|
Federer sets up clash with Soderling
(China Daily)
Updated: 2009-06-27 08:17 LONDON: Roger Federer set up a Wimbledon last 16 clash with Robin Soderling on Friday, the man he beat to win the French Open and who was once famously described by Rafael Nadal as the most disliked man in tennis. Federer, bidding for a record-breaking 15th Grand Slam title and a sixth Wimbledon crown, overcame a third set slump before seeing off Germany's Philipp Kohlschreiber 6-3, 6-2, 6-7 (5/7), 6-1 in the third round. The world No 2 said: "I felt more pressure two years ago when I was trying to win a fifth Wimbledon title, but I'm relaxed and feeling good about being in the second week." Kohlschreiber had lost all his three previous meetings with Federer without winning a set and he was outgunned immediately on Friday, slipping to a double break to trail 4-0.
Soderling, the 13th seed, reached the last 16 for the first time with a 7-6 (9/7), 6-4, 6-4 win over Spain's Nicolas Almagro. The 24-year-old Swede, fresh from his French Open heroics where he handed Nadal a first career Roland Garros defeat before progressing to a first Grand Slam final, will return to Center Court on Monday to face the Swiss. Two years ago, Soderling lost to Nadal in five sets here in an acrimonious encounter which saw the Swede imitate the Spaniard's habit of pulling at the rear of his shorts. In the women's side, second seed Serena Williams powered into the fourth round with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Italy's Roberta Vinci on Friday. She will meet Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia in the next round. Hantuchova beat her doubles partner Ai Sugiyama from Japan 6-4, 6-3. AFP (China Daily 06/27/2009 page12) |
