Jay is for ‘job done’ as Federer snuffs out an unlikely uprising an unlikely uprising
A DAY after his mixed doubles partner pulled off the improbable, Jay Clarke (right) succumbed to the inevitable. Evidently Roger Federer is no more willing to act his age than Cori Gauff is hers. There must come a time when the Swiss can’t keep swatting aside the dreamers, but for now the 37-year-old just keeps gliding. Not quite as smoothly as he once did, of course, but he retains more than enough of his gifts to tread a young Brit into the grass when need be. Not that Gauff’s doubles accomplice went down in any great shame. He put up a fight, particularly in forcing a second-set tiebreak where, ever so briefly, he held a mini-break at 2-1. But that was as far as the uprising went. That was his chance and perhaps the anecdote that will stay with him — the time he nearly took a set off Federer. He didn’t get it done, of course. In fact, Federer broke back on the next point and from there it was the typical sort of walk he takes on these lawns in the first week of the Championships. The third set was almost as one-sided as the first and, combined, they put Federer into a last-32 tie with Lucas Pouille, the 28th seed, as he pursues a ninth Wimbledon title. It remains to be seen where Clarke, 20, goes from here as a singles player. At 169 in the world, the feeling is that he has the tools and application to get in the top 100 and he left with an endorsement from Federer, who said: ‘I liked what I saw in Jay. I hope he keeps working hard and results will show how good he is.’ In the more immediate future he will line up in the mixed event with the girl of the hour, Gauff, albeit in the rather
controversial circumstances of having dropped Harriet Dart, with whom he reached the semi-finals last year. That — and the fact Dart was only told by text on Monday — caused raised eyebrows, but Clarke attempted to smooth over the situation by seeking her out. He said: ‘I spoke to her twice. Once to say well done (for reaching the third round of the singles). Obviously initially she was very upset. She had every right to be — I would be, too.’ No such quibbles in the calm world of Federer. After seeing off Clarke without dropping serve and having forced his first break in the second game of the match, he ruled his title challenge to be in rude health. There was a degree of surprise that he dropped a set in his first round against Lloyd Harris, but he says he is operating with zero concerns going into the clash with Pouille. ‘I’ve really enjoyed myself,’ he said. ‘The tank is full — I came here with a lot of confidence. The first few matches haven’t been very taxing physically.’