Ageless Federer targets title No 9

Having skipped clay season, Swiss legend is expected to flourish on his favourite turf at Wimbledon

LONDON:ROGER Federer is already the most prolific and oldest winner of the Wimbledon men’s singles title but when he saunters into the All England Club on Monday he will do so as favourite to lift the trophy for a ninth time.

The seemingly ageless Swiss, who will turn 37 in August, has planned his year around defending the title that he claimed last year by beating Croatia’s Marin Cilic.

Federer’s 2017 Wimbledon fortnight was the most impressive of his career as he swept through the draw without losing a set for the first time — ending a five year wait to nudge ahead of Pete Sampras on the all-time list.

Nothing that has happened in the past 12 months suggests Federer’s hunger is diminished with victory at this year’s Australian Open taking his Grand Slam title haul to 20.

He skipped the clay-court season which was again dominated by his great rival Rafael Nadal who clinched the French Open for an 11th time.

Federer returned to the grasscourts in Germany, winning the title in Stuttgart before reaching the Halle final last month where he was surprisingly beaten by Croatian Borna Coric.

While Coric’s victory offers some encouragement for the rest of the field, Federer will not have dwelled on it. After all, he lost to veteran German Tommy Haas in the build-up to last year’s Wimbledon but was untouchable once he arrived in his favourite English country garden.

WON’T BE EASY FOR THE REST

Second seed Spaniard Nadal, who won the first of his two Wimbledon titles in an epic final against Federer 10 years ago, has not been beyond the fourth round since 2011 but he arrives full of vim and vigour and could thrive in the predicted hot conditions.

Third seed Cilic saw his final hopes wrecked last year by a painful blister but he won the Queen’s club title last week and, according to Swedish legend Mats Wilander, is a player even Federer fears.

“Cilic for me is second favourite,” Wilander said. “You do not want to play against Cilic. He has won one (Grand Slam title) and he feels like he’s overdue a second one. “It’s just a matter of time.” Three-times champion Novak Djokovic appears to have rediscovered his ‘human brickwall’ capabilities but twice champion Andy Murray is only a handful of matches into a comeback from a hip injury that needed surgery in January.

Of the new generation Alexander Zverev is seeded fourth but it is Australian Nick Kyrgios who looks the most likely to make an impression on the Wimbledon lawns.

The maverick 23-year-old almost beat Federer in Stuttgart and at Queen’s club last week served 98 aces in four matches before being edged out by Cilic.

SEEDINGS BOOST

Williams has played only seven matches since returning to the Tour.

Her Wimbledon hopes have been boosted by the seedings committee who installed her as the 25th seed in Friday’s draw which paired her with lowlyranked Arantxa Rus.

Not everyone has supported the decision to seed her despite a ranking of 183 but she will still face a tough path with Ukraine’s fifth seed Elina Svitolina looming in round three. Muguruza’s game could be modelled on Serena’s, as she showed last year when overpowering Venus Williams in the final to become the first player to beat both Williams sisters in Grand Slam finals.

She is seeded three at Wimbledon, behind world No 1 Simona Halep and Caroline Wozniacki who have shared the year’s two Grand Slam titles to date with maiden triumphs.

Halep, who finally got over the line at the French Open this month, will be full of confidence, as will Wozniacki after a strong run on the lawns of Eastbourne this week.