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

Written by: Staff on 13th July 2017

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.”