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Gauff returns as Konta plays Kvitova – 'Manic Monday' preview

  • Posted: Jul 07, 2019
Wimbledon 2019 on the BBC
Venue: All England Club Dates: 1-14 July
Coverage: Live across BBC TV, radio and online with extensive coverage on BBC iPlayer, Red Button, Connected TVs and mobile app. Full details

Coco Gauff will face the toughest challenge of her Wimbledon campaign when she takes on Simona Halep on ‘Manic Monday’, with British number one Johanna Konta also in action.

After a day off on Sunday, play will resume as Konta plays Petra Kvitova.

Elsewhere in the women’s singles, world number one Ashleigh Barty – who is yet to drop a set – plays Alison Riske.

Defending champion Novak Djokovic and former winners Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal also return in the fourth round.

Djokovic will take on Frenchman Ugo Humbert on Court One, while on Centre Court, eight-time champion Federer faces Italian Matteo Berrettini and Nadal plays Portugal’s Joao Sousa.

Seven-time Wimbledon champion Serena Williams plays Spain’s Carla Suarez Navarro and Karolina Pliskova faces fellow Czech Karolina Muchova.

  • Nadal & Federer into Wimbledon fourth round
  • Williams & Kvitova ease into round four
  • Murray & Williams win on mixed doubles debut
  • ‘I hope Beyonce saw that!’ – Gauff’s wish after winning run continues

‘It’s cool that Michelle Obama knows I exist’

Week one of the Championships was a whirlwind for 15-year-old American qualifier Gauff, beating one of her “idols” Venus Williams before victories over Magdalena Rybarikova and Polona Hercog followed.

Twelve months ago, she was knocked out in the quarter-finals of the juniors competition at SW19 but has now become a household name around the globe, the world mesmerised by her journey.

Yet for this teenager, who can only enter 10 professional tournaments between her 15th and 16th birthdays, it’s the social media messages from Michelle Obama and Jaden Smith that have given her the biggest smile.

On the tweet by Obama, Gauff – who describes herself as “weird” and “goofy” – said: “I was super excited. She’s one of my role models, so it was just cool to see that she knows I exist.

“We don’t talk personally. I don’t have her number or anything. I would like that.”

In former world number one Halep, Gauff faces a player who, like herself, has dropped just one set in the tournament so far. Halep, though, has experience of the latter stages at Wimbledon, reaching the semi-finals in 2014 and two quarter-finals since then.

  • Live scores, schedule and results

‘Kvitova will be very inspired’ – Konta ready for battle

British number one Konta, who reached the Wimbledon semi-finals in 2017, faces Czech two-time Wimbledon champion Kvitova in the fourth round. It is their fifth meeting, but only their second at a Grand Slam.

They have twice met on grass, the latter occasion coming in Birmingham last year, with Kvitova winning in straight sets.

Kvitova, who won Wimbledon in 2011 and 2014, has yet to drop a set this campaign and Konta said she was looking forward to playing a “great champion”.

“I’m going to be coming up against a very, very inspired and very, very tough Petra,” said Konta.

“She’s also been playing incredibly well in the past couple of years.”

Kvitova acknowledged the British support for Konta, adding it would be a “difficult match”.

“Jo, I think for her, the grass is really going in the good way when she’s playing flat shots from both sides, especially from the backhand,” she said.

“I think she likes to play on the grass. Of course, the crowd will be on her side. I know what she’s able to do.”

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Williams jokes that she 'wanted to watch' much-hyped Murray match

  • Posted: Jul 07, 2019
Wimbledon 2019 on the BBC
Venue: All England Club Dates: 1-14 July
Coverage: Live across BBC TV, radio and online with extensive coverage on BBC iPlayer, Red Button, Connected TVs and mobile app. Full details

Serena Williams says she felt like she wanted to watch her highly-anticipated Wimbledon mixed doubles match with Andy Murray rather than play in it – and will try to see a video of their win.

American Williams and Britain’s Murray entertained Centre Court with a 6-4 6-1 win over Germany’s Andreas Mies and Chile’s Alexa Guarachi.

“This match was so hyped that I want to see it,” Williams, 37, said.

“We have a lot we want to get better on as a team.”

Williams and the Scot, 32, made the dream start to a blockbuster partnership that has been one of the main talking points at the All England Club this fortnight.

  • Murray and Williams start with impressive win
  • Konta into last 16 as Evans loses epic
  • Fognini apologies over bomb outburst

Anticipation had been high for their first appearance together, which was delayed until Saturday evening after Friday’s play on Centre Court and Court One moved the match back a day.

Eventually, it was played on Wimbledon’s main 15,000-seat arena in front of a healthy crowd in dwindling light, with those cheering on Murray and Williams soon rewarded.

The illustrious pair, who have 26 Grand Slam singles titles between them, had too much quality for the battling Mies and Guarachi as they won in one hour and 16 minutes.

But the intense focus in the build-up left even Williams, who reached the last 16 in the singles earlier on Saturday, feeling “a lot” of pressure.

“I thought, I have to do well because this match is so hyped that I want to see it,” she said. “I didn’t even want to be in it, I kind of just wanted to watch it. Maybe I’ll try to get a video of it or watch it somewhere.

“Overall I think I was able to handle my nerves pretty good, do better than I thought I was going to do.”

Murray and Williams gelled quickly in their first outing, breaking serve in the first game on their way to winning the opening set 6-4, before being more clinical in a one-sided second set.

They will meet 14th seeds Fabrice Martin and Raquel Atawo in the second round next week.

Murray only made his comeback from serious hip surgery last month, while Williams’ playing time this year has been hampered by a knee injury.

“We created lots of chances in the first set, but maybe weren’t as clinical as maybe we’d like to be,” Murray said. “That comes with matches a little bit. Neither of us have played much recently, but that will come.”

Williams added: “We have a lot we want to get better on as a team. I think we did great for the first day. We just want to keep it up.”

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Wimbledon 2019: Johanna Konta into fourth round but Dan Evans & Harriet Dart lose

  • Posted: Jul 06, 2019
Wimbledon 2019 on the BBC
Venue: All England Club Dates: 1-14 July
Coverage: Live across BBC TV, radio and online with extensive coverage on BBC iPlayer, Red Button, Connected TVs and mobile app. Full details

Johanna Konta is the only Briton left in the Wimbledon singles after staging a determined comeback against American Sloane Stephens to reach the last 16.

The 2017 semi-finalist had trailed by a set and was under pressure on her serve before regrouping to win 3-6 6-4 6-1.

Compatriot Dan Evans had many chances against Portugal’s Joao Sousa but lost 4-6 6-4 7-5 4-6 6-4 in an epic battle.

Fellow Briton Harriet Dart was earlier overwhelmed 6-1 6-1 by Australian world number one Ashleigh Barty.

Konta will face Czech 2011 and 2014 champion Petra Kvitova for a place in the quarter-finals on Monday.

“I just kept plugging away more than anything,” Konta told BBC television.

“I was fully prepared to not be coming back in that second set because she really was playing well. I was really pleased I could keep battling, I was pleased I could mix things up and I did a good job in getting her out of that zone.”

  • Ex-champion Kvitova into fourth round
  • Fognini sorry for Wimbledon bomb outburst
  • Follow Saturday’s Wimbledon action – TV, text & radio

Konta turns frustration into fightback

Konta had dominated Stephens in a 6-1 6-4 victory in the French Open quarter-finals last month, playing some of the best tennis of her career.

But the 28-year-old struggled to find her rhythm and became frustrated with herself at times against the 26-year-old American on Court One.

After losing the first set when she netted a backhand, Konta found herself under increasing pressure on her serve in the second.

She showed glimpses of the mental negativity that has hampered her in the past, shooting glances at her coach Dimitri Zavialoff and berating herself for her wayward shots.

But she then translated that into fighting spirit in the fifth game of the second set when she was taken to deuce six times and saved three break points before eventually holding.

That proved to be the start of a comeback as she went on to break the American in the 10th game to take the set and force a decider.

From then on she did not look back – the overcooked forehands found the lines and the head-shaking at changeovers became fist pumps as she won five games in a row from late in the second set to surge ahead in the third.

And her victory was complete when Stephens hit long with just over two hours on the clock.

“I’m really pleased that I’ve been able to make it to the second week in two successive Grand Slams. I’ve never been able to do that before,” Konta said.

Evans lets chances slip

Evans had prepared for his third-round match by having a one-hour hitting session with 20-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer on Friday and he started well with a break in the opening game.

He continued to put Sousa’s serve under pressure, carving out but failing to convert four other break points, and dominated to take the first set.

He went a break up early in the next two sets but both times allowed the Portuguese to get back into the sets with some excellent net play. Evans double-faulted to gift the second set to Sousa and then hit wide to hand over the third.

Evans again broke early in the fourth and let the advantage slip but this time he clawed his way back from brink when Sousa was one game from victory, delivering a cross-court forehand winner that sent the Court One crowd to their feet.

With the light fading, the new roof was closed on the court for the fifth set, and Evans once again went a break up but let that slip in the next game.

He went match point down on his own service game and with the clock ticking just past four hours, he netted to send Sousa into a last-16 encounter with 18-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal.

“It is a hard one to take,” Evans, 29, said. “It’s just disappointing to lose such a tight one.”

He was keen to keep perspective, having enjoyed a successful grass-court season with two titles, and when asked how long it would take for him to get over the defeat he replied bluntly: “About 45 minutes.

“It is not the end of the world. It just hurts but what can I do? Feeling sorry for myself isn’t going to help.”

Dart learns ‘tough lesson’

Dart exits with her head held high after a tournament that marked her first back-to-back wins at tour level.

The world number 182 had said beforehand that the match against French Open champion Barty would provide her with a good measure of where her tennis was at.

Having lost 6-0 6-0 to Maria Sharapova in her last match against a high-profile player on a Grand Slam main show court at January’s Australian Open, she can be comforted by the fact she got herself on the scoreboard in the 53-minute defeat by Barty.

The Australian – who has been beaten by only one player outside the world’s top 10 this year – dropped just three points on serve in the first set, moving a double break up before the world number 182 was finally able to hold.

Dart went a double break down at the start of the second set before showing signs of her form of previous rounds, reaching four break points before allowing Barty to hold.

“It’s a good learning curve for me,” she said. “She played great. She didn’t let me in the match at all.

“It’s a tough lesson to learn. It’s been a great tournament for me. I should take a lot of positives from it.”

Barty, who is the first Australian to reach the women’s singles fourth round at Wimbledon since 2010, said the young Briton had a bright future.

“Harriet is going to have a fantastic career. I know she will play out on Centre Court again soon,” said the Australian, who will play American Alison Riske in the fourth round.

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Federer: 'Being At The Top Requires More Hunger'

  • Posted: Jul 06, 2019

Federer: ‘Being At The Top Requires More Hunger’

Swiss reflects on moving through the first week at SW19

This is Roger Federer’s record 21st Wimbledon appearance, and with his straight-sets victory on Saturday against Lucas Pouille, the 37-year-old Swiss is into the second week at SW19 for the 17th time.

It’s easy to forget that in three of his first four runs at the All England Club, Federer lost in the first round. So was he more motivated at a younger age trying to break through, or now, as he tries to win his ninth title at this Grand Slam championship?

“I think being at the top requires more hunger because in the beginning every number higher you can get, it’s like, ‘Oh, my God, I’m 50, I’m 25, I’m 13’. It’s just so exciting. It’s easy to stay motivated,” Federer said. “But to be at the top, obviously it’s also motivating because you can win tournaments. It’s a totally different ball game. I think you need both. But I think staying at the top requires a lot of dedication, sacrifice and all that. I’ve done well, so I’m proud of myself there.”

Federer has performed well through the first week after losing his first set of the event against Lloyd Harris. The 102-time tour-level titlist has been largely untroubled, while 10 of the Top 14 seeds have been eliminated.

“The panic can set in quickly on this surface. I don’t know if that’s got something to do [with it], and if age calms the nerves there,” Federer said. “I’m not sure. I also think it’s maybe a moment in time.

“At the same time, we know how hard it is to beat Novak, how hard it is to beat Rafa here. Me, as well. I have a great record here. We obviously also have better draws because we’re seeded, and we’re away from the bigger seeds earlier. Our path to the fourth round is definitely not as hard as maybe some of the younger guys on the Tour, as well.”

It did not take long for upsets to pop up at Wimbledon this year, with both reigning Nitto ATP Finals champion Alexander Zverev and reigning Next Gen ATP Finals titlist Stefanos Tsitsipas being sent packing in the first round, as was Roland Garros finalist Dominic Thiem.

“The surprises were definitely there that first day with Stefanos and Sascha and everything, Dominic. Now, I do believe it’s nice to have experience on this surface. The problem is it’s not like you can play a ton of tournaments, just say, ‘I’m going to focus on the grass court season this year’,” Federer said. “You can, and play three tournaments leading in, then maybe you’ll be tired by the third match. It’s just not so simple.”

It’s been a different season for Federer compared to the last couple of years, as the Swiss competed on clay for the first time since 2016. He has had no issues with the surface change, winning all eight of his matches on grass so far in 2019.

“I feel like I was able to come through [the clay] really good,” Federer said. “Number one, the first buildup I had on the clay when I started, before even playing tournaments, [I] didn’t know where it’s going to take me. In practice I felt really good.”  

Federer became the first player to earn 350 Grand Slam match wins on Saturday. And next Sunday, he’ll hope to lift a record ninth trophy here. But first, he will have to get by Matteo Berrettini in the fourth round.

“The records mean something to me, but not everything just because I am very much aware that not everybody for the last hundred years played all the Slams,” Federer said. “It’s really only the past 20 years that that’s been going on. Travelling has gotten easier. I’m sure that’s going to keep happening from now on, most of the players will keep playing.”

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Jamie Murray column: Men's doubles disappointment, mixed doubles success, Andy partners up with Serena

  • Posted: Jul 06, 2019

During Wimbledon, six-time Grand Slam doubles champion Jamie Murray is writing a column for BBC Sport. In his second, he discusses his mixed start to the tournament, brother Andy’s partnership with Serena Williams, and his ambition to help the tennis stars of the future.

My men’s doubles partner Neal Skupski and I lost in the first round of Wimbledon on Friday and it was a disappointing result. We got outplayed by Ivan Dodig and Filip Polasek and lost 2-6 7-6 (7-2) 3-6 6-1 6-4.

Those guys played really well. They played very aggressively and were serving big, so we just got overrun a bit, which was unfortunate.

Play had started on Thursday but was suspended because of bad light, and it was disappointing for us not to be able to finish the match then because we were looking stronger, but that was just bad luck on our part and it didn’t work out so well for us.

Unfortunately, it was just one of those things. It’s only really at Wimbledon that it happens – at other tournaments, it only occurs if there are strong winds or you get rain. It’s happened to me a few times before and it is never ideal because you have to start again from scratch; it’s a new day, new feelings.

It also gives the players of both teams time to speak to their coaches, and to get a better handle on what has been happening in the match.

It changes the momentum in a way because it’s a fresh start. We were just unlucky because I think we were the only court that didn’t finish that night.

Neither Neal nor I felt that we did a lot wrong. It’s a new partnership and I think we both felt good together on the court.

We didn’t have great results instantaneously but that doesn’t mean we’re not going to be a good team and have a successful partnership going forward. We haven’t lost any belief at all in the team. We just have to look ahead now and prepare for the hard court season.

  • Jamie Murray progresses in mixed doubles but goes out of men’s competition

‘I’m really happy we won our mixed doubles opener’

Later on Friday afternoon, I had my first round mixed doubles match with my partner Bethanie Mattek-Sands. We beat Joe Salisbury and Katy Dunne 7-5 7-6 (10-8) but it took me a little while to get going because it was pretty soon after the disappointment of the men’s doubles.

Bethanie is great fun, a great character and a great player as well, and she’s a good partner to have in that situation. I was really happy that we were able to get the win and hopefully we will have a good few matches together over the next week.

Moving from clay to grass takes a bit of adjusting. On clay, you’re sliding around, the ball is bouncing up and you’re having to play a lot of balls around shoulder height.

But then you get on grass and you need a lot of small adjustment steps. The ball is bouncing lower so you are using a lot of different, smaller muscles and you need a stability that maybe you don’t need on other surfaces.

You’re able to move the ball around a lot more too. On serve, you can swing the ball a lot more so you get a lot more help from the grass courts than you would on other courts.

I prefer playing on hard courts; that is where I have had all my best results throughout my career. I do like playing on grass, but it’s such a short season and sometimes it feels like it’s over before it’s even started.

‘Andy and Serena playing together is unique’

I think it’s really cool that Andy has partnered up with Serena Williams in the mixed doubles. We didn’t speak about it before it was announced, but it’s great for the event because it puts it in the spotlight a lot more than it normally would be.

You’ve got two greats of the game competing with each other. We never get that at a Grand Slam, so it’s a unique situation.

Hopefully, they can compete hard and play until the end of the tournament because it would be great for the event of mixed doubles.

There was a lot of build-up pre-match and it was fun to see them playing in front of a packed Centre Court on Saturday night.

‘I want to coach when I finish playing’

I have recently launched a YouTube channel because I wanted to document my life as a tennis player, because it’s a very unique life that we live.

I wanted to showcase all the things we have to go through in our daily lives that the public wouldn’t see. They see us on TV hitting tennis balls but they don’t necessarily see what goes into getting us onto the match court in terms of the preparation.

There will also be a lot of instructional videos going up, with tips, advice and tactics on the game, and on training. Singles and doubles are very different and I just thought it would be interesting for people to see how we train.

I would like to coach once my playing career is over, but whether I would like to coach on the Tour, I’m not sure, because I have been travelling for so long.

I would like to help some of the younger players in our country. Not a lot of people have made it to the top of the game and can therefore share their experiences. I certainly feel that’s something I would be passionate and enthusiastic about.

Jamie Murray was speaking to BBC Sport’s Katie Falkingham at Wimbledon.

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Murray & Serena Storm Through Wimbledon Opener

  • Posted: Jul 06, 2019

Murray & Serena Storm Through Wimbledon Opener

Top seeds Soares/Melichar advance on Saturday

Andy Murray and Serena Williams put on a show for Centre Court on Saturday at Wimbledon, defeating Andreas Mies and Alexa Guarachi 6-4, 6-1 to reach the second round in mixed doubles.

“It was a great experience being back on Centre Court with Serena after the last year or so being tough. It was nice. I enjoyed it,” said Murray. “After the amount of success that someone like Serena has had for such a long period, to still be out there at 8:00 at night, having already won a singles [match] and just wanting to win and being competitive… That’s impressive.”

You May Also Like: Andy & Serena Join Forces In Wimbledon Mixed Doubles Draw

Murray/Williams opened the match by breaking Guarachi’s serve and held the lead throughout the match. A forehand return winner from Murray sealed the victory after one hour and 16 minutes. Next up for Murray/Williams are No. 14 seeds Fabrice Martin and Raquel Atawo.

“At some point I started feeling a lot of pressure. I have to do well because this match is so hyped that I want to see it. I didn’t even want to be in it. I just wanted to watch it,” joked Williams. “Maybe I’ll try to get a video of it or watch it somewhere. I think I was able to handle my nerves pretty good, do better than I thought I was going to do.”

“Follow

Second-round mixed doubles action also took place on Saturday. Top seeds Bruno Soares and Nicole Melichar defeated Denys Molchanov and Galina Voskoboeva 7-6(4), 3-6, 6-3. Joran Vliegen and Saisai Zheng upset second seeds Jean-Julien Rojer and Demi Schuurs 6-4, 7-5.

On Friday, #NextGenATP American Frances Tiafoe won his opening match with Venus Williams over Scott Clayton and Sarah Beth Grey 6-2, 6-3. 

“I got a text from [my coach]. He said, ‘Do you want to play doubles with Venus?’ I was like, ‘That’s a dumb question.’ The next day, we are doing two-hour doubles drills,” said Tiafoe. “I looked up to [Venus and Serena] all my life. Still do. It’s an honour to share the court with them.”

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Wimbledon 2019: Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer progress to fourth round

  • Posted: Jul 06, 2019
Wimbledon 2019 on the BBC
Venue: All England Club Dates: 1-14 July
Coverage: Live across BBC TV, radio and online with extensive coverage on BBC iPlayer, Red Button, Connected TVs and mobile app. Full details

Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal reached the fourth round at Wimbledon with straight-set victories over French opponents.

Spanish world number two Nadal – a two-time winner at SW19 – defeated Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-2 6-3 6-2.

Eight-time Wimbledon champion Federer beat Lucas Pouille 7-5 6-2 7-6 (7-4).

Nadal will play Britain’s Dan Evans or Portugal’s Joao Sousa in the next round while Federer will take on Italy’s Matteo Berrettini.

It was the first time Nadal had played Tsonga at the All England Club and their first meeting since 2015.

“I’m very happy. I think I played a great match,” Nadal told BBC Sport.

“I was returning well, playing aggressively with the forehand and the backhand. I think I did a lot of things well.

“Tsonga is someone you don’t want to face in the third round at Wimbledon.

“Every single day is a battle here. It is not a surface I play a lot of matches on during the year.”

Victory over Pouille saw Federer become the first player to achieve 350 Grand Slam singles match wins.

“It was tough. It was a hard-fought match, especially in the first set,” Federer said.

“I think going up two sets was key. The third was tough, it was very even.

“There is always a relief winning a third-set breaker because if it goes the wrong way, you might be here for a few more hours.”

  • Murray & Herbert out of men’s doubles
  • GB’s Dart beaten by top seed Barty
  • Fognini sorry for Wimbledon bomb outburst
  • Williams & Kvitova ease into round four

Nadal in stylish victory

In his first meeting with Frenchman Tsonga at a Grand Slam in 11 years, Nadal secured an early break to move 4-1 ahead and made just three unforced errors throughout the opening set.

The second set stayed with serve until Nadal broke to lead 4-2, and he almost sealed the set on a break before Tsonga fought back to force him to serve out for a 2-0 advantage.

Nadal dominated the third set, gaining a double break, and he almost broke Tsonga yet again on his third match point but the two-time Wimbledon semi-finalist was able to hold.

However, Nadal quickly served out the match to love in one hour 48 minutes, with Tsonga seemingly nursing a hand injury after a tumble earlier in the game.

Federer made to sweat by Pouille

Federer was meeting Pouille for the first time at a Grand Slam and the first set proved a cagey affair, staying on serve with the Frenchman scuppering two break points.

But it was Federer who finally broke serve and he did it at the perfect time, sealing the opening set on his second set point.

The second set proved the polar opposite, however, with Federer sealing a double break early on to go 4-0 up before failing to hold his own serve.

Just as he did in the opener, he won the set on a break to move just one away from a place in the fourth round.

Little could separate the two in the third set with Federer missing match point as Pouille held to take the set to a tie-break, which Federer won.

Elsewhere, eighth seed Kei Nishikori beat American Steve Johnson 6-4 6-3 6-2.

Tennys Sandgren defeated Fabio Fognini 6-3 7-6 (14-12) 6-3 and will play American compatriot Sam Querrey next after he beat John Millman in straight sets.

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Federer Beats Pouille At Wimbledon For 350th Grand Slam Match Win

  • Posted: Jul 06, 2019

Federer Beats Pouille At Wimbledon For 350th Grand Slam Match Win

Swiss will play Stuttgart champion Berrettini for quarter-final spot

Eight-time champion Roger Federer was pushed early in his third-round Wimbledon clash against No. 27 seed Lucas Pouille, appearing in danger of dropping the first set for the second time this week. But one 10-minute surge was all the 37-year-old Swiss needed to grab the match with both hands and move into the second week at The Championships for the 17th time.

Federer defeated Australian Open semi-finalist Pouille 7-5, 6-2, 7-6(4) in two hours and  minutes, becoming the first player in history to earn 350 Grand Slam singles wins. He is also the first man in the Open Era to reach the fourth round at Wimbledon 17 times, breaking a tie with Jimmy Connors.

“I’m very happy how it’s going so far. I thought it was a good match with Lucas today,” Federer said. “Of course, I hope it’s going to take a special performance from somebody to stop me.”

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Pouille reached just one tour-level quarter-final since advancing to the last four in Melbourne this January. But the 25-year-old came out firing in his second appearance in the third round at SW19. The Frenchman went blow-for-blow with Federer in the early going, engaging in fast-paced rallied on the baseline with the 102-time tour-level titlist.

But Federer proved capable of maintaining his level in those types of exchanges, and that was key in determining the patterns of the match. The second seed hit 39 winners to just 14 unforced errors to advance to a battle against No. 17 seed and recent MercedesCup champion Matteo Berrettini, who defeated No. 24 seed Diego Schwartzman in a five-set thriller.

The biggest moment of the match arguably came at 5-5 in the first set, when Pouille earned a break point that, if converted, would have allowed him to serve for the opener. Federer used two overhead smashes to stave off that chance, and never looked back from there, winning the next six games to take a commanding lead.

“I’m happy that I’m able to raise my level of play,” Federer said. “There was a great run of games midway through the second, also after winning the first. I like seeing moments like that in a match for me.”

“Follow

Pouille recovered well in the third set, using good depth to keep Federer from completely exerting his will on Centre Court. The Frenchman saved the first match point he faced while serving at 5-6, eventually forcing a tie-break. But Federer used a strong return to take control of a point on his first return point of the tie-break, and he stormed on from there. The 19-time tour-level grass-court titlist closed out his triumph when Pouille hit a backhand into the net.

Federer has never previously faced Berrettini, who has climbed from No. 81 to No. 20 in the ATP Rankings since the start of Wimbledon last year. The Italian saved three match points in the fourth set before outlasting Schwartzman 6-7(5), 7-6(2), 4-6, 7-6(5), 6-3 in four hours and 19 minutes, falling to the Court 18 grass after Schwartzman missed a backhand on his first match point. It was the longest match of the tournament thus far.

The 23-year-old has now won 12 of his 13 tour-level grass-court matches this year, despite having been 1-3 on the surface previously. Berrettini won two fewer points than Schwartzman overall, but he struck 22 aces and hit 75 winners in his victory.

“[It was] a really tough one. I wasn’t feeling so good. I guess also because he was playing good, he was annoying me, the way he plays,” Berrettini said. “I was a little bit nervous, too. But the good thing is the match was best of five, so I had time to figure it out and to improve my mind. It was a tough one, definitely.”

Berrettini admitted he cheered for Federer when he was growing up, but stopped when he began to see Federer in the same tournaments draws as him. To the Italian, facing the Swiss is a dream come true. But for Federer, he expects a challenge.

“I don’t know him very well on top of it. So that makes it a bit more tricky, as well. I saw him play a little bit in Halle. Saw his run, of course, in Stuttgart. Now he’s backing it up here again. That’s not easy to do, especially when you’re sort of newer on the Tour,” Federer said, before cracking a smile. “I’m expecting a tough one. I hope he has no energy left after today. I’m sure he’ll recover. He’s young. I’m sure we’ll see a tough match on Monday.”

Did You Know?
Federer is into the Round of 16 at a Grand Slam for the 65th time, extending his record for most trips to the fourth round of a major in the Open Era.

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