LONDON, 27 June 2005 — The second week of a Grand Slam marks the time for Roger Federer to step up his mighty game a notch or two.
That’s the tried-and-tested strategy for the top-seeded Swiss starting today as he bids for a quarterfinal place at the $18.5- million Wimbledon Championships.
The world No. 1, with 32 consecutive match wins on grass dating to a first-round loss in 2002 against Mario Ancic, will face off against Spain’s Juan Carlos Ferrero as the quest continues for a third straight title at the All England club. With an impeccable 54-3 mark this season with seven titles - but defeats at both the Australian and French Open - the king of grass is keen to make sure nothing goes wrong as he begins the business end of his favourite major.
“I’m into the second week, it’s just four matches left,” he said after taming German Nicolas Kiefer in the third round.
He added that while pressure is not an over-riding factor, the heat is always turned in the closing stages — now matter how many Slams in his pocket (four).
“The pressure’s there anyway if you’re going for your first or tenth. I feel definitely it’s a special year, trying to make it three in a row.
“For me, only the win would be satisfying this year, the way I’ve been playing, with the misses I’ve had at the French and Australian Open.”
Federer will be joined in the fourth-round chase by his nearest rivals, second seed Andy Roddick, who plays Argentine Guillermo Coria, and number 3 Lleyton Hewitt, taking on American Taylor Dent, whose former player father is a fellow Aussie. Roddick has had bitter experiences at the last two Wimbledons, losing to Federer in the 2003 semi-finals and 2004 final.
But the American continues to hope for the best. “It’s definitely always a big relief to kind of get through the first couple of rounds, to be alive come the second week.”
