Federer marries longtime girlfriend in Basel
In this Monday, Feb. 18, 2008 file photo Switzerland's tennis player Roger Federer, left, and his partner Mirka arrive for the Laureus Sports Awards in St. Petersburg, Russia. Federer married his fiancee Mirka Vavrinec in his home town of Basel, Switzerland on Saturday April 11, 2009, he announced on his website. (AP Photo/Dmitry Lovetsky, File)
BASEL, Switzerland - Roger Federer married longtime girlfriend Mirka Vavrinec on Saturday in a small ceremony in his hometown.
The second-ranked tennis player announced the wedding on his Web site, saying the couple got married "surrounded by a small group of close friends and family."
"It was a beautiful spring day and an incredibly joyous occasion," he said.
The couple announced last month they are expecting their first child.
Federer is set to play in next week's Monte Carlo Masters after accepting a last-minute wild card invitation Thursday. Federer is a three-time finalist at the clay-court tournament but has never won.
After struggling with his form last year and losing his No. 1 ranking to Rafael Nadal, Federer is aiming for his sixth Wimbledon title this summer. He lost to Nadal in the Australian Open final, the year's first major.
A service of the Associated Press(AP)