Roger Federer and Kevin Anderson will be going head-to-head for the fifth time in their careers when they battle for a place in the Wimbledon semifinals on Wednesday.
All four of their previous encounters have gone the way of Federer, who is 8-0 in total sets against Anderson and has never even been pushed to a tiebreaker. The two veterans have not faced each other since 2015, when the Swiss prevailed 6-3, 7-5 on the red clay of Rome and 6-1, 6-1 on the hard courts of Cincinnati.
It is no surprise that they are finally meeting again in this setting, the quarterfinals a the All-England Club. Federer, of course, is an eight-time champion of Wimbledon with a 96-11 lifetime record. The current world No. 2 did drop a single set en route to last year’s title and he has not come close to doing so this fortnight. Federer punched his ticket to the last eight by soundly defeating Dusan Lajovic, Lukas Lacko, Jan-Lennard Struff, and Adrian Mannarino.
Anderson is an all-court player whose best Grand Slam result has come at the U.S. Open (2017 runner-up), but he is perhaps most dangerous on grass. This marks the eighth-ranked South African’s fourth appearance in the Wimbledon second week (all in the last five years) and first trip to the quarterfinals. Anderson, who is a stellar 27-10 this season, has not lost at Wimbledon in less than five sets since 2014–to Andy Murray in the fourth round.
“One of my many goals was to try to get a personal-best achievement here,” Anderson commented. “(I have) lost in the round of 16 a few times…. I can definitely feel good about making it through to the last eight here for the first time.
“I am really looking forward to [the quarterfinal against Federer]. Obviously it will be a tough challenge. I think it’s a pretty exciting opportunity to play Federer here at Wimbledon.”
It may be a memorable moment for the underdog, but it probably won’t be fun while it is actually in progress. Federer has been absolutely trouncing people and he has always been known to raise his level even higher in the latter stages of big tournaments when the competition level ratchets up–which it does in the form of Anderson. A couple of sets could be competitive because of Anderson’s serving prowess, but the 36-year-old should not have too much trouble improving to 5-0 in this matchup.
Pick: Federer in 3 with at least one tiebreaker
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I spoke too soon! Kev takes the 3rd set 7-5!! Wow, that was a collection of huuge chokes by Fed in that set… He had multiple match points AND break back points, and squandered them all. Wow.
As predicted, Anderson is good enough to take a set. Fed will still win this though.
It’s too bad that Anderson lost the first two sets. But good for him for staying in it and taking a set off Fed.
All that is relative. For some is good, for some is bad.
I feel Fed is showing his age now, making errors that he rarely makes. If he wins this match, he may have greater problems in the next, unless Raonic/Isner spend five or six hours beating each other!
Yeah, he is! Having to serve like this for 5 sets may be a tough ask esp against Roanic or Isner! He has to hope he can win all his other matches in , and uhmmmm, i don’t think so!
Yeah, impressive by Kev. I think we take granted just how difficult it is to play these massive servers on grass, especially when conditions make their serve even more difficult. You play one poor service game, get broken, and that’s the set.
I feel like Fed’s biggest problem this fortnight has been converting break points. He had multiple match points on Anderson’s serve, and then after Anderson broke, Fed had 15-40 to break back to send it to tiebreak. And then yesterday, he had break points in every one of Mannarino’s service games (accept one that went to deuce) in that second set, and he couldn’t convert ANY of them! I know this has always been a recurring problem for Fed, but it seems extra bad this fortnight. This match should be over, and he should have won multiple sets this tournament much easier than he eventually did.
Actually in that third set fed was 0-40 to force a tiebreaker.
Is Roger imploding ppl?!!
Omg, Anderson broke again!? Wtf? Is anyone watching the match? What’s going on with Fed?
Yes we r! I mean simply, Roger is NOT playng well!! Period!! If this was Rafa he was playing Fed would have lost in 3!!
Yeah I am watching
I am watching it. Anderson serving to take it to a fifth set. This is something else.
Set point for Anderson. This is unreal.
If Fed loses to Kevin Anderson from 2-0 up, we may have to accept that there’s good reason why no one wins majors at age 37 in the modern era…
We r heading to a decider
Unbelievable! Anderson holds his nerve to win the fourth set! This is going to five!
Now fed will up his level and I suppose roger will bagel kevin
Hopefully Anderson will stay strong here. I give him credit for fighting back from two sets down against Fed.
Oh wow!!..I never thought that Anderson can challenge Fed till 5th sets!!…Urgh!…I’m ready to write him off a while ago!Hehehe…Shame on me!!
And Rafa/DelPo is going to start too!…URGHH!!!
Lets hope what happened with Fed and Tsonga at Wimby years ago does not happen today!
Rafa is playing now.
Vamos Rafa !
Yeah Nny!….Vamos Rafa!!..bring it on!!
Btw…I think this will be a test for Fed too…I think he’s feeling the pressure to defend his title atm…Let’s see whether he can pass Anderson’s test…
Anderson is one of the last people you would want to face in a Wimbledon 5th set because you HAVE to break him to win.
Reminds me of that Fed – Roddick Wimbledon Final played in 5 sets.
Fed will do it but at what cost?!
Honestly, I don’t know if Fed will do it… He’s 37 damn years old- Anderson is like a kid compared to that age! Kevin is like, “I can be out here allllllll day long, old man!”
Lol! Fed is in a bit if pickle to be honest!
Fed can bounce back fine. Even at 36 his fitness is the best.