From Jonathan Liew at Wimbledon: There's still nobody to touch Roger Federer for breezing through a set without even looking like he's trying. Tsonga can claw his way back into this, but he's going to have to turn a lot of those unforced errors into big winners. If Federer breaks early this set, I think we can safely pronounce this over.
*Federer 6-3 5-5 Tsonga
Joie de vivre. Joie de vivre. Tsonga is quite the crowd-pleaser and one rally confirms it. It's a Federer-dominated one before Tsonga slices a low one which plops just over the net. But Fed clips it back, Tsonga dives and then throws his racket at his opponent's return. Centre erupts for the second time.
Federer 6-3 4-5 Tsonga*
Federer keeps in with a sniff of a break at 30-30 but Tsonga maintains that searing serve and continued effort to advance to the net. Danger averted.
*Federer 6-3 4-4 Tsonga
Federer is still kicking back overlooking Lake Geneva with a glass of something sweet, with only a glance up at potential danger. Yes, another hold. "I fear Tsonga will be following Gasquet back across le channel in the next hour," predicts Richard Newman.
Federer 6-3 3-4 Tsonga*
A thumping reminder from Tsonga that the Frenchman will be no pushover. The crunch comes mid-way through the game with a booming forehand winner past Fed, who really was only a few feet away mid-court. It ends with a fist punch from Tsonga - finally! we saw lots of that at Queen's after all - and he maintains his lead.
*Federer 6-3 3-3 Tsonga
The six-time champion was mightily impressive in that one. He breaks out a new racket all the same. Could be a good call, this set is ratcheting up a few levels.
14.02 From Mark Hodgkinson at Wimbledon: "As Roger Federer gets ever closer to equalling Pete Sampras's record of seven Wimbledon titles, one man who seems to have been forgotten is William Renshaw. He also won seven Wimbledon titles. The first six of his seven came in successive years from 1881 to 1886, and then he won another in the summer of 1889 with victory over his twin brother Ernest (William was the younger of the two, by 15 minutes, and he was half an inch shorter than his bro).2
Federer 6-3 2-3 Tsonga*
Tsonga is bidding to become just the fifth different Frenchman to reach the Wimbledon semis in the Open Era. Richard Gasquet was the last Frenchman to reach the semifinals here in 2007 and Cedric Pioline, he of flowing locks vintage, is the only one to reach the final here (lost to Pistol Pete). Tsonga holds with ease. Can he be the third?
*Federer 6-3 2-2 Tsonga
Another stinging one-handed backhand winner from the man born in Le Mans. However Fed continues to rack up the points - he won 32 to Tsonga's 20 in the opening set - with a hold to 15.
13.55 From Alexandra Willis at Wimbledon: "Rumour has it that Lewis Hamilton is around and about today, as well as Pippa Middleton in a red dress. No shortage of celebs at Wimbledon this year, that's for sure!"
Federer 6-3 1-2 Tsonga*
Solid backhand exchange from both players before Tsonga lets fly with a one-handed winner. Not quite in the Richard Gasquet manual, but it takes Tsonga to another hold. Now, can he find some much-needed ignition to break?
*Federer 6-3 1-1 Tsonga
Federer continues the stranglehold as his first serve again dominates.
Federer 6-3 0-1 Tsonga*
Tsonga has a clear aggressive gameplan here. He opens up with a double fault - the second serve is a real bullet into the net - and then repeats the trick at 0-15, going for a sizzling second serve down the middle as Federer is left wrong-footed. he holds to 30 and leads for the first time in the match.
*Federer 6-3 Tsonga
A quick-as-you-like 27 minutes and the six-time champion meanders to the first set with a hold to 15. Time for another set of twins, Rog?
Federer 5-3 Tsonga*
Tsonga's serve is right up to scratch now, the game clincher coming with a 129mph effort. The only blip is that lethargic opener from the Frenchman and that break leaves Fed serving for the first set.
*Federer 5-2 Tsonga
This game sums up the opening set. Tsonga is swinging and advancing to the net but Federer's timing and unerring accuracy leaves him without any signs of sweat appearing. On this evidence, he might not need to put them through the wash.
Federer 4-2 Tsonga*
An incredible rally at 15-15. Tsonga dominates with a succession of searing forehands, sending Fed left-right-left-right. The Swiss retrieves and returns deep on every occasion until one drops mid-court, allowing Tsonga to advance to the net. But Federer's backhand return on the lob is hit with pin-point accuracy, dropping inside the opposite baseline. Brilliant. Anyway after all that, Tsonga holds his serve.
*Federer 4-1 Tsonga
Those muscles are working now. Tsonga opens up a break point at 30-40 with a devilish forehand pass but finds the net at the crucial juncture on the next rally. The Swiss-based Frenchman then dinks a lovely dropped volley, Federer reaches it but Tsonga puts the return away at the net. It's the last point he musters as Federer's first serve maintains his three game gap.
Federer 3-1 Tsonga*
That's more like it. Tsonga finally gets on the scoreboard with consummate ease. The rising ripple of applause testifies to that.
*Federer 3-0 Tsonga
The top four in the world rarely lose their serve after breaking themselves. And Federer holds with ease. After all, he's only lost his service twice in these Championships, and double faulted a couple of times for good measure.
Federer 2-0 Tsonga*
Tsonga looked like he was ready for the aggressive, judging by that first game. But Federer is on the charge, too. And breaks with Tsonga most sluggish. Judging by his muscles, it might take a wee while to get them going.
*Federer 1-0 Tsonga
Federer holds his serve - despite losing the first point of the match - with as much as the 1315 train pulling out of Geneva station. On time, first class.
13.14 Federer to serve. Centre Court looks a picture. We're ready.
13.13 Surprising that Tsonga hasn't won a title since Tokyo in 2009. Fair few injuries since though. And he's dropped to French No 4!
13.10 So a cream-clad Federer enters Centre. As the BBC points out: this could be the first time since the Open era began in 1968 that the top four seeds make the semis in back-to-back majors. But of all the last eight clashes today, this is the one that could point to an upset. Non?
12.58 From Jonathan Liew at Wimbledon: "Centre Court filling up nicely for Federer v Tsonga. Federer leads the head-to-head 4-1, although they've never played on grass. Readers of Cosmopolitan magazine will be rather better acquainted with Tsonga than most: he poses naked for them in the latest issue."
Note: those pictures are too Liewed to post here, but here they are anyway.
12.55 As my colleague Thom Gibbs says over on his wonderful Novak Djokovic v Bernard Tomic live blog: "it's time to get off your gigantic tennis-themed fence" with our poll:
Who will win the Men's Championship at Wimbledon?online survey
12.50 Will Anna Wintour muscle her way to yet another front row seat? Can Tsonga upset the odds? Starts here in 10 minutes.
12.45 Finally sourced some Tsonga quotes. Simply, c'est le grand crunch for the man who now resides in... Switzerland:
This match will be as big as playing in a Davis Cup final. If by chance I beat Federer, this feeling will be exactly the same as when Federer beat Sampras 10 years ago, or when I beat Nadal at the Australian Open two years ago.
This match will be simply wonderful. I am a much better player than I was a year ago.
12.40 Here's more insight from Federer on whether he sees himself playing great rival Nadal on Sunday:
At the end of the day, I don't care if I'm wrong or right. I know where my game is at. I know where Rafa's game is at. I just struggle when it goes from one extreme to the next.
13.35 Paul Kelso has been going through the gears on Twitter today, namely with who's in the Royal Box this afternoon:
Keep an eye on your mirrors on the Wandsworth one-way system - Lewis Hamilton is on his way to #wimbledon to cheer on Murray.
12.30 From Ian Chadband at Wimbledon (with, interestingly, no reference to Fed): "If the top 4 seeds all advance to the semi-finals today, as I suspect they will, it will be the first time in the Open era that the game's top quartet have reached the last four in back to back Grand Slams. A sign, perhaps, of the rare quality of the current Fab Four?"
12.25 From Mark Hogkinson at Wimbledon: "It is a moot point who has a bigger crush on Roger Federer - Anna Wintour (editor-in-chief of American Vogue) or Ian Chadband (The Daily Telegraph's chief sports correspondent). Only one of them, though, will be sitting in the Royal Box today."
12.20 If symmetry's your game, Federer won his 100th match on grass with his 6-7, 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 win over Youzhny in the last round. This is only Tsonga's fourth appearance at the Don.
12.15 Federer has been talking about the effect of the top four contesting all four semi-final berths once again. But let's not get ahead of ourselves here. Tsonga, the Queen's finalist and a Wimbledon quarter-finalist last year, has looked very solid and his serve will test Fed to the hilt. Anyway, here's Fed:
We've all been playing well, I think the top four or five guys really, for a long time. I think it's exciting for tennis. Trying to talk it down or talk about changes, I think it's nice that we're all playing well at the same time.
12.10 An early stat to kick off proceedings, because when you get this far in the Championships, the stats really are something to marvel at: Federer has reached his 29th consecutive Grand Slam quarterfinal to extend his record for the mostconsecutive Grand Slam quarterfinal appearances in the Open Era. Only five other men have even played thelast 29 Grand Slam events (including this one): Feliciano Lopez (38), David Ferrer (35), Fernando Verdasco (33), Tomas Berdych (32) and Albert Montanes (29).
12.00 Good afternoon, one and all. Haven't we got some stunning clashes at Wimbledon today? I will be on Centre Court duty where first up we have Roger Federer against France dangerman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga before all eyes centre on Andy Murray and Feliciano Lopez (especially Judy Murray's eyes).
Article Source KBG Test Blog (http://rc.kbg.me)
