Federer targets Wimbledon title after French blip
WORLD No2 Roger Federer immediately switched his focus to securing an eighth Wimbledon title after crashing out of the French Open at the quarter-final stage yesterday.
Second seed Federer, who won at Roland Garros in 2009, slumped to a straight-sets 6-4, 6-3, 7-6 (7-4) defeat to compatriot and Davis Cup team-mate Stan Wawrinka in an all-Swiss last-eight tie.
It was the first time since the 2002 US Open that Federer had failed to break serve in a Major, while the 33-year-old will have to wait until the grass-court season to bolster his haul of 17 grand slam trophies.
“I’m already thinking what I’m going to do over the next few days, because Wimbledon is going to be a big goal for the season,” said Federer. “That’s where I want to play my best. It’s a big goal for me. I want to win it.”
Former Australian Open champion Wawrinka will now face 14th seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the last four after the Frenchman withstood a fightback from Japan’s Kei Nishikori to win 6-1, 6-4, 4-6, 3-6, 6-3. Play had to be suspended after a large piece of metal panelling was dislodged in high winds and fell into the crowd, injuring three spectators.
Tsonga is bidding to end a 32-year wait for a home winner at the French Open, with Yannick Noah’s victory in 1983 the last.
Seventh seed Ana Ivanovic, meanwhile, produced a slick performance to dispatch Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina in straight sets, 6-3, 6-2, and reach her first grand slam semi-final for seven years.
Serbia’s Ivanovic, who has made four previous semi-final appearances at a Major, will play Czech left-hander Lucie Safarova, who is seeded 13th, for a place in Saturday’s final.
Safarova revived the form which saw her overpower defending champion and world No2 Maria Sharapova on Monday to record a 7-6 (7-3), 6-3 victory over Muguruza.