Federer wins French rematch with Soderling
Swiss star moves 3 victories from 15th Slam; Roddick, Murray also advance
 Sang Tan / AP Roger Federer beat Robin Soderling 6-4, 7-6 (5), 7-6 (5) in the fourth round of Wimbledon on Monday. |
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WIMBLEDON, England - The last time they met, a Grand Slam title was on the line, the surface was clay and the weather was chilly and wet.
This time, they played in the fourth round, the surface was grass and the conditions were sweltering.
The result was no different, though, as Roger Federer swept Robin Soderling in straight sets.
Federer outserved the Swede 6-4, 7-6 (5), 7-6 (5) on Monday to reach the Wimbledon quarterfinals — three weeks after downing Soderling in three sets in Paris for his first French Open title.
Winning the big points and never losing serve, Federer extended his career record against the 13th-ranked Soderling to 11-0. He’s dropped only one set to the Swede in 26 sets played.
“When you play a player like Soderling, who you’ve beaten already 10 times in the past, it just shoots through your mind,” Federer said. “All the information is right there, you know, stored somewhere.”
The five-time Wimbledon champion reached his 25th Grand Slam quarterfinal and matched Ivan Lendl with 48 match wins at Wimbledon for a share of eighth place on the all-time list. He’s just three wins away from a record 15th Grand Slam championship and will regain the No. 1 ranking from injured Rafael Nadal if he takes the title.
Federer looks back at home — and back at his best — after a rough period early in the year when he lost to Nadal in the Australian Open final and struggled to find his dominant form.
Now he feels like a new player again.
“Just being relaxed on court,” Federer said. “No signs of panics, what I maybe had six months ago when I played. I would just feel uneasy. I wouldn’t be exactly sure what the right plays were. Now I feel perfect.”
Up next is Ivo Karlovic, the 6-foot-10 Croatian who served 35 aces and beat No. 7 Fernando Verdasco 7-6 (5), 6-7 (4), 6-3, 7-6 (9). Karlovic has yet to lose his serve in four matches, but Federer is 8-1 against him.
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No. 6-seeded Andy Roddick hit 24 aces, never faced a break point and defeated No. 20 Tomas Berdych 7-6 (4), 6-4, 6-3.
“I’m having so much fun,” said Roddick, a two-time runner-up to Federer. “I love playing here. It really is an honor, and that’s something that is never lost on me.”
Roddick’s opponent Wednesday will be 2002 champion Lleyton Hewitt, who rallied from a two-set deficit for the sixth time in his career to beat No. 23 Radek Stepanek, 4-6, 2-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-2. No. 4 Novak Djokovic broke seven times and beat Dudi Sela 6-2, 6-4, 6-1.
They played into the night, later than anyone ever had in Wimbledon’s long history, and they played indoors, the first match contested entirely under Centre Court’s new roof.
And at about 10:40 p.m. Monday, when No. 3-seeded Andy Murray of Britain finally finished off a 2-6, 6-3, 6-3, 5-7, 6-3 victory over No. 19 Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland to reach the quarterfinals at the All England Club, the partisan fans celebrated their guy’s victory with quite a roar.
No man from Britain has won Wimbledon since Fred Perry in 1936, and, like his countrymen, Murray — a 22-year-old from Scotland — is interested in that sort of history, rather than the sort he and Wawrinka made Monday.
Against Soderling, the match was dominated by big serves and came down to a few big points. Federer served 23 aces, to 16 for Soderling.
“It was sort of a serving contest out there today,” Federer said. “Not many rallies, so maybe not as much fan for the people.”
There was only one break of serve in the match, and it came in the ninth game of the first set when Soderling committed five unforced errors. The Swede saved two break points with backhand volleys, but on the third he wound up for his big swinging forehand and slapped the ball into the net.
After winning three straight service games and 13 straight points on serve, Federer faced his only two break points of the match in the third set at 4-4. He saved the first with a high-bouncing second serve that forced a backhand return error and the second with a 118 mph service winner. He then finished the game with an ace.
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After Soderling went up a minibreak at 5-4, Federer reached a shot deep in the corner and ripped back a crosscourt forehand winner that the Swede could only watch in admiration. Soderling then double faulted, missing with a risky 121 mph second serve. The match ended on the next point with Soderling sending a backhand return wide off Federer’s 119 mph delivery.
“I stayed calm, waited for my chance, and thank God I came up with a good forehand when I had to in the breaker,” Federer said.
After 11 straight losses to Federer, Soderling was asked if there was any game outside of tennis in which he could beat the man.
“I think I will beat him in marathon easy,” he said. “I’m pretty good at marathon. I’m a strong guy. I think I’m stronger than him.”
Federer wasn’t ready to concede.
“‘I never ran a marathon and I don’t like to run too long,” he said. “I’ll stay behind him and pass him at the end.”
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