Share

Rain to blame for Wimbledon woe - Federer

London - Roger Federer claimed the rain that interrupted his Wimbledon final defeat against Novak Djokovic was the crucial factor in his failed bid to win a record eighth All England Club title.

Federer slumped to a 7-6 (7/1), 6-7 (10/12), 6-4, 6-3 loss on Sunday and the Swiss star felt it was a brief third set delay caused by light showers that proved the key turning point.

Having won a thrilling second set tie-break to level the match, Federer had just dropped his serve to fall 3-2 behind when the rain came.

But the weather improved quickly and within 20 minutes the court covers were taken off, leaving Federer feeling slightly flustered as tournament officials hurried to get the players back on court.

"I think maybe the rain came at a bad time for me. Maybe if it came earlier or much later, it would have been better," the world number two said.

"The way it was, I couldn't take advantage of it, even though I had a Love-30 game shortly after I came back.

"It was a little bit of a rushed rain delay. Out, back on. Try to speak to your team, try to relax, at the same time stay warm. It's not like hectic, but it's not the usual rain delay you have.

"They told us they were going to try to get us back out there as quick as possible."

A visibly frustrated Federer was also puzzled by Wimbledon chiefs' decision to delay the post-match trophy presentation while the Centre Court roof was closed due to more rain.

"It was awkward, you know, having to shut the roof. You go take a shower. You come back for the ceremony," Federer said.

"I was like, Give it to Novak. It's his moment. Okay, fine. Let's go take a shower, come back. So that was weird."

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
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
25% - 1273 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
29% - 1472 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2251 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