WIMBLEDON 2017 TENNIS UPDATE – ROGER FEDERER WINS ALL HIS MATCHES IN STRAIGHT SETS OR LESS

Written by: on 13th July 2017
Wimbledon Championships
WIMBLEDON 2017 TENNIS UPDATE - ROGER FEDERER WINS ALL HIS MATCHES IN STRAIGHT SETS OR LESS

epa06070901 Roger Federer of Switzerland returns to Dusan Lajovic of Serbia in their second round match during the Wimbledon Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis Club, in London, Britain, 06 July 2017. EPA/WILL OLIVER EDITORIAL USE ONLY/NO COMMERCIAL SALES  |

Five-setters the norm at Wimbledon–except for Federer

 

By Ricky Dimon

 

Roger Federer has flown into the Wimbledon semifinals and he has done so without surrendering a single set to any opponent. Alexandr Dolgopolov? Didn’t even last two sets. Dusan Lajovic? Gone in a flash. Same with Mischa Zverev. Grigor Dimitrov, too. Milos Raonic, the man who took down Federer in last year’s semifinals? Also out in straight sets.

 

It is readily apparent that this is a completely different Federer from the one who lost to Raonic. In 2016, the Swiss was dealing with a knee issue. He went two a pair of tiebreakers with clay-courter Guido Pella in round one and was pushed to five sets–after losing the first two–by Marin Cilic in the quarters. Thus Federer’s injury-plagued ouster against Raonic did not exactly come as a shocker.

 

This time around, the big-serving Canadian was no match. A healthy and rested Federer made quick work of him, just as he had done with his previous four foes.

 

“That was the idea–that the second week of Wimbledon is that I would feel my best,” the 18-time Grand Slam champion explained. “I feel like it’s coming along nicely, to be quite honest.

 

“I feel like I’m rested enough. I’ve had, you know, not the most toughest matches…. Physically I’m not fighting anything like last year with my knee. I’m ready to go.”

 

That could be bad news for Tomas Berdych, who scraped past Dominic Thiem in five sets during fourth-round action. But Berdych should also be playing on a full tank, because he got a second-set retirement from Novak Djokovic on Wednesday.

 

Sam Querrey has been given no such free passes, to the extent that he has played three five-setters in succession–the seventh, eighth, and ninth five-setters in his vast Wimbledon career. The 6’6” American did, however, benefit from a hobbled Andy Murray in the quarterfinals. Murray, the defending champion and world No. 1, took two of the first three sets before evaporating 6-1, 6-1 in the final two.

 

“I feel pretty good,” Querrey assured. “Five-setters on grass usually aren’t as physical as they are on a clay court or a hard court…. I feel good. My body feels great. (I) get a day off, which helps. I don’t think it will be an issue.”

 

It would come as no surprise whatsoever if Querrey contests a fourth five-setter in a row when he faces Cilic in the semis. They have squared off twice at the All-England Club and Cilic has prevailed in five on both occasions (6-4 in 2009 and 17-15 in 2012).

 

“We played few times,” reflected Cilic, who survived a fifth set of his own against Gilles Muller on Wednesday. “Most of the matches were very tight, quite long; especially here. Both of those were five sets. I think Sam (has) played really well this year. Even last year over here in Wimbledon. He’s got a big game, you know, potentially that can hurt anyone in the game.

 

“For me, I have to get ready fully, to be very focused on my own game.”

 

Ricky contributes to 10sballs.com and also maintains his own tennis website, The Grandstand. You can follow him on twitter at @Dimonator.

 

Topics: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,








10sBalls Top Stories

In Case You Missed It

EUGENIE BOUCHARD NAMED 2018 TENNIS CANADA FEMALE PLAYER OF THE YEAR / EUGENIE BOUCHARD NOMMÉE JOUEUSE DE L’ANNÉE 2018 DE TENNIS CANADA thumbnail

EUGENIE BOUCHARD NAMED 2018 TENNIS CANADA FEMALE PLAYER OF THE YEAR / EUGENIE BOUCHARD NOMMÉE JOUEUSE DE L’ANNÉE 2018 DE TENNIS CANADA

Tennis Canada announced on Wednesday that Eugenie Bouchard is the winner of the 2018 Excellence Awards in the Female Player of the Year and Singles Player of the Year categories.
TENNIS NEWS • CALIFORNIA CHAMPIONSHIPS • TOMMY HAAS, TAYLOR FRITZ, STEVE JOHNSON, MARDY FISH AND MORE thumbnail

TENNIS NEWS • CALIFORNIA CHAMPIONSHIPS • TOMMY HAAS, TAYLOR FRITZ, STEVE JOHNSON, MARDY FISH AND MORE

Time to get tickets to watch! Surly you have heard about The Largest Open Tennis Event in America!
TENNIS NEWS • RAFA NADAL CONFIRMS RETURN TO PRACTICE, EYES ABU DHABI EXHIBITION AND AUSTRALIAN SUMMER thumbnail

TENNIS NEWS • RAFA NADAL CONFIRMS RETURN TO PRACTICE, EYES ABU DHABI EXHIBITION AND AUSTRALIAN SUMMER

According to Uncle Toni, Rafael Nadal was supposed to be back at practice on either Dec. 4 or 5. Well, better late than never!
Conchita Martínez prepara la temporada 2019 de Karolina Pliskova en Tenerife thumbnail

Conchita Martínez prepara la temporada 2019 de Karolina Pliskova en Tenerife

Española y checa ya trabajaron juntas durante el pasado Open de Estados Unidos
ALEJANDRO’S FAVORITE PHOTOS FOR 10SBALLS FROM SOME OF THIS YEAR’S TOURNAMENTS thumbnail

ALEJANDRO’S FAVORITE PHOTOS FOR 10SBALLS FROM SOME OF THIS YEAR’S TOURNAMENTS

Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia hits a forehand to Kaia Kanepi of Estonia during her second round match at the Nature Valley International tennis tournament in Eastbourne, Great Britain, on Tuesday, June 26, 2018.