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In an interview Peter Bodo did with me about my new novel on his TennisWorld blog on Feb. 4, his final question to me was, “Federer, or Nadal? And why.” I answered:  “I’m not allegiant to either one. What I would really love to see is my fellow Georgia Bulldog John Isner beat one of [...]

Roger Federer will play for his home country this weekend, but don’t chalk it up to nationalistic pride — he has to play in order to be eligible for the Olympics this summer. When Switzerland played the U.S. in Birmingham, Ala., in 2009, the “Greatest of All Time” bailed on his country only two weeks [...]

The GOAT discussion reached its most ludicrous point yesterday when John McEnroe’s endless search for an answer to the unanswerable and interminable question landed at Rafael Nadal’s feet after he beat Roger Federer for the 17th time, the sixth time in a Grand Slam final.  (Federer has beaten Nadal only eight times, and only twice [...]

There’s a Flatlanders song in which Joe Ely sings: “I thought I had died and gone to heaven/in fact, I had lived and gone to hell.”  That might describe the five days that passed for fans of American men’s tennis from the point where Andy Roddick almost took a two-sets-to-none lead over Roger Federer in [...]

He is crying now, but Federer missed the Swiss anthem in Birmingham, Ala., in March when the Americans trounced the Swiss team without him. http://www.topspinblog.com/2009/02/federers-davis-cup-flop-a-precautionary-measure/

Roger Federer’s decision to skip this week’s Davis Cup match in Birmingham, Ala., between the Swiss and U.S. team is like Andy Roddick and James Blake preparing to play the circa ’90s Chicago Bulls only to learn that Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen are out.  Federer’s departure on what would have been essentially a two-man lineup leaves the Swiss with one quality [...]

It’s a long drop from the number one and two rankings in Switzerland men’s tennis to the number three spot.  The U.S. and Swiss teams have submitted rosters for the March 6-8 matches in Birmingham, and as expected instead of putting up the No. 2 player in the world, the Swiss will now lean heavily on No. 17 Stanislas [...]

Roger Federer has announced that he won’t play in the first round Davis Cup matches against the U.S. in Birmingham, but Davis Cup rules allow him to change his mind right up until one hour before the matches are played on Friday, March 6.   When the U.S. played Russia in the Davis Cup final in 2007, the [...]

Roger Federer beamed holding his Olympic gold medal in doubles last August, and in October vowed to compete again for his home country of Switzerland in the 2009 Davis Cup.  But Tuesday that promising vow rang hollow when he put this paragraph on his web site:  “Today I am disappointed to announce that I am withdrawing from both [...]

In no other event is home court a bigger advantage than in Davis Cup.   The home team selects a surface suited to its team, and traditionally staid tennis fans all turn raucous in favor of the hosts.  When the U.S. and Switzerland square off in Birmingham, Ala., on March 6-8, the Americans would figure to be the [...]