Federer shines bright in twilight zone

LONDON, United Kingdom — Roger Federer insists he is only slightly surprised to find himself tantalizingly within touching distance of a record eighth Wimbledon title despite his 36th birthday fast approaching.

The Swiss star reached the Wimbledon semi-finals for the 12th time on Wednesday with a 6-4, 6-2, 7-6 (7/4) win over Milos Raonic.

It was his 100th match at the All England Club and the 50th Grand Slam quarter-final of his career.

At 35, Federer is the second oldest man to reach the semi-finals after Ken Rosewall who finished runner-up in 1974 at the age of 39.

With ‘Big Four’ rivals Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic suffering injury-hit exits on Wednesday and Rafael Nadal having lost in the fourth round, Federer is favourite to reclaim the Wimbledon title on Sunday and break the tie for seven he has shared with Pete Sampras since 2012.

It would also take him to 19 career majors and make him the oldest champion at Wimbledon in the Open era.

“The plan was always to hopefully be strong later on in my career,” said Federer who will face Tomas Berdych in Friday’s semi-finals.

“I don’t see myself playing better than a few years ago. I always hope to improve every year.

“I’m just very happy that I’m still doing so well. Am I surprised? Maybe a little bit.”

The contrast between Federer and Murray and Djokovic on Wednesday was impossible to ignore.

Defending champion and world number one Murray lost in five sets to Sam Querrey of the United States, hobbled by a long-standing right hip injury.

Djokovic, the three-time winner, quit after two games of the second set of his quarter-final against Berdych with a right elbow injury.

Like Murray’s hip, the elbow problem plaguing Djokovic has been a constant menace for many seasons.

It has got so bad that Djokovic admitted he is contemplating either surgery or even an extended break from the sport.

Federer has already trimmed back his schedule, skipping the 2016 and 2017 French Opens which were won by Djokovic and Nadal.

After losing to Raonic in the Wimbledon semi-finals last year, Federer shut down his season to rest a knee injury which had already required surgery earlier in 2016.

He came back in January this year, won the Australian Open for his 18th Slam, added the Indian Wells-Miami Masters double before hibernating again through the claycourt season.

“Once you hit 30, you’ve got to look back and think of how much tennis have I played, how much rest did I give my body over the years, how much training have I done, did I do enough, did I overdo it or not enough,” he explained.

“It’s always calibrating the whole thing. For me it worked out. Sometimes the body and the mind do need a rest.” CBB

source: sports.inquirer.net

Madison Keys wins opening match at Wimbledon

LONDON — Madison Keys won her opening match on Monday at Wimbledon, beating Nao Hibino of Japan 6-4, 6-2.

The 17th-seeded American reached the quarterfinals at the All England Club in 2015 and the fourth round last year.

Meanwhile, Nick Kyrgios has retired from his first-round match at Wimbledon after losing the first two sets.

The 20th-seeded Australian was trailing Pierre-Hugues Herbert of France 6-3, 6-4 when he called for a trainer to work on his left hip. He then decided to stop the match.

Kyrgios also retired with an injury from his first-round match at Queen’s, a Wimbledon warm-up tournament.

Despite warm temperatures with sun peeking through the clouds, Kyrgios was wearing white tights under his shorts.

Defending champion Andy Murray will be up first on Centre Court at about 1 p.m. (8 p.m. PHT) against Alexander Bublik.

First up on No. 1 Court will be Venus Williams, a five-time champion who faces Elise Mertens.

This is Williams’ first match since she was involved in a car accident in Florida on June. The American is being sued by the estate of a man who died about two weeks after the crash that police say Williams caused.

Other major title winners on the Day 1 schedule include Rafael Nadal, Stan Wawrinka and Petra Kvitova.

Meanwhile, the Duchess of Cambridge has offered praise to Wimbledon‘s ball boys and ball girls, saying their professionalism made a huge difference to the players.

The former Kate Middleton made her first visit to the tournament in her capacity as patron of the All England Club. The duchess told two ball girls and a boy that their work “makes the game happen.”

After praising their dedication, she also added, “You look so smart.”

Kate will take her place in the royal box to watch Andy Murray on Centre Court on Monday.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Serena wins 7th Wimbledon, record-equaling 22nd major title

Serena Williams powered to her seventh Wimbledon crown as the world number one finally claimed a record-equalling 22nd major title with a 7-5, 6-3 victory over Angelique Kerber in Saturday’s final.

Williams had been stuck on 21 Grand Slams since winning last year’s Wimbledon, but the American star ended that frustrating barren spell to retain the title and draw level with Steffi Graf’s Open era record.

Serena was pushed hard by Kerber in a high-quality clash lasting 81 minutes on Centre Court, but the German fourth seed eventually crumbled under a barrage of 39 winners and 13 aces from the defending champion.

“It’s a great feeling to be here. Angelique brings out great tennis in me,” said Serena.

“Number 22 is awesome. Centre Court feels like home.”

Kerber said the American was a great champion.

“Serena you deserve it, you are a great champion and great person. We played a great match,” said Kerber.

“It’s an honor to play on Centre Court and a great feeling.”

Having avenged her shock loss against Kerber in the Australian Open final in January, Williams was wreathed in smiles as she paraded the Venus Rosewater Dish around Centre Court after collecting a cheque for £2 million ($2.5 million, 2.3 million euros).

But the far more significant reward is the knowledge she has reestablished her supremacy at a time when doubters were beginning to question the 34-year-old’s hunger for more silverware after consecutive Slam final defeats this year.

In a testament to her remarkable longevity as the sport’s preeminent force, Serena is once again Wimbledon’s queen 14 years after her first success at the All England Club.

Equalling Margaret Court’s all-time record of 24 Grand Slam titles will be Serena’s next goal.

The 71st singles title of Williams’ astonishing career also moved her within two of Martina Navratilova’s all-time record of nine Wimbledon triumphs.

Showing signs of cracking under the pressure of her bid for tennis immortality, Williams had cut a grumpy figure for much of the tournament, earning a fine for racquet smashing and threatening to sue Wimbledon officials if she was injured on a wet court.

But a serene focus came over Williams with the trophy in sight and she delivered a 48-minute masterclass against Elena Vesnina in the quickest semi-final in Wimbledon history.

Defiant

With pop royalty Beyonce and Jay-Z among Serena’s entourage in the players’ box, Williams finally hit the right notes after so many recent disappointments.

In her ninth Wimbledon final and 28th at the majors, Williams had a golden opportunity to seize the initiative in Kerber’s first service game, but the German showed her mettle as she nervelessly saved three break points.

Given Williams’ pursuit of Graf’s historic landmark, it was a delicious twist that the 47-year-old had played a role in Kerber’s recent rise after advising her compatriot.

Showing she has heeded Graf’s words of wisdom, Kerber had sprinted to the final without dropping a set in her six matches and she matched Serena blow for blow in a tense first set.

Kerber, in her first Wimbledon final and second major title match, was moving Williams into awkward positions with her left-handed ground-strokes.

But Serena kept slugging away and the barrage eventually proved too much for the 28-year-old to resist.

A sequence of blistering ground-strokes rocked the German deep behind the baseline on set point, forcing a fatal error that Serena celebrated with a defiant shriek and a prolonged double-fist pump.

Kerber was still competing gamely in the second set, but when she finally earned a first break point in the seventh game, Williams got out of trouble with a pair of imperious aces.

The German’s look of resignation suggested the end was in sight and so it proved as Serena broke in the next game.

Serena’s coach Patrick Mouratoglou says she enjoys her major triumphs for little more than five minutes before switching her attention to the next target.

But judging by the joyous way Williams slumped flat on her back on Centre Court when Kerber miscued on match point, the sweet taste of this historic success might linger a little longer.

source: sports.inquirer.net