Roger Federer got the better of old foe Rafael Nadal for the first time in more than three years to win a seventh Basel title 6-3, 5-7, 6-3 on Sunday.
Andy Murray avoided a 'double bagel' humiliation by Roger Federer at the ATP Tour finals on Thursday but conceded that even if he had played well he would not have lived with the "exceptional" brilliance of the Swiss.
Ten minutes of brilliance kept Roger Federer on course for a final clash with Lleyton Hewitt at the Halle Open grasscourt event in Germany on Friday. Federer, demoted to world number two by Rafael Nadal on Monday, beat Philipp Kohlschreiber 7-5, 6-3 in his quarter-final while Hewitt also knocked out a home hope when he defeated Andreas Beck 7-6, 6-1.
The 36-year-old Swiss will play Canada's Milos Raonic in Sunday's final.
A month shy of his 35th birthday, Roger Federer knows time is not on his side if he wants to triumph at Wimbledon again, but he is adamant his goals stretched beyond the world's most famous Centre Court.
There was no rain break, no twilight five-set drama and no Wimbledon trophy on offer on Friday but none of that bothered ageless Swiss maestro Roger Federer. The only thing that mattered to the 20-time Grand Slam champion was that, unlike in his last grasscourt duel with Rafael Nadal 11 years ago, he had won the "crazy last game" which sealed his passage into a 12th Wimbledon final.
Roger Federer produced another masterly display to beat Japan's Kei Nishikori 6-3 6-2 and move a step closer to the semi-finals at the ATP World Tour Finals in London on Tuesday.
Roger Federer's career-long association with Nike appeared to be over on Monday as the Wimbledon champion walked on to Centre Court to open the defence of his title wearing a Uniqlo branded outfit.
Roger Federer, who will be chasing an 18th Grand Slam title at the Australian Open later this month, breezed through to the Brisbane International men's semi-finals with a 6-1, 6-1 thumping of Australian Marinko Matosevic.
Rafael Nadal's championship point winning racket from his 2007 French Open final victory over Roger Federer was sold for more than $118,000 at an auction on Monday, ranking among the highest-priced such memorabilia.
Breaks, lighter schedules can help players improve, says Federer
Federer displayed his trademark silky movement and said the knee had held up during a two-hour 24 minute duel.
The Swiss champion was at his breath-taking best as he crafted 48 exquisite winners during a 90-minute match that seemed more an exhibition of his shot-making than a charge towards a record ninth Wimbledon title.
'I LOVE YOU, Roger. Thank you for everything you've done in tennis and with myself. Tennis world will never be the same without you.'
Roger Federer completed his preparations for a tilt at Pete Sampras's record of 14 grand slam titles with an easy 6-1, 6-3 victory over Swiss compatriot Stanislas Wawrinka at the Kooyong Classic on Saturday.
World number two Roger Federer reacted with surprise on Tuesday when asked what he thought about the bookmakers making British number one Andy Murray a favourite for next week's Australian Open.
'Djokovic is going to feel pressure, that's for sure, but then for Federer it might be his last chance'
The world number one raced into the quarter-finals of $1 million Qatar Open downing Greg Rusedski 6-3, 6-4 in the second round.
Cilic, eliminated after two three-set losses, was hoping to end his year on a high in the city where his Wimbledon dream was ended in this year's final by Federer - the Croatian sobbing on court after suffering blisters.
Roger Federer came from a set behind to beat feisty Portuguese Rui Machado, ranked 90 places below him, as he made his Davis Cup return for Switzerland after an absence of nearly two years on Friday.
Nadal may have 19 Grand Slam titles, one shy of Federer's all-time men's record, but when it comes to IT skills, he resembled a Sunday morning park hacker crumbling under pressure. After some pleasantries, the conversation moved on to the forthcoming virtual Madrid Open being contested with joysticks rather than tennis rackets.
'Obviously Rafa is in great position to finish World No. 1'
After demolishing their first-round opponents, defending Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic and six-times winner Roger Federer return on Wednesday to face players from the opposite end of the tennis spectrum.
The world number one Federer lost just five of the 97 matches he played in 2006 and four of those were to Rafael Nadal.
Roger Federer will play Pete Sampras in an exhibition match in Kuala Lumpur in November.
World number one Roger Federer has been appointed Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF
The 19-year-old Czech Jakub Mensik beat his childhood idol Novak Djokovic in the Miami Open final in an upset for the ages on Sunday.
Roger Federer set up a juicy third round clash with former Australian Open champion Marat Safin after finally subduing a stubborn Evgeny Korolev 6-2, 6-3, 6-1 on Wednesday.
Top seed Roger Federer faces a tough opener against Russia's Dmitry Tursonov while Rafael Nadal begins his quest for an Olympic gold medal against Italian Potito Starace.
Andy Murray had Centre Court rocking Sunday, winning gold for the home team and beating Roger Federer 6-2, 6-1, 6-4 in the tennis final at Wimbledon.
The Swiss snapped a five-year barren run at the slams by bagging the Australian Open and Wimbledon titles this year and, in the absence of Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray and Stan Wawrinka, is the favourite at Flushing Meadows with an equally resurgent Rafael Nadal.
Roger Federer celebrated his 30th birthday in typical low-key fashion on Monday but the Swiss tennis great has no intention of fading quietly away from the game.
Roger Federer celebrated his 30th birthday in typical low-key fashion on Monday but the Swiss tennis great has no intention of fading quietly away from the game.
Roger Federer enhanced his reputation as a popular champion as he celebrated his maiden title in hometown Basel with the ball kids.
Federer became the first man from Switzerland to reach a Grand Slam semi-final since Marc Rosset at the French Open in 1996.
Defending champion Roger Federer argued with an umpire but mostly let his racket do the talking as he beat Tomas Berdych for the ninth time running to reach the Australian Open semi-finals on Wednesday.
Roger Federer beat Finn Jarkko Nieminen 6-3, 6-4 to defend his title in Basel and top the year-end rankings.
Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic will be out to complete unfinished business at Wimbledon on Thursday after both were denied a chance to savour match-point glory in their first-round matches.
