Hi all,

Federer's 2007 schedule has been released in his web site.

2007 Planned schedule:

08.01.07 AAMI Classic Other Kooyong (AUS) hard [o]

15.01.07 Australian Open GS Melbourne (AUS) hard [o]

26.02.07 The Dubai Tennis Championships ISG Dubai (UAE) hard [o]

05.03.07 Pacific Life Open MS Indian Wells (USA) hard [o]

21.03.07 Sony Ericsson Open MS Miami (USA) hard [o]

14.04.07 Masters Series Monte-Carlo MS Monte Carlo (MON) clay [o]

07.05.07 Internazionali BNL d'Italia MS Rome (ITA) clay [o]

12.05.07 Masters Series Hamburg MS Hamburg (GER) clay [o]

27.05.07 Roland Garros GS Paris (FRA) clay [o]

11.06.07 Gerry Weber Open IS Halle (GER) grass [o]

25.06.07 Wimbledon GS Wimbledon (GBR) grass [o]

05.08.07 Rogers Masters MS Montreal (CAN) hard [o]

10.08.07 Western & Southern Financial Group Masters MS Cincinnati (USA) hard [o]

27.08.07 US Open GS New York (USA) hard [o]

01.10.07 AIG Japan Open Tennis Championships ISG Tokyo (JPN) hard [i]

15.10.07 Mutua Madrilena Masters Madrid MS Madrid (ESP) carpet [i]

22.10.07 Davidoff Swiss Indoors IS Basel (SUI) hard [i]

29.10.07 BNP Paribas Masters MS Paris (FRA) carpet [i]

11.11.07 Tennis Masters Cup MC Shanghai (CHN) hard [i]

Now this was the 2006 (real) season, i.e. the real list of events in which FED was playing:

* Doha, Qatar
International Series, 2-Jan-06, O, Hard , Draw: 32

* Australian Open, Australia
Grand Slam, 16-Jan-06, O, Hard , Draw: 128

* Dubai, U.A.E.
International Series Gold, 27-Feb-06, O, Hard , Draw: 32

* ATP Masters Series Indian Wells, CA, U.S.A.
ATP Masters Series, 6-Mar-06, O, Hard , Draw: 96

* ATP Masters Series Miami, FL, U.S.A.
ATP Masters Series, 20-Mar-06, O, Hard , Draw: 96

* ATP Masters Series Monte Carlo, Monaco
ATP Masters Series, 17-Apr-06, O, Clay , Draw: 64

* ATP Masters Series Rome, Italy
ATP Masters Series, 8-May-06, O, Clay , Draw: 64

* Roland Garros, France
Grand Slam, 29-May-06, O, Clay , Draw: 128

* Halle, Germany
International Series, 12-Jun-06, O, Grass , Draw: 32

* Wimbledon, England
Grand Slam, 26-Jun-06, O, Grass , Draw: 128

* ATP Masters Series Canada, Toronto, Canada
ATP Masters Series, 7-Aug-06, O, Hard , Draw: 64

* ATP Masters Series Cincinnati, OH, U.S.A.
ATP Masters Series, 14-Aug-06, O, Hard , Draw: 64

* US Open, NY, U.S.A.
Grand Slam, 28-Aug-06, O, Hard , Draw: 128

* Tokyo, Japan
International Series Gold, 2-Oct-06, O, Hard , Draw: 48

* ATP Masters Series Madrid, Spain
ATP Masters Series, 16-Oct-06, I, Hard , Draw: 48

* Basel, Switzerland
International Series, 23-Oct-06, I, Carpet , Draw: 32

* Tennis Masters Cup, China
WC, 13-Nov-06, I, Hard , Draw: 8

Diference between the two and some personal remarks:

* No more Doha at the beginning of the season
* He plans to participate to the Hamburg Master before RG...But I am quite sure that if his performance at Rome is Ok no Hamburg this year.
* He plans to participate to Cincy master after Montreal/Toronto: I expect as this year an early exit..
* He continues to retain possible to participate to Paris at the end of the year before Shanghai..I really doubt we will see him in Paris in 2007

Any other ideas, comments on your side... :rolleyes:

I really would like him to salvage Madrid and win Paris.I also want him to win Rome and Monte Carlo....

I reckon that, so long as he doesn't pick up any injuries, his schedule will probably end up being about the same as this year. Fed concentrates on winning the slams, and won't play, say, Hamburg if he thinks it may dent his chances at winning the French. He also won't play if he thinks he may pick up an injury - he's got sense!!!!

I don't think Fed is the type to drop a required tournament just because he did well in the one before (we have seen that this year). I think it will depend on how he feels physically --- if he feels he can play Hamburg without endangering his health, he probably will. He might not give it his all (or be able to), and then there will be an early exist like in Cincy.

That being said, I think Hamburg will not be that high on his priority; he has already won it a few times, after all.

On the other hand, he still doesn't have Paris. I think we will see him there.

Now that he has won Basel (sentimental reasons), personally I think he should skip it for a weels rest between Madrid and Paris? I think he would gain points that way?

Hmm. Perhaps he "should". But I think he might not, for the same sentimental reasons that he wanted to win it ... well, we shall see!

I agree with that. The way he apologised to the Parisian organisers this year, i am quite conviced he will do whatever he can to play it next year....probably at the expense of Basel.

I am surprised he gave a full year calendar though. Last year he only commited to the first half season.

I don't want to disappoint you TV but I would not be surprised if a few of changes were added to this list as he goes along.

It's not a written conract anymore it seems went you commit to events.Federer is very savvy with his rest periods,and I would expect him to drop one or two along the way.

If he's to do the Holy Grail,then expect changes.I can't work out why he would put Hamburg in,because I don't see the gain in it.It's entirely different from playing in Paris.Conditions are almost opposite in clay terms.I reckon it will be Rome then rest and onto the practice courts in Paris.

Because Hamburg is TMS, and hence a compulsory event.

Thanks MJT,I thought that was the case,so I guess they pay a fine and move on.I'm not terribly good with the politics side of tennis. :ok:

TMS are compulsary bar 2 of them which carry no penalties....I believe.

They still need a good excuse and am sure He will find one when needed.

Right Tenez this is the rule...A player can skip 2 without penlites..

But our friend ( I am ironic :rolleyes: I do not like too much this guy who is always telling that he will change the rules but at the end he is doing nothing) De Villiers was saying (after the Paris Master) that some new rules will be introduced no?

:whistle: I am sure there will be nothing as well as, for instance, a change in the calendar to guarantee more on grass Tennis...

I am sure he will do anything...AHHH this guy :cry: ...

Very true TV. I bet De Vilers will do bugger all except allowing a circus show on the court at change overs and allow coaching while the ball in play to make it "more fun" for the seasonal viewer.

Three clay tournaments on the runup to RG. Is it just me ot did he play more of those this year.
Nice schedule though. Thanks for posting it TV

whoops sorry, missed the second bit. So he's actually planning on playing MORE clay tournaments this year. Makes it quite clear what he's after :D

Federer must focus winning the French more than anything else. He's already proved his calibre on the grass and hard courts. Instead of entering Rome (which is a fast court), he can play in Barcelona where the clay is similar to RG. Federer will definitely have more competetion next year. Two yound players DelPotro and Almagro will gine him a run for his money net to mention Nadal.

What exactly do you see in Almagro and Del Potro to suggest that they'll be a real threat next year?

I agree with chet, especially about Del Potro. It's not so much what I see in him, more what I don't see in Federer. Del Potro will hopefully have continued his smooth progress by the time we get to Roland Garros. He'll be young and fearless and therefore is less likely to choke. Certainly someone the Swiss will hope to avoid.

Almagro's a scrapper in the same mould as Nadal and we all know how badly Federer struggles against him. I'm not too convinced about him, but on clay he's certainly capable of some big wins. I see no reason why he couldn't win should he face Federer at Roland Garros this year.

You've never even seen Del Potro play!

Imagine our surprise... roflmao

Almagro I can sort of see, but I think Del Potro is some way off being a real threat yet. He played a lot of clay events last year without really doing anything of note on the surface.

It'll be interesting to see how Nadal fares come the next clay season - superb though he is on the surface it's hard to see him going unbeaten again. Sooner or later he has to have an off-day, or come up against someone playing the match of their life. The same thing will happen to Federer on grass sooner or later, just like it happened to Sampras.

I would not talk about Del Potro just yet,but Clay does make instant stars more than any other surface.Players get on a roll and RG does throw up suprises when it gets deep into the second week.

Almagro,well I was impressed with him,what little I saw.He posted a 23-10 record on the clay,he also beat Davydenko,Safin,Monfils,Coria,and Ferrero twice.Then again he also lost to Lubo,Blake,Nadal,and yes you guessed correctly,Federer.

I think he could make a big splash this coming season,as he already has tasted winning on the clay by winning Valencia,so indeed he could be a dangerous draw for anyone with aspirations for the title,and likely he will be seeded.I think he's at 32 at the moment,so maybe come RG 3rd or 4th round and he could find himself in a position to put a much bigger name to the sword.
Of course all depends if he contiues to rise up the rankings.

Roger Federer is making a mistake if he thinks he can win the Australian Open after having only played one warm-up event, which is an exhibition tournament. Federer's success usually lies in his preparation and playing Doha was ideal. This means that Federer will enter the Australian Open against competitors that are more match fit and have had more practice. We have already seen what happens when Federer enters tournaments without ideal preparation e.g. his near-misses at Montreal this year, and Cincinnati last year. As a betting man, I'd certainly consider waging a bet on one of his early round opponents, especially if they are of a good calibre.

http://www.mailmsg.com/sounds/spam-song.wav

You mean like when he won it in 2004 without playing a warm-up event?

Federer's succes, doc, lies in talent, perseverance and -yes preparation as well-. Please, for your wallet's sake refrain from betting. Gambling is already a problem without the state having to pay for your broke arse after you bet against Fed all the way through 2007...

The Australian Open often produces shock results due to it being so close to the start of the season and players have been unable to find a groove in match-play. Roger Federer was very unconvincing in scraping through a lightweight draw last year, and I'm amazed he's not playing a proper warmup event beforehand. If he gets the kind of draw he got last year, then it might not matter, but if he comes up against an on-form player before the 3rd round, he's likely to be in big trouble. I lost a lot of money betting against Federer last year, but these things always even out.

Famous last words. :rolleyes:

To be fair, Roger's draw wasn't the hardest it's true. But he still had to get past Davydenko, Kiefer and Baghdatis on his way to the trophy...