12/27/06 • Roger Federer, 2006 Bagelmeister
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AUSTIN, TEXAS DECEMBER 27, 2006 – Roger Federer has again snagged the Golden Bagel Award™, an achievement honoring the professional tennis player who has handed out more "bagels" (sets won 6-0), than any other player on the circuit. Federer has won the award two out of the last three years.
• Roger Federer (c) receiving his first Golden Bagel Award™
in 2004 from Niclas Kroon (l) and Tom Suhler (r)
This light-hearted award helps underscore just how dominant the World No. 1 player was in 2006. Along with three Grand Slam titles, Federer dished out 18 bagels — up from the 11 he served up in 2004 when he won this award for the first time. By contrast, World No. 2 and 2005 Golden Bagel Award™ winner, Rafel Nadal only delivered 2 bagels in 2006 down from his 12 bagels the previous year.
Bagel co-creator Tom Suhler says, “The award is just for fun but it is an interesting statistic. As hard as it is to win a single set 6-0 against world-class players, it is unbelievable to do it 18 times and four of those were against Top 10 players. Federer handed out 10 bagels this year in Grand Slam events alone; three at the U.S. Open, three at Wimbledon, and four at the Australian.
“The idea for the award came up one day in 2004 when Niclas Kroon and I were talking about how dominant Federer had been that year,” continued Suhler. “We were discussing the two bagels Roger delivered during the finals of the US Open. Then the bright idea light bulb started to dimly glow in our heads and the Golden Bagel Award™ was born."
The final bagel counts for 2006 are: Roger Federer 18, Nikolay Davydenko 12, David Nalbandian 6, James Blake 5, Andy Roddick 4, Rafael Nadal 2, Tommy Robredo 1, Ivan Ljubicic 1.
About Golden Bagel Award™
To qualify for the Golden Bagel Award™, a player must either be ranked in the Top 8 of ATP singles players or participate in the year-end Tennis Masters Cup. The winner is the pro who captures the most 6-0 sets between January 1 and the start of the Masters. Davis Cup matches and incomplete sets are not counted. The Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) website is used as the definitive data source. In the event of a tie, the number of "fries" (6-1 sets) will determine the winner.
About SideSpin Productions, Inc.
SideSpin Productions creates, develops and markets television and video projects, offering a wide array of services: concept development, production, post-production and direction – all supported by a marketing effort that includes traditional channels with web-based promotion.
Currently in production is Sharing a Laugh with Marat Safin, an in-depth interview with one of the professional tennis tour’s most charismatic figures. Niclas Kroon and Tom Suhler's talk with this engaging personality covers a wide range of topics from the start of his career to his understanding and appreciation of his unique position as a professional athlete. His comments range from hilarious to introspective. Sharing a Laugh with Marat Safin includes on-court footage as well as comments from nine-time grand slam champion Mats Wilander and Safin's former coach Peter Lundgren. We even played a few off-court games with him.
Click here to view a promo of the interview.
Look for DVD sales details of Sharing a Laugh with Marat Safin on SideSpin’s site in early 2007.