Roger Federer hopes for an easy victory
After two victories in five sets - each against complete outsiders - Roger Federer is hoping for some relaxation in his third round game at the US Open in Flushing Meadows against Feliciano Lopez.
After playing Frances Taefoe and Michail Juschni, in his third round game, the five-time champion of the US Open will encounter another player he has always beaten. Feliciano Lopez, world's number 31, has lost all twelve matches against Federer in the past, mostly in straight sets. In order to extend this series of victories, Federer must play with accuracy. In the second round against Juschni, the Basler player committed 68 unforced mistakes – after two rounds, his mistakes amount to a hardly believable 124.
The reasons for the problems were unclear. Federer said that his back problems, which had slowed him down during training, would not cause him any more problems. Nevertheless Federer lost already four sets in New York and his serve was broken eight times. In his Wimbledon triumph in July, Federer did not lose not one single set during the entire tournament and only lost four serves.
Once again, Federer did not train before the match against Lopez on the Flushing Meadows premises. On Wednesday, Federer instead trained in New York's Central Park. On Friday he trained at John McEnroe's Academy near the city on Randall's Island.
Roche tower has been Basel's new landmark for two years
Tourists discover Basel as an excursion destination. But it's not just the magnificent old city centre which fascinates visitors but especially one building which attracted them this summer: The Roche tower has been shared strikingly often on the social media platform, Instagram.
Two years ago, Roche opened its tower and there were merely two opinions in Basel: Either the tower was liked or it was an impossibly hideous eyesore. But the tower has conquered the hearts – or rather the mobile phones – of modern Baslers. It is now seen as a landmark of the city and disseminated as such on social media, by Mr and Mrs Basler (Joe public) and also many tourists. These days it is important to tell the story of a holiday with the help of photos on social media networks.
The Roche tower is visible from almost everywhere in Basel and the wider area. As a mostly distinctive building it is a popular subject for photography. Against its white surface the colours of the sky are mirrored just like the fireworks were on New Year's Eve and 1 August. «We see the Roche tower as one of the most important landmarks of Basel» said Christoph Bosshardt, head of marketing at Basel Tourismus. «It is a striking building which can be seen from almost every place in the region which is also one reason why the tower can be seen on so many photos taken by tourists.» And this again contributes to the promotion of Basel as a place for tourists. Almost half of the instagramers use the platform to get informed about a potential travel destination, and 35 per cent discover new places through the photo platform.
The Roche tower has become far more than an office building; it's an ambassador of the city. Basel Tourismus uses the topic consciously for its communication. «On the one hand it's the tallest building in Switzerland and superlatives can always be very well used for tourist marketing» said Christoph Bosshardt. «On the other hand it stands for excellent architecture which can be found in Basel at many places – a topic which has an important meaning for advertising a destination: Not least the presence of the tower represents a certain pride and self-consciousness.»
Interested visitors can use the building not just as a photo subject but also see the building from the inside. Roche offers a visitors' programme which does not only offer a trip to the highest point of Basel but also an insight into the history of the company. «We want to integrate visitors into a programme in which we want to present our activities and our history. We will do this more intensely in our «Bau 1» and the same will be done in our new investments», said Severin Schwan, CEO of Roche in an interview with the «Tages-Anzeiger» newspaper.
Roche is happy that the tower is the new photo subject of Basel. «We are happy that the Roche Bau 1 is well accepted. With its simple but unique form it fits perfectly into the Roche area and the Basler city scape», media spokesperson, Patrick Barth, said. «At the same time the office building with 41 floors and work places for about 2000 employees is a clear affirmation of the site Basel.» A win for all sides: For tourists, for Basel tourismus and for the economic site in Basel. With this, the second Roche tower - which will be even higher - has a better start than the once disputed but now worldwide shared Bau 1 by Roche.
Car rolls onto its side during accident
An investigation has been launched into an accident in which a car flipped onto its side and skidded several metres on the Haupstrasse in Rothenfluh on Friday night.
According to early investigations by the police Baselland, the 64-year-old car driver was on his way from Wegenstetten towards Ormalingen at around 6.20pm when his car skidded. The car then flipped onto its side, before skidding several metres along the road and then turning 180° before coming to a halt in a field.
The driver was able to free himself from the wreckage without injuries. The car was seriously damaged and had to be removed by a towing company. The fire service was called to deal with fluids which had leaked from the car.
The exact cause of the accident is unknown and is subject to an investigation by specialists of the Baselland police.