Federer blows into alpine Gstaad for mountain music serenade
GSTAAD, Switzerland, Jul 6 (AFP) - A year after receiving an
800-kilogram Swiss milking cow in honour of a first Wimbledon title,
Roger Federer was Tuesday presented with a traditional
three-metre-long alphorn with which to serenade his bovine friend.
Officials at the Swiss Open tried to outdo themselves as the
double Wimbledon winner returned to his home event following another
resounding trophy success on the grass of the All England club
Sunday.
With millions of dollars in the bank after 17 career titles
including three Grand Slams, there is little that the modest
22-year-old needs or wants to buy.
So the tournament handed over another typically Swiss momento -
an instrument so long that is has to rest partly on the ground -
which he might never have dreamed of purchasing himself.
It all happened during a centre court ceremony at the
high-altitude clay event where Federer is playing as top seed.
Just a few weeks after Swiss cows completed the summer trek from
low winter pastures to the alpine highlands to feed on the sweet
mountain grass, city-boy Federer from Basel was temporarily roped
into the rural ambience of his home nation.
The national sporting idol, clad in t-shirt and jeans, walked
out on court to a standing ovation from proud fans and - putting on
a dark, short-sleeved Swiss herder's gilet - took a trial run on a
huge wooden alphorn.
The musical effect was more than decent, according to the two
professional artists who serenaded the winner with a song before he
had a go himself.
With his cow Juliette - now mother of a calf - described as
"lonely" high up in the fields surrounding the VIP village by emcee
and former Swiss tennis star Heinz Gunthardt, Federer was goaded
into trying to hit a note or two.
"We know you'd never have thought to have bought a cow," said
Gunthardt. "Now, you have an alphorn. Please take it with you over
the next year and practise a bit."
Quipped Federer: "I'm sure they'd just love it when I try and
bring this on board a flight, especially when you try and put it in
the luggage compartment."
Federer tried to describe the emotion as he lifted a second
consecutive title at the All England club 48 hours earlier. "On
match point, my knees got wobbly. I fell backwards on the grass, but
luckily bounced back like a spring."
As for any potential music career, Federer prefers to
concentrate on what he does best. "I think I played piano when I was
a kid, but I gave it up pretty fast."
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│我是宇宙間最具有威力的超人豬腦家教班最近正在招生請有興趣的同學前往試聽比較│
│關於台大超人是否該內褲外穿及其顏色的問題已引起大家廣泛的討論並擇日舉行全校│
│師生員工投票表決目前大部分的學生偏向校園中需要超人維護秩序然而教師大多都偏│
│向維持顯眼的紅色而員工則支持超人不穿去攻擊伊拉克我是宇宙間最具有威力的超人│
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