Roger Federer has become the oldest man to reached the semifinals of the Australian Open since 1978 after brushing aside Germany’s Mischa Zverev 6-1, 7-5, 6-2, in just over 90 minutes.
At the age of 35, Federer was once again writing his name in the record books as the oldest man to play in the Australian Open quarter-finals since Jimmy Connors in 1991. Age aside, the supremacy of Federer’s shot-making abilities overwhelmed Zverev from the onset. The German’s serve and volley game, which brought him success against Andy Murray two days ago, was severely punished by an array of Federer passing shots.
A clinical start from the 17th seed saw Federer dropped only five points on route to a 5-0 lead, sparking flashbacks of his 6-0, 6-0, triumph against Zverev at the 2013 Halle Open. Admirably the underdog managed to prevent the bagel set, but it failed to prevent the inevitable outcome of the opening set. After just 19 minutes, Federer sealed the 6-1 lead with a backhand smash at the net.
Federer’s one-sided start to the match began to erode due to the tenacity of Zverev’s net play. Unlike the opening set when he was troubled by nerves, the German appeared more logical in his thinking as he broke to love (with the help of a lucky net call) for a 3-1 lead in the second. The break was immediately retrieved by the Swiss player, but the disparity between the two was no more. Nevertheless, it was Federer’s backhand that got him out of trouble. With the proceedings level at 5-5, two consecutive backhands down the line rewarded him the break and a chance to serve for the two-sets lead. His lead was extended with the help of an error from the German.
Closing in on his 41st grand slam semi-final appearance, Federer still had to contend with some spirited play from the world No.50. It was almost like the 35-year-old was playing a game of chess, waiting to make his next move. His latest move saw him hit another blistering backhand winner down the line to move to three games away from the win.
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As Zverev began to become frustrated with his inability to break down Federer’s game, the Swiss strolled towards the victory. In a fitting manner, he grabbed the win with the help of a clean winner, his 65th of the match.
Charging into the last four, Federer has become the oldest man to reach this stage in Melbourne since Arthur Ashe in 1978. It is a dream outcome for a player who had limited expectations due to his ongoing comeback from injury.
“I thought I was maybe going to win a few rounds. Maybe, depending on the draw get to a fourth round or quarter-final.” Federer said during his on-court interview. “That was my goal that I told the Swiss press.”
“I’m happy that I played as well as I did this tournament. I never thought I was going to be this good and here I am standing in the semis with Stan (Wawrinka). “
Federer will next play his Swiss rival Stan Wawrinka in what will be their 22nd meeting on the tour. The 35-year-old currently has a winning head-to-head record of 18-3.
“I think I got to stay aggressive. The more time I give him, the better he is, like most of the biggest hitters. He’s maybe the biggest we have in the game right now.” The 17th seed said of Wawrinka.
“I’m happy he got this far, but he doesn’t need to go one step further.” He later joked.
The Australian Open is Federer’s first competitive tournament since Wimbledon after he ended his 2016 season early due to a knee injury.
