Roger glides, Angelique conquers!
Locker Room
July 1, 2014
Beautiful and brutal.
The tennis which saw Roger Federer defeat Tommy Robredo in straight sets was beautiful. A man in total control, a master of his trade, who still hasn’t lost his serve in these Championships and rolls back the years to everyone’s delight.
The tennis which saw Angelique Kerber down Maria Sharapova was brutal – possibly the closest thing Wimbledon has seen to outright sporting warfare.
It took seven match points before the German finally outfought her favoured opponent.
Earlier, Federer’s effortless grace and balance has earned him an all-Swiss quarter-final showdown against Stan Wawrinka, the Aussie Open champion. That clash takes place tomorrow and is sure to provide some marvellous theatre for fans lucky enough to purchase a seat near the magical green stage.
And the drama on Centre Court today will certainly take some beating, after two women at the top their game almost bludgeoned each other into oblivion.
Angelique Kerber reflected: ‘It’s unbelievable, such a tough match, I was just fighting, I’m so happy to be in the quarters. It was a great match and I think people enjoyed it.
‘When I had three match points in a row and she came back to deuce I just said: “Believe in yourself.” Now I’ll play agressive against Eugenie Bouchard in the next match.’
Sharapova seemed to be striking the stronger blows in a three-set epic but got her angles all wrong when it really mattered.
Both women gave it everything and almost had nothing left by the end.
Federer, meanwhile, has plenty left in the tank after another immaculate display…and that’s what makes his Wimbledon campaign so fascinating this year.
Can the seven-time champion defy time and thrill his millions of fans once more at the All England Club?
We’re certainly going to enjoy watching the great man try.
Book your seats here to witness poetry in motion at Wimbledon. There’s still time!