Tennis: Federer and Nadal on a familiar course

Since Lleyton Hewitt won in 2002 only two names have appeared on the rollcall of men's champions at the All England Club.

Roger Federer, six times a winner, and Rafael Nadal, who has won on his last two visits, are clearly in the mood to extend that record.

With both coming through their first three rounds without dropping a set, what price a fourth Roger versus Rafa Centre Court final this weekend?

Yesterday's third-round matches had the potential to provide the two greatest modern players with significant challenges, but they never materialised. Federer beat David Nalbandian, who has given him plenty of trouble in the past, 6-4, 6-2, 6-4, while Nadal, having laboured through the first set against the big-serving Gilles Muller on Saturday (NZ time), completed a 7-6, 7-6, 6-0 victory over the 28-year-old from Luxembourg.

Nalbandian, a contemporary of Federer, was for many years one of the only players who had won more matches against the Swiss than he lost.

The 29-year-old Argentine won their first five meetings as professionals and their head-to-head record was eight wins each only three years ago.

Injuries, however, have taken their toll on Nalbandian. He had hip surgery in May last year, missed this year's Australian Open after straining abdominal muscles, had a hernia operation in the northern spring and missed the French Open after a fever.

If fitness has been a problem there is no doubting Nalbandian's ability. The former world No 3, who is now ranked No 23 and has not reached the fourth round of a Grand Slam tournament for four years, has one of the game's best double-handed backhands, has no weaknesses in his shot-making and is a fine strategist.

Nalbandian clearly saw attack as his only chance. Plenty of times his ball-striking had Federer in trouble, but his big problem was holding serve.

Federer, who served beautifully, made the first of his five breaks as early as the third game and soon had the first two sets in the bag.

Having taken time out for treatment to his right thigh at the start of the third set, Nalbandian held on until the ninth game, when the final break of serve summed up his deficiencies.

From 40-30 up he failed to get in position for what should have been a routine volley, hit a double-fault on his second serve and struck a forehand wide after Federer exposed his lack of mobility with a short, sliced backhand.

Even when Federer served out for the match, however, there were still glimpses of Nalbandian's talent. The Swiss missed an easy overhead on his first match point, but on the second Nalbandian forced him into a mistake with the quality of his ground strokes and on the third he hit an exquisite drop shot winner, which brought a wry smile to his opponent's face.

Not that Federer was to be denied an ace and a service winner on the next two points, giving him victory after 106 minutes.

"I thought he was playing a bit like myself, first-strike tennis," Federer said. "The rallies weren't that long, but when they were being played I think the ball was being hit very hard and clean by him. I'm very happy with today. I think I played a great match."

The former world No 1, who now faces Russia's Mikhail Youzhny, has not won a Grand Slam title for 17 months but insisted he was as hungry for success as ever. "It doesn't come in phases. I'm always hungry."

When Nadal's match against Muller was called off because of rain at the end of the first set on Saturday, the Spaniard had just left the court after a problem with his right leg.

The world No 1 showed little sign of discomfort in completing his victory on yesterday's resumption but admitted that the leg felt a little bit more tired than usual.

Nadal had warned last week that facing a big server early in the competition was often the greatest danger. He probably had Milos Raonic in mind, but the cannonball-serving Canadian retired injured when playing his second-round match against Muller, another server with explosive power.

Muller hit 36 winners to Nadal's 30, but the telling statistic was the unforced error count: 22 by Muller to just three by Nadal. As soon as a rally developed, Nadal was always the favourite to win it, and he rarely got into trouble on his own serve, saving the only two break points Muller created.

In tomorrow's fourth round Nadal will face Juan Martin del Potro, the 2009 US Open champion, who has climbed back to No 21 after missing the best part of a year with a wrist injury.

"His level is much better than what the ranking says today," Nadal said.

- INDEPENDENT