27 June,2009 09:19 AM IST | | Agencies
Soderling not fancying his chances against legend Roger Federer, who he has lost to ten times including the last French Open final
Roger Federer lost his first set of the tournament, but it was little more than a glitch as he continued his imperious route to what is looking increasingly like his seventh Wimbledon final.
This time his victim was German Philipp Kohlschreiber, who battled defiantly on Centre Court but still went down to a 6-3, 6-2, 6-7 (5/7), 6-1 defeat. It was a display scarred by a couple of lapses of concentration, especially in the third set, but they will have given scant comfort to the rest as Federer took his place in the fourth round with the added bonus of a couple of days rest over the weekend to recharge his energies.
Federer, who now plays Robin Soderling in the fourth round, the man he beat in the French Open final, said: "It has been a good first week. I thought this was my best match of the tournament even though I lost a set. It's fine as long as you come through without losing too much energy.
Soderling, the 13th seed, reached the last 16 for the first time with a 7-6 (9/7), 6-4, 6-4 win over Spain's Nicolas Almagro. "It's tough to play against Roger," said Soderling. "I've played him ten times, and after the matches I never felt like I played well.
"It's not because of me, I think it's because of him. He makes you play."
"The rhythm was very high. I would have liked to have won in straight sets but he came back strong and my serve went off a little bit," said Federer about yesterday's win.
"He deserved the third set but I was happy with the way I reacted. It will be nice to have Saturday and Sunday off and get rid of the pressure for a day or so. I felt a lot of pressure two years ago but I feel relaxed now. It's going to be an exciting second week," added Federer.
