Sad news, Fernando withdrew from the tournament of Washington starting on monday due to a back injury. According to Fernando’s father, it’s only a precaution, so we can think that it’s not serious, so Fernando will be back in Montreal.
Have a good rest and come back in shape in Montréal, Feña !!
Feliz cumpleaños !!!
As I won’t be at home this week-end (I’ll be in Sweden), I won’t be able to wish Fernando’s birthday LIVE. For that reason, before leaving, I wish Fernando a happy birthday !!!
Feliz Cumpleaños Fernando, a lot of happiness for that special day 
I’d like to thank Janine for her contribution, she authorized me to use one of her pic (on the left side)
Click on the picture to have it larger
I’d like to wish to my friend, Aurélie, a happy birthday as well, she was born the same day as Fernando
The blog will be updated on sunday evening or monday with the news from WASHINGTON !!
Good news for the Fernando’s fans, Feña will appear in a 4 pages, in the magazine “Maxim” in spanish, in the september issue.
A photo shoot in London for the mag (from the ATP Tour website), enjoy
Article published in the chilean mag “El Mercurio – Sabado” in February 2007″, just after the Australian Open. Here are the scans and the translation will arrive later…
Fernando González accepted a wild-card for the tournament of Washington starting on July 25th, 2007
Fernando’s schedule (updated)
July 16-22 : Los Angeles (last year, SF 75 points) – 1st round -
July 28 – August 5 : Washington (didn’t play last year)
August 06-12 : Montréal (last year, SF 225 points)
August 13-19 : Cincinatti (last year, SF 225 points)
August 27 – September 9 : US OPEN (New York) (last year, R.32 75 points)
Fernando wrote a message on his official website (if Fernando or someone who knows him visits us here, please note that outside Chile, we don’t have access to gonzaleztenis.com 
– Please do something !!! Fernando has a lot of fans around the world and not only in Chile !! Muchas gracias)
[Translation from the webmaster]
[Please note that the message was written before going to LA]
Hello friends,
Since wednesday, I’m in San Diego, California, where my coach, Larry Stefanki lives. We only work on tennis. This sunday, we are leaving to Los Angeles, where I’ll play my first tournament in the North American tour on hard courts.
I recovered well after the rest I had in Chile, even if I trained strongly the physical when I was in Santiago. I have a lot of desire to comeback to the competition.
It’s incredible to come back to play on hard courts. It’s a real pleasure and it’s easier to adapt. I think it’s the surface where my game can adapt the most. I’m thinking that very good things are going to begin to happen in the next coming weeks.
They asked me what are my goals in this part of the year or if I was upset after Wimbledon. The truth is that the only thing I want, it’s to feel well with my tennis. This, is the first of all. when there’s the success, that suits me well.
Thanks for visiting my website, [message from the webmaster : we'd like to 
]
Your friend,
Fernando
[Photo gallery updated - Total : 1719 pictures]
Update (July 18th) : Fernando lost in the first round in Los Angeles, 6/7 4/6 to the UCLA student Z. Fleishman. Fernando was surprised by the great game played by the American. The 7th game was the key of the first set, when the American took advantage of González’s serve. Nevertheless, the chilean reacted and in the next game equalized. Forced to play a tie-break, where the local won with a minimum of difference, after a mini break, enough to win the first set in 39 minutes. The second set continues the same way, both tennis players played a solid game from the bottom of the court, where Fleishman was stronger. When the player from Santiago lost the match, was in the third game, when he lost his serve, then, he never came back. Fernando will take several weeks of rest before returning on the tennis competition. His next tournaments are Montréal and Cicinnatti where he has to defend 450 points.
Fernando and David (Nalbandian) withdrew from the second round of the doubles tournament.
[Source : La Tercera, translation : the webmaster]
[A second report about the match]
Opinion of the webmaster : Maybe Fernando will ask a wild-card in another US tournament just to have more practrice on hard court and more confidence for the Masters Series. Wait and see. VAMOS Campéon !!
Update (July 17th) : Fernando and David won their match, they def. the pair Spadea/Gabashvili in straights sets 7/6 6/3. Fernando will playhis first round tonight on the Straus Stadium, it will be the last match of the day. Buena Suerte Feña !!!
July 16th
Fernando is back on the tennis courts this week. He’s playing in Los Angeles. Fernando is the number 1 seed and will face in the first round : Zach Fleishman, wild card. I have to admit that I don’t know him. Fernando has his old “friend” Stepanek in the draw and David Nalbandian.
Fernando will also play the doubles tournament with David Nalbandian, they’ll face in the first round, the pair Gabashvili/Spadea. They’ll play the match today (3.30 pm L.A time)
TV broadcast :
Tennis Channel and ESPN2
Apparently no live streamings to watch the matches in the US, but if you have TVU or Soap Cast, please check, we never know !!VAMOS !!
We know a little bit more about Fernando’s schedule for this US summer tour, he should play these following tournaments, confirmed by the Chilean newspaper “La Tercera” :
[Draw from La Tercera.cl]
July 16-22 : Los Angeles (last year, semi-final 75 points)
August 06-12 : Montréal (last year, semi-final 225 points)
August 13-19 : Cincinatti (last year, semi-final 225 points)
August 27 – September 9 : US OPEN (New York) (last year, R.32 75 points)
Good luck to Fernando for this hard court season !! He has a lot points to defend but he can do it !!
Rankings update :
ATP Ranking : 6th (2780 pts)
The Race : 6th (293 pts)
VAMOS Campéon !!!
During his stay in London, Fernando gave an interview to the Bristish Mag, “GQ”. If you live in UK and you have the article, feel free to send it to me, cause I couldn’t find it in the British bookshop in Paris, thanks a lot, I’d be very grateful
Enjoy !!!
[Summary of the interview in spanish - from ATP Website]
[Translation by the webmaster]
González and the keys of grass in the GQ Magazine
The Chilean top 10 player, Fernando González, gave an interview for the english edition of the prestigious and sophisticated magazine GQ.
The monthly publication, dedicated to the mens audience, focuses its interest on the style, fashion, culture through different articles about travelling, sports, sex, food, cinema, music and technology, among other headings.
In a special section about the summer tennis season in England, which reached the top last sunday in wimbledon, González explained how to develop the best game on grass. Here is an extract of his answers :
“To play on grass is difficult in the mental thing. You must thing that you’ll do well. There are a lot who think the opposite and it’s the worse thing that’s possible to be done. You must quickly deal with the surface with respect but adapt very fast.”
“The center of gravity is much lower than usual, but the ball will rebound less than on the other surfaces. You always have to be focused”.
“The most important with the serve is to execute it with the best dose of slice, so, we can handle the rival, which is vital on grass. The other players search a flat and fast stroke, but thus, the margin of errors increases”.
“The grass will make your volley improves. As it’s a so fast surface, if you arrive very well at the net, forwards and having generated a good shot of approach, you only must touch the ball across.”"When some players face Roger Federer, they lose before entering on the court. As Roger is so strong on grass, until the rivals who have the appropriated game to disturb him, they don’t have the confidence in themselves. The key to defeat him is to attack him at the beginning and never playing defensively. To attack, attack, and to hope the best !!!!”
[To download the short interview] (32 secs)
Fernando is back in Chile. He gave a press conference where he arrived in Santiago. He’ll spend a couple of days in Santiago (until thursday), then, he’ll fly to San Diego to practrice with his coach, L. Stefanki, and then, he’ll take part to the tournament of Los Angeles, on hard, starting on July 16th.
What Fernando said in his press conference :
“What I want more, it’s to participate to the Masters Cup. It’s my goal but the rest for me has been to feel better and to enter on a tennis court and to leave the court with the feeling that I am improving. Perhaps it gave a new fervour to my carreer, one year back”
In La Tercera, Fernando defended the tournament of Wimbledon, he doesn’t share the same point of view of the player from Argentina, David Nalbandian.
Fernando said that “it’s the most traditional tournament on the ATP Tour and the organizers don’t have any incidence on the rain. It’s obvious that the interruptions bother but nothing can be done”.
About his result :
“It wasn’t absolutely a pleasure. I was calm because I prepared but it’s the grand slam where I arrived with a lot of hope”, he explained, after remembering that in RG, he played badly on clay.
[Photo Gallery updated : total 1702 Pictures]
F. Gonzalez – 29 June
Friday, 29 June, 2007
Janko Tipsarevic (SRB) beat Fernando Gonzalez (CHI) 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, 4-6 8-6
Q. You were very close to winning that match today. What happened?
FERNANDO GONZALEZ: Yeah, it was really tough conditions today. I never felt one game comfortable on the court because it was like the wrong wind, you know? I know IT is same thing for both players, but for my game, I couldn’t, like, loosen up, you know? I was really tight, and when I was serving for the match, I didn’t want to play the point because it was like tough conditions, and I knew that he was no pressure on that time of the match. I’m really disappointed with this match today.
Q. You two played each other at Queen’s not long ago and you won that match?
FERNANDO GONZALEZ: Yeah, I won with the match point. I know it’s going to be a tough match. Janko plays really good on grass and he was serving really big at the end of the match.
Q. What do you think the difference is between when you last played him and today?
FERNANDO GONZALEZ: I didn’t play my best today, but I kept fighting until the end. It was really close, one match point, serve for the match, and that’s enough opportunities to win the match.
Q. Tipsarevic is sort of rising very fast on the tour. Do you think this is a bit of a breakthrough for him?
FERNANDO GONZALEZ: He’s a good player. If you’re good, you’re good; you’re going to win everywhere, or anywhere. It’s time. The only thing that you need is time. He really played a good match today.
Q. I thought your serve was one of the best things that makes you win, basically. I thought you were going to rely on that serve quite a lot because most of your serves got you points. What happened?
FERNANDO GONZALEZ: It was tough. I had an early break. I mean, I give away the first set. And then I served for the match. But the rest of the match I think I served really good. But unfortunately you need to close that kind of I mean, in that moment I didn’t close the match on the 5 3 and then I had a match point and I missed. I missed an easy ball. I mean, that’s you cannot do that kind of errors here.
Q. Can I ask you what strings you use?
FERNANDO GONZALEZ: What strings? For grass I use kind of synthetic and gut, half and half.
Q. Synthetic in the mains and guts in the cross?
FERNANDO GONZALEZ: Yeah.
Q. What type of synthetic?
FERNANDO GONZALEZ: Babolat.
Q. Why? What do you look for in that combination?
FERNANDO GONZALEZ: Because here on grass, the ball is heavy, heavier than the other places. The ball is getting bigger and the ball absorbs the humidity of the court, and when the ball bounces, it’s coming like with more weight.
Q. Do you use a different combination on other surfaces?
FERNANDO GONZALEZ: Just synthetic on the rest.
Q. So you only use gut for grass?
FERNANDO GONZALEZ: Yes.
