World No. 4 Roger Federer is well on course toward claiming a record eighth Wimbledon championship after some typically dominant performances have brought him comfortably to another quarterfinal. But if he looks to go further in the tournament, he’ll need to take out his fellow Swiss, World No. 3 Stanislas Wawrinka, who doesn’t have the most favorable history against Federer.
Federer’s early exit last year looks to have given him an added hunger in this tournament, as we anticipated in our Wimbledon preview. Will he bring that same edge against his countryman? Read on to learn all about this sizzling All-Swiss quarterfinal showdown.
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Roger Federer vs. Stanislas Wawrinka, 2014 Wimbledon Men’s Singles Quarterfinal Match Preview
Where: Centre Court, All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, Wimbledon, London
The argument for Roger Federer as the greatest ever Wimbledon champion took a hit when he fell to unknown Serhiy Stakhovsky in the second round last year. But R-Fed is out to set the record straight this time around, as he’s well on his way toward claiming a record eighth Wimbledon crown.
[sc:Other240banner ]Federer has steamrolled past the first four rounds of this year’s tournament. Not only has he not dropped a single set, his serve has yet to even be broken. He was in danger of having his serve broken just once in his latest match against Tommy Robredo, whom he dispatched 6-1, 6-4, 6-4 in the round of 16.
Federer’s first serve will be key in this matchup. In his last three matches, the Swiss has won an impressive 88% of the points when he successfully delivers his serve on the first try. However, his first serve percentage has dropped in each of the last three matches, from 77% to 68% down to 56% against Robredo.
Federer is well-acquainted with Wawrinka’s game, after the two have been teammates for Switzerland in the Davis Cup and should have very few problems with Wawrinka. Federer owns a dominant 13-2 record in 15 career meetings against his compatriot. This upcoming meeting will be the first on grass.
Betting on Stanislas Wawrinka
2014 has been a banner year for Stanislas Wawrinka. The 29-year old claimed his first ever Grand Slam title this season when he defeated Rafael Nadal in the Australian Open. The win vaulted him to his highest ever World Ranking of No. 3, where he currently stands today.
Wawrinka has had a relatively comfortable time in the first four rounds at the All England Club, having dropped just one set so far. He was taken to two tiebreakers by Feliciano Lopez in the round of 16, but came away with a straight sets victory, 7-6(5) 7-6(7) 6-3.
Whereas Federer’s service game has gotten slightly worse in the last three matches, Wawrinka’s has gotten progressively better. From a low of 49% on his first serves against Yen-Hsun Lu in the second round, Wawrinka successfully delivered 66% of first serves against Feliciano Lopez in the round of 16, which was aided by 31 aces.
Despite his poor lifetime record against Federer, Wawrinka has much reason to be confident heading into this particular battle. Wawrinka is a perfect 6-0 against Top 10 opposition this season, which includes wins over Nadal and Novak Djokovic at the Aussie Open. More importantly, it also includes a win over Federer at the clay courts of the Monte Carlo Masters.
Writer’s Prediction
Federer (-260) continues his march toward the finals with another straight sets victory over Wawrinka. Create a betting account today and wager on Federer’s quest to make history.
