The negotiations between the Swiss Indoors tennis tournament and world No. 1 Roger Federer about his expiring contract "have been discontinued," according to Daniel Germann of the NEUE ZÜRCHER ZEITUNG. Tournament Dir Roger Brennwald said that "both parties have agreed to reopen discussions after the end of the season." Federer is the "poster boy" of the tournament and the city of Basel. The fronts between Brennwald and Federer's agent Tony Godsick "are hardened." By now it is about more than simply money. However, Godsick "wants to double Federer's appearance fee from CHF 500,000 ($534,000) to more than CHF 1M ($1.1M) annually." Wounded pride and wrong sensitivity "have been added to the money issue." The relationship between the former "dream couple" has been tarnished for two years after IMG tried to buy the tournament rights from Brennwald. Despite all those issues, "it is hard to imagine that Federer would not play for a 14th consecutive year in his home tournament." Federer is Basel, and Basel is Federer (NEUE ZÜRCHER ZEITUNG, 10/29). CNN.com reported that Federer "will surrender his No. 1 ranking to Novak Djokovic" after the 17-time major winner confirmed he "is pulling out of the Paris Masters through injury." Federer endured a painful defeat to Juan Martin Del Potro at the Swiss Indoors tournament on Sunday, "a match that lasted a grueling two hours and 45 minutes" (CNN.com, 10/29).
