He was a hot red head. He was always mouthing off. We would egg him on. He would dig a hole and we’d laugh. He acted up at nationals at Forest Hills against me and got suspended for life. I tried to intervene and if he would apologize they would let him back. But he wouldn’t. He said he didn’t want to give them the satisfaction. Then he disappeared from the tennis scene. The word is he married a rich girl and traveled around the world. Who knows.”

Strangest Match: “Semifinals of Australian national championship. There were foot fault judges on both baselines. On the one side, I was foot-faulted nine times. On the other side I wasn’t foot-faulted once. I queried the judge, What the hell am I doing? So here I’m foot-faulted nine times. I say it cost me the match. I lost 7-5 in the fifth. In the last set, I’m serving, it was deuce at five all. I served a first serve – it was a fault. I served a second serve – it was a double fault. Then serving to the ad court, I served the first one – it was a fault. I very timidly served the second serve – they called it a fault. I’m fit to be tied. He was leading then 6-5 or 5-4. We changed course and walked by each other. He said, Gar, I’m very sorry, but that wasn’t a fault. I said, What can I do about it? In those days we spoke to each other, today they fight for everything. Then, the funny part is, a couple of distractors in the stands, were yelling at me the whole match. I threw my racquet in the air and said, If you had any guts, come down here. And they did! After the scramble with the police, I told them I’ll meet you after the match. After I lost the match I ran out hunting for them. Of course I never found them. After that I complained about the difficult officiating and said I could do a better job. I said, Well, let me do it. I insisted on calling the finals. Some of the reporters around said to let me call the final. It was on the record. So I officiated the final. So after the final I said, That’s the way a match should be called – impeccable.”

Favorite Sport Outside Tennis: “Football. I played a little bit in high school and college. Frankly speaking – not to brag, but I am – I was a great passer. But in those days, it wasn’t a passing game then. The football was fat back then, with more air. In those days I could punt a ball 60 yards without a problem. It just sailed away.”

Favorite Tournaments: “Of course, Wimbledon, you can’t beat that. Nothing else compares to it. Secondly, I would say Australia. And I’d be criticized for not saying U.S. Open.”

At Your Best: “I think it would be against Ken Rosewall in semifinals of nationals at Forest Hills. He had me 4-2 in the fifth and I pulled it out. According to Allison Danzig, do you remember him? (Yes, the renowned tennis writer.) He wrote up all the tournaments in the east. The semifinals of Southampton, a big tournament in the east, I beat Gonzalez in the semifinal and Billy in the final. Danzig wrote an article about the match. The way he wrote that I played was a bit the way I felt. I just felt I couldn’t do anything wrong.”

Pre-Match Feeling: “I was scared to death. I was saying to myself, Why didn’t I practice more? This guy is so good, what do I do? My knees were weak. The night before I’d sleep for 16 hours if I could. Keep thinking, I’m not getting enough rest. Then I’d walk on the court, I’d say, This guy is great, how could I beat him. Then the match would start and I’d hit three or four points and I got a lot of points. Then I’d get a lot of confidence: This guy isn’t so good, I can beat him. No matter who it was. Even against Budge at Forest Hills, I won the first set. Then he killed me.”

People Qualities Most Admired: “Honesty. I can’t stand the people running for office and then getting into office and not keeping their promises. And not being greedy. Everybody is so greedy. We gotta win, we gotta win. A basketball teams wins by a point and their heroes, if they lose by a point, the sportswriters ask what’s wrong with them?

Career Accomplishments: Won U.S. Mens Doubles titles with partner Talbert in 1942, ’45, ’46, ’48; Won Wimbledon Doubles in 1957 at age 44 with partner Patty (received Cup from Queen Elizabeth II); Won over 127 national championships and 25 international titles in over 75 years of playing; Achieved #1 U.S. singles ranking in 1942; Wrote autobiography titled “Will To Win” in 1960 and updated it in 2009 with “As It Was”; Met President Clinton who was watching one of his senior matches in Virginia; Coached tennis at University of Miami (recruited future Hall of Famer Pancho Segura from Ecuador).

Ht: 5-10 Wt: 154

DOB: October 16, 1983 In: Augsburg, Germany

First Tennis Memory: “I think I just played – my family moved with me to South America, Caracas, Venezuela. I played every time normal with coach. Then my first tournament I was totally nervous and I lost 0 and 0 [smiles]. It wasn’t a great start and I said I don’t want to play any more tournaments, just practice. Right now, it’s a funny memory.”

Tennis Inspirations: “Nobody in particular. I think it was just the time tennis was going very well in Germany. My parents like to play a little bit. And I was very young. I got in it with my parents.”

Nicknames: “The most common in Germany is Kohli. Now I have a new one I like a little bit better, it’s Peppo.”

Hobbies/Leisure Activites: “Well, I really like to holiday, relax. In Germany I like to drive cars in the highway, we have no speed limit. Sometimes rent fast cars to enjoy a little bit the speed.”

Favorite Movies: “Lord of the Rings and Star Wars.”

Last Book Read: “I think it was a school book. I’m not reading a lot of books. I read magazine, the internet, but not book.”

Musical Tastes: “Michael Jackson has a lot of good music. I like to listen to everything.”

Current Car: “BMW (black).”

Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: “I have two – I always eat hazelnuts and lemon.”

Greatest Sports Moment: “I think when I beat Roddick in Melbourne in five sets. It was the first time in five sets I beat somebody. And also because night match. Everything. Yeah, it was a big thing for me.”

Most Painful Moment: “Maybe I have two. No, I have just one. Maybe when I lost to Fabrice Santoro in five sets in Melbourne (2009). Was a tough one with a lot of feeling but yeah he was able to take it.”

Favorite Tournaments: “I really like New York, it’s fantastic. I think Montreal was a great tournament. And Germany – I like very much Halle, Hamburg. They’re fantastic tournaments.”

Closest Tennis Friends: “I have a lot of fun with Stefan Koubek, guys from Austria. And Jarkko Nieminen. We have a lot of fun. Mikhail Youzhny. Overall they are from every country. Maybe one or two we make fun of [smiles].”

Funniest Players Encountered: “Myself [smiles].”

Toughest Competitors Encountered: “I think Fernando Verdasco is a tough one. He’s tough to play. Of course, the top five, as always everybody is tough to play. Tomas Berdych is a pretty good player, I lost a few times against him. And Robin Soderling.”

Favorite Players To Watch: “In the Grand Slam, I watch a lot of tennis over the days – six-seven hours when I’m at the hotel. And then if I’m not playing, I really don’t watch any tennis.”

Funny Tennis Memory: “For me, a funny moment – if I play doubles and hit somebody in the feet or the butt. It’s a big fun for me. (Hit partner?) No, not my partner. Opponent [smiles].”

Embarrassing Tennis Memory: “Yeah, like I said, the first one when I lost 0 and 0.”

Best You Ever Felt On Court: “I think it’s not when you play your best tennis, it’s when you really fight. The best memories I have – maybe when I win in five sets or 7-6 in the third. This is something I think really special because you have so much emotion at the end. Lot of adrenaline in the body. If you’ve done it, then it’s everything is releasing. I think that’s a great feeling.”

First Famous Tennis Player You Ever Met: “Michael Stich. I was very young (age 15). I was doing a lot of tournaments in Germany. And he invited me to the Team Cup. He was Davis Cup coach at this time. He invited me because Tommy Haas was injured.”

People Qualities Most Admired: “I just hope for they have to be honest. Funny. And I think that’s the most important.”

You can read more tennis news and interviews at Scoop’s tennis site www.tennis-prose.com

Henri Leconte: “I like to watch Federer, of course. Because he can do whatever he wants.”

Akiko Morigami: “I think he’s like the God of tennis.”

Wladimir Klitschko: “Roger Federer, he’s the champion. Tennis is a great sport. And if you meet, personally, those big guys like Roger Federer, you’re just so inspired, and following and looking at it. And it’s amazing that he just keeps on winning and keeps winning, which is not common in sport. I met him personally two years ago in Germany at an awards gala. He’s very handsome and very, very down to earth guy. And I think as a person, he’s not complicated. And just a real nice person. And he told me he’s a Klitschko fan, he watched my fights of me and my brother. He said he definitely wants to come to the fights.”

Richard Evans: “Hall of Famer Frew McMillan on BBC Radio and John Parsons in the London Daily Telegraph were two shrewd observers who stuck obstinately to the belief that Federer would ultimately come through, and both tipped him for the title before Wimbledon began. And when he won, Federer was not the only one in tears. McMillan was too. For those of us who have a deep love for this beautiful game, seeing it so beautifully played strikes an emotional chord.”

John McEnroe: “Federer plays tennis the way I dreamed of playing. He could be the most talented player I’ve ever seen, someone who comes along only every 10 or 20 years. If you want to be a tennis player, then mold yourself on Roger Federer. I won three Wimbledon titles and I wish I could play like him.”

Roger: “I remember always loving to play against the cupboards, against the doors at home. With any kind of ball…soft ball, tennis ball. My mom always got upset at me, because, Bang, bang, bang!, all day long [smiles].”

Tracy Austin: “I’ve never enjoyed watching someone playing tennis as much as Federer. I’m just in awe. Pete Sampras was wonderful but he relied so much on his serve, whereas Roger has it all, he’s just so graceful, elegant and fluid – a symphony in tennis whites.”

Martina Navratilova: “I’ve been asked who I would pay to watch to play tennis, and Roger would be one of the few.”

Fabrice Santoro: “I like Roger Federer to beat the record of 14 in Grand Slams. To beat this record, to win three more. So I’m always very happy when he goes through a Grand Slam. He’s a very good guy on the court, he’s fun to watch, and he’s a great guy off the court.”

Roger: “I used to carry on like an idiot, I was getting kicked out of practice sessions non-stop when I was 16. Then after winning junior Wimbledon (in ’98) people were coming up to me and telling me I was going to be the next great player. But at first I wasn’t mentally strong enough and I found myself getting frustrated when things didn’t go my way.”

Rene Stauffer, author of “The Roger Federer Story: Quest For Perfection”: “When I first saw Roger Federer play tennis when he was a 15-year-old, I didn’t think that I would even write his name in my newspaper, let alone a book about him.”

Marcelo Rios: “When I was retiring from the ATP circuit (2003) he was only playing serve and volley. He didn’t play that well from the baseline back then. Now he just won his fifth Wimbledon from the baseline and that shows that he is a really complete player. I think Federer is the best player and he is going to be the best player ever and hopefully he will.”

Bjorn Borg: “Federer is a complete tennis player. He is an artist on the court and to beat him at Wimbledon in the best of five sets is almost an impossible task. I think and hope that Roger will equal my record this year – it could not happen to a better person. He has achieved so many great things in tennis and if he stays clear of injuries, stays motivated and continues at the same pace as he is doing, he will definitely be the greatest player of all time.”

Roger: “I remember this moment when I was playing Safin in Rome one time, and they were showing highlights after the match and sort of trying to say who was better in throwing racquets. And then I really started to realize this is not why I’m playing tennis, to be in a competition of who’s throwing the racquet more nicely [smiles].”

Tiger Woods: “Yeah, Roger came out and watched the back nine. We had dinner last night on the boat. He’s obviously playing this week (at Key Biscayne). But it’s great to have him out here. I think he’s a wonderful supporter of golf, and I think it’s pretty neat when you have probably the most dominant athlete on the planet out there in your gallery…Tennis is (more difficult to win at than golf) in the sense that if you’re physically dominant, you can dominate somebody. In our sport, you can’t physically dictate what somebody else is going to do. You can’t all of a sudden hit a drive out there past him and say, okay, I win the hole. That doesn’t happen. So a person who actually is more physically gifted and physically dominant can actually just overpower somebody, and that just does not happen in our sport. So it’s a little bit more difficult in that sense, golf-wise. But what he’s done, you know, over the last three years, no one’s ever done…He plays (golf), yeah. He played for a number of years and then got a rib injury for a while and he thought it was caused by golf, so he quit playing golf for a little bit and that’s when his tennis took off. But he’s playing a little bit more now, starting to get into it again and absolutely loves it. His mom is a hell of a player, she shoots in the 70′s all the time, so it’s in the family.”

Roger: “It’s totally different now from the beginning. In the beginning you’re trying to feel your way into the Tour, trying to look for friends, trying to understand the way it runs. You know, trying to get to know the center courts, the fans, how does the whole thing work. By the time you find out, you’re in the early twenties and then the pressure builds up on you. Through the media, they want you to have results and everything, so you’re more thinking about these things. Whereas now, I really concentrate on how I need to get ready for a tournament. I know exactly what to expect. So it’s a whole lot easier now than it used to be.”

Stefan Edberg: “I think he can go another couple of years dominating the game with what he’s got. There’s really only one or two things that can stop him – obviously an injury, or something personal to happen. But if that doesn’t happen, he’s going to continue to dominate. In a way, it’s quite nice to see because he plays such beautiful tennis. It’s really beautiful to watch. I quite like the way Federer plays the game.”

Pete Sampras: “It’s nice to watch him, he’s a smooth player, pleasant to watch, easy on the eyes. It seems like he wants it, kind of like I did. One of the misconceptions was that I wasn’t competitive, I wasn’t ‘mean.’ But I just showed it in a different way. And I think he has some of that in him too. Roger’s got that mentality, that even keel. He doesn’t get too high or too low. That helps when you want to be the best player in the world, no doubt.”

Boris Becker: “I am convinced he will win many more Wimbledons, U.S. Opens and other Grand Slam titles. In a way, he has old fashioned technique. He does not just play heavy top spin, he’s very versatile. He can serve and volley, he can stay back, he can slice, he can play drop shots. He plays like they used to, like Ilie Nastase. He plays all the shots of tennis and that’s something we don’t really see anymore. He’s amazing, he’s just incredible. And if he stays healthy and motivated, he is the kind of guy that can overtake the greatest. I also like how Federer is very popular with other players and with the media. He is a very sociable guy.”

Rod Laver: “Roger’s got too many shots, too much talent in one body. It’s hardly fair that one person can do all this — his backhands, his forehands, volleys, serving, his court position…the way he moves around the court, you feel like he’s barely touching the ground, and that’s the sign of a great champion. And his anticipation, I guess, is the one thing that we all admire.”

Rene Stauffer: “This is a guy who buys drinks for photographers and thanks reporters who show up to his press conferences. Roger lives that saying: ‘It’s nice to be important, but it’s important to be nice.”

Roger: “It’s not so much the pressure of being #1, it’s more the time, you have less time. Everybody wants to talk with you, ask you questions, there’s always something going on, something to do. Once I’m on the court, that’s not so much the pressure. That’s the easy part. It’s what I love to do.”

Martina Hingis: “We never played together during our younger days however, I do remember that he was my ball boy at one of the Basel tournaments (laughs). That was funny. The only time we played together was at the Hopman Cup a few years ago. We won when we played together. He was a great partner. I get to see him play fairly often. Whenever I switch on the TV, you see Roger playing. I love to see him play.”

Sjeng Schalken: “I like him as a person and I like him as a sportsman.”

Lisa: “I work in the players lounge cafeteria (at U.S. Open), and we all agree many of the players are kind of spoiled, they get everything done for them, they get limo rides to the hotels, they get pampered here, massages before and after matches, they get their clothes washed, and many of them aren’t very nice to us, they don’t talk with us. Federer is nice though. He is one of the only ones I can say is nice. Yeah, I like Federer.”

Andy Roddick: “He’s so talented, some of the things he does out there, you wonder, Is this humanly possible? I’m sure every time he walks out on court, he feels like he’s going to win…I almost wish I could hate him but I can’t, he’s too nice.”

Greg Norman: “I’m a huge Roger fan. Obviously because of his grace and perfection of the game. Watching him hit a backhand is like standing there looking at the Mona Lisa all the time – it’s almost perfect. So, in sport, you always get these one-every-thousand-year athletes – we’ve seen it in golf with Nicklaus, and we’ve seen it in tennis with probably Roger Federer right now. And if you have the opportunity to see him live and what he can do – it’s totally different live than it is on TV, there’s no question about it. And seeing him more than once live…he’s just an incredible talent.”

Roger: “I just like to watch tennis. If I’m flipping through the channels and see a match – really no matter who is playing – I just like the game very much. One player I would really like to watch is Bjorn Borg because I never really had the chance to see him when he was at his best. And from what I’ve seen and heard, he is a very special player. And obviously a great champion.”

Serena Williams: “I wish I could play like Roger Federer. Roger is just, like, unbelievable…he’s just so perfect out there.”

Marat Safin: “He’s a magician.”

Gaston Gaudio: “He’s a genius.”

Tennis blogger: “Pure, rich, dripping and abundant talent. I have never seen that much of it ever, since boxer Muhammad Ali and soccer player Pele. Although I have seen videos of the latter two, witnessing it first hand from Federer is like an out-of-body experience. If you have not seen him in action in person, you are not just depriving yourself of tennis genius, but also of absolute beauty in its purest form. If you admire anything beautiful, you don’t need to know the mechanics of the form it is in, to appreciate it. Like, you don’t have to be a boxing fan, to enjoy the arsenal of shots and more importantly how effortlessly and elegantly they are executed, in the ring by Muhammad Ali. If you love beauty and grace, you cannot miss it irrespective of the form and character it manifests itself in. If you have not already done it, go out and buy the ticket to Federer’s next match. It doesn’t matter if you are a tennis fan or not. You are not going out to watch a tennis match, you are watching genius at work – a once in a lifetime kind of euphoria. It is not everyday that a genius is born. History is proof that the medium through which that genius is expressed is irrelevant. It is a spectacle to behold even for a layman.”

Danny Casesa (U.S. Open ballperson): “Federer was playing a match against Marcos Baghdatis and he turned around and said, ‘I’m so fucking off!!’ So I turn around to the line judge and I say, ‘I wish I was that fucking off.’ And I kinda guess I said it louder than I guess I should have. And then he ended up hearing me and turned around and said, Thank you. Anyway, the guy in the middle of a match, he didn’t need to turn around and say anything. Just the fact he acknowledged what I said and was still nice about it.”

Richard Pagliaro: “I remember a few years back interviewing him one-on-one at the United Nations about 20 minutes before he was going out to speak to the entire United Nations and he was so relaxed. I asked him to sign the Tennis Week cover from when he won Wimbledon, the ‘Federer Express’ cover and he looks at it and smiles and said ‘Yeah, I love this cover! This is my favorite one.’ I thought that was cool, plus the fact he actually does every press conference in three languages – English, Swiss-German and French, so he actually spends three times more than any other top player talking to the media.”

Roger, when asked, Is there a secret to your success?: “I guess not, no. Hard work and belief that I can win every match I play. I’ve come a long way. I never thought I’ll ever play so well and dominate tennis. I’m just really having a great time.”

Stefan Koubek, on his tennis inspirations: “The first one was Boris Becker. Then I switched to Michael Chang and Agassi. And, right now, there’s only one, he’s a good friend of mine, but he’s the best player in the world, which is Roger Federer. To watch him every time is something nice. Just to watch him play is amazing.”

Danai Udomchoke: “I want him to make the record (of 15 total Grand Slams). I want him to win the French Open also. He’s a good guy. He’s a very good guy. He’s very nice guy and he talk to everyone and he remember everyone. We are same age and then we play junior together. Once I play him, but in doubles, when we were like 16, 17. (Who won match?) He won [smiles].”

Anthony Causi, New York Post sports photographer: “Shooting Federer is not like shooting anybody else. He’s cold as ice. He doesn’t show any emotion. When you shoot a guy like Blake, they’re always blasting out or going wild during the match. Federer is cool and calm until the very end. He comes in as a surgeon, he does his job and he’s out. I think he’s one of the most intense guys to shoot. Because you really have to be good at what you do to shoot him, because he doesn’t give you much emotion or anything. Just pure excitement in his game. He’s a master of his game…Sampras was emotional. You saw it on his face if his game was off or if he wasn’t performing the way he was – you’d see that look on his face. Like most other guys who are playing the game today. Federer is just on his game all the time.”

Roger: “One good thing about me is that I forget matches, even bad matches, very quickly. I get sad about not having played well but I don’t really get upset. By the time I get back to the hotel, it’s completely forgotten and I’m fine.”

Ricardas Berankis, 2007 junior U.S. Open champ from Lithuania, who practiced with Federer in Dubai for two weeks this summer: “He gave me a lot of advices. But I think the main thing that I learned is to be a simple person. Cause he’s like the God of tennis right now. And he’s very simple, not arrogant at all, but he could be. And he’s not. And I think that’s the main thing that I learned from him.”

Donald Young ATP Tour rookie: “Federer came up to me actually, in the locker room, gave me a handshake and said ‘Hello, keep up the good work.’

Janko Tisparevic: “I was practicing with him the other day. I was really enjoying him kicking my ass. First four games, I tell you – I won one point. Was unbelievable. Like on PlayStation.”

Dominik Hrbaty, on the Funniest Players on ATP Tour: “I think Roger is a very funny guy. We used to play a lot of doubles together, all the tournaments together. We do a lot of crazy stuff together. That kind of sense of humor that you do with your friends, it never can hurt you or whatever. You always take it as a good joke. (Just at that moment, Federer walks by in the locker room and says with a smile ‘No interviews in here!’) You see [laughs]?! So he can never really make an offense that can hurt your feelings.”

Rafael Nadal: “Roger is the best, probably the best ever. It is Federer and the rest of us…He is a very nice person and a great competitor. I have a good relationship with him. I really admire what he does, how he plays, and how he behaves on and off the court. He is a role model for many people. I always had a bit of a language barrier with him because my English is not very good. But from time to time, and especially when there are important things to talk about, we sit and talk.”

Pete Sampras: “I think he has everything. It’s just a question of how much he’s willing to sacrifice to win majors. He’s got all the tools, no question, he has a complete game. For the next four or five years, his competition will be the record books. I really believe in my heart that he’s going to win way more than 14. I think the way he’s going and the fact that he doesn’t really have players really pushing him, he can win close to 17, 18 majors. He’s going to slide by me and hit Nicklaus (18 total major wins) soon. The way he’s dominating, it’s unbelievable.”

Andre Agassi: “He’s the best I’ve ever played against. Pete was great but there was a place to get to with Pete. There’s no such place like that with Roger. When a champion has two things they can count on out there as the best in the world – they’re a dominant champion. Roger has closer to five. Every part of his game is something you’ve got to deal with – his speed, his shot-making ability, forehand, return, sense of the court, and his ability to raise his game. The guy brings so much, you just marvel at it. You get the feeling when you’re looking at him you’re just watching history.”

Sir William Hamilton: “On earth there is nothing great but man; in man there is nothing great but mind.”

Pope John Paul II: “Artistic talent is a gift from God and whoever discovers it in himself has a certain obligation to know that he cannot waste this talent – but must develop it.”

Scoop Malinowski is currently working on his next book “Marcelo Rios: The Mysterious Champion” which will be published in 2011.

(Federer oil painting by John Murawski)

Ht: 5-11 Wt: 141

DOB: October 15th, 1981 In: Moscow, Russia.

Tennis Inspiration: “My mom was the person that I admire all my life. (Who was your favorite tennis player as a kid?) Martina Hingis, because she played smartly, like playing chess on the court.”

Hobbies/Interests: “I’m very sport person. I like to do a lot of different sports, like ski, snow boarding— because we have a very nice off-season in the winter that I spend in Moscow. Or I go somewhere in the mountains. But I’m busy pretty much with my tennis life [laughs].”

Favorite Movies: “You probably don’t know this one — it’s Russian movie — Moscow Doesn’t Believe In Tears.”

Musical Tastes: “My favorite is Shakira.”

Early Tennis Memory: “When I started to play I couldn’t imagine that one day I’m going to be part of this world. I was watching on TV, but I couldn’t believe or couldn’t think about that I’m gonna be one day playing Wimbledon or French Open. I was watching on a TV and it was like another world for me. I remember I was watching a lot of finals between Monica Seles and Steffi Graf. That was the very exciting memory.”

Favorite Meal: “I like crabs and black caviar.”

Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: “Vanilla.”

Pre-Match Feeling: “It’s very different. But pretty much you want to feel kinda little scary, you want to feel worry before the match. That makes you feel like you’re going to be ready to play. But also you feel a little angry before I go on the court. Because it’s difficult to play by smiling and by being nice person on the court [smiles].”

First Job: “Oh, that’s the only one I have [laughs]. Be a tennis player.”

First Car: “X5 BMW. (Color?) Black.”

Greatest Sports Moment: “I would say Olympic gold medal.”

Most Painful Moment: “Never had one [laughs].”

Closest Tennis Friends: “I have a lot of good friends here, especially Russian players. Because I have so many memories together by playing junior competition.”

Funniest Players: “I don’t know. There are so many of them…Svetlana Kuznetsova.”

Toughest Competitors: “I would have to say Patty Schnyder. (Why?) She has a…she plays very different compared to other players. She has a great feeling. She’s lefty. And it’s not easy to play against her.”

Favorite Players To Watch: “I would say Andre Agassi and Serena Williams.”

Funny Tennis Memory: “I had a broken shoe. I break playing in the Olympic Games. And I didn’t have another pair to replace it. And I was asking someone from the crowd to give me another pair. That was such a funny moment [laughs]. And I still won this match. (Against who?) Barbara Schett. (Did they give you the extra shoe?) Yeah, actually (former Russian pro) Natasha Zvereva gave it to me. She was watching and her shoe was I think two or three sizes bigger than mine.”

Embarrassing Tennis Memory: “I can’t remember. I never had [laughs].”

Favorite Tournament(s): “For me it’s the Kremlin Cup — my hometown tournament.”

People Qualities Most Admired: “Kindness.”

Artist LeRoy Neiman has traveled the globe to paint, sketch and draw. His creations have showcased nature, humanity or any subject that arrest his attention, including sport and tennis.

“Tennis is pure,” says the artist in his studio on a sunny summer day, less than a block from Central Park in New York City. “The players come out quietly. They warm up. They have the player introductions which is very dignified. And then they start to play. There is no big to-do before it starts. That’s a tradition and they’re holding to it. I like the fact that Sampras wore all white all the time. I like to see my fencers in white, my doctors in white and my tennis players in white [laughs]. In other sports, they’ve made it so you have other experiences at the event. I think it’s gone too far. Tennis is still pure. I don’t think tennis needs any improvement or showbiz.”

The St. Paul, Minnesota-born Neiman says he first was introduced to tennis after World War II and art school in Chicago. “My interest in tennis came after I came out of the Army. After I had the war behind me, I felt I could do anything I wanted, an, ‘I served my country kind of thing.’ I started to play and found out I wasn’t all that bad. Then, playing tennis became social. After (my association with) Playboy started, I played tennis with Playmates, the Bunnies and the girls at the office.”

One champion tennis player in particular was a special source of inspiration. “I didn’t paint or draw tennis until I saw one man play – Pancho Gonzalez. When I saw him, I wanted to draw. He was the best moving player I had ever seen, until Pete Sampras, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. Sampras and Federer distinguished themselves as being the very picture of a tennis player. I remember the excitement that McEnroe and Connors gave but I don’t remember their form as being all that aesthetic. Now Venus Williams is a new, aesthetically powerful athlete on the court. I drew Chrissie, Billie Jean and Martina. Venus is the first woman who I feel has that grace and beauty. Because in tennis you have to have grace and power. You might have good form and all the different swings but very few have the grace as they move about.”

Somewhat unexpectedly, the artist sees some violence in what has been called ‘the sport of grace.’ “Tennis is a blood sport. The violence is contained in that one area. But the spectators are comfortable. They have great respect for the game and the players. And the players deserve it. You don’t hear tennis players getting heckled like athletes in other sports sometimes are. But the nature of the game itself is very violent [laughs]! The idea is to just destroy. Rafael Nadal can’t punch his opponent but he certainly can give it to him [laughs]. A good forehand shot is the same as a clean punch. Players break bones and cut themselves sometimes because getting the ball means so much to them.”

Neiman’s last time attending a live professional match was at the U.S. Open where he watched Pete Sampras play Richard Krajicek in Ashe Stadium. “When Pete comes out for that first game, he bounces up and down like a fighter in his corner. He looks like a fighter when he’s at play. He’s got that warm-up bounce that Sugar Ray Robinson had. The pre-match ritual he goes through is like the referee’s instructions in the center of the ring. Pete makes certain evaluations at that time.”

Playing doubles with Ken Rosewall, Bud Collins, befriending Pancho Gonzalez, sketching courtside at Roland Garros, Wimbledon and the U.S. Open…there have been many special moments in tennis for Neiman. But the greatest? “Drawing Pancho Gonzalez during his prime at Madison Square Garden in about 1960,” Neiman says. “Pancho Gonzalez was my man. He would come to the chair between games, take off his shoe, change his corn plasters. He did more on that chair than anybody ever did [laughs]. He was always grouchy. I was right there with him, on the court, drawing. And this camera man comes up. He had the lens about a yard from Pancho’s face. When Pancho got through wiping his face, he threw the towel over the camera and walked on the court [laughs]. That was a highlight. I became very good friends with Pancho when he was the tennis pro at Caesars Palace in his later years.”

And a worst tennis moment? “There’s no worst tennis moment. But I always felt bad when McEnroe would lose. Because he put on such a performance. McEnroe was such a great athlete. Now he’s a voice. I’d say Sinatra was very powerful, had a lot of distractions about his private life, his movie acting, all the things he did. But he was a musician first. And whatever way he behaved, McEnroe was an athlete first.”

One time in Miami, the sounds of the tennis court made by a former #1 player served as an unrequested wake-up call. “One morning at the Racquet Club in Miami – I had been out to the wee hours – I was awakened in the early hours because I kept hearing the crack of the ball and [imitates[ Uhhhhh. Down below my window were the courts and right down there [laughs] Uhhhhh! Jimmy Connors is down there. Uhhhhh [laughs]! So I got up and I go down there. Jimmy, I can’t sleep! You hitting the ball – I can’t sleep. And he says, Let’s go hit a few. So I did. I hit with Jimmy Connors. But he lost interest very soon.”