Federer Dares Djokovic In S/Final Tie

Because grand slam tennis is as much a contest of the mind as a battle of technique, Roger Federer already has his strategy for Friday’s greatly anticipated semi-final with his nemesis, Novak Djokovic.

The pair have met 26 times, with Federer leading the match-up 14 to 12; but Djokovic is No1 in the world. Of the five grand slam semi-finals they have contested in the past two years, the younger man has won four.

But that was then. This is their first match-up at Wimbledon; their first match-up on grass. And while Centre Court might not be significantly different from the boards and hard courts of New York and Melbourne, it is different. Different enough to help a mental tactician buoyed by reaching the last four for the first time since 2009 to draw a line.

“It is our first grass-court match,” said Federer after his straight-sets dismissal of the Russian, Mikhail Youzhny, in their quarter-final. “We don’t know quite what to expect. I feel it’s a bit of an even ground. I feel good about the match. I’m excited.”

He knows his way around a grass court, as six Wimbledon titles might attest. “I think I’ve played over 100 matches on grass now so I know how it works.” Centre Court is slower than it was. “But I still believe the aggressive player can be rewarded if he plays the right way.”