Roger Federer vs Kevin Anderson
If Rafael Nadal is the King of Clay, it can be argued that Roger Federer is the King of Grass…at least of his generation.
No disrespect to Pete Sampras who can clearly stake a claim as the most dominant and best male player on grass of all time. However, there’s no doubt Federer is an unstoppable force in the All England Club, as proven by his eight Wimbledon singles titles—the most of any male player and even one more than Sampras’ seven.
Now that he reached another Wimbledon quarter-final, the Fed Express will look to keep the momentum swinging in his favour in search for his ninth Wimbledon title.
Kevin Anderson, however, will be keen to have a say in Federer’s quest for grass-court immortality. The SBOBET odds are stacked against him, but after getting his first-ever win over Frenchman Gael Monfils, the South African is brimming with confidence that he can keep the streak of upsets running.
Talking Points
No one has come close to upsetting Federer in this tournament.
The 36-year-old World No.2 has not dropped a single set in Wimbledon 2018 and is coming off a straight-set victory over Adrian Mannarino. In fact, the match took only 28 games to decide, with Federer even pulling off a bagel in the first set!
For what it’s worth, Mannarino is ranked 26th in the World and is the highest-rated player that Federer faced through four rounds.
Federer has now won 32 straight sets at Wimbledon, just two short of his personal best which he recorded between 2005 and 2006. Oh, and he last lost a set in the competition in 2016!
Furthermore, King Rog’s service game is at an all-time best. He has won 92 percent of his first serve points and has committed just three double faults so far—numbers that paint a clear picture of how flawless and dominant he has been all tournament long.
The eighth-seeded Anderson knows how difficult it is to beat Federer on this surface, and he acknowledged the tough test that awaits him in the Wimbledon men’s singles quarter-final.
“He’s really got sort of the complete package. His consistency, the way he plays such great tennis week in and week out. The way he moves, the way he conducts himself on the court is very impressive,” Anderson said via ESPN.
“Everything looks so easy, so fluid. The variety he brings to the court. The use of the slice backhand. The use of his attacking forehand. His defence. It’s not going to be easy. If it was, more people would have come out on top.”
The 32-year-old Johannesburg native, however, is up for the challenge and even warned Federer about his form.
Anderson is coming off a four-set win over Monfils, a player that he has never beaten before. The South African gunner hit 20 aces in the match to trouble the French star and come out with a well-deserved victory.
Overall, Anderson has already bagged 96 aces in Wimbledon, establishing himself as one of the most potent hitters in the game.
“I’m a big player, big serve,” Anderson furthered. “I’m going to have to really take it to him. I feel like I’m playing some of the best tennis of my career. When I’m doing that, I think I’m a very dangerous player. I think people can see that and can feel that. I’m definitely going to have to bring that on Wednesday.”
History
Federer and Anderson have met four times before but never on a grass court. The Swiss maestro has won all those meetings in straight sets, the latest a 6-1, 6-1 drubbing in the Cincinnati Masters way back in 2015.
For his part, Anderson is through to his first Wimbledon quarter-finals as he continues his ascendancy in the rankings. Since his first stage exit at this event last year, he has made it to four finals, including a US Open match-up with Rafael Nadal.
Last month, Anderson also reached the fourth round in Roland Garros before falling to Diego Schwartzman.
A lot can be said about Anderson’s ability to perform in high-pressure situations and against top-tier players. Nevertheless, he has always been an underrated player and it might help that he is growing in confidence match after match.
What are the odds?
With the way Federer is playing, it’s easy to see why the Wimbledon betting odds heavily back him to win here. He is at Asian Handicap -1.50 @ 1.20, while Anderson is given a +1.50 set that pays at 3.77.
However, it would be foolish to think that Anderson would go down without a fight. He has been on a tear offensively as well and while a big serve is not enough to win this type of matches, he is at least capable of making life difficult for the Swiss.
In SBOBET Asian Handicap sports betting, Federer is at a Game Handicap -6.00 @ 1.90, with Anderson at +6.00 games at 1.94.
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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