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| Roger Federer rolls back time at Wimbledon to dismiss Milos Raonic | Roger Federer rolls back time at Wimbledon to dismiss Milos Raonic |
| (34 minutes later) | |
| Roger Federer, and the millions who have been waiting for his second coming, can dream again. Two years after winning the last of his 17 grand slam titles – here against a devastated Andy Murray – the 32-year-old Swiss father of four will contest a record ninth Wimbledon final when he plays Novak Djokovic for the 35th time on Sunday. | |
| If tennis is a game measured in a thousand small moments and numbers, Federer has put together a more glorious collection of them than anyone in history and the latest against Milos Raonic in the second semi-final on Friday stack up pretty well against those that have gone before. | |
| He beat the 23-year-old Canadian, one of the new wave who have been harassing the Big Four for a little while now, with the sort of pleasing symmetry that would appeal to him: 6-4, 6-4, 6-4, each set taking just a little over half an hour. It was almost as if it had been ordered up as a script for a movie, with a strict limitation on the amount of tape to be used. | He beat the 23-year-old Canadian, one of the new wave who have been harassing the Big Four for a little while now, with the sort of pleasing symmetry that would appeal to him: 6-4, 6-4, 6-4, each set taking just a little over half an hour. It was almost as if it had been ordered up as a script for a movie, with a strict limitation on the amount of tape to be used. |
| Speaking immediately afterwards, Federer, as ever, was barely out of breath. Standing in the corridor just off Centre Court talking to the BBC before returning to warm down in the locker room, he could hardly contain his pleasure and satisfaction. | Speaking immediately afterwards, Federer, as ever, was barely out of breath. Standing in the corridor just off Centre Court talking to the BBC before returning to warm down in the locker room, he could hardly contain his pleasure and satisfaction. |
| “I needed big concentration,” he said. “I really had to focus on every point. I had to be very careful of my service game and I knew there would only be a few chances on his serve. I played some great tennis under pressure. | “I needed big concentration,” he said. “I really had to focus on every point. I had to be very careful of my service game and I knew there would only be a few chances on his serve. I played some great tennis under pressure. |
| “I didn’t play so well last year [when he went out in the second round to Sergiy Stakhovsky]. In the second week I’ve been able to play better, against [Stan] Wawrinka and now Raonic.” | “I didn’t play so well last year [when he went out in the second round to Sergiy Stakhovsky]. In the second week I’ve been able to play better, against [Stan] Wawrinka and now Raonic.” |
| As for the prospect of another tussle with Djokovic, he said, “It’s always great. We’ve played a lot in the last six months, gone back and forth a little bit. He’s a great champion, been around a long time. | As for the prospect of another tussle with Djokovic, he said, “It’s always great. We’ve played a lot in the last six months, gone back and forth a little bit. He’s a great champion, been around a long time. |
| “I’m unbelievably proud every time I walk on these grounds. The first one was special, 2003, I was able to be so successful for so many years. To get another chance to go through these sort of emotions is great.” | “I’m unbelievably proud every time I walk on these grounds. The first one was special, 2003, I was able to be so successful for so many years. To get another chance to go through these sort of emotions is great.” |
| Federer knows how people have been writing him off, because he is bombarded with questions about his retirement every time he loses – which has been worryingly often over the past couple of years. | |
| But not this time. Not this tournament. He has looked just about back to his premium best in this campaign, carving through six matches with hardly a nod to his age – or the youth of those who were after his scalp: Paolo Lorenzi, who lasted half an hour; Gilles Müller (1:34), Santiago Giraldo (1:21), Tommy Robredo (1:34) and his compatriot Wawrinka , the only player to take a set off him but who succumbed after two hours and 33 minutes. | |
| And so to Raonic, the power server some thought would blow Federer off the court. He came to the showdown with 147 aces from five matches, 39 of them in his quarter-final win over the Australian teenager, Nick Kyrgios, and his best chance of beating Federer clearly was with ball in hand. But, striving to make the most of that advantage, he hit four double faults among 17 aces (way below his match average), giving Federer sufficient daylight to exploit every opportunity under the most intense pressure when receiving. | And so to Raonic, the power server some thought would blow Federer off the court. He came to the showdown with 147 aces from five matches, 39 of them in his quarter-final win over the Australian teenager, Nick Kyrgios, and his best chance of beating Federer clearly was with ball in hand. But, striving to make the most of that advantage, he hit four double faults among 17 aces (way below his match average), giving Federer sufficient daylight to exploit every opportunity under the most intense pressure when receiving. |
| It did not start well for Raonic who challenged on the first point of the match (successfully) but could do nothing about Federer’s classic crosscourt forehand into the backhand corner for break. | |
| In a tight first set, Raonic could not claw back the deficit and, in the ninth game of the second set, he paid for a double fault and a rash smash when Federer broke him with the second of two glorious backhands down the line. | In a tight first set, Raonic could not claw back the deficit and, in the ninth game of the second set, he paid for a double fault and a rash smash when Federer broke him with the second of two glorious backhands down the line. |
| Serving for a two-set lead, Federer forced Raonic to err on his forehand and the job was looking like a stroll in the sun. Three times in his career he has lost with a two-set lead – notably here against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the semi-finals three years ago – but Raonic was not asking him the appropriate questions. | Serving for a two-set lead, Federer forced Raonic to err on his forehand and the job was looking like a stroll in the sun. Three times in his career he has lost with a two-set lead – notably here against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the semi-finals three years ago – but Raonic was not asking him the appropriate questions. |
| The challenge for Raonic was two-fold: avoid embarrassment and try to extend the match at least into a fourth set against an opponent nine years older than him. And it became increasingly obvious he could not do that from open play; he needed a lot of free points from that strong right arm of his. | The challenge for Raonic was two-fold: avoid embarrassment and try to extend the match at least into a fourth set against an opponent nine years older than him. And it became increasingly obvious he could not do that from open play; he needed a lot of free points from that strong right arm of his. |
| However, six of his aces arrived in the third set, Federer’s legs held up pretty well. Actually, Federer’s own serve in this tournament has been a weapon of consistent strength, and he has been broken only once in six matches. | |
| The task here was to retain composure and energy in holding off the youthful charge of a player who would fancy his chances in a longer fight. | The task here was to retain composure and energy in holding off the youthful charge of a player who would fancy his chances in a longer fight. |
| But when he broke to go 5-4 up, he walked up to the line to serve for a place in the final with calm assurance born of experience and the deeply held conviction that he deserved to be there. | But when he broke to go 5-4 up, he walked up to the line to serve for a place in the final with calm assurance born of experience and the deeply held conviction that he deserved to be there. |
| The number of people present who did not want him to succeed could probably be found in that small enclosure holding Raonic’s team, because this was the reincarnation of a legend – or at least the penultimate stage of that process. | The number of people present who did not want him to succeed could probably be found in that small enclosure holding Raonic’s team, because this was the reincarnation of a legend – or at least the penultimate stage of that process. |
| His movement was as fluid and unflustered in this final service game as it was in his very first game of the tournament. He did not quite get his running volley right at 30-15, but he repaired the damage immediately with another moving sharply to his left for match point. The final serve was right where he wanted it, wide to Raonic’s fragile backhand and the young man could do nothing but stick a limp racket on it. | His movement was as fluid and unflustered in this final service game as it was in his very first game of the tournament. He did not quite get his running volley right at 30-15, but he repaired the damage immediately with another moving sharply to his left for match point. The final serve was right where he wanted it, wide to Raonic’s fragile backhand and the young man could do nothing but stick a limp racket on it. |
| How fitting that the master should tame the blaster with a big serve. | How fitting that the master should tame the blaster with a big serve. |
| Federer not only has a great game, he has a great sense of theatre and he will have loved that concluding rapier thrust immensely. It not only won him his ninth semi-final here (he has never lost one), it sent a serious message to Djokovic that he is in the best possible shape for Sunday. | Federer not only has a great game, he has a great sense of theatre and he will have loved that concluding rapier thrust immensely. It not only won him his ninth semi-final here (he has never lost one), it sent a serious message to Djokovic that he is in the best possible shape for Sunday. |