Share

Federer in cruise control

London - Roger Federer was barely troubled as he cruised into the Last 16 at Wimbledon on Saturday with a straight sets win over Santiago Giraldo under the Centre Court roof.

The seven-time champion triumphed 6-3, 6-1, 6-3 over the Colombian world number 35 in an hour and 21 minutes and rarely looked troubled.

In the fourth round, Federer faces either the big-serving Polish 15th seed Jerzy Janowicz, a semi-finalist last year, or Tommy Robredo of Spain, seeded 23rd, for a place in the quarter-finals.

It's really about maintaining a good level of play," said Federer, who is yet to lose a set in the tournament and has only dropped 23 games in three matches.

"I'm physically in pretty good shape right now, a few niggling things always going on right now but nothing really that worries me at this point.

"I've just got to keep playing aggressive and serving well. I think that's what you've got to do on this service. If I can keep the points short, great, otherwise, battle it out from the baseline.

"It's been an easy-going sort of last couple of weeks here at Wimbledon. We've really enjoyed it as a family and clearly I'm kept busy on that front. I hope it's going to be nice weather on Sunday so we can go outdoors a bit."

Giraldo, 26, is in the form of his life, having hit a career-high ranking of 34 in May and it would have taken the biggest win of his career to become the first Colombian to reach the last 16 at Wimbledon.

But it was only at 3-3 in the third set when he fashioned two break points, and Federer pulled off some smart serves to win the game and did not look back.

"I stayed in control right until mid-way through the third," the 32-year-old said.

"It was important to serve big then and get out of that game and then the next thing you know I got break points of my own.

"I was very happy, it was a really good match. I'm very pleased, it's always good to keep on moving on. Last year I lost in the second round so I'm aware of the tough draws you get, or the danger of certain players on this surface and I've been able to get it done many time -- but not always, clearly."

Federer's victory brought England football icon David Beckham to his feet, one of several British and international sports stars invited into the Royal Box.

"I'm worried about the first week, getting to the second one, then the grass plays quite differently, actually, the second week so you can do a few different things depending on the weather," Federer said.

"Don't even know who my next round opponent is. I'm just happy I made it to the second week."

Wimbledon results on Saturday, the sixth day of the 2014 championships at the All England Club (x denotes seeded player):

Men

Third round

Roger Federer (SUI x4) bt Santiago Giraldo (COL) 6-3, 6-1, 6-3

Milos Raonic (CAN x8) bt Lukasz Kubot (POL) 7-6 (7/2), 7-6 (7/4), 6-2

Nick Kyrgios (AUS) bt Jirí Veselý (CZE) 3-6, 6-3, 7-5, 6-2

Rafael Nadal (ESP x2) bt Mikhail Kukushkin (KAZ) 6-7 (4/7), 6-1, 6-1, 6-1

Women

Third round

Alize Cornet (FRA x25) bt Serena Williams (USA x1) 1-6, 6-3, 6-4

Eugénie Bouchard (CAN x13) bt Andrea Petkovic (GER x20) 6-3, 6-4

Angelique Kerber (GER x9) bt Kirsten Flipkens (BEL x24) 3-6, 6-3, 6-2

Maria Sharapova (RUS x5) bt Alison Riske (USA) 6-3, 6-0

Simona Halep (ROM x3) bt Belinda Bencic (SUI) 6-4, 6-1

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
How much would you be prepared to pay for a ticket to watch the Springboks play against the All Blacks at Ellis Park or Cape Town Stadium this year?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
R0 - R200
33% - 1818 votes
R200 - R500
32% - 1779 votes
R500 - R800
19% - 1084 votes
R800 - R1500
8% - 461 votes
R1500 - R2500
3% - 187 votes
I'd pay anything! It's the Boks v All Blacks!
5% - 254 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE