TENNIS WIMBLEDON 2014 – Seven-time Wimbledon champion Roger Federer cruised past Santiago Giraldo in three sets with 6-3 6-1 6-3 in one hour and 21 minutes under the Centre Court roof to get through to the fourth round. Federer has not dropped a set yet in the first week Rafael Nadal instead dropped the first set again, this time to Kukushkin before winning in four sets. Diego Sampaolo
Results, Order of Play, Draws and Interviews from The Championships
The Swiss Maestro played a solid match in which he converted five of his nine break point chances and never dropped his serve. He won 84 percent of his first serve points against Colombian Santiago. He hit 27 winners and made 14 unforced errors. Giraldo hit 17 winners to 20 unforced errors. Giraldo who played in the third round at Wimbledon for the first time in his career. Federer won his 70th win at the All England Club and his sixth consecutive match on grass after lifting his career seventh Trophy at the Gerry Weber in Halle and his second win of the year after Dubai.
Federer got an early break in the first game of the opening set and cruised to a easy 3-0 en route to clinching the first set 6-3. Federer also dominated the second set. He got an early break in the first game and got two more breaks in the third and the seventh game to cruise to 6-1.
Giraldo saved a break point in the fourth game of the third set which went on serve until 3-3 when Federer faced two break points at 15-40. He saved them before playing a perfect 8th game where he converted his break point chance for 5-3 before sealing the win in the next game.
“It’s always good to be moving on. Last year I lost against Sergiy Stakhovsky in the second round, so I am aware of tough draws. I am always worried about the first week. Getting to the second week, the grass plays differently. It’s about maintaining a good level of play. Physically I am in good shape. I have to keep playing aggressively and serving well”, said Federer
Federer will take on either last year’s semifinalist Jerzy Janowicz or Tommy Robredo. The Spanish player beat Federer in the fourth round of last year’s US Open.
Nadal vs Kukushkin 6-7(4) 6-1 6-1 6-1
Earlier in the day twice Wimbledon champion Rafa Nadal rallied from a set down to edge Kazakhstan’s Michail Kukushkin 6-7 6-1 6-1 6-1 under the Centre Court roof on a day disrupted by rain. Nadal lost the first set in the third consecutive match in this tournament. Earlier this week he dropped the first set in the first two matches against Martin Klizan and Lukas Rosol.
“When I played the first set, I said that maybe the roof here is not good for me. I don’t like to be in closed places but I think that I played a great match. It did not affect me a lot”, said Nadal.
Nadal did not convert his four break point chances to take a 4-3 lead in the first set before losing the tie-break.
After dropping the first set Nadal turned around the match by breaking early in the second set en route to reeling of 8 straight games and 14 of the last 15 games.
Nadal has reached the fourth round at Wimbledon for the first time since 2011 when he finished runner-up to Novak Djokovic.
Kukushkin hit 17 winners to edge Nadal in the tie-break. After failing to convert his second break point chance in the fourth game of the second set Nadal stormed to 5-1 in the second set en route to a comfortable 6-1 win in the second set. Nadal had to save two break-back point chances at 2-0 in the fourth game before sealing the fourth set with 6-1 to close out the match in two hours and 34 minutes.
“At the beginning he was making no mistakes and was very aggressive. I made a few mistakes on his second serve and a few unforced errors. It took me to the tie-break and I didn’t serve my best.”
