Roger Federer beats Mischa Zverev to reach Wimbledon fourth round
Saturday 8 July 2017 22:45, UK
Roger Federer moved effortlessly into the Wimbledon last 16 beating Mischa Zverev 7-6 6-4 6-4 to set up a showdown with Grigor Dimitrov.
The 18-time Grand Slam champion recorded a third successive straight-sets triumph of the opening week to diffuse the easy-on-the-eye style of Zverev and reach the last 16 at the All-England Club for a 15th time.
Federer now meets the man nicknamed 'Baby Fed' for the sixth time and it's the Swiss great who has won all five previous contests, including their last meeting in the third round of last year's Australian Open
Dimitrov booked his place in round four for only the second time in his career when Israel's Dudi Sela retired having lost the first two sets by the same 6-1 scoreline.
At 35, Federer is the oldest man remaining in the draw but as he has already proved this season he is moving with all the poise and panache that underpinned his dominance of more than a decade ago.
So far in 2017, he has racked up another Grand Slam title, two Masters Series titles and a 500 win in Halle coupled with just two defeats after missing the final six months of last season.
Perhaps the hope for the rest of the field came in Federer's press conference where, looking remarkably relaxed, he admitted that if wife Mirka felt it was in the family's interests to end his career, he would have no hesitation in doing so.
"Without her I couldn't do it," said Federer.
"If she said 'I don't want to travel anymore', I'll say, 'Okay, my career is over'. It's as simple as that. So she's the key to a lot of this.
"But she's happy to be doing it - not on a weekly basis because travelling gets too much with four children, so I went to Stuttgart and Halle on my own.
"Now here we're together, we are having a great time. I'm happy she allows me to chase our dreams, because she's in it as much as I am. She's been an amazing support to me. She's the best."
But Federer is playing some remarkable tennis and he was at it again as dusk descended on SW19 and the temperature cooled on a baking day in the capital.
Centre Court was enthralled and the older of the Zverev brothers played his part too, before exiting and leaving the younger Alexander to carry the name into the second week.
Federer could meet the prodigiously talented 10th seed in the quarter-final, but he will have to find his way past a Dimitrov with an equally ruthless run to the fourth round.
Chasing a first Wimbledon crown since 2012, Federer swaggered his way to a 4-2 lead but Zverev, displaying the sort of serve-volley tennis that accounted for Andy Murray at the Australian Open, shocked the Swiss great and his adoring Centre Court crowd by breaking back.
And then at 5-5, Zverev had the audacity to force break points on the Federer serve, only for the seven-time Wimbledon champion to save them with some serve-volley tactics of his own.
After briefly threatening to break and take the set, Federer was forced to wait until the tie-break before clinching the opener, striking with an early mini-break before looking rock-solid on his serve to seal it 7-3.
As so often the case, Federer struck at the opportune moment and secured an early break in the second set, and looked routinely untroubled on his own serve to give him a two-set advantage.
Undaunted Zverev continued on his merry way, playing a full part in an entertaining contest but he could not leave with the brilliance of Federer.
A solitary break was again enough for Federer in the final set. At times it appears the match runs to his tune - not expending too much energy but just enough to get the job done.
A glance at the match statistics says otherwise as Federer produced 61 winners to just seven errors, proof if it were needed that he might just be back to his very best. Mrs Federer would do well to hold off with any immediate retirement demands for now.
Earlier in the day, Bulgarian Dimitrov had become the first winner on middle Saturday, producing some spellbinding tennis until Sela was forced to retire.
Dimitrov raced through the first set in little over 20 minutes before Sela called for the trainer and a medical time-out.
Despite his best efforts, a struggling Sela could make no impact on Dimitrov, who was able to pick off winners at will from both wings and advance to the fourth round for the first time since reaching the last four in 2014.
On that occasion, he handed Andy Murray a straight-sets quarter-final defeat and he will need to find those levels again when he takes on Federer, the darling of SW19, on what promises to be a mouthwatering occasion on Monday.
Also through to Monday's packed schedule are Milos Raonic and Alexander Zverev, the pair coming through straightforward encounters to set up a last-16 encounter that will have the speed gun in overdrive.
Last year's runner-up Raonic opened the day on No 1 Court against Spain's Albert Ramos-Vinolas and was barely troubled on his own serve while making the necessary breakthrough against the 25th seed in each set for a 7-6 6-4 7-5 success.
Zverev was similarly untroubled in beating Austria's Sebastian Ofner 6-4 6-4 6-2. The German is tipped as a future world No 1 and Grand Slam champion but had never made the fourth round of the majors until his breakthrough in the Saturday afternoon heat.
He served a mixed start on Court No 2 to end the surprise run of world no 217 Ofner, who had shocked Jack Sock in the second round.
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