This time Federer is convinced Cilic will not be able to scale the skyscraper heights he reached at Flushing Meadows.
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Tsonga’s fitness might work in Murray’s favour in terms of his progression, although probably not in his hope for an adrenaline charge. ‘ Two days ago I was five all in the third set, 15-40 against me, two sets down, and I came back, and I’m still alive in this tournament. I think for guys that haven’t that are still in the draw, they’re looking at it and seeing an opportunity for themselves. Of course, he serves powerfully.
Cilic had taken the first set in just 16 minutes, allowing Nishikori only seven points. “For sure, I haven’t had an easy road, but a lot of people haven’t”.
Novak Djokovic’s weekend exit means Murray, the number two seed, is the favourite to claim the crown with 17-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer on the other side of the draw. I’ve got experience, but it ultimately comes down to just laying it all out there and competing for a long time.
“I just lost in the fourth round”.
SERENA WILLIAMS VS. ANASTASIA PAVLYUCHENKOVA: Serena Williams will be on court for the third straight day as she tries to win her 22nd Grand Slam title. But everyone gave a small sigh of relief.
“From now on, it will be hard”, Federer said of his meeting with the 2014 U.S. Open champion, whose win over Nishikori was a repeat of that grand slam final.
He played two tournaments in Germany after Roland Garros, losing semi-finals to Dominic Thiem and Alexander Zverev.
“Kyrgios went through the motions in the second set”, three-time Wimbledon champion John McEnroe told the BBC. If he plays well, and I’m not on my game, I can lose that match for sure.
“Everything can happen in tennis”, said Tsonga, when asked about the prospect of facing the Scot.
Cilic ended up winning his first major title at that tournament in NY. He also defeated the big serving Raonic in their first meeting at Wimbledon, winning in 2012 during the round of 64.
“It was incredible to see”, said Raonic.
Murray said: “I thought I played well”.
“Serve is going to be important”.
“Definitely. It’s something we worked at”, Raonic said. “I’m confident going into the Cilic match”, added the man who was runner-up to Djokovic in the last two Wimbledon finals.
The 29-year-old’s path to a ninth successive All England Club quarter-final, in which he faces Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, has been about as stressful as walking the dog on Wimbledon Common.
Lucas Pouille awaits the victor of the all-Czech fourth round match between world no. 64 Jiri Vesely and world no. 9 Tomas Berdych.
Murray is the looming favorite for a second title at the event which he won in 2013 to break a 77-year British men’s title curse.
Asked how he had changed since that match, Berdych considered the question, and offered a deadpan reply.
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Speaking at a press conference post the game, the 21-year-old reveals he is not enamoured anymore by the sport, but has no idea what he would do with the rest of his time if he is not playing tennis.
