WIMBLEDON
good. And if he can’t, well, then, that’s good for me.”
It is the 13th time that the Big Three of Federer, Nadal and Djokovic are in the semifinals at a major tournament together. On 11 of the previous occasions, one of them claimed the title.
There were some shaky moments for each Wednesday.
“The beginning,” Federer said, “was brutal.”
The eighth-seeded Nishikori jumped out to an early edge by breaking in the very first game, enough to give him that set.
But Federer quickly turned things around in the second, conjuring up whatever he wanted, exactly when he wanted it.
His approach shots were
beyond reproach. His volleys vibrant. His returns were timed so well, and struck so violently, that one knocked the net-rushing Nishikori’s racket plum out of his hands.
And Federer’s serve? Sure, he faced break points, but he never allowed 2014 U.S. Open runner-up Nishikori to convert another.
“Overall, I’m just very happy how I’m hitting the ball,” Federer said. “Feel good off the baseline, too, which is clearly going to be important, maybe, for the next match.” Yeah, maybe. Nadal, of course, is still a ball-retrieving, shot-whipping machine at the back of the court.
He did have some trouble closing out the first set against Querrey, an American ranked 65th who was trying to reach his second
Wimbledon semifinal.
Nadal wasted three set points at 5-3, then another before getting broken when serving for it at 5-4. Again serving for that set at 6-5, he erased a trio of break points for Querrey before holding — and finally was on his way.
“I definitely think he’s a guy that can win it again,” Querrey said about twotime Wimbledon champ Nadal.
Djokovic, eyeing a fifth trophy at the All England Club and 16th overall at Slams, used a 10-game run to transform what was shaping up as an even, entertaining quarterfinal into a 6-4, 6-0, 6-2 romp against 21stseeded David Goffin.
“I felt,” Djokovic said, “like I managed to dismantle his game.”
Down an early break, the defending champion
grabbed control midway through the opening set and never let go.
“He was everywhere,” Goffin said.
Djokovic did to Goffin exactly what he does to so many men on so many surfaces and at so many tournaments: He takes their best shot, deals with it and then wears them down.
“I sincerely hope,” Djokovic said, “that my opponent feels like he’s got to work twice as (hard as) against any other opponent to win a point.”
Bautista Agut, a first-time Grand Slam semifinalist, is supposed to be on the island of Ibiza right now, having a bachelor party with a halfdozen pals ahead of his November wedding. Instead, he will play on after beating No. 26 Guido Pella of Argentina 7-5, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3.