Roger Federer has flown into the Wimbledon semifinals and he has done so without donating a single set to any opponent. Alexandr Dolgopolov? Didn’t even last a full two sets. Dusan Lajovic? Gone in a flash. Same with Mischa Zverev. Grigor Dimitrov, too. Milos Raonic, the man who toppled Federer in last summer’s semifinals? Also out in straight sets.
It is readily apparent that this is a completely different Swiss from the one who lost to Raonic. Last year, Federer 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 seven-time Wimbledon winner noted. “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 battled 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 in the quarterfinals.
Sam Querrey has been given no such free passes, to the extent that he has played three five-setters in in a row–the seventh, eighth, and ninth five-setters in his illustrious Wimbledon career. The American did, however, benefit from a hobbled Andy Murray in the quarters. 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 in part because of a hip problem.
“I feel pretty good,” Querrey commented. “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 at all if Querrey contests a fourth straight five-setter when he runs into Cilic in the semifinals. They have met twice at the All-England Club and Cilic has prevailed in five on both occasions (6-4 in the fifth 2009 and 17-15 in the fifth in 2012).
“We played few times,” said 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.”
Berdych will be surely be trying to do the same when he faces Federer on Friday, but that task–focusing on his own game–may be easier said than done. Given the seven-time Wimbledon champion’s current form, the Czech may not be able to play his own game.
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