Roger Federer has been shunted off Centre Court for the first time in three years for his quarter-final against Kevin Anderson. It is the sort of news that would otherwise appear inconsequential but for the dramatis personae.
When Novak Djokovic came off No 1 Court after a quick, almost angry three-set win over Karen Khachanov on Monday evening, he made it clear he was sick of being parked outside the tournament’sshowpiece arena, having also tested the grass of No 2 Court in the second round, after just one match on Centre Court, against Kyle Edmund.
But that third-round fixture was a natural, with a three-time champion playing the British No 1. Thereafter it was Federer’s familiar playground as he rattled off wins over Dusan Lajovic, Lukas Lacko, Jan-Lennard Struff and Adrian Mannarino, a Who’s Who of “Who?” to many.
On Monday, as the light faded and the fixtures in front of him lengthened, Djokovic was denied a Centre Court appearance when Jamie Murray and Victoria Azarenka were moved there for what turned out to be a thrilling mixed doubles triumph.
The Serb revealed: “I heard that the organisers were planning to cancel my match if [Gaël] Monfils and Anderson went to a fifth [it was concluded in Anderson’s favour]. Centre Court was always an option. It’s what I wished for.”
He has got it now and his game is in excellent shape. He should be too fresh and too strong for Kei Nishikori, the No 24 seed.
Last year Djokovic was in an identical position when crammed on to the card three days in a row because the club decided it would have been unsafe to move his rain-delayed fourth-round match under the roof of Centre Court on Monday evening. He then had to play on the Tuesday and was forced to quit in the second set of his quarter-final against Tomas Berdych on the Wednesday when his sore serving elbow flared up. It ended up sidelining him for the rest of the year.
It is clear, but unstated, that the club bowed to his public protestation this time – and Federer had to move. He last played on No 1 Court against Gilles Simon in 2015 – when he went on to lose to Djokovic in the final.
However, the form he is in, they could align all the stars against him, blindfold him, strap an elephant to his ankle and he would still make it through to the weekend – with no disrespect to Anderson.
The age-defying Swiss has eased through the draw like Superman, allowing his opponents a mere 36 games – compared to 66 conceded by Anderson, the lanky South African.
Anderson is an interesting mix of introvert and assassin. If his big serve – which has blasted 96 aces in four matches – kicks in, Federer could be in trouble. But the South African admits to some anxiety. “I’d be surprised if no tennis player feels nervous,” he says. “I was listening to Roger earlier in the week. He said he was feeling nervous going out into his first-round match. You’re talking about Federer, who has won 20 of these grand slams. I’ve often said the day that you don’t feel nervous is the day you should be more worried about.”
John Isner, a nerveless character, has never cared much about criticism – or praise, for that matter – so he was happy to risk the wrath of strangers when he declared on reaching the quarter-finals for the first time that he would happily invite Donald Trump to the All England Club on Friday, if he gets past Milos Raonic on Wednesday.
“Certainly I’d love to have Trump come watch me,” Isner said after beating the Greek teenager Stefanos Tsitsipas in the fourth round. “That would be awesome. Maybe I’ll tweet at him if I win on Wednesday. I know a lot of people won’t like that but I don’t care.”
It probably will not happen – Trump coming to Wimbledon, that is; Isner has a gambler’s chance of beating the Canadian. But the United States president, a keen tennis fan, has a packed schedule after touching down on Friday, and Wimbledon looks like missing out to Chequers and Theresa May … or whoever is prime minister that day.
Still, it was nice of John to think of him. His father, Bob, who just failed to win the Democratic nomination for Congress in North Carolina two years ago, might not be thrilled. But it is tough to tell with the Isners.
John is a friendly guy away from the court, a dour grinder on it, armed with a serve that comes down from a height probably lined up with the top of the umpire’s chair, and skidding through in round two at 144mph, just three miles an hour behind Raonic’s tournament-quickest on the same day. The winner plays Federer or Anderson. So it is Federer.
On the other side of the draw, Nadal has had a stroll as easy as Federer’s and should have too much left for Juan Martín del Potro, who needed a third tie-break to see off Gilles Simon in their held-over match on Tuesday. If Djokovic controls his frustrations on Centre Court, he should be back there on Friday in the semi-finals against Nadal.
