Wimbledon 2016 - Mens Quarterfinals

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All four QFs are intriguing.

Raonic v Querrey - Raonic played a five-setter vs Goffin, while Querrey has been good nick. An upset with Querrey coming through, perhaps?

Federer v Cilic - Federer may have reached his limit. A miracle is needed for him to go through. I keep Pancho at the back of mind, though.

Berdych v Pouille - Big stage for Pouille. Berdych has experience, but Pouille has youth. The Vesely match may help Pouille with a bit of confidence.

MotD - Murray v Tsonga. Tsonga is a dangerous Grass player. Murray's taming of Kyrgios should give him faith in his own ability to get to Final.

I don't think the quality is low. Given the situation, I think both are doing a great job. Still holding my breath every time Andy hits a FH.

This has gone form the cold war to the Vietnam war, its about winning very ugly now.

Where Gilbert

Insurance break please!

Last time I saw Murray surrender a 2 set lead was against Monfils at the French and he stormed back to win the 5th set 6-0. Hoping history can repeat, although I'll settle for less.

Aut0Gr4ph wrote:I don't think the quality is low. Given the situation, I think both are doing a great job. Still holding my breath every time Andy hits a FH.

The intensity is low compared to the first set. The quality is still at a good level, and the tennis has become more tactical plus energy management is more important (upping the level for important points - then recovering for the next few points).

bh is sweet as a nut

the forehand has dissapeared.

Tsonga starting to miss. Time for Andy to pounce.

So Murray has to focus on producing energy in his own service game - he will win if he holds his remaining service games. He can have resters in Tsonga's service game - unless an opportunity arises for the double break.

Surely a virtual MP.

Murray grabs the 2nd break. Just needs a cool head from here.

The portable gas station Tsongas using looks to be finally out

That should be it. With new balls for his next service games. Take breathers. Check his between points duration.

Everything going Murray's way now.

IF this is it. Not sue berdys that worried
Raonic must fancy his chances...


Federray have work to do tomorrow...

Remember Tsonga has played a few five setters including one that went to 21 - 19 I think. So not much energy in the tank for Tsonga.

No energy wasted in that game.

This has been Murray's first proper test. I expect him to play "better" in the next round, but then the challenges will be different from that which Tsonga presents.

The court is playing more like clay now on the baseline - particularly on one side of the court. I wonder what challenges that presents having parts of the court playing like clay and other parts with proper grip.

phew... today hurt... but the main men hang on i guess.

Well done to Murray for overcoming the Tsonga challenge. The style of play had to change as both their intensities dropped through the match.

Phew! Thank god for that. Given the way the draw has opened up, Murray would have been inconsolable if he'd chucked that one away. Andy was a bit lacklustre in the middle, but Tsonga did play some fantastic tennis in parts. Thankfully, Murray was able to raise his game when it really mattered. That's what sets him apart from the likes of Tsonga.

If Murray had been able to hold his intensity better going from the second set to the third set he would have won this in three sets. Maybe when he saw he was winning the second set, perhaps he should have played a few rester games in preparation for the third set.

A rose for Tsonga, as much a rollercoaster he put me through.

Maybe he does still have one more slam final in him...

Well played both guys and all credit to Murray

JWT put in a great effort. Got himself in position to 'pull off a Federer' after levelling things up, but Andy was very strong in the decider.

Murray's title, I'm now even more convinced ....

Bold lags. Id have swung it rogers way given the events of today.
You feel Roger will have come off worse in his 5 setter than Murray?
Or is this a jinx for the long haul?

You're assuming they actually get to meet. Personally, I have doubts.

This could be a watershed moment for the constantly-improving Raonic. He could so easily grab a couple of sets on the lottery of TB's. And would then need just one more from three. He is 2-3 v Fed in their last five clashes, and 5-6 in sets. Not straightforward for Federer by any means.

Missed most of it for various reason but looks like a good match from I caught. Some entertaining play. JWT running out of slam win chances though. If he could have just won that tight first set tiebreak it might have been a different story in this match, and who knows, even gone on to win the tournament.

I was kind of thinking yesterday and today that probably either Murray or Federer would not reach the final. I am not so sure now. I think they will both make it now.

Great match. As usual when Jo plays like that, you wonder how he only has a single Masters as his highest achievement 

Hope he can have a late career swansong. His game deserves it 

As for Murray, there were some worryingly hesitant moments, but in fairness that was the Jo that beat Roger at RG in 2013

Henman Bill wrote:Missed most of it for various reason but looks like a good match from I caught. Some  entertaining play. JWT running out of slam win chances though. If he could have just won that tight first set tiebreak it might have been a different story in this match, and who knows, even gone on to win the tournament.

I was kind  of thinking yesterday and today that probably either Murray or Federer would not reach the final. I am not so sure now. I think they will both make  it now.

HB

Andy was lucky to escape from that. Jo was better in the first ser, when Murray decided to go on a mental walkabout and was never that convincing

But as usual he found a way and I see this helping him in some ways

Yes JWT was great...... might never get that close again.

Federer would be Wimbledon's oldest finalist in over 40 years -  IF he can get through his semi.

Murray is well & truly battle-hardened after today. And didn't look at all fatigued at the end.

Some tense stuff in both Federer and Murray matches but as per the norm they managed to get the win. As NS said earlier Murray seemed to lose intensity at the beginning of the third set. Maybe due to him winning the second so easily and the crowd had quietened down. Took him to the start of the fifth to get going again. Saying that though Tsonga seemed to sense it and played some  pretty good powerful and accurate tennis to come back into it.

One thing I noticed though. After the 2nd set Murray took a toilet break and came back playing at a lower level with Tsonga more focussed. After the 4th set Tsonga did the same and this time Murray regained his focus. I can see a player going off if they have lost the set but when they have momentum, unless there is a desperate need, I would have thought it is better to continue as quickly as possible. Going off gives the opponent a bit of time to sit and regroup their thoughts.

Have the BBC seriously not got a highlights package for today's QFs? I got to watch about 30 minutes of Fed v Cilic and was really looking forward to watching some tennis!

I'll be wearing a Czech shirt for Friday.

Murray is a mummy's boy and a manchild and uses his loud mouth to put the opponent off.

Just seen the Federer v Cilic match - I have to say that is one of Federer's best performances of recent years.  Coming back from two sets to love down.  Being love - 40 down in his service game when it was 3-3 in the third set.  The saving of three match points.  The fourth set tie-break.  Cilic was in there all the way but Federer just played the absolute key points with courage and intelligence.

Can see it on BBC iplayer.
First set can be seen here
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b07k0f0p/wimbledon-2016-mens-quarterfinals-part-2
rest of the match can be seen here
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b07k7h6l/wimbledon-2016-mens-quarterfinals-part-3

Just watched some highlights which I basically caught the end of sets 3, 4, 5. Federer probably deserved to win in 5, but did he deserve to even take it to 5? Those were 50/50 sets, both. Maybe 3-1 after 4 sets would have been a fair result. So close, that challenge catching the back of the line in set 4...

But I spotted a key difference between them on the day. The ability to man up and deliver a kick ass second serve on big point and still rarely get a DF. Federer grew up and formed his game watching Wimbledon in the 90s when the difference between a bad ass second serve and not was the difference between waving the trophy and losing a couple of rounds earlier. It shows, it always has.

Federer's first serve percentage was also a bit better at the key moments.

Oh I missed a couple of thrillers.  Will try to catch highlights, but Fed's match would have been so amazing to watch - regardless of the quality - just for the drama.  Oh dear, all those match points, that would have been something else watching live.

For SF:

I would expect Raonic to be easier opponent than Cilic.  Unless Fed does not recover from today's match (which is obviously quite possible at his age) I would expect him to win easier than today.

Murray should beat Berdych - most of their recent matches have been quite one-sided.  Nevertheless, I have this sneaking suspicion that Berdych may be more difficult this time around - he will know that for once he has a realistic chance to lift the trophy.  Still, I would expect Andy to win - maybe in four.

Not sure I get the idea that Berdych will play better because he thinks he has more chance of winning. I'd have thought that puts more pressure on him.

That said, I'm expecting Berdych to play a terrific match. He looks in good form and is obviously a phenomenal player. It's been a tough draw for Andy who, if he is to win, will have to beat 4 players I would say are top 8 on grass.

I can't see Fed losing the other Semi. He isn't going to get broken by Raonic and he should grab the odd break for a straight set win. It would be a disaster for tennis for a player as limited as Raonic to make a Wimbledon final anyway, so got to hope that Fed can do it.

Raonic got to the final of Queens and is in the semi-final of Wimbledon so should not be underestimated.

Of course Roger Federer should not be underestimated either. He reached the Wimbledon final in 2014 and 2015 being beaten both times by Djokovic in five sets and four sets respectively. Incidentally last year Federer beat Murray in straight sets in the semi-final while in 2014 he beat Raonic in the semi-final also in straight sets.

As long as Federer is fit he should overcome Raonic with not too much difficulty and similarly Murray should overcome Berdych to set up an intriguing Murray versus Federer Final.

Given Federer's form over the past two years at Wimbledon one could see him beating Murray in the final, but Federer has had a recent problem with his back and Murray this year has been in great form.

BSlip - Not so sure that Fed will find it that easy against Raonic. Mind you, I reckoned he would lose to Cilic and be pushed by Johnson!
I don't fancy Berdych's chances against Andy.

sirfredperry wrote:BSlip - Not so sure that Fed will find it that easy against Raonic. Mind you, I reckoned he would lose to Cilic and be pushed by Johnson!
  I don't fancy Berdych's chances against Andy.  

Although the H2H is only 8-6 in Andy's favour, he has won the last 4 for the loss of only 1 set, so it looks like he's currently got a fairly good read on Berdych's game.

Fed v Raonic is a close call - Milos is so solid on serve and improved the rest of his game that it's likely to be a bit like the Cilic match, with few opportunities on the opposing serve.

Murray's recent form vs. Berdych suggests that he's got the better of someone who was a bit of a bogey opponent for him - I can't see him losing that one.

I have Raonic as favourite vs. Fed, not by a lot, but I'd be pleasantly surprised if Fed makes the final.

Born Slippy wrote:It would be a disaster for tennis for a player as limited as Raonic to make a Wimbledon final

Had he not gotten injured midway through the match he was winning, he may well have been in the AO final this year.

He is not the most watchable player, I agree, but he is better than what you indicate.

I suspect he would have lost anyway. I didn't think the injury had much impact in the 4th set and I doubt even a fully fit Raonic would beat Murray in a 5th. Let's not forget that he didn't break Murray's serve after the very first game of the match.

We will have to disagree on his watchability. Of the top 50 players he is, in my view, comfortably the least watchable. His matches rely entirely on his opponents to provide flair and excitement. Obviously, I very much dislike serve-dominated tennis in general but he is by far the dullest proponent of it.

Born Slippy wrote:I suspect he would have lost anyway. I didn't think the injury had much impact in the 4th set and I doubt even a fully fit Raonic would beat Murray in a 5th. Let's not forget that he didn't break Murray's serve after the very first game of the match.

We will have to disagree on his watchability. Of the top 50 players he is, in my view, comfortably the least watchable. His matches rely entirely on his opponents to provide flair and excitement. Obviously, I very much dislike serve-dominated tennis in general but he is by far the dullest proponent of it.

I'm not a fan (Raonic) but think he has improved, as an entertainer, recently. Certainly when you compare to the likes of Michael Stich, he's no worse

I to don't get this caveat about his injury in the Aus match. Fact is Murray and Federer, in particularly will frequently have problems, but don't go running and get the trainer in. They probably should do this more often, i.e. be a bit more streetwise - not least because often they don't have an excuse for a loss, that we clearly discover later was due to a niggle.

Games with Murray are quite simple with big servers. Murray spends the first half a dozen service games working out where they are serving to, breaks if he can. But then starts to read the serve, starting to trouble the server who then falls on his own sword as his big weapon has been taken away from him. Hence, he's often a set down or a break down (i.e. Jerzy Janowicz - hope he gets back his fitness and form)