WIMBLEDON FEDERER’S A JITTER BUG FAN
Nerves get to Roger.. and he’s happy MUGURUZA ON FIRE
ROGER FEDERER is happy to be suffering with nerves ahead of the men’s final.
The Swiss superstar has 18 Grand Slam titles and is the most decorated male tennis player in history.
But when he walks out on Centre Court this afternoon, bidding to beat Croatia’s Marin Cilic in front of 15,000 fans, Federer admits that for all that experience he will still have a major case of the jitters.
Federer revealed: “I do get nervous and I’m happy I do for the big occasions.
“Sometimes the nerves slow down your legs, your pulse starts racing.
“Your head starts, not spinning, but in the sense that you have a million ideas and you have to take the right one.
“That can stress you out a tad. But I always say I’m happy I feel that way because it means I care.
“It’s not like going through the motions, like careless – that would be a horrible feeling.”
That said, Federer insists there were no nerves ahead of his semifinal against Tomas Berdych.
He added: “For some reason, I was much more nervous before my second-round match against Dusan Lajovic – I didn’t know my opponent very well.
“But against Berdych I felt very calm going out on court.
“Even in the warm-ups, the first games, I was serving and I was like, ‘All right, this is like another match’.”
Certainly, this afternoon will not be like just another match, but Federer is the overwhelming favourite – with the bookies and the SW19 crowd – as he tries to win his second Slam of the season after triumphing in Melbourne in January.
It is his 11th final here and the fact he has reached it at the ripe old age of 35 is testament to both his durability and brilliance.
Doubts
It also proves what a wise decision it was to miss Paris.
Federer explained: “Giving your body a rest from time to time is a good thing and this time I’m happy it’s paying off, because of course there are doubts that maybe you won’t ever be able to come back and play a game on Centre Court.”
John McEnroe, f or one, is seriously impressed with BY the end of the first week of this tournament, Garbine Muguruza had almost set her house ablaze. By the end of the second, she lit up Wimbledon.
Muguruza (left) revealed that she feared the London Fire Brigade would be called out after the smoke from cooking a bumper portion of steak set off the alarm in her rented house.
But there was no mistake in her everything Federer is doing. The legendary New Yorker said: “What Roger did in Australia, if he did it at Wimbledon too it would have to be one of the all-time efforts. “No question. What he did in Australia was insane.” And former British No.1 Greg Rusedski said: “Roger has done something very smart. “He took six months off to work on his game and his backhand is so much better, especially on the return of serve and from the back of the court as well. “Federer is probably the greatest of all time. You take time away and rejuvenate yourself and to be playing his tennis at 35, I don’t think we’re going to see a guy like this again in our lifetime.” Cilic (left), the 2014 US Open champion, knows what a tall order he is facing in today’s showdown. The 28-year-old said: “When I won the US Open it opened s o many possibilities in my mind for the rest of my career. “Another Slam now would definitely mean even more. It would be absolutely a dream come true to win Wimbledon.” second final appearance in SW19 as Venus Williams suffered the embarrassment of being beaten 7-5 6-0 at her own game in a sporting theatre she holds so dear.
The new champ said: “It was very good to find the recipe. I think in this tournament I put everything together, physically and mentally.
“I felt that good out there. I kept a level. I was very composed. I’m happy to go on Centre Court and play the best –