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WIMBLEDON 2015

ROGER FEDERER

Tennis’s top two to tangle in Sunday’s final

Switzerland's Roger Federer and Serbian Novak Djokovic will meet for the 40th time on Sunday in a Wimbledon final rematch after they swept through their semifinals in straight sets on Friday.

Tennis's top two to tangle in Sunday's final
Federer: heading to his tenth Wimbledon final. Photo: AFP

Second seed Federer became the oldest finalist in 41 years when he downed Andy Murray 7-5, 7-5, 6-4, while top seed Djokovic, who beat Federer in five sets in last year's final, brushed aside Richard Gasquet 7-6 (7/2), 6-4, 6-4.
   
Federer, 33, will be playing in his 10th Wimbledon final and 26th at all the Grand Slams where victory will give him a record eighth All England Club crown and 18th major.
   
His demolition of 2013 champion Murray was his most impressive in recent years and featured 20 aces, 56 winners and just 11 unforced errors.
   
He allowed Murray, who he has now defeated in five out of six Grand Slam clashes, just one break point and that was in the opening game of the two hour, seven minute match.
   
“It's been tough, Andy has been playing very well this season and there was so much expectation on this match,” said Federer, who is the oldest finalist since 39-year-old Ken Rosewall in 1974.
   
“I had to try to focus and keep holding my serve one more game. You do it so many times you think the break will go against you eventually, but I managed to hold on.
   
“I was unbelievably happy. I maybe didn't show it at the end because the crowd went quiet. People maybe expected it to go four sets, me as well.
   
“My serve was the key. I've been serving very well in this tournament.”
   
Federer has a 20-19 winning record over Djokovic but they are 6-6 in the majors.
   
They have met twice at Wimbledon with Federer winning a semi-final in 2012 on his way to his most recent major triumph and Djokovic gaining revenge in last year's final.
   
Murray said he had served well and was happy with his performance.
   
“Roger served fantastic. I had one break point in the first set but after that I didn't get any opportunities,” admitted Murray who was looking to make the Wimbledon final for a third time.
   
“The pressure built and I was broken at the end of all three sets. But I didn't play that badly. I had a good match.”

 

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ROGER FEDERER

Is this the end of the road for Swiss tennis legend Roger Federer?

Roger Federer is talking optimistically about returning to his "highest level" after knee surgery, but does tennis have to start adjusting to a future without the Swiss star?

Is this the end of the road for Swiss tennis legend Roger Federer?
Is it the end of the line for Roger? Photo: Martin BUREAU / AFP

The 20-time Grand Slam winner announced on Wednesday that he would be sidelined until 2021 after his second operation in a matter of months.

Federer remains upbeat, tweeting: “I plan to take the necessary time to be 100 percent ready to play at my highest level.”

In some ways 2020 is a good season to miss after the coronavirus ravaged the tennis schedule. Writing Federer off in the past has proved dangerous.

He returned from a six-month injury lay-off to claim the Australian Open in 2017, winning his eighth Wimbledon crown later that year.

But he will be 40 in 2021 and is now heading into uncharted territory.

Despite his groaning trophy cabinet, there are two factors that will motivate Federer to keep going — the risk of losing his grip on the men's Grand Slam title record and a missing Olympics singles gold medal.

Rafael Nadal has 19 majors, just one shy of Federer's mark and Djokovic has 17.

Spain's Nadal will be fancied to draw level with Federer at the French Open, rescheduled for September, while few would bet against Djokovic winning in New York weeks earlier.

In April, Federer said he was “devastated” when Wimbledon was cancelled for the first time since World War II. Last year he fell agonisingly short at the All England Club, failing to convert two championship points on his own serve against Djokovic.

The Wimbledon grass probably remains his best chance of adding to his Grand Slam collection — he has not won the US Open since 2008 and his only title at Roland Garros came in 2009.

Even though Federer has slipped from the very pinnacle of the game, he is still a major threat to Nadal and Djokovic.

'Golden' ambitions

Last year, the world number four had a 53-10 win-loss record and he reached the semi-finals at the Australian Open in January in his only tournament this year.

Federer, who is still six ATP titles short of Jimmy Connors' all-time record of 109, has one glaring omission from his CV — the Olympic title.

The Swiss won doubles gold in Beijing in 2008 with compatriot Stan Wawrinka but lost in the singles final to Andy Murray in London four years later.

The postponed Tokyo Games will almost certainly be Federer's last opportunity to complete a career “golden” Grand Slam — he will turn 40 on the day of the closing ceremony next year.

Tennis will feel the loss of the elegant Federer keenly when he walks off the court for the last time.

Djokovic and Nadal have been the dominant forces in recent years but the Swiss remains the biggest draw and last month topped Forbes' list of the world's highest-earning athletes.

His last appearance on court was in front of nearly 52,000 fans — touted by organisers as a world record for tennis — at a charity match against Nadal in Cape Town in February.

Federer is nearly always the crowd favourite wherever he plays and has proved a perfect ambassador for the sport since he won his first Grand Slam title in 2003.

He certainly expects to be back and competitive next year.

“I will be missing my fans and the tour dearly but I will look forward to seeing everyone back on tour at the start of the 2021 season,” he tweeted.

The avalanche of support from his adoring fans showed they would miss him too, but they will have to get used to a time when he is gone for good.

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