Federer leaves yet another rival chasing shadows

LONDON (Reuters) - Over the past week none of Roger Federer’s opponents needed to play on a court with a retractable roof as Wimbledon has been roasting in 30 degrees Celsius temperatures.

What they would probably have preferred is to play on a Centre Court with a retractable grass surface - one that can open up and swallow them whole and spare them from receiving any further punishment from the most elegant executioner in tennis.

Just too bad that option was not available to Adrian Mannarino yesterday as he was tortured and tormented during a jaw-dropping opening set when he won only one point on his own serve.

Mercifully the set flashed by in 16 breath-taking minutes as Federer whizzed into the quarter-finals with a 6-0 7-5 6-4 win.

Had the Swiss not squandered four break points in the opening game of the second set, which lasted almost as long as the entire opener, Federer would probably have not needed an hour and 45 minutes to get back into the locker room.