Wedding bells ring out for Federer

Paris:

Men's world number two Roger Federer on Saturday married his fiancee Mirka Vavrinec in his home town of Basel, Switzerland, he announced on his website.

Last month, Federer had revealed on www.rogerfederer.com that Vavrinec, a former top 100 player whom he met in Sydney in 2000, was expecting the couple's first child this summer.

Federer will next week take part after all in the opening claycourt tournament of the season, the Monte Carlo Masters, having originally planned to play less in claycourt competition in 2009 than in past years even though the French Open remains the only Grand Slam he has yet to win.

Federer, 27, is struggling to wrest top spot back from Spaniard Rafael Nadal, who denied him a record-equalling 14th Grand Slam title in the Australian Open final.

Last year, the Mallorcan ended Federer's five-year hold on the Wimbledon trophy and then also deposed him as world number one.