INDIA: TENNIS - Roger Federer speaks of his tennis career on a UNICEF goodwill visit to tsunami-affected areas in India's southern Tamil Nadu

Swiss world number one Roger Federer on Saturday (December 23) spoke of his professional rivalry with Rafael Nadal as he continued his tour of tsunami-affected areas in India's southern Tamil Nadu, the hardest hit state in the 2004 catastrophe. Widely regarded as perhaps the only great in present-day tennis of legendary-proportions, Federer has proved his mettle on all playing surfaces, winning nine Grand Slams so far, apart from numerous other titles. He has had a dream run over the last three years, with a phenomenal 252-15 win loss record. In early March he will break Jimmy Connors's 31-year-old ATP Tour record of 160 consecutive weeks at No. 1. Federer's only near-nemesis has been Rafael Nadal, who he has not been able to conquer on clay. Four of his five losses in 2006 have come at the hands of Nadal. He lost to Nadal in the semi finals and finals, in 2005 and 2006, of the French Open- the only Grand Slam to have eluded him so far. However, Nadal, who has a 6-3 career head-to-head edge over Federer, recently stated he would have been World number one but for Federer. "Everyone has had this difficulty. I would have won also the French Open maybe twice already if Nadal wouldn't have been around. So maybe not that right also... what he says. I think you need competition, some get more lucky, some get more unlucky but I think we have a great sort of team almost of players at the moment..." said Federer, making light of Nadal's compliment. Called 'Fed-Ex' for his express winning streak that has seen him retain the number one spot in world tennis for a third year now, Federer traded his racket for a cricket bat on Saturday to the joyous cries from hundreds of children at Pudupettai village near Cuddalore. "That was good fun-playing cricket with people here in India. India, I know, this sport is huge. I do actually also follow it myself, you know. It was good fun. In the beginning they were just throwing it (cricket ball) to me slowly and then they realised I was maybe not that bad. So they wanted to get me out and they did in the end," he said of his outing. Federer's cricket acumen was spotted for the first time at Australian Open 2005 when, in between points, he was seen practicing swings with the tennis racquet akin to cricket straight drives. A UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, Federer is being accompanied on his tour with his girlfriend Mika Vavrinec. The couple has been going around the coastal areas in Tamil Nadu, visiting Tsunami relief camps and monitoring UNICEF programmes in the area. They leave India later on Saturday. An ardent philanthropist, Federer also has his own foundation supporting disadvantaged children in South Africa. He has also led several fund-raising initiatives like the ATP (Association of Tennis Players) All-Star Rally for Relief. The Swiss revealed there was still no dearth of personal goals or reason to stay motivated. "It has been a childhood dream to become a tennis player, not even thinking about being number one in the world or winning Grand Slams. But all of a sudden, I came along with hard work and a lot of talent, and now I am basically living my dream. I hope I can keep it up. So for this reason motivation is never a problem I doubt it is also going to be a problem for the next few years," he said. As he leaves India tonight, Federer reveals he has started tuning back to the targets he has set for himself for the upcoming season. "French open would definitely be a dream come true. Davis Cup would be nice… Olympics... that would be a big goal for me as well. These are the ones I haven't won as yet. On top of the list is always Wimbledon, staying number one in the world, because these are the ones that changed my life," he said. For the children he met in the small Tamil Nadu villages, Federer's visit was awe-inspiring. "It felt awesome to meet a great sportsman like Federer I otherwise wouldn't have been able to," said Nitya, a nine-year-old who took part in a play that children at a tsunami-rehabilitation centre in Pudupettai staged for him. The Dec. 26 2004 tsunami, generated by a massive earthquake off Indonesia, killed more than 231,000 people in a dozen nations on the rim of the Indian Ocean. Tamil Nadu suffered India's largest toll. Neighbouring coastal states Andhra Pradesh and Kerala and the federally administered islands of Andaman and Nicobar also suffered massive casualties. While India was generally praised for providing relief to victims following the tragedy, as in other affected countries, providing permanent housing has been slow.

ITN Source | December 25, 2006

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