ROGER FEDERER’S WIMBLEDON TITLE BID STILL ALIVE AFTER MEMORABLE COMEBACK AGAINST MARIN CILIC WITH SAVED MATCH POINTS AND ACES AND DROP SHOTS TOO

Written by: Staff on 6th July 2016

ROGER FEDERER'S WIMBLEDON TITLE BID STILL ALIVE AFTER MEMORABLE COMEBACK AGAINST MARIN CILIC WITH SAVED MATCH POINTS AND ACES AND DROP SHOTS TOO

epa05407162 Roger Federer of Switzerland returns to Steve Johnson of the US in their fourth round match during the Wimbledon Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis Club, in London, Britain, 04 July 2016. EPA/FACUNDO ARRIZABALAGA EDITORIAL USE ONLY/NO COMMERCIAL SALES |

By Ricky Dimon

The 2016 Wimbledon gentlemen’s singles title has been relatively up for grabs ever since Novak Djokovic lost to Sam Querrey in the third round. During quarterfinal action on Wednesday, the door to the winner’s trophy came excruciatingly close to being blown wide open. Both Roger Federer and Andy Murray endured five-setters before restoring order to the draw and booking spots in the semis.

Federer almost didn’t even make it to a third set.

The seven-time Wimbledon champion trailed Marin Cilic two sets to love and faced triple break point while serving at 3-3 in the third but stormed back for a 6-7(4), 4-6, 6-3, 7-6(9), 6-3 victory in three hours and 17 minutes.

Roger Federer of Switzerland returns to Marin Cilic of Croatia in their quarter final match during the Wimbledon Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis Club, in London, Britain, 06 July 2016. EPA/HANNAH MCKAY

“It’s great winning matches like these, coming back from two sets to love,” the 34-year-old assured. “It’s rare. When it happens, you really enjoy them. Definitely felt like I got lucky to some extent today. Always when you’re saving match points, when you’re down two sets to love, 3‑all, love‑40, it’s a moment when it’s not in your control anymore.

“But I fought, I tried, I believed. At the end, I got it done…. It was great on so many levels.”

It was one point away–three times–from being not so good for the world No. 3. Even after recovering from the 0-40 hole midway through the third set, he faced another perilous deficit in the fourth. Cilic earned match points at 4-5, 30-40, 5-6, 30-40, and 7-6 in the ensuing tiebreaker but could not get across the finish line.

Federer eventually survived an incredible fourth-set ‘breaker and never again relinquished control. One break at 4-3 proved to be decisive for the Swiss, who capped off his comeback with a routine hold that featured consecutive aces at 30-15 and 40-15.

“Today was epic,” Federer stated. “(I’m) probably going to look back at this as being a great, great match that I played in my career, on Centre Court here at Wimbledon.”

Roger Federer of Switzerland celebrates his win over Marin Cilic of Croatia in their quarter final match during the Wimbledon Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis Club, in London, Britain, 06 July 2016. EPA/HANNAH MCKAY

“[It was] a huge occasion, and I played great tennis,” Cilic reflected. [I] was very close to the victory. Obviously…it’s not easy to deal with it after that.

“But, you know, I have to take the positives and the great tennis that I managed to play. It’s my first time in the career I think that I’m losing the match when I was two sets to love up. [I did not] let myself down a little bit physically or mentally. In all three sets that [I lost], I played pretty good tennis.”

Just not good enough to finish off a 17-time Grand Slam champion.