Federer makes Karlovic look small to set up Haas meeting
FIVE-TIME champion Roger Federer admitted his sights were already trained on a sixth title after beating Croatian giant Ivo Karlovic to reach the semi-finals.
Federer booked his 21st consecutive Grand Slam last four place with a comfortable 6-3, 7-5, 7-6 (7-3) win over the 6ft 10in ace machine.
And the world No2, who will meet surprise package Tommy Haas in the semis, declared himself ready to reclaim the crown he lost to Rafael Nadal 12 months ago.
“Once you are in this kind of position you try to win the tournament. It is great that I have been able to play consistently this week, it has been good and I’m really excited,” said Federer.
“I have just won Madrid Masters and beat Rafa Nadal there, I won Paris for the first time and have come into Wimbledon on a winning streak.
“I love the record I have in reaching so many Grand Slam semi-finals. Twenty-one is quite a number and it shows how consistent and injury-free I’ve been.”
With Karlovic reliant on his huge serve, which had gone unbroken in 80 games at the tournament before yesterday, and Federer always reliable in that department too, it became a question of who could return better. And Federer’s class told in the fifth game of the opening set. The Swiss star broke just in time to take the second, and needed a tie-break to complete a straightforward win.
Haas, the 24th seed, shocked world No4 Novak Djokovic in four sets to claim a Wimbledon semi-final place for the first time. The German veteran, 31, who also beat the Serb at last month’s warm-up event in Halle, defeated his 22-year-old opponent 7-5, 7-6 (8-6), 4-6, 6-3. “It’s unbelievable,” Haas said. “There no words for it. I’m playing my best tennis and getting this far is a great feeling.”