THE ASSOCIATED PRESS BASEL, Switzerland -- Roger Federer will cut exhibition matches from his 2009 schedule as he pursues Pete Sampras' record of 14 Grand Slam singles titles, his agent said Sunday. Federer and Sampras played three exhibition matches across Asia last November and again in New York City last March. Such commitments won't be repeated in 2009, said agent Tony Godsick. "Roger will only play a schedule that works for him physically," Godsick said after Federer won his hometown tournament at the Swiss Indoors on Sunday. "The next couple years you will see him put his seatbelt on and focus for the big ones, the Grand Slams and the big tournaments." Federer is within sight of history with 13 Slams after a fifth straight U.S. Open victory last month. The win at Flushing Meadows was defined as a defiant comeback in a year when Federer fell sick with mononucleosis, suffered untypical losses to players outside the top 10 and lost his No. 1 ranking to Rafael Nadal after a record reign of 237 weeks. "It was tough for him when people were writing him off," said Godsick, who guides Federer's off-court activities for the IMG agency. "For him to do what he did (at the Open) was good for him, good for his confidence and I think really silenced the critics."
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