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By Tom Fordyce
BBC Sport at Wimbledon |
* Federer 6-3 2-1 Melzer
A brace of young ladies in the crowd, one in white-rimmed shades and busy with a concertina fan, the other with a black trilby which would be rather P Doherty if it wasn't for the red carnation jammed in the hat-band. And recently-shampooed blonde hair cascading out underneath. Trouble for Melz again, canting at 15-30 and slipping to two break points as Fed scents blood - yup, taken. Fed cruising in the manner of three/four years ago.
A brace of young ladies in the crowd, one in white-rimmed shades and busy with a concertina fan, the other with a black trilby which would be rather P Doherty if it wasn't for the red carnation jammed in the hat-band. And recently-shampooed blonde hair cascading out underneath. Trouble for Melz again, canting at 15-30 and slipping to two break points as Fed scents blood - yup, taken. Fed cruising in the manner of three/four years ago.
Federer 6-3 1-1 Melzer *
Melz, aiming to be the first Austrian man to make the Wimbledon quarter-finals in the history of the world ever, gets unlucky again with another net-cord. He's standing deeper and deeper in an attempt to give himself more time on the serve, but that just allows Fed to slice out wide. Easy hold.
Melz, aiming to be the first Austrian man to make the Wimbledon quarter-finals in the history of the world ever, gets unlucky again with another net-cord. He's standing deeper and deeper in an attempt to give himself more time on the serve, but that just allows Fed to slice out wide. Easy hold.
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* Federer 6-3 0-1 Melzer
Better from Melz, racing to 40-0 with a nerveless overhead. Fed thunks a backhand service return into the net, and the game is sealed. Is that Ian Hislop in the Royal Box? Loves his tennis, the diminutive satirist.
Better from Melz, racing to 40-0 with a nerveless overhead. Fed thunks a backhand service return into the net, and the game is sealed. Is that Ian Hislop in the Royal Box? Loves his tennis, the diminutive satirist.
FIRST SET
Federer 6-3 Melzer *
Shocker from Roger, running in for an easy mid-court put-away and thrashing his forehand into the net for a miss so bad that people in the crowd clutch their heads. Melz still foxed by this serve though, and he can barely get anything back with spice or spit - two set points. Ooof, lucky with a net-cord that trips the ball up but allows it to drop Melzwards, and Fed is on his way.
Shocker from Roger, running in for an easy mid-court put-away and thrashing his forehand into the net for a miss so bad that people in the crowd clutch their heads. Melz still foxed by this serve though, and he can barely get anything back with spice or spit - two set points. Ooof, lucky with a net-cord that trips the ball up but allows it to drop Melzwards, and Fed is on his way.
* Federer 5-3 Melzer
Tony Bennett there in the Royal Box, youthful in a lemon sports jacket and bright blue tie. Remarkable amount of hair on his head. Melz switches tactics and comes to the net behind serves out wide - punchy volleys backhand cross court, and he's kept his set alive.
Tony Bennett there in the Royal Box, youthful in a lemon sports jacket and bright blue tie. Remarkable amount of hair on his head. Melz switches tactics and comes to the net behind serves out wide - punchy volleys backhand cross court, and he's kept his set alive.
Federer 5-2 Melzer *
Federer well off with another line-call challenge, but it's the only hint of strife - the first serve clicking, the stern-faced Melz signally failing to get his retuning game firing back. 38 degrees C air temperature I'm told, although the beads of perspiration racing each other between my shoulderblades could have told me that.
Federer well off with another line-call challenge, but it's the only hint of strife - the first serve clicking, the stern-faced Melz signally failing to get his retuning game firing back. 38 degrees C air temperature I'm told, although the beads of perspiration racing each other between my shoulderblades could have told me that.
* Federer 4-2 Melzer
Roger riled now, albeit with minimal facial evidence - he climbs straight back into the Melz serve, slicing off the backhand and then dipping a fizzing top-spinner down the line. Two break points - pressurised backhand into the net from the Austrian, and he's lost that break straight back. Ding follows dong follows ding.
Roger riled now, albeit with minimal facial evidence - he climbs straight back into the Melz serve, slicing off the backhand and then dipping a fizzing top-spinner down the line. Two break points - pressurised backhand into the net from the Austrian, and he's lost that break straight back. Ding follows dong follows ding.
Federer 3-2 Melzer *
Suddenly, and without warning, the Fed serve starts to wobble. The champ gets lucky with a dicey volley which gets called good only on the Hawk-Eye challenge, but that's long - break point. Fed to the net, he should put that away - no, Melz can chase down and flick up a lob - a delightful one, right onto the baseline... Federer sprints and flails desperately, but that's never going in - break taken back!
Suddenly, and without warning, the Fed serve starts to wobble. The champ gets lucky with a dicey volley which gets called good only on the Hawk-Eye challenge, but that's long - break point. Fed to the net, he should put that away - no, Melz can chase down and flick up a lob - a delightful one, right onto the baseline... Federer sprints and flails desperately, but that's never going in - break taken back!
* Federer 3-1 Melzer
There's someone a few rows back wearing one of those conical straw hats worn by Vietnamese peasants. I can't actually see the face underneath, but my money's on someone just back from a backpacking trip to Hanoi. If a Vietnamese peasant has actually made it in, that's a splendid effort. Ah, at last some touch from Melz, killing two volleys stone-dead like a man stunning a rabbit.
There's someone a few rows back wearing one of those conical straw hats worn by Vietnamese peasants. I can't actually see the face underneath, but my money's on someone just back from a backpacking trip to Hanoi. If a Vietnamese peasant has actually made it in, that's a splendid effort. Ah, at last some touch from Melz, killing two volleys stone-dead like a man stunning a rabbit.
* Federer 3-0 Melzer
These two did once play doubles at the junior Orange Bowl, but Melz doesn't seem to have remembered too much - don't feed the Fed forehand, don't let him dictate points. Trouble.
These two did once play doubles at the junior Orange Bowl, but Melz doesn't seem to have remembered too much - don't feed the Fed forehand, don't let him dictate points. Trouble.
* Federer 2-0 Melzer
Roger's not always enjoying coming up against lefties (we all know who the other one left in the draw is) but he's prepared for this match by practising against Alex Bogdanovic. Confidence-boosting, surely, although it's like warming up for the World Cup with a kickabout with the local pub team. Trouble here for the Austrian, passed down his forehand side and then double-faulting to toss away the break.
Roger's not always enjoying coming up against lefties (we all know who the other one left in the draw is) but he's prepared for this match by practising against Alex Bogdanovic. Confidence-boosting, surely, although it's like warming up for the World Cup with a kickabout with the local pub team. Trouble here for the Austrian, passed down his forehand side and then double-faulting to toss away the break.
Federer 1-0 Melzer *
A woman in the crowd there with a red hat so wide-brimmed she must have applied for planning permission. Solid first service game from the champ, Melz sending one backhand return long and another into the tape. Roger flicks a dangling curl back off his forehead and paces back to his towel like a sleepy panther.
A woman in the crowd there with a red hat so wide-brimmed she must have applied for planning permission. Solid first service game from the champ, Melz sending one backhand return long and another into the tape. Roger flicks a dangling curl back off his forehead and paces back to his towel like a sleepy panther.
* denotes next server
1304: Some opening stats for you: remarkably, these two men have never met in pro tennis. Stranger still when you consider that they came up together - Rog the Wimbledon boys' champ in 1998, Jurgen in '99.
1300: Here come the players - still no sign of Roger's cardie making a comeback, although you can hardly blame him. Melzer in a back-to-front baseball cap. Reassuring to know that, in one small corner of Austria, it will always be 1989.
1257: Not a cloud visible in the rectangle of sky visible through the gap left by the roof. The court's starting to look a little worn around the baselines, but the volleying slots up close to the net still look pretty pristine. Draw your own tactical conclusions from that.
1253: Sue B and Tim H down there on the edge of Centre Court, Sue in a creme jacket with scallop-neck lapels, Tim in grey suit with open-neck blue shirt. Smart-casual.
1248: Fed v Melz up first, which is rather appropriate in this baking weather. It's so hot out there that anyone foolish enough to wear nylon - perhaps as a tribute to 1979-era Jimbo Connors - may well spontaneously combust.
1244: Football schmootball. When you've got a Centre Court line-up of Fed vs Melzer, Serena v Shara and Muzzington v Sam Querrey 'cross the Mersey, what's there not to feel chirpy about?
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