[Hitfaromarf]

thanks Ti-Amie for all the draws!!!

I'm still wondering though, whether Fed will really be in Basel (I know it's his home tournament etc....)???

ah and Tommy Haas' web page is quite funny (not intentionally) his writing style is quite, hum -up to the point!!!
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Hello fans,

I finally find the time to get in touch with you after the turbulent last weeks. I admit: news about me had become somewhat rare. On the one hand this was of course due to being disappointed about my early drop out. On the other hand my body needed time to regenerate and I needed a little peace and quiet. All the setbacks - which always seem to occur the moment you think you are back on your feet – had taken their toll and these experiences needed to be digested.

I was highly motivated at Flushing Meadows, of course, and convinced to be able to go on further in the tournament. Sadly, an injury aborted my plans yet again. Especially at one's favourite tournament one wants to give one's best. Unfortunately, this wasn't possible due to an inflammation in my right elbow. I have been struggling with this handicap for quite a while and was now forced to do something about it.

So I returned to Germany and started treatment with Dr. Müller-Wohlfahrt who has done excellent work yet again. The rehab with Klaus Eder had gone well, too, so I could soon start with light training.

And this the status quo right now: I am working very hard at the moment and am training for my comeback here in Las Vegas. At what moment you can expect my comeback I cannot say yet myself. The most important thing is that I am without pain and a 100% fit. I won't risk a return to the court until this is the case. Only then I can give my utmost and attack. Maybe I will be able to play as soon as January, but it might be later. I don't want to set the standards to high for myself. In any case, caution is advisable. It would be great to take part in one of the Grand-Slam tournaments in 2009. This is yet again a goal in the remote future and not a primary one. I know, initially, I will have to set my sights lower. Undue optimism is out of place. But, and you can be sure of this, I won't give up that easily.

As you have surely heard, rumours of my retirement circulated in the press after my drop out. I must say that I did mention to a journalist that I did in fact question whether it was worthwhile continuing should I have to endure a fourth operation. The gruelling pain, the hard rehab – one does expect a lot of one's body. At the moment I don't see a reason for such considerations though. I feel good and want to come back to the ATP-Tour. My body in any case is telling me that it hasn't hit its peak yet. And that gives me a positive outlook on the future.

Last Saturday André Agassi invited me to his yearly "Grand Slam For Children" charity concert. There was a row of real stars performing on this stage: Sheryl Crow sang an impressive duet with Rod Steward for example. Furthermore The Killers appeared and Natasha Beddingfield received a well-deserved ovation. It was a really great evening!
Despite all the fun we had one shouldn't forget the real motivation of this charity event: André is campaigning for children in need. And that really is a great thing, which I happily support.

As you may have noticed, this website has changed face. I hope the new layout is to your liking. From now on the guys from the communications agency Seven Dead Cats work on my page. They have reassured me that the webpage will soon appear livelier with its new features. You'd better check regularly: a lot will happen here.

So far, so good. I will be keeping you up to date on a more regular basis. I promise. In return, please keep your fingers crossed that all will go well in the weeks to come and that I can quickly focus on my comeback.

All the best from Vegas