Federer eyes a long career

SHANGHAI, China (AP) — Some bad news for Roger Federer’s rivals: Retirement is so far off his radar screen he hasn’t even thought about what he might do when he’s done with tennis.

“I hope I play for a very long time,” he said Friday, suggesting he may play until he’s 35.

Considering he’s only 26 and already within sight of Pete Sampras’ record of 14 Grand Slam titles, Federer could force the likes of Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic to wait a stretch, and that’s not to mention all those teenagers whacking balls on practice courts around the world while dreaming of becoming No. 1.

Federer has held that distinction for four consecutive years and shows no signs of slowing down, with three Grand Slam championships among his seven titles this year. A victory at the Australian Open in January would pull him within one of Sampras’ mark heading into the one major that has eluded Federer — the French Open.

For now, the target is a fourth title at the Masters Cup that opens in Shanghai Sunday for the world’s top eight players. With Nadal and Roddick fighting knee problems and Nikolay Davydenko burdened by a match-fixing scandal, the path seems less treacherous than usual.

If Federer does stay around as long as he hopes, that would clearly be good news for a sport already trying to bolster its popularity even before the match-fixing scandal. It would also be good news for the corporate sponsors eager to trade on his talent and spotless image.

That was clear as Federer gave a shaving lesson Friday night to 1,000 male college students.

This promotion for Gillette — Federer did another gig for a coffee-maker the day before — could have been an exercise in farce. But Federer somehow pulled it off with grace, even while spout ing lines like: “It’s about waking up in the morning and feeling fresh and confident.”

The most interesting moment came when Federer was asked questions submitted in advance by the audience. First up: what he planned to do when he retires.

He said he would play until he’s 35 if his body holds up. While many of the pretenders to his throne have been hit with a variety of ailments, he has remained nearly injury free.