Roger Federer in the finals of Wimbledon for the 8th time!

WIMBLEDON, England — For Roger Federer, it's Wimbledon final No. 8.


For Andy Murray, it's No. 1 — and the first for a British man since 1938.


Federer, a 16-time Grand Slam champion, beat defending champion Novak Djokovic 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 Friday under the closed roof at Centre Court to reach a modern-era record eighth final at the All England Club. He is now one victory from equaling Pete Sampras' record of seven titles.


"I have one more match to go. I'm aware of that," said the 30-year-old Federer, who is 6-1 in Wimbledon finals. "Still, it's always nice beating someone like Novak, who has done so well here last year, the last couple years."


The next challenge will come Sunday against Murray, who is the first British man to even reach the Wimbledon final since Bunny Austin 74 years ago. Murray, also trying to become the British man to win the Wimbledon title since Fred Perry in 1936, beat Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 7-5 in the second semifinal.


If Federer does win Sunday in his 24th Grand Slam final, he would also take the No. 1 ranking from Djokovic and equal Sampras' record of 286 weeks as the top-ranked player.


"There's obviously a lot on the line for me in terms of winning here, the all-time Grand Slam record, world No. 1," Federer said. "I'm also going into that match with some pressure, but I'm excited about it. That's what I play for."


Federer and Djokovic went for winners on almost every point. But it was Federer who got the key points when they mattered in the third set.


"It's hard to fire bullets the whole time, so you try to also find some range. If he tees off first, it's hard to defend obviously," said Federer, now 1-0 against Djokovic on grass. "It's just not as easy to take that many balls out and come up with amazing shots time and time again. That's why I kept on attacking."


At 4-4, Djokovic had his chance with only his third break point of the match. Federer held with three service winners.


Moments later, while serving to stay in the set — and, essentially, the match— Djokovic gifted Federer a pair of break points by blasting an overhead long with much of the court open. He saved one, but Federer's overhead smash on the second gave the Swiss great the third set, and put him on the way to the final.


"(I) had unfortunately a bad service game on 5-4, and obviously he uses his opportunities when they're presented," said Djokovic, who had reached the last four major finals. "So you have to be always consistent. I wasn't."


The win improved Federer's semifinal record at the All England Club to 8-0. His only loss in the final came in 2008, when Rafael Nadal beat him 9-7 in the fifth set.


"I hope I can keep my nerves," said Federer, looking toward the final. "I'm sure I can. Then hopefully win the match. But we'll see about that."


William Renshaw and Arthur Gore also played in eight Wimbledon finals but that was when the defending champion received a bye into the following year's title match. That rule was changed in 1922. Renshaw won seven titles and Gore three.


On Friday, Federer had the only break of the first set to take the lead, and Djokovic returned the favour in the second set to even the score.


The third set proved decisive, and Djokovic fought to stay in it right from the start. After holding easily, Federer gained a break point when Djokovic sent a forehand long. Although the Serb saved it, and eventually held to 1-1, it was the beginning of the end for him.


The next three games went quickly and on serve, but Federer then earned a pair of break points in the sixth game. Djokovic again saved them, the first after a 24-stroke rally that ended with Federer's forehand going wide.


"He was the better player. In the important moments he was aggressive, hitting from both sides," Djokovic said. "Obviously, that's what you expect when you play against Roger at the final four of a Grand Slam. I knew that."


Murray later played Tsonga under an open roof on Centre Court, and under intense pressure to succeed in front of the British public.


"Big relief," Murray said. "I just got to try to keep it together for the final."


Only minutes after the match ended, British Prime Minister David Cameron called the victory "great news."


"I'll be watching the final on Sunday and like the rest of the country, will be getting right behind Andy Murray," Cameron said in a statement. "I wish him the best of luck."


Murray got off to a fast start, serving well and winning the first two sets easily. And after losing the second, he hung on in the fourth, breaking in the final game with a forehand return winner.


"At the beginning was tough because he played well," Tsonga said. "I mean, he didn't give me one chance, one chance to go to the net. He didn't miss one serve. He was really, really good."


The 25-year-old Murray was playing in the Wimbledon semifinals for the fourth straight year. Now he made it to that elusive final, and on Sunday he'll be facing an opponent who beat him in straight sets in the 2008 U.S. Open final and the 2010 Australian Open final.


"I've had experience playing Roger in the finals of slams before," Murray said. "I'm going to use that to my advantage and learn from my mistakes and also the things he did well."


In Murray's only other major final, the 2011 Australian Open, he lost to Djokovic — again in straight sets.


"Hopefully," Murray said, "I can go one better on Sunday."


VancouverSun

I feel sympathy for Andy Murray I really do but when it comes to choosing between Roger and any other opponent it's always going to be Roger.

I think that Andy actually has a whole lot more pressure then Roger, it'll be interesting to see how he handles it.  He has a history of crumbling under it.  Bring on Championship Sunday!.

Kim Clijsters at Wimbledon Kids Clinic

Martina Hingis weighs in on rain delays at Wimbledon

Former world tennis number one Martina Hingis suggests rain delays at Wimbledon could give players a big advantage.


The retired Swiss player told Sky News: "Sometimes it favours the player and on the other hand it might change the game as well. It depends on whether you like playing indoors or outdoors but it definitely changes the game a little bit."


"It helps during the tournament if you can just put your feet up, you know you're done and ready to go to the next match."


"I remember the year I won there were not that many matches played. I guess some of these things they just happen and fall in place and you end up winning. In a way you just get a little bit lucky."


The five-time Grand Slam winner has tipped Novak Djokovic to win the men's tournament, but could not pick a winner from the ladies' singles.

newssky.com

Wonder if she truly couldn't pick or just didn't want to say given the choices she (like myself) has never been a big fan of Serena Williams.

Roger Federer eases into the semis at Wimbledon

WIMBLEDON, England — Roger Federer earned a record 32nd Grand Slam semi-final berth and moved closer to a record-tying seventh Wimbledon title when he beat Mikhail Youzhny 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 Wednesday.


Federer’s opponent Friday will be defending champion Novak Djokovic, who beat Florian Mayer 6-4, 6-1, 6-4.


Federer has a 14-12 edge against Djokovic, who is ranked No. 1. They’ve met in Grand Slam semi-finals five times in the past two years, with Djokovic winning four of those matches.


They’ve never played each other at Wimbledon.


“A nice matchup,” Federer said.



“I’m looking forward to that,” Djokovic said. “It’s always a pleasure playing against Roger. Obviously he’s a great champion. He has been so dominant and consistent in these Grand Slams, and he’s really an ultimate challenge on grass courts.”


Federer had been tied with Jimmy Connors for the most major semi-finals. He reached the final four at Wimbledon for the first time since 2009, when he won the title.


Against the No. 26-seeded Youzhny, Federer showed no sign of the back ailment that prompted him to seek treatment during the first set of his previous match. In the second game he converted his fifth break-point chance, and pulled away from there.


A brief rain delay couldn’t slow Federer, and neither could Youzhny, who seemed pleased at times just to win a point. Late in the first set, when he hit a running scoop forehand cross-court for a winner, he raised both arms and grinned as the crowd roared.


When Youzhny failed to convert a rare break-point chance in the third set, he let out a primal scream that had fans laughing. The Centre Court audience included Prince William and wife Kate, Andre Agassi, Steffi Graf and Rod Laver, all sitting in the Royal Box.


“I think it helps when royalty shows up, and other legends of the game come and see me play,” Federer said. “It’s inspiring.”


Federer improved to 14-0 against Youzhny, his best record against any opponent. Federer has lost only three of the 35 sets they’ve played.


“My game maybe suits up well against his,” Federer said.


The No. 3-ranked Federer seeks to match the record of seven Wimbledon titles set by William Renshaw in the 1880s and tied by Pete Sampras in 2000. If he wins the title, he’ll reclaim the No. 1 ranking from Djokovic and tie Sampras’ record for most weeks at the top.


Djokovic, playing on Court 1, closed out his quarter-final victory a few minutes after Federer and had only a little more difficulty. The Serb lost his serve for the only time in the fifth game but immediately broke back.


Serving at 4-all, he fell behind love-40 but erased all three break points, then broke to take the set and the lead for good.


Mayer, seeded 31st, did his best to stay in the match with his unorthodox style. He dug out a between-the-legs volley during one rally. A subsequent scrambling sequence required him to dive and hit a spectacular backhand volley, then rise and put away another backhand volley.


But Djokovic dominated with his aggressive play, hitting 50 winners to 14 for Mayer. He slammed an ace to close out the win, then threw a fist and let out a scream, ready for his showdown with Federer.


NationalPost.com

Martina Hingis Interview at Wimbledon pt 1 & 2

Roger Federer Wimbledon Memories

Kim Clijsters bids farewell to last Wimbledon

London – Four-time Grand Slam title winner Kim Clijsters said goodbye to Wimbledon for the final time on Monday, taking away a lifetime of memories from a tournament she likened to Disneyland.


Clijsters's ninth and final Wimbledon before she retires for good after the US Open ended in a dispiriting 6-1, 6-1 loss in the fourth round to German eighth seed Angelique Kerber out on Court Three.


“It all started from when I was a youngster, being at home, watching Wimbledon during summer holidays in Belgium, watching it on TV,” said Clijsters.


“You just kind of felt the magic coming through the television. Then as I got older, when I was able to be here for the first time as a junior, it was just very special. This was like Disneyland to another child. It was such a beautiful thing.”


But the 29-year-old believes her best memory will be of seeing her father Lei, a former Belgian international footballer, spending a fruitless four days at the All England Club, waiting for the rain to stop.


The picture of her father's frustration is even more poignant as he lost his battle with cancer in January 2009.


“I think he was here for three or four days, and I don't think he saw me play for one minute because it rained for three days in a row,” said Clijsters.


“He sat on the side of the courts on the wooden benches. He sat in the rain and waited for the ballkids or the groundsmen to take the covers off because he wanted that seat because he thought that would bring me luck.


“So he just sat on that seat. The next day again he rushed over to that seat. So that's one of the funny ones that I have.”


“Playing Steffi Graf here (in 1999) was for me definitely one of my dreams come true as a young up-and-coming player. To be playing her in her last Wimbledon was very, very special.”


Clijsters never won Wimbledon, failing to get beyond the semi-finals, which she reached in 2003 and 2009.


That blemish was more than wiped out by her ascent to the world number one spot and her capture of four Grand Slam tiles Ä the US Open in 2005, 2009 and 2010, as well as at the 2011 Australian Open.


This year was her ninth visit but she missed the 2007, 2008 and 2009 tournaments when took her first retirement, getting married and starting a family with husband, Brian Lynch.


Their daughter Jada was born in February 2008.


Despite her defeat on Monday, Clijsters said she didn't feel particular sadness at her departure from the competition.


“I was thinking about the match still. Wasn't so much about the last time,” she said.


“I just had the feeling that there was absolutely nothing I could have done to have won that match. I felt my opponent was better on every level.”


Kerber, who now has a tour-leading 44 wins this year, goes on to face fellow German Sabine Lisicki, who knocked out top seed Maria Sharapova, for a place in the last four.


Kerber reached her first Wimbledon quarter-final by thumping 19 – winners to Clijsters' 10

iolsport