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SPORTS Saturday 13 July 2019

11 years after epic, Federer tops Nadal in Wimbledon semis

By HOWARD FENDRICH to reduce Federer to mid-
AP Tennis Writer match mediocrity quite
WIMBLEDON, England (AP) the way Nadal can, part of
— After waiting 11 years to why the Spaniard entered
get another shot against Friday with a 24-15 over-
Rafael Nadal at Wimble- all lead head-to-head, in-
don, Roger Federer was so, cluding 10-3 at Grand Slam
so close to the finish line. tournaments.
One match point slipped This was the second ma-
away when Federer missed jor in a row where they’ve
a forehand return. faced off: Nadal won their
A second came and went windy French Open semifi-
on a backhand return. nal last month en route to
Later, serving for a spot in his 12th championship on
a record 12th final at the the red clay and 18th Slam
All England Club, Federer overall. But Wimbledon is
shanked a leaping over- Federer’s dominion:
head off the top edge of his He’s won 101 matches at
racket frame, giving Nadal the place — more than
a break point. After Nadal any other man at any other
wasted that chance, Fe- Slam, even Nadal at Ro-
derer earned two more land Garros — and all of
match points — and failed those trophies.
to convert those, either, Djokovic, meanwhile, leads
as his wife, Mirka, peeked his series with Federer 25-22,
through the fingers cover- including 9-6 in Grand Slam
ing her face. matches.
Federer knew it wouldn’t “I hope I can push him to
be easy against his great the brink and hopefully
rival. Never is, really, no beat him. But it’s going
matter where they play. to be very difficult, as we
Eventually, Nadal pushed a know,” Federer said.
backhand long on match “He’s not No. 1 just by
point No. 5, bringing an an- chance.”
ticlimactic close to the oth- On Friday, Djokovic was as
erwise classic contest and animated as ever. When
allowing Federer to win Bautista Agut’s shot hit the
their semifinal 7-6 (3), 1-6, net tape, popped in the
6-3, 6-4 on Friday. Switzerland’s Roger Federer, right, greets Spain’s Rafael Nadal after beating him in a Men’s singles air and slid over for a win-
“I’m exhausted. It was semifinal match on day eleven of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Friday, July ner that tied their semifinal
tough at the end,” Federer 12, 2019. at a set apiece, Djokovic
said. “I’m just very relieved Associated Press motioned to the roaring
it’s all over.” course. hit strong and flat more next game. When Nadal fans, sarcastically encour-
Federer closed in on a Not only was this the 40th frequently than it used to jumped out to a 3-2 lead in aging folks to get louder.
ninth championship at the installment of Federer vs. be, held steady against the first-set tiebreaker, Fe- When Djokovic ended that
All England Club and 21st Nadal, but it also was their Nadal’s bullwhip of a lefty derer used sublime return- 45-stroke point — the lon-
Grand Slam trophy in all. first meeting at Wimbledon forehand. ing to reel off five points in gest on record at Wimble-
To get to those numbers in since the 2008 final. In a Another was that Feder- a row to claim it. don, where such stats date
Sunday’s final, Federer must match many consider the er was able to withstand Who else but Federer could to 2005 — with a backhand
get past Novak Djokov- best in the sport’s lengthy Nadal’s serve, which has strike a serve so well that winner, he cupped his
ic, who is the defending annals, Nadal edged Fe- improved a ton over the Nadal’s wild reply would ear while glaring into the
champion and seeded No. derer 9-7 in a fifth set that years. Federer amassed 10 be caught by someone in stands.
1. ended after 9 p.m., as any break points, and though the Royal Box behind him, “I had,” Djokovic said, “to
“We all know how good he trace of daylight disap- he succeeded on just two, as happened early in the dig deep.”
is anywhere,” Djokovic said peared. that was enough, with the second set? Even Bautista Agut didn’t
about Federer, “but espe- How excited, then, were last, vital conversion mak- Who else but Nadal could really expect his visit to the
cially here.” the spectators for the re- ing it 2-1 in the fourth set. attack Federer’s generally All England Club to last this
Djokovic isn’t too shabby match? When Federer and And then there was this: unassailable forehand in long: The Spaniard was
himself. He reached his sixth Nadal strode out into the Federer won 25 of the 33 such a manner as to draw supposed to meet a half-
final at the grass-court ma- sunshine at 4:30 p.m. Fri- points when he went to the one so off the mark that it dozen of his buddies on the
jor by beating 23rd-seeded day, they were welcomed net. landed in the third row? island of Ibiza this weekend
Roberto Bautista Agut 6-2, by a standing ovation be- “I didn’t play well enough,” “I thought probably the for his bachelor party. In-
4-6, 6-3, 6-2 earlier Friday. fore ever swinging a racket. said Nadal, who lost a five- biggest points in the match stead, those pals were sit-
Djokovic is eyeing a fifth Quickly, that greeting set semifinal to Djokovic a went my way. There were ting in a guest box at Cen-
championship at Wimble- was justified. These are, of year ago at Wimbledon. some tight ones and long tre Court on Friday.
don and 16th major title. course, two of the greats of There was something of rallies,” Federer said. “He Eventually, Djokovic took
As entertaining as that first all-time — maybe the two an “Anything you can do, plays with such velocity control with his enviable
semifinal was — including greatest — and they lived I can do, too” vibe to Fri- and spins and everything, ability to return serves, track
a 45-stroke point won by up to that status for stretch- day’s proceedings. Federer you’re not always sure down balls and go from
Djokovic — it was merely es. would kick up chalk with an you’re going to connect defense to offense.
a tasty appetizer ahead of One key, for Federer, was ace to a corner, and Nadal the right way.” Now he’s Federer’s
the day’s delectable main that his rebuilt backhand, would do the same in the No one ever has managed problem.q