Federer's press conference after winning the French Open for the first time - hilarious stuff!

ROGER FEDERER: I played one of greatest tiebreakers in my career with the four aces obviously.

Obviously…

But it was very hard mentally for me to stay within the match during the match, because my mind was always wondering, what if? What if I win this tournament? What does that mean? What will I possibly say?

Goodness knows, Roger, but am sure you’ll come up with some of your usual gems!

Q. Do you consider this, looking back to Australia and then coming forward, a rejuvenation in your career mentally and physically and in every other way?

ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, I just think it's an unbelievable achievement...

My dream as boy was to win Wimbledon one day. I won that five times, you know, like one wasn't enough.

Ha!

But it's just I think the French Open, like for instance this victory, sort of came up over the last few years when I realized what a great player I could actually become…
I had a lot of difficulties playing well on center court because the court was so big.

Right… nothing to do with the bloke you were playing for the last 3 years…

Q. You won Wimbledon at 21 and Australia at 22 and the US at 23. Is there a value in life, a greater depth of feeling in having waited for something?

ROGER FEDERER: Absolutely, especially being so close for the last few years. You know, maybe close, maybe far. It depends how you look at it.

I think it was very hard, you know, accepting the first defeat in 2006 I think was my first final here. (And 2007 and 2008)…

So I think, yes, the waiting… has a big impact on how important this victory actually is (been reading Rafa’s quotes???).

Right… nothing to do with the bloke you were playing for the last 3 years… you just had to ‘wait’…

Q. Looking back on spring season this year, I think you struggled with your play I think against Djokovic and Murray, but now you came back strong.

Er, he didn’t have to play either of them!

So are you believing you could complete career Grand Slam?

ROGER FEDERER: Yes, I did. You know, people talked a lot about me having lost the grip and stuff…

Well, you did lose quite a few matches, one in the second round…

But important for me was to continue working hard, you know.

I'm not the type of guy who's scared of going into sometimes matches not feeling great at all.

(a dig at Rafa for pulling out of Queen’s?)

I don't care if I lose three times first round

(contrary to what he said in his presser 2 days ago!)

I can also, of course, decide not to play for three months and then come back very strong again.

Er, well that contradicts what he just said above?!

That's not the road I chose.

Right.

I'm the guy who likes to face it and see if I'm good enough or not.

Another dig at Rafa?

I actually played pretty good. I thought I played great in Australia. It was also a good tournament in Indian Wells and Miami until I played Murray and Djokovic and all those guys where all of a sudden my game completely left me for some reason.

Ha! Nothing to do with the other players of course! And I thought you said you were playing fine???

I didn't know why. Maybe it was because my serve wasn't helping me out, the back was still hurting me.

Oh the serve, and the back, that’s right. Wasn’t that in 2007?

So I always believed in my chances to win Paris or any Grand Slam. It's really for those that I tried to keep myself most fit.

Of course. Those other matches (Djokovich/Murray/Wawrinka – you know, the ones where you lost!) don’t really count…

That was also one of the reason why I took six weeks off after the Australian Open. Let everything heal and let everything settle, and then I came back very strong.

So it is okay to take time out if you’re not feeling 100%? Make up your mind, Rog!

Q. Howmuch is important in this belief or in this win the fact that Mirka is pregnant and you're awaiting a baby? How much important is in your mind to think about this?

ROGER FEDERER: …I don't know how much this victory has to do with it. It's definitely nice to get it at this stage of my career. I think it couldn't have come at a better time.

(When Rafa’s out)…

Q. McEnroe never won here, and Edberg never won here and Pete never won here. Are you aware there were a lot people thinking you sort of fit into that category and it would have been shame if you didn't do it?

ROGER FEDERER: Well, I always tended to disagree with those. I had the feeling I gave myself too many opportunity over the years at the French Open.

Gave yourself too many opportunities? Ah, but you didn’t win, did you? Why? Your game wasn’t 100% or there was a better player!

I think Pete was maybe once in the semis. Other players were maybe once in the finals.

Way to dismiss your predecessors you’re being compared to! Point out that you're even better than them!

I was in the final three times, one semis before, and I was able to win Hamburg four times and be in the finals of Monaco and Rome, of all those tournaments.

WTF? So you’re so much better than them, right? I think the point was NONE of you had won the French!

I knew the day Rafa won't be in the finals, I will be there and I will win. I always knew and that I believed in it. That's exactly what happened. It's funny. I didn't hope for it, but I believed in it.

Ha! Is that a slight admission that Rafa’s absence finally opened up the door? If he’s the best player in the universe in the history of the game, why should this matter?!

Q. Roger, with the rain and the history in your mind and the rain and this crazy guy, was this as mentally challenging a final as you've had to deal with?

ROGER FEDERER: I think it was difficult conditions. I said it in the press the other day I think... I said I hope for little no rain... The rain interruptions are tough to deal with especially in a Grand Slam final.

Now, I do feel like it was meant to be this kind of weather for me. Looking back, you know, especially I think I drew inspiration the way Andre won here ten years ago.

NB – when he loses, the rain/wind/difficult conditions ALWAYS get a mention… but today, ‘it was meant to be’… Riiiight…

I remember… I don't want to say how lucky he got, but how things turned into his favor when he needed it the most. That's exactly what happened to me the last couple weeks.

Ha! Precisely.

…I was in desperate situations during this tournament (losing sets like nobody’s business!). This was just part of this tournament (oh, right), this terrible rain today and this tough conditions, the swirly winds and the dangerous opponent. I think I was able to handle all of it for two weeks.

Of course, you’re just amazing to overcome all those ‘difficult’ things that no other player EVER has to face; just you, Rog… it was all just part of the plan… would you say this if you’d been beaten by Acasuso, Mathieu,Haas, Delpo?!

Q. What significance, if any, for you is there to winning your 14th Grand Slam title and matching that record?

ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, I don't know. It almost gets forgotten a little bit (bah!)… I don't want to say it means the most to me, but it's an incredible feeling already having reached 14 and not having been sort of derailed by maybe losing a couple Grand Slam finals against Rafa.

‘Maybe losing’? How do you ‘maybe lose’? ‘A couple?’ Try 3 French Opens, Wimbledon and the AO. Head-to-head: Rafa 13- Rog 7…

That sort of I took my time and was able to regroup and come up to equal Pete's record, you know, here, in Paris is unbelievable.

‘You took your time?’ I see. So you didn’t ‘really ‘want to win the last 11 times you tried? Unbelievable because you’re still yet to beat Rafa at Roland Garros! Ha!

Q. Do you think the most important point of the tournament was the breakpoint when you are serving in the third set with Haas?

ROGER FEDERER: …I had to play many tough shots during this tournament… You have to go through many situations like this. I'm happy I was able to handle all of them… So I always had to come up with the goods, and I did great. I really did.

You sure did, Rog – you’re amazing!

Q. Many people said that you are in the history and compare you and Rod Laver and Pete Sampras and say that you are the best in the history. What do you think about that?

ROGER FEDERER: …I don't know if we'll ever know who was the greatest of all time, but I'm definitely happy to be right up there, that's for sure.

Finally, a journo asks:

Q. You are probably not yet the best in history (sorry to break it to you Rog/Rog fans!), but could this be a goal for you in the next years to come before the end of your career?

ROGER FEDERER: Look, I just tried to have the best possible career I can, and then I think it should be judged at the very end, you know. How well did I do? Good? Great? Very good? Or medium? (Laughter.)

Oooh, tetchy...

Q. So you waited 27 years to win in Paris. You won the US Open, Wimbledon, and the Australian Open much earlier. Does to give a special flavor to this trophy?

ROGER FEDERER: First, I never waited 27 years, because 27years ago I was just born. My parents never told me, If you don't win Roland Garros we take you to the orphanage.

Funniest thing he’s ever said! Stupid question...

But, having to wait gives you more pleasure

What’s all this talk about ‘waiting’ – what about his last 11 attempts? Waiting for what? Rafa to lose?

…So today, yes, satisfaction is huge winning here in Paris after I was so close many (3!) times in a row. So it was the optimal moment for me to win Roland Garros.

Optimal moment…

Q. Why? Determination? Aggressiveness? Serve, didn't work in the other matches? Is it because of Soderling, or what?

Was he not determined, aggressive or serving well the last 3 years? Nothing to do with his opponent? I think the journo wants you to mention Rafa, Rog!

ROGER FEDERER: I don't serve at 280 kilometers per hour. Each player is different. This is what makes tennis difficult. The conditions are different every day, and the opponent is different every day. In tennis, you can lose although you've played well; you can win although you've not played great tennis. Everything is possible. You need to make the good choices at the right time, and this is what I managed to do here.

Riiiiight…

Q. When Nadal lost, you didn't make many comments about it because you had to remain focused on your next opponents. You had to be focused on that rather than on Nadal that was no longer there. But now it's over, so can you tell us if you thought, okay, this is gonna be a good year for me? Did it cometo your mind?A

Again, I think the journo wants you to acknowledge Rafa, Rog!

ROGER FEDERER: Well, I knew I had bigger opportunities than the years before, because, you know, records against Nadal are tough for me

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaah, hooray, he finally says it! 13-7, Rog. 13-7.

Even I had defeated him in Madrid (of course! Completely different ‘conditions’ though, eh, Rog…), I knew that if he was no longer in the draw, things would be easier for me. I was not happy he lost. That's not the type of guy I am.

Ha! Not happy, no, but bloody relieved! In his presser two days when he was asked if he'd miss Rafa in the final, he said, 'No, not really. You might, but I won't'! Ha!

…When the time came for the press conference, they wanted me to say something about it. But to me, it's important to have respect for Rafa for everything he's accomplished over the last four years. He never lost here. That's an exceptional record, and it shows how difficult it is to win a tournament five times in a row.

Just when you think he’s paying Rafa a compliment, he continues…

That's something. I know. I've done it in Wimbledon and US Open. He tried to achieve it here, and it shows it's not easy to achieve.

Oooh, nasty! But that’s cos you’re SO much better than anyone who’s ever picked up a racquet, Rog!

Didn't make much difference right at that time, but for the final it did because I was not playing Nadal but Soderling.

Wow, he’s admitted it twice in one presser – amazing!

Q. What do you foresee for Soderling? Do you think he can win a Grand Slam?

ROGER FEDERER: …It's difficult, but I guess it's something he can do.

Ha! There’s another backhanded compliment!!

Q. After you had been defeated four years in a row, have you ever had any doubts you would make it here in Paris?

ROGER FEDERER: No, I always had faith in my chance here. Even if I had very tight rounds at the end of tournament, I knew that I had the chance here in Roland Garros, because I'm too good a player not to have a chance at the end.

OMG!!!!!!!!!!

Q. Since last Sunday and the elimination of Nadal, there were great expectations on you. Was it the longest week of your life?

ROGER FEDERER: Well, these were two long weeks, but especially the last one, because it was as if I had to play four finals against Haas, Del Potro, Monfils, and Soderling.

Oh please…

It was very difficult to manage all this.

But you’re amazing, Rog – well done you for playing 5 finals! Yet not having to play Nadal, Djokovich or Murray!!!!!

Q. Soderling played beautiful matches all along the tournament. Today he was almost absent during the first set. What happened? Was it the pressure of the final? How do you analyze this?

ROGER FEDERER: Well, no, I don't think so. He probably didn't have the beginning of the match he was expecting, because I was playing well… This is how I beat him the last nine times.

Just thought you’d mention that, eh, Rog?

Q. Did you have signs that it really was your year?

ROGER FEDERER: Yes. Well, the way I won the match against Acasuso and Tommy Haas gave me that feeling that this could be a good year. Then Rafa lost, and Djokovic had lost before that, so it didn't make much difference. But it allowed me to have greater hopes.

Ha! Didn’t make much difference, eh. So, er, why mention it? Why is the rest of the tennis media mentioning it? No big deal? Best two clay court players out; you didn’t have to play anyone who’d actually beaten you before? Er, okay?

But there were moments when I was so close to losing. I feel it's just like Agassi when he won in his days. It's not that we're lucky, but we need to use luck when it's there.

He he he he he he he! ROFLMAO!

Finally bought a tagine

I'm a bit of a Moroccophile and have been looking for a tagine for a while. So when we saw them on sale, we grabbed one. Not a fancy, authentic, hand-painted terracotta number, but a tagine no less. And Paul being the gourmet chef that he is, christened it with a scrumptious sea bass & potato tagine... indoor picnic style:

So I like shoes...

but I wouldn't say I'm obsessed... When Paul says, 'I don't think you need another pair of shoes, babe,' I whip out the ol' "300 pairs is about average for most women" benchmark.

Now that we're sharing storage space, he has become a little frustrated by the way they seem to multiply and spill out onto the floor. Okay, so when I kick them off (at the end of a long day), sometimes I might just fling 'em 'nowhere in particular'... So I said, 'I need a shoe rack. Then you'll barely notice them...'

So to accommodate my meagre 24 pairs or so, which includes, thongs, slippers, Uggies, you know, ones that don't really 'count'... he did indeed, buy me a shoe rack. Thrilled as I was, 'that only holds 10 pairs,' I said, reading the box.

But, it's amazing how many you can actually fit by sliding slip-ons into each other, under the racks, etc...

So I've gone from this:















to this:















And you can stack more shoe racks on top of each other, so 300 is still entirely possible...

Check out these new babies:

Unblogged

I can't seem to blog anymore... because every time I contemplate it, I think if I'm going to write, I should spend the time writing my book, so I guilt myself out of it. Even though they're both two completely different writing tasks, I still seem to think the time I'm wasting (ie now) could be better spent...

But alas, I'm here, briefly, so feel I should write a bit of a mass pictorial update.

I've been busy as ever on the social front, having just finished BIFF for another year, and looking forward to Idea of North (a capella), Women in Voice (more singing), Clive James (talking!) and lots and lots of writing workshops...

I've also booked Police tickets already. Woah...

We had a 'cool' winter weekender a few weeks ago... and the a few weeks after that...

Paul is working on site for 6 months - 11 days on; 3 days off, so it's proving a little challenging... it has its positives and negatives... but thankfully not for the long-term...

I'm really exhausted as I write this, so it's very vague...

It's a public holiday tomorrow, so hooray, I'm going to chill and DO SOME PROPER WRITING...

It's not about emulating your male counterparts in the workplace; it's clearly about fashion...

Last w/e Paul and I were going through all his clothes, etc to a) fit them in w mine (no mean feat!) and b) chuck some out... We of course came across a lovely selection of ties in 'the fancy dress bag'. Some just WAY too technicolour 70s to get another look in, but one caught my eye - a fuchsia/metallic ochre/gold-ish paisely number (100% polyester!!) that I thought I'd give a crack.

And seeing as I'd bought myself (and Paulus) some Venetian glass cufflinks on our recent trip - and it took me EONS to find a shirt with proper cuff-link cuffs and soooooooooo many sales assistants clearly don't know the difference - I took the plunge & sported 'the combo' at work, awaiting the 'you dag' comments...

But, no... I have never had so many people come up to me/STOP me to comment. Furthermore, 'twas the men in the office that I was expecting to mock me/give me grief for 'dressing like one of the boys', who gave the most compliments! The girls were more sort of 'We're loving the tie/so cute'... but the men were super enthusiastic?! (or maybe it just gave 'em an excuse to stare at my tits?!)

I know I'm not the first woman to ever wear a tie - we all remember the 80s, but I didn't expect that reaction. It used to be some sort of a "power dressing" attempt to be on par w your male counterpart and there I was just having a bit of a lark!

So, ladies, go forth & tie yourself!

Dublin to Dubrovnik pics...

There's hundreds, so we cut it to, erm, 250ish!

Dublin to Dubrovnik, April 2007

First Stack...

As I type this, my two paws are slightly grazed and my right ankle has a hole in it the size of a, well, I dunno, it kinda looks like a nasty bullet hole... but I'm pretty darn lucky to be sitting here typing at all...

So, yes, I had my first stack/lucky scrape on le scoot.

Following on from my first all-day writing workshop yesterday (which was fantastic), I had been writing away this morning and was 'on a role', but a bit hungry, so decided to go out for food. I'd lent my car to someone this weekend, so took the scoot. I was just going to go down the road, but thought I'd pop into Paul's to see if he wanted anything.

After uming and ahing, we decided on croissants. So I set off to Baker's Delight.

I was wearing my helmet and jacket, but it was the classic, 'I'm just going down to the shops', I won't wear my gloves (and I hate riding without them - it feels wrong/less able to 'grip') and stupidly, I was in shorts and, er, thongs... the very things I oft shake my head at when I see other scooterers... and say, 'oh, I'd never do that'...

So I am more than aware of the reasons we should wear safety gear and not exactly a negligent scooterer. However, today, I was made acutely aware.

I was, again typically, a few streets from home going downhill. Not speeding - you can't speed on a 50cc scooter! And, there was a bit of ditch/uneven road, so I became slightly airborne (small wheels on a scooter - even those raised manholes can bump you!) and on landing, I was back in control, but alas, there was a second - BIGGER - ditch and as they say, it was like slow motion, I could see exactly what was gonna happen next, but couldn't do a thing about it... except hang on as best I could!

But at the same time, it happened SO quickly. One second I'm going, 'faaaark,' that was a dodgy bit of road, then next I was going, 'faaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaark', this is even dodgier...

Slammed onto the ground, I was incredibly lucky I a) held on for the most part and didn't have the scooter on top of me; b) slid just next to a parked car (rather than slamming into it. I think it was a Merc or BMW!); and c) there was no other traffic. No car behind me to clean me up. No car in front to slam into...

'Twas all a bit freaky, but I picked myself and the poor Scoot up. A few witnesses came out to help and ask if I was okay, which was nice.

'I'm fine,' I said, not completely sure if I was or wasn't,'but thanks, there was a big ditch back there,' I told the stranger as if defending myself.

'Yes,' the nice stranger said, 'there's a few.'

I sat on my scooter and thought to myself, well, I better go back to Paul, then. No point sitting here.

Blood dripping down my ankle onto my thong, my right mirror bent towards me, a few scratches on le Scoot, I got 'back on the horse' and felt really weird riding back those two streets, as if everyone was looking at me - or at least the blood dripping down!

I pulled up, got off, calling out, 'Paul, Paul, Paul.' I don't know what my urgency was.

But when he came out, I fairly casually said, 'hi, I just had a big stack.'

I felt fine. I didn't really like the look of my ankle, but I felt kinda okay. I felt a bit embarrassed and stupid and bummed that my stack-free, scratch-free scoot (that I'd just had serviced yesterday!) status had ended.

It was only when Paul got the bucket of dettol and wanted me to stand in the shower and rinse it that I nearly fainted, then nearly vomitted and started shaking, going into shock, I believe is the term...

'I can't stand up, I can't stand up, let me sit down,' I kept saying... 'Don't touch it, don't go near it...' (Helpful instructions!)

I retired to the couch, while Paul cleaned it up, in between my protests and 'faint' moments.

I immediately felt the need to tell my brothers - they'd give me the 'I told you so' saftey spiel, etc... and 'did you put your hands to the ground first?' questions... but I also knew they'd understand how I was feeling...

Embarrassed. Stupid. Though strangely relieved. I've had my first stack. It was a much better outcome than it could've been, but enough of an impact to show me how easily it can happen... and to NEVER venture out there again without jacket, helmet, gloves, covered shoes...

I'm a little apprehensive to get back on it, but it has to be done...

Oh, and I didn't get the croissants!

My left paw...

My right paw...

My right ankle...

Yes, that's my ankle...

Coupla other scratches...

Dublin to Dubrovnik...

Hooray! 'tis almost time for another overseas trip... It's been a while... and my first with Paul!

As the title would indicate, yep, I'm finally returning to dear ol' Dublin (where I lived for four years!) - almost five years to the day - then doing a bit of a mediterranean stint to, yes, Dubrovnik...

We're spending a couple of days in Dublin, then hiring a car and cruising around the Republic. Paul's not been to Ireland before, so it should be a lot of fun showing him my fave haunts and basically doing the tourist thing through fresh eyes...

We then fly to the gorgeous Venezia - it'll be my third time there! Yay! Once as a backpacker, once during La Carnivale (I googled for a Carnivale site & "Jeanette's Blog" came up, so for the sheer coincidence, I thought I'd use her description!) and finally, in a romantic context!

We spend a day or so there, then board the big, 'uck-off cruise ship! I know what you're thinking: Aren't cruises for old people? Well I dunno, maybe they are, but we figured, we've both backpacked fairly extensively and done "the Europe thing", so we thought it'd be a nice/different way to see some places and take the back (ache) out of backpacking... and actually have a fairly laidback, well, 'holiday'! No eurail passes, no hostel-booking, no public transport, just 'cruisy'...

But don't worry, I plan to milk the 'old person' thing and have even come up with a 'cruise name' for us - just so we fit in you know... I'm thinkin' (in your worst American accent): "Donny & Cynthia Lowenstein", complete with matching 'leisure suits' (ie trackies), visors, maybe a Hawaiian shirt for Paulus, I mean, Daaarny, and hopefully socks & sandals if we can swing it...

But seriously, I'm very much looking forward to the all-inclusive crazy on-board activities - casino, 'shuffleboard?', quoits, Italian cooking lessons, cabaret shows (hopefully with little red candles on the tables), endless buffets, maybe even dinner with Captain Stubing if we're lucky and of course, 'salsa lessons on the Lido deck'... What's not to love!

We go from Venice to Bari (basically a port town I think!) - Santorini (that I might actually get to see a little better this time!) - Mykonos (Heavily gay/Greek equivalent of Ibiza I believe) - Athens - Corfu and finally, Dubrovnik - oh, and then back to Venice...

Should be fabbiola...