Tranquil Federer all set for another All-England title run as 2nd week gets going
There are very few things that Roger Federer has not excelled at during a career spanning more than two glorious decades. So when he failed to understand an English saying during an on-court interview at Wimbledon this week, he surprisingly declared: “I don’t understand... my English isn’t good enough.”
However, when it comes to the language of tennis, no one demonstrates it more elegantly or gracefully than Federer.
The silky racket skills have earned him 20 Grand Slam titles but, with the last of those coming at the 2018 Australian Open, Federer has seen that record haul equaled by Rafael Nadal while Novak
Djokovic is also on the verge of pulling level.
The Swiss came agonizingly close to taking his slam tally to 21 at Wimbledon two years ago, when he missed two championship points before losing to Djokovic in a fifth-set tiebreak.
But Federer dismissed suggestions that the success of his rivals is forcing him to prolong his career.
“No, I don’t think I’m playing because [Djokovic] doing well or he’s doing great things. Same as Rafa. I think I’m doing my own thing,” said the Swiss great, who has barely played for the last 18 months after undergoing two knee surgeries in 2020.
“I had problems of my own with the knee. That’s been the focus,” added the 39-year-old.
Djokovic, 34, is halfway towards becoming the first man since Rod Laver in 1969 to complete the calendar Grand Slam, and the Serbian has made no secret that he wants to collect as many records as he can before his career is over.
If he claims his sixth Wimbledon title on July 11, Djokovic will not only join Federer and Nadal on 20 majors, he will also have the chance to become the first man to complete the Golden Slam should he triumph at the Tokyo Olympics and the US Open.
“It’s just very, very impressive to see what he’s doing this year,” added Federer, who is five weeks shy of celebrating his 40th birthday.
The invincible aura that now surrounds Djokovic is something Federer knows only too well.
The two could meet again in this year’s final and, should that happen, Federer believes the trials and tribulations he faced during the first three rounds is just what he needed to get ready for such a challenge having spent more time in rehab than playing competitive matches in recent months.
During the first round, it appeared that the lack of match-fitness was going to catch up with Federer when he trailed Adrian Mannarino by twosets-to-one.
The Swiss, however, was never in doubt.
“I still would have backed myself if it would have gone five sets,” Federer said about the contest which ended at two-sets-all after his French opponent retired injured.
Having followed up that result with wins over Richard Gasquet and Queen’s Club runner-up Cameron Norrie, he added: “I definitely feel like I’ve got my rhythm now at this point. Clearly I’ve gone from lefty to righty to lefty.
“I did that very well today. I thought I had a really excellent attitude, from what I can tell how I felt. That has been something that has changed nicely throughout the last weeks and months.
“Maybe one of the first times I just felt very much at peace out there, really sort of a tranquility I guess to everything I was doing, where I wanted to serve, how I wanted to win my service games, how I took misses, how I took wrong choices. I just brushed them off. It’s the big picture that matters.”
Sixth-seeded Federer faces Italian No. 23 seed Lorenzo Sonego in the last-16 on Monday.
Barty sees off Siniakova challenge to reach fourth round
Meanwhile, top 3women’s seed Ash Barty dispatched Katerina Siniakova late Saturday night, fending off an opponent who would have fancied her chances after dropping serve just once in the last two rounds and with six career wins against top-10 opponents.
The world number one prevailed 6-3, 7-5 on Centre Court to reach the last-16 after Czech Siniakova posed a resolute challenge while failing to find answers to the Australian’s immaculate sliced returns and spin in their first meeting.
“Certainly wasn’t going smoothly. I think it was a hell of a match right from the first point,” Barty said in her on-court interview. “Katerina brought an incredible level and it was a lot of fun playing out here.
“I knew I had to play very near my best to be able to compete with her today so I’m happy to be able to play some good stuff.”
Next up for Barty will be Siniakova’s doubles partner and 14th seed Barbora Krejcikova, who has won 15 successive singles matches including titles at Strasbourg and a maiden Grand Slam triumph at Roland Garros.
“Another great challenge, an incredible challenge,” Barty said of her next opponent.
“I’m very privileged to be in the second week of Wimbledon again. This is genuinely one of my favorite weeks of the year so to be prolonging my stay is a lot of fun but I’m looking forward to the challenge.”
Medvedev rallies to beat Cilic
Also, men’s second seed Daniil Medvedev overturned a two-set deficit for the first time in his career to grind down former runner-up Marin Cilic in a bruising third-round clash.
The 25-year-old Russian looked flat in the opening two sets as Cilic used his powerful serve and forehand to great effect but Medvedev calmly wrestled back control to neutralize his opponent’s game and claim a 6-7(3), 3-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-2 victory.
Having enjoyed his longest career runs at this year’s Australian Open (runner-up) and French Open (quarterfinal), Medvedev has now posted a new Wimbledon best by reaching the last-16, where he will face Poland’s 14th seed Hubert Hurkacz.
Cilic edged the opening set on a tiebreak and when he bludgeoned a forehand winner to carve out a set point in the second, and was then gifted a Medvedev double-fault, it looked like the Croatian 32nd seed was in total control.
But the heat went out of Cilic’s game as the evening dragged on and Medvedev patiently clawed his way back from the brink.
In the third and fourth sets, Medvedev began to dictate the points with his relentless accuracy and by the time the fifth set started Cilic looked totally deflated, asking the chair umpire how much light there was left for play.
The 32-year-old Croat perhaps wanted the roof to be closed to halt the Russian’s charge, but Medvedev was ruthless in the decider as he stormed into a 5-0 lead.
Medvedev double-faulted twice on match points and suddenly Cilic looked fired-up again as the crowd got behind the 2017 finalist. But Medvedev put down the mini rebellion with a powerful first serve to end the contest.
With Karen Khachanov and Andrey Rublev through, it is only the third time in the professional era that a Grand Slam tournament has had three Russian men in the last-16. (Reuters)
Wimbledon fourth-round action Sport5+Live and Sport5+Stars from 1 p.m.).