PARIS (AP) — Roger Federer is known for his calm and poise, and for winning a whopping 17 Grand Slam titles.
But if you want to get him flustered, just stare at his nose.
“I don’t like it when they come too close,” Federer said Sunday about the cameras at tennis tournaments. “Not necessarily the Spidercam, but the cameraman himself, when I feel like he’s just filming my nose or something.”
Another issue is when the cameras get close as Federer is changing shirts during a match.
“It’s not like because I like to do that, but it’s because I have to,” Federer said. “And then it’s like that focus, I feel like it’s a bit odd, you know, ‘Who is that guy controlling the camera?’ I don’t know. Is he a weirdo or not? I don’t know. That’s probably why.”
The cameras will surely be focused on him again at this year’s French Open because Federer advanced to the second round by beating Lukas Lacko of Slovakia 6-2, 6-4, 6-2.
— Chris Lehourites
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BACK TO BUSINESS: After nearly 20 years as a professional tennis player, Venus Williams is going back to school.
The seven-time Grand Slam champion said she is taking business classes at Indiana University East, focusing her spare time on doing homework.
“I just thought it would help me out in terms of just being more well-rounded with my design businesses,” Williams said after winning her opening match at the French Open. “And I was in school a while, but I had to take some time off because my health went down. I didn’t have the energy to do everything.
“So now I’m back and I’m going to close it out, you know, like you’re at 5-1 in the third.”
— Chris Lehourites
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HELPING ‘KIMYE’ CELEBRATE: Serena Williams said she’s been keeping up with reality TV star Kim Kardashian, helping her pal celebrate before her nuptials.
Williams said Sunday after opening the defense of her French Open title with a straight-set victory that she “went to a few of the festivities” in France — including “dinner in Versailles and stuff” — that led up to Kardashian’s wedding in Italy on Saturday to rapper Kanye West.
Asked if she had fun, Williams replied: “Always fun with Kim.”
— Howard Fendrich, http://twitter.com/HowardFendrich
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HELLO, MY NAME IS …: Tomas Berdych might not wear his heart on his sleeve, but he wears his name there.
Berdych sported a blue track suit that had “TOMAS BERDYCH” in white lettering along the arms and legs when he showed up for post-match interviews after winning his first French Open match Sunday.
It wasn’t the 2010 Wimbledon runner-up’s only original sartorial choice.
During his 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 victory over Canada’s Peter Polansky, the sixth-seeded Berdych wore a blue flower-print shirt — not the typical attire for a Grand Slam tennis player.
“Everyone wears the same and everyone looks the same,” Berdych said. “So this is something different, which I like.”
— Howard Fendrich, http://twitter.com/HowardFendrich
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French Open Watch follows tennis’ clay-court Grand Slam tournament in Paris as seen by journalists from The Associated Press. It will be updated throughout the day.
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