Federer breezes past Dimitrov
FOUR screens mounted on the wall in the press conference room told the tale of the labyrinths Roger Federer has sidestepped.
At just after 7.30pm here last night, Gilles Muller was into the 17th game of a fifth-set musclesapper and Federer’s next opponent, Milos Raonic, was nearing the end of a 3hr 23min marathon.
Eyes turned to watch the screens with their figures changing instantaneously point by point, while ears listened to Federer. The Swiss’s own thoughts wandered to the late-evening toilers, the mortals who sweated long after he was showered and changed.
Federer sashayed on to Centre Court only for so long as it required to deliver a warning as clinical as it is possible to imagine. It took the seven-time champion 98 minutes to prove that Grigor Dimitrov may be known as Baby Fed, but only one of them is the real deal.
Federer has yet to drop a set in reaching the quarter-finals, his 15th here, expertly extracting the magic in his 35-year-old body. He is actually moving as well as ever. His serve was in top form, he was lethal at the net and took his non-volleyed backhands so early they were virtually half-volleys.
Federer broke Dimitrov in the ninth game of the first set and the tone was set. There was some late resistance, but even when the Bulgarian sprung a surprise by nicking a game on Federer’s serve, he limply handed that advantage back.
It was all over too soon. He chucked his wristbands into the crowd — possibly sweat-free — and took the Centre Court applause.
‘I feel like I am rested enough,’ said Federer, who skipped the claycourt season to hold himself in readiness for a crack at an eighth Wimbledon title. ‘I did not have the toughest match,’ he said. ‘I can look at this quarter-final totally relaxed. I’m not fighting like last year with my knee. I’d be ready to go now if I had to.
‘There again, the best players are left in the draw. It’s going to be a tough finish to this tournament.’
Soon after Federer stopped talking, Raonic beat Alexander Zverev. Federer has defeated Raonic nine times in 12 attempts.
‘Next round,’ Federer added, ‘I have to bring intensity, focus on the serve. On return, keep going for it, keep staying aggressive.’
With that approach, he believes good things can happen. And there was little evidence yesterday to suggest his assessment is wrong.