Roger Federer is a cruel man when he is in the mood. He hides it well with the easy charm, the sense that one day he may turn up on court wearing a top hat made out of solid gold, the lulling elegance that gently puts his opponents to sleep. It is a winning combination that helps to explain why they prefer not to see him pushed too hard on Centre Court, where there were a few shocked gasps when it fleetingly seemed Federer might fluff his lines on an agreeably mild evening.
A crowd lusting for even more Roger, another glimpse of that single-handed backhand before the curtain falls on the most exclusive show in town, obviously got what they wanted in the end: another Federer win, another Federer final, less than a month before his 36th birthday. Tomas Berdych was the latest to succumb to the Swiss legend’s genius defiance of time and logic. The Czech is four years younger than Federer and his plan was to outmuscle the older man. He threatened. He stretched Federer. He valiantly lost in straight sets.
Everyone thinks Federer is a nice guy – but not with a racket in his hand. The contradiction at play is the gentlemanly air masking the ruthlessness and resilience that maintain his enduring greatness. Watching Federer is fun but sharing a court with him must be one of the most galling experiences imaginable. Berdych hit 31 winners, 22 fewer than Federer, who won because of his killer instinct in the big moments, his willingness to aim for the lines with every shot, to save a break point with an ace.
The 7-6 (4), 7-6 (4), 6-4 victory that secured his place in the final against Marin Cilic was not as serene as many had anticipated. Berdych’s thudding serves and booming forehands raised his hopes of tearing up the script and, after squeezing past Sam Querrey, Cilic might have spied a few cracks in the armour of a 35-year-old who hurt his knee while running a bath for his kids last year. The Croat will believe he possesses enough variety to disrupt Sunday afternoon’s scheduled coronation on Centre Court.
Yet for all that an imperfect performance will offer Cilic spots of encouragement, betting against Federer claiming a historic eighth Wimbledon title still feels foolish. There were a couple of double-faults, a few shanks, some nervy service games. But ultimately this was a continuation of his astonishing resurgence this year, which has been a strong argument for the benefits of listening to one’s body.
This was the first time since 2005 that only one of the Big Four had reached the last four at Wimbledon and it is also the first time since the 2009 US Open that none of Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal or Andy Murray has blocked Federer in a grand slam final.
After six months out with a knee injury Federer returned better than ever to win his 18th major in Melbourne before deciding to skip the French Open in order to protect his grass mastery. Djokovic and Murray exited here on Wednesday after their bodies buckled under the physical strain.
Federer has still to drop a set and it was hard not to feel for Berdych, a former world No4 and top-10 stalwart who might have won something in a less competitive era. Instead the 11th seed owns a 1-6 record in major semi-finals.
When these two met in the third round of the Australian Open in January it turned into one of the great humiliations. Yet this was more even than Federer’s quarter-final torture of Milos Raonic, with Berdych deciding there is only so much embarrassment one man can accept.
Down an early break, Berdych was compelled to respond to the smug chortle that greeted a Federer drop volley. There were a few winces in the stands after a Federer double fault on a break point. Yet Berdych was not allowed to convert an array of chances and a woozy sense of contentment spread across the ground when Federer summoned a couple of gorgeous forehands to take the second tie-break.
Cilic thumped Federer on the way to winning the US Open in 2014 and he will be a tricky adversary but Federer glides into the second Sunday for the 11th time in his gilded career, primed to make Centre Court convulse with joy again.
