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Record breaker Federer has McEnroe in his sights
By Li Jian (China Daily)
Updated: 2005-11-11 06:37
"Shanghai is a very impressive city. When I was here three years ago, I could
not believe how big Shanghai was. When you hear of a big city, you may think of
men, women and people. But here you have more than that, with more and more high
buildings shooting up to the sky day by day. It is impressive.
"I like it here. There is a lot to do. The Bund is very nice although I can
not spend much time there."
His girlfriend has also come to Shanghai.
Hard work and the desire for victory have polished Federer into a dominant
figure on the court. The feeling of his two China tours is different too.
"It feels great to be here as the world No 1 player. I came to Shanghai three
years ago but I was only ranked fifth at that time. Things have changed quite a
bit, it's very interesting. I never thought my life would be this way.
"Now I am the world champion and many people want to pitch on me. But I do
not enjoy it. I just want to play a beautiful game.
"I want to win more grand slam events for years to come. I did it for the
last few years and I can do it in the future. I have to keep healthy - if you
are not healthy, you cannot do that."
People have begun to compare Federer with Pete Sampras, one of the best
tennis players in history, renowned for his calmness and power.
"People have compared me with him even since I was young. But we play quite
different games. We have different personalities. He was one of the best we had
in tennis. I feel honoured to be compared with him and I think I have a long way
to go to catch up with him," Federer said.
Federer first won at Wimbledon in 2003, which in his eyes was one of the most
significant achievements of his career so far.
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