TENNIS in DEPTH.

For the first time in eight years, Roger Federer has made himself available for the first round. The 16-time Grand Slam champion leads a Swiss team on indoor clay here in Fribourg, about 20 minutes by train from the Swiss capital, Bern, against an American team missing the injured Andy Roddick. Federer’s presence, alongside that of his Olympic gold medal doubles partner Stanislas Wawrinka, makes Switzerland one of the leading nations in this year’s competition – always presuming Federer plays beyond this weekend. “It’s just another tie for me,” he said, “it doesn’t matter when and where it is, it’s all a matter of priorities. My team is a group of great friends, that’s what I enjoy about it, that I can spend some time with them, and hopefully try to win but if we don’t it doesn’t matter. It’s about trying your best and having a good time.” If nothing else, his approach helps keep the focus on this weekend, in which he and Wawrinka are nominated to play on all three days.

Realistically, for the US to win, Fish has to beat Wawrinka in the opening match. There is also a belief that Ryan Harrison’s nomination alongside Mike Bryan is a ploy to keep the Swiss guessing, and even the American captain Jim Courier says the length of matches Fish and Isner play on the opening day will influence his ultimate choice of doubles pair. That suggests Fish could well team up with Mike Bryan, the way he did in September 2008 when the two Americans beat Spain’s Lopez/Verdasco on the clay of Madrid. Any suggestion it might be asking too much of Fish to play on all three days is refuted by his performance in September 2010, when he played two singles five-setters and a four-set doubles on the clay of Bogota to help the USA beat Colombia. With Federer playing, the visitors are clearly the underdogs, but there is a good spirit in the American team. And Fish makes an interesting point: “We like our chances here. We have the most uncomfortable player on our team in Isner, and I’m certainly glad I’m not playing him.”

Friday

R1: Wawrinka (SUI) v Fish (USA)

R2: Federer (SUI) v Isner (USA)

Saturday

R3: Federer / Wawrinka (SUI) v M. Bryan / Harrison (USA)

Sunday

R4: Federer (SUI) v Fish (USA)

R5: Wawrinka (SUI) v Isner (USA)

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Federer won a tense tie-break to draw first blood, but Nadal stormed back to clinch the second set 6-2 and level up the match. The Spaniard then edged a third-set tie-break to go two sets to one up before taking the fourth 6-4 to close out victory. The two giants of the men’s game were expected to produce fireworks under the Melbourne lights on Australia Day. And they didn’t disappoint in an epic opener which lasted 56 enthralling minutes. Federer was out of the blocks quickly, producing some imperious tennis to break Nadal in the second game en route to a 3-0 lead. But the Spaniard held his nerve and gradually found a foothold in the match, breaking back in the seventh game. Both men then regained dominance on their serve to take the opener into a tie-break. Federer produced a magnificent deep forehand volley and a sublime backhand half-volley to give himself three set points at 6-3 in the break. And although Nadal saved two – one with a ridiculous forehand – he was long with a backhand on the third.

The second set opened with back-to-back love breaks, and then went with serve until Nadal went into overdrive at 3-2 up. First the Spaniard produced an incredible forehand get to headline a crucial break of serve, and then held for 5-2. After a brief break for a firework display Nadal continued to produce his own on-court pyrotechnics by breaking Federer to love again to clinch the set 6-2.

The third set went with serve to 3-3, when Federer broke for a 4-3 lead. But Nadal hit back immediately to send things heading towards the inevitable tie-break. Federer’s increasingly regular errors gave Nadal the early advantage and he raced into a 6-1 lead in the breaker. And though Federer fought back gamely to 6-5, the Spaniard held his nerve to close out the set.

The fourth set went with serve until the ninth game, when Nadal – who had created several opportunities in Federer’s earlier service games – finally found a way through. Nadal had to save two break-back points – one thanks to an outrageous lob that landed on the baseline – when he served for the match, but eventually completed victory on his second match point when Federer sent the ball long.

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Roger Federer progressed to the semi-finals of the Australian Open with an imperious straight-sets victory over 11th seed Juan Martin del Potro. The third seed needed just under two hours to complete a 6-4 6-3 6-2 win. Del Potro was broken early in all three sets and had no answer to the variety of Federer’s play, with the Swiss yet to lose a set in Melbourne. Federer will play the winner of the quarter-final between second seed Rafael Nadal and Tomas Berdych.

“I thought it was a great match,” said the 16-time Grand Slam champion after a fitting conclusion to his 1,000th match. ”I’m happy. It was tough with the sun and shade creeping across the court. Del Potro is a quality player and I was able to manoeuvre the ball around the court. I hope I can keep it up.”

Federer, competing in his 31st straight Grand Slam quarter-final, had little trouble in disposing of the Argentine in their first meeting in a major tournament since Del Potro’s victory in the final of the US Open in 2009. The Swiss had a slight wobble in the second set, surviving four break points, before resuming his dominance to break in the opening game of the third set and bringing the match to a conclusion with a sumptuous backhand winner.

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Nadal rarely needed to hit top form in beating his fellow Spaniard 6-4 6-4 6-2 on a sweltering Rod Laver Arena. The second seed next plays seventh seed Tomas Berdych, who beat Nicolas Almagro in a stormy match. Federer ended Australian Tomic’s hopes with a dominant 6-4 6-2 6-2 win to set up a match with Juan Martin del Potro. I did what I had to do to win in straight sets and, against a really good player, that’s very positive for me. I’m feeling fine,” said Nadal, who had strapping on his right knee and left foot and has now reached the quarter-final stage without dropping a set for the fourth time in five years. ”It’s positive to keep winning in straight sets, especially in these conditions. It was a very, very hot day. Nadal’s all-round game was too much for 18th seed Lopez, whose passive approach played into his compatriot’s hands.

Bidding for his 17th Grand Slam title, Federer was ruthless in his victory over crowd favourite Tomic, 19. The 30-year-old, who has not lost to a teenager since 2006, broke the Australian six times to advance to his 31st consecutive quarter-final where he will face Del Potro of Argentina.”I thought I played a really good match,” said four-time Australian Open champion Federer. “I knew I had to. Anything else wouldn’t have done the job.”

Del Potro overcame Philipp Kohlschreiber to reach the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam for the first time since winning the 2009 US Open. With his wrist problems finally in the past, the 11th seed from Argentina saw off German Kohlschreiber 6-4 6-2 6-1.

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Kim Clijsters retired from her semifinal match against Daniela Hantuchova at the Brisbane International on Friday one game after taking a medical time out for a left hip injury. Clijsters won the opening set 7-6 (4), but surrendered a break at the start of the second set and needed treatment after the third game. She came back on court for one game before walking to the net and telling Hantuchova she couldn’t continue after falling behind 3-1. Hantuchova has had a truncated run into Saturday’s final, getting a walkover in the quarterfinals when 13-time Grand Slam winner Serena Williams withdrew from the tournament after injuring her left ankle while winning a second-round match. Hantuchova will next play Kaia Kanepi of Estonia, who beat 2010 French Open champion Francesca Schiavone of Italy 6-3, 6-0.

Roger Federer has pulled out of his semifinal match against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga at the Qatar Open because of a back injury. The 16-time Grand Slam champion says his back has not improved since beating Andreas Seppi in three sets on Thursday. Rafael Nadal will meet Gael Monfils in the other semifinal match.

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Novak Djokovic brushed aside Roger Federer in straight sets to book himself a place in the final of the Mubadala World Tennis Championship exhibition in Abu Dhabi. Djokovic had complained of feeling rusty heading into the event but showed little sign of lethargy as he routed Federer for the loss of just three games. Indeed, such was the Serb’s dominance he needed less than an hour to complete victory, wrapping up a 6-2 6-1 success in just 44 minutes. Djokovic broke Federer twice in the first set and, at one point, reeled off nine games on the trot as he raced through a one-sided second. The end came when a lacklustre Federer drilled a forehand long, one of a string of unforced errors from the Swiss. ”It is the perfect start to season. I played great,” Djokovic said. “It’s something that makes me very happy.”

Rafeal Nadal showed his lack of motivation as he was easily beaten by fellow countryman David Ferrer 6-3, 6-2. Ferrer moves on to the final against Djokovic.

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The resurgent Roger Federer is primed to serve up a treat as the world’s premier players jostle for a record $30 million in riches over the Australian summer. The Australian Open, starting in Melbourne on January 16, boasts the biggest purse in tennis history, a total prize pool of $26 million, including a whopping $2.3 million each for the men’s and women’s singles champions. And recent form and revealing statistics suggest the sport’s all-time top earner is about to get a whole lot richer. Having already banked $68.38 million in on-court earnings, Federer will arrive at Melbourne Park oozing confidence after ending 2011 on a 17-match winning streak. The great Swiss hasn’t lost since blowing two match points against Novak Djokovic in the US Open semi-finals in September. He added his 68th, 69th and 70th career trophies to his collection with a fifth success in his home city of Basel, a maiden indoor title in Paris and an unprecedented sixth season-ending triumph at the World Tour Finals in London.

The secret, it appears, is all in the delivery. Despite having failed to land a grand slam crown for the first year since 2002, Federer, according to ATP number crunchers, is serving better than at any time in his remarkable career. Since his most recent defeat, Federer is winning 83.2 per cent of first-serve points, a stunning strike rate that’s made him almost impossible to beat. Just ask Rafael Nadal, his Spanish nemesis humbled 6-3 6-0 at the World Tour finals in his worst-ever loss to Federer. “For me, it was the strongest finish I’ve ever had in my career. I’m looking forward to next year,” Federer ominously said. Now 30, Federer’s 16th slam came in Melbourne in 2010, but fellow four-times Australian Open champion Ken Rosewall says it’d be foolish to back against the father of two breaking his two-year drought next month. “He’s got to have a lot of good things going for him, but I think he’s going to be close,” Rosewall told AAP ahead of the 40th anniversary celebration of his 1972 Open triumph. “I think he’s still got a lot of desire. I guess with his family he’s happy and he’s enjoying the competition, enjoying the tennis and, while he stays fit and healthy, he’s going to always be a force.”

In fact, far from expecting an Indian summer from Federer, Rosewall is tipping the most successful player in history to keep on keeping on for three or four more years. `The game seems to come pretty easy to him,” said Rosewall, who famously played into his 40s. “He moves well and, as far as I know, he’s never really had any physical problems. “He just floats around the court. He’s always in position. I think his game is good. “He’s always going to be dangerous. He hasn’t lost many matches to players he maybe should lose to. He’s always in there with a chance.”

Federer is the Open’s second favourite behind only world No.1 and defending champion Novak Djokovic. But after compiling a ridiculous 64-2 win-loss record and threatening to complete the best season since John McEnroe’s magical 82-3 effort in 1984, Djokovic suffered four defeats in his last 10 matches of 2011. Rosewall is unsure if the Serb can repeat his special three-from-four slam season. “You never know with those things,” he said. “Sometimes like the golfers, they have a great year and then all of a sudden something happens and they don’t perform well the next year. “But he’s improved a lot. He’s hitting the ball harder – it’s just the way the game has progressed. “If he stays healthy and doesn’t have any physical problems, he’s always going to be hard to beat.” Djokovic thinks as much too, declaring himself refreshed and ready to go after a desperately needed fortnight’s rest. “I’ve had enough time to recover physically and mentally and to get back into shape,” the 24-year-old said this week. Federer, Djokovic and world No.2 Rafael Nadal won’t play competitively in Australia until the Melbourne Park grand slam, but the finest women’s players on earth will flock down under for lead-up events in Perth, Brisbane, Sydney and Hobart.

World No.1 Caroline Wozniacki and the second-ranked Petra Kvitova, the official 2011 player of the year, will launch their summer assaults at the Hopman Cup from December 31. Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova, Open titleholder Kim Clijsters and US Open champion Samantha Stosur will all kick-start 2012 at the Brisbane International starting on New Year’s Day. Nine of the world’s top 10 women, including Stosur, will complete their Open preparations at the Sydney International from January 6-14 and Rosewall said there was no reason why Australia’s big home hope couldn’t clinch back-to-back majors in Melbourne. “It depends how she goes in either Brisbane or Sydney,” he said. “I think she’s got the type of game that needs a bit of tennis. So those two events, it would be good for her to do well. “The men, I don’t think you can look past the top four. (Andy) Murray, Nadal and Djokovic and Federer – these guys seem to have the wood on most of the other players.” Of the top 100, only men’s world No.13 Robin Soderling and women’s No.69 Alisa Kleybanova, both battling illness, have failed to enter the 2012 Open draw.

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Roger Federer labelled his record sixth Barclays ATP World Tour Finals title one of the biggest achievements of his career as he once again finished the season on the highest of notes. In a repeat of 12 months ago, the 30-year-old completed an unbeaten week at London’s O2 Arena, pocketing a cheque for £1million and pulling clear of Ivan Lendl and Pete Sampras, with whom he shared the previous record of five titles. He certainly did not have things all his own way today against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, though, the Frenchman pegging Federer back in the second set and forcing him to dig deep in the decider before coming through 6-3 6-7 (6/8) 6-3.

Federer, who also became the oldest winner of the title, said: “I’ve been trying to block it out for the entire tournament, the entire time I’ve been here in London. ”I just tried to recuperate from Basle and Paris and hopefully get through the round-robin stages. So now it’s finally a reality that I’ve been able to win six World Tour Finals. It’s an amazing feeling. I know it’s one of my greatest accomplishments.”

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