ROGER FEDERER THE BEST TENNIS PLAYER EVER ROGER FEDERER FLIES INTO WIMBLEDON FOURTH ROUND, NOVAK DJOKOVIC SAVED BY “REIGN” DELAY BY RICKY DIMON FOR 10SBALLS

Written by: Staff on 1st July 2016

ROGER FEDERER THE BEST TENNIS PLAYER EVER ROGER FEDERER FLIES INTO WIMBLEDON FOURTH ROUND, NOVAK DJOKOVIC SAVED BY "REIGN" DELAY BY RICKY DIMON FOR 10SBALLS

epa05402226 Roger Federer of Switzerland celebrates his win over Daniel Evans of Britain in their third round match during the Wimbledon Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis Club, in London, Britain, 01 July 2016. EPA/GERRY PENNY EDITORIAL USE ONLY/NO COMMERCIAL SALES |

There was another rain delay at Wimbledon on Friday. It may prove to be simply a reign delay for Novak Djokovic, whereas nice weather potentially could have ended Djokovic’s bid for third straight title at the All-England Club.

Novak Djokovic of Serbia returns to Sam Querrey of the USA during their third round match at the Wimbledon Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis Club, in London, Britain, 01 July 2016 EPA/HANNAH

Trailing Sam Querrey two sets to love, Djokovic–playing on Court 1 without a roof–saw the heavens open up with more precipitation to move the remainder of their third-round contest from Friday to Saturday. Querrey owns a shocking 7-6(6), 6-1 advantage heading into the resumption of play scheduled for high noon.

The delay may be just what the doctor ordered for an out-of-sorts world No. 1, but Roger Federer needed no such stroke of good fortune.

Thanks to being scheduled on Centre Court for a third consecutive match, Federer can sleep peacefully on Friday night. Whereas one second-round affair (Alexander Zverev vs. Mikhail Youzhny) has not yet been completed, Federer is the first and only man through to the last 16. The 34-year-old Swiss took care of Daniel Evans 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 under the closed roof to secure his spot in the second-week proceedings in London.

Federer fired 11 aces without double-faulting and broke serve six times to cruise in one hour and 26 aces.

“I’m clearly very happy because, well, the goal was to get to the second week somehow,” said the No. 3 seed, whose form had been question following a French Open withdrawal and early exits in Stuttgart and Halle. “Now I won nine straight sets, which is great. Plus with the wet weather that we’ve seen, the opponents that I had, (you’re) never quite sure. But I was favored if I would be feeling 100 percent, great, yes, you would maybe expect that. But I didn’t know for myself where I was, so I am happy where I am now.

Roger Federer of Switzerland returns to Daniel Evans of Britain in their third round match during the Wimbledon Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis Club, in London, Britain, 01 July 2016. EPA/GERRY PENNY

“I’m really pleased of how actually my level has gone up, how round by round I’ve been able to play better. Yeah, I’ve gotten through this tough first week in terms of weather.”

“Obviously everyone dreams about playing Federer on Centre Court,” Evans commented. “Two Brits (also Marcus Willis in round two) got a chance this year. Should be inspiration for a lot of people. It’s inspiration for me that I got a chance to play him. I want that again, to play other good players on those courts.”

Of course, Evans should have said two Brits “so far” have gotten to face the 17-time major champion, because Andy Murray vs. Federer remains a potential final. And with Djokovic down two sets to love as we speak, Murray-Federer has suddenly become somewhere between possible and probable.