Djokovic pumped up to wreck dream final
Roger Federer (Sui, 1) v Kevin Anderson (RSA, 8) Juan Martin del Potro (Arg, 5) v Rafael Nadal (Spa, 2)
retrieve what seemed like every shot, Khachanov must have felt like he was playing against a brick wall.
“He’s back at the level he wants to be,” Murray said on the BBC yesterday. “He looks fired up and motivated. It wouldn’t surprise me if he went on to win the tournament. He has a great shot.”
Next up for Djokovic is Kei Nishikori, who shocked him at the 2014 US Open but tends to lack the firepower to trouble the very best.
Del Potro, the world No4, is no respecter of reputation, a player who can pummel even the very best. Along with Djokovic, he is one of just two men to have beaten Federer and Nadal at the same grand slam. The main doubt Then comes the 100mph-forehand gut punch.
After losing to Del
Potro yesterday, Simon described his opponent’s bazooka of a forehand as being “like a penalty”. It will be up to Nadal to play the role of Jordan Pickford.
The supporting cast is completed by a trio of huge-serving giants: American John Isner, Canada’s Milos Raonic and South Africa’s Kevin Anderson. Between them they have racked up
348 aces in this tournament, and stand at an average height of almost 6ft 8in.
First up to try to knock Federer off his perch will be Anderson in today’s quarter-final. A shy character, Anderson worked with Murray’s former psychologist, Alexis Castorri, to make himself more imposing in matches. Castorri encouraged the 6ft 8in Anderson to practise his fistpumps and “Come on” shouts in front of a mirror. Not long after, he reached his first grand slam final at the US Open last year.
In the other quarter-final, Isner and Raonic compete for a place against Federer or Anderson in the semis, and both have impressive credentials for upsets.
Isner caused a stir on Monday when he said he would be honoured if US president Donald Trump came to watch one of his matches. “I’d love to have Trump come watch me,” he said. “Maybe I’ll tweet at him if I win on Wednesday. I know a lot of people won’t like that, but I don’t care.”
There is no denying how tantalising the prospect of Federer against Nadal in the final would be, a decade on from their 2008 Wimbledon epic, but as Del Potro said yesterday: “There are six other players fighting for that big goal as well. It could be a surprise this year.” Federer has won 32 straight sets at Wimbledon, and should have too much for his big-serving opponent. Anderson can be a threat on grass, though, and took Novak Djokovic to five sets in 2015.
Federer.