Earning a second life at Wimbledon after coming back from two sets down against Marin Cilic in the quarters, Roger Federer will meet Milos Raonic on Friday. The winner will play either Andy Murray or Tomas Berdych in the final.
Roger Federer and Milos Raonic will be facing each other for the 12th time in their careers when they battle for a place in the Wimbledon title match on Friday.
Federer is dominating the head-to-head series 9-2, including 2-0 on grass and 1-0 at Wimbledon. They also squared off in the semifinals at the All-England Club two years ago, when the Swiss cruised 6-4, 6-4, 6-4. Raonic had been an especially futile 1-9 against Federer before prevailing 6-4, 6-4 early this season to capture the Brisbane title.
The first five months of 2016 were nothing short of an injury-plagued disaster for the 34-year-old, but he appears to be heating up at just the right time. On the heels of unspectacular semifinal finishes in Stuttgart and Halle, Federer now finds himself in the Wimbledon semis for the 11th time in his illustrious career. The seven-time champion rolled over Guido Pella, Marcus Willis, Daniel Evans, and Steve Johnson before staging an epic comeback against Marin Cilic on Wednesday that featured three match-point saves en route to a 6-7(4), 4-6, 6-3, 7-6(9), 6-3 triumph.
“I prefer to be here than booking a jet,” Federer said after his close call versus Cilic. “I’ll tell you that. For me, I’m very pleased…. Today was epic. (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…. This is huge for me, my season, my career. I’m very, very happy. I think I’m playing good tennis, too.”
Raonic took his turn surviving the brink of defeat during fourth-round action on Monday, when he outlasted David Goffin 4-6, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4. That was preceded by much more routine defeats of Pablo Carreno Busta, Andreas Seppi, and Jack Sock, and it was followed by a 6-4, 7-5, 5-7, 6-4 quarterfinal victory over Sam Querrey.
“I look forward to it a lot,” Raonic assured. “(It’s) definitely a great opportunity. Two years have passed since I played him here in the semifinals. I’m happy that I have another shot at him…. Probably from the mental side, I’ll look at what I wouldn’t want to repeat from two years ago.”
With Federer two years older and Raonic much-improved, mentally tougher, and tactically sounder since that 2014 encounter, a much more competitive contest should be in the cards. But Federer is 10-0 lifetime in Wimbledon semifinal matches and that is a record that cannot be discounted even though much of it was compiled during the prime of his career. The world No. 3 is likely to make it 11-0 by scoring another win over an opponent whom he has mostly owned.
Pick: Federer in 4
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Poor Fed, he throws a lifeline to Raonic; now he really must battle hard for the win.
i fking cant believe that serve bot broke fed at 40-0 up
Federer will hand the match over to Milos. I turn off my Tivo now. No words.
I think fed will lose the 5th set, his legs wont carry him another 5 setter
BP Milos!!!
Arash (TSN reporter) gets it…
Arash MadaniVerified account
@ArashMadani
If you’re going to whine about a long bathroom break, you better look in the mirror about taking a medical timeout on break point.
Struggling to hold here. huge game in this set, could be the deciding factor
And that should be the match…
No.
Milosh BREAKS!!!!
VAMOOOOOSHHH MILOSHHHHHH!!!!
Raonic breaks in the 5th set, but I still don’t think he can do it. Too
Milosh will hand back the break now.
Raonic needs to stop making errors at the wrong time.
MASSIVE hold for 4-1.
VAMOSH MILOSH!!!!
Raonic will win…really impressed with his passing shots today.
ssssshhhhhhhh. stop it vr.
Carole gets it…
Carole Bouchard @carole_bouchard 40s40 seconds ago View translation
Raonic à deux jeux de sa première finale en Grand Chelem : ça risque d’être les 2 plus longs jeux de sa carrière.
Translated from French by Bing Wrong translation?
Raonic at two games of its first Grand Slam finale: it may be the longest 2 games of his career.
I don’t see him dropping his serve, might get a bit nervous but Fed and break points don’t go well together
Nerves are everything.
Long way from over.
30-all. A double break here would be most awesome.
Fed saves a BP. 🙁
Damn. Saved 2 BPs.
Hawkeye really doesnt want Fed to win – this match, and the title.
Fed will win -this match, and the title.
#18NID