The Super Swiss Versus the Mighty Mantilla
Roger Federer advanced to the final of the Telecom Italia Masters Roma, after Juan Carlos Ferrero retired with the Swiss leading 6-2, 4-2 in their semifinal match.
The Federer-Ferrero showdown brought together two of the world's best clay court players in the high-profile stage of a Tennis Masters Series event, but Ferrero couldn't finish the match as inflammation in his right arm worsened. Ferrero injured his right arm in Valencia, and because of the injury the Spaniard pulled out of the Tennis Masters Hamburg which starts Monday.
WHAT THE PLAYERS SAID
Federer: "I was disappointed with the way the match ended but now I feel good to be in a (Tennis) Masters Series final. I won in Hamburg last year and I really want to win this title too."
"I saw him having treatment, you know, last few days. I knew his shoulder wasn't good. I mean, you see him in the treatment room and all this but, you know, you never know how bad it really is. It can just be prevention or all this kind of stuff."
Ferrero: On the injury
"It had begun when I was playing Valencia. Today it was hurting a little bit. Then when I was serving, it hurt, a kind of sting in my arm. That's when I knew it was getting worse."
"It's nothing serious, but it's hurting. It's an inflammation of 6 millimeters in my arm. I think because I've been traveling a lot and playing a lot of matches in a row, maybe I need some rest."
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Pictures from AFP, Reuters and TMS Roma official site
Pic 1: Forehand
Pic 2: Getting medical attention
Pic 3: Talking to Roger
Pic 4: Shaking hands with Federer
Pic 5: Handshake #2
Pic 6: Shaking hands with chair umpire (in the background)
Pic 7: Waving
Pic 8: Leaving the court
Pic 9: Walking away
Pic 10: Older pic from Schuettler match
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Italian Prankster Spells Ends for Sore Ferrero in Rome
ROME (Reuters) - The combined forces of fourth seed Roger Federer and an Italian prankster proved too much for Spaniard Juan Carlos Ferrero, who retired from his Rome Masters semi-final on Saturday when losing 6-2, 4-2.
The match between Ferrero, winner of 21 out of 22 clay-court encounters this year, and Federer, who has only lost one set in nine matches on clay in 2003, had been eagerly awaited.
Number two seed Ferrero was serving to level the second set at 3-3 when Federer approached the umpire to question a late line call.
That proved the cue for Gabriele Paolini -- known as the prophylactic prophet -- to leap from his seat at the side of the court and throw condoms at the players.
Paolini has disrupted other events using the same tactic as he tries to publicize the use of condoms after one of his friends died of Aids.
After several minutes security guards led Paolini from the court amid chants from the crowd of "imbecile," but Ferrero's concentration was broken and Federer won the next two points to break serve for a 4-2 lead.
In the following game Ferrero threw in the towel, citing an inflammation of his shoulder.
Roger Federer advanced to the final of the Telecom Italia Masters Roma, after Juan Carlos Ferrero retired with the Swiss leading 6-2, 4-2 in their semifinal match.
The Federer-Ferrero showdown brought together two of the world's best clay court players in the high-profile stage of a Tennis Masters Series event, but Ferrero couldn't finish the match as inflammation in his right arm worsened. Ferrero injured his right arm in Valencia, and because of the injury the Spaniard pulled out of the Tennis Masters Hamburg which starts Monday.
WHAT THE PLAYERS SAID
Federer: "I was disappointed with the way the match ended but now I feel good to be in a (Tennis) Masters Series final. I won in Hamburg last year and I really want to win this title too."
"I saw him having treatment, you know, last few days. I knew his shoulder wasn't good. I mean, you see him in the treatment room and all this but, you know, you never know how bad it really is. It can just be prevention or all this kind of stuff."
Ferrero: On the injury
"It had begun when I was playing Valencia. Today it was hurting a little bit. Then when I was serving, it hurt, a kind of sting in my arm. That's when I knew it was getting worse."
"It's nothing serious, but it's hurting. It's an inflammation of 6 millimeters in my arm. I think because I've been traveling a lot and playing a lot of matches in a row, maybe I need some rest."
------------------------------------------
Pictures from AFP, Reuters and TMS Roma official site
Pic 1: Forehand
Pic 2: Getting medical attention
Pic 3: Talking to Roger
Pic 4: Shaking hands with Federer
Pic 5: Handshake #2
Pic 6: Shaking hands with chair umpire (in the background)
Pic 7: Waving
Pic 8: Leaving the court
Pic 9: Walking away
Pic 10: Older pic from Schuettler match
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Italian Prankster Spells Ends for Sore Ferrero in Rome
ROME (Reuters) - The combined forces of fourth seed Roger Federer and an Italian prankster proved too much for Spaniard Juan Carlos Ferrero, who retired from his Rome Masters semi-final on Saturday when losing 6-2, 4-2.
The match between Ferrero, winner of 21 out of 22 clay-court encounters this year, and Federer, who has only lost one set in nine matches on clay in 2003, had been eagerly awaited.
Number two seed Ferrero was serving to level the second set at 3-3 when Federer approached the umpire to question a late line call.
That proved the cue for Gabriele Paolini -- known as the prophylactic prophet -- to leap from his seat at the side of the court and throw condoms at the players.
Paolini has disrupted other events using the same tactic as he tries to publicize the use of condoms after one of his friends died of Aids.
After several minutes security guards led Paolini from the court amid chants from the crowd of "imbecile," but Ferrero's concentration was broken and Federer won the next two points to break serve for a 4-2 lead.
In the following game Ferrero threw in the towel, citing an inflammation of his shoulder.
