Roger Federer thrived in 35-degree temperatures to clinch an 11th win in 11 meetings against big-serving Swede Robin Soderling on Monday and reach the Wimbldon quarter-finals. In a repeat of the French Open final, where the great Swiss clinched a record-equalling 14th Grand Slam title, Federer won 6-4, 7-6 (7/5), 7-6 (7/5) over the man who dramatically ended Rafael Nadal's Roland Garros reign.
Federer, chasing a sixth Wimbledon title, will be appearing in his 25th Grand Slam quarter-final where he'll face Croatia's Ivo Karlovic, who has fired 102 aces in three rounds, or Spanish left-hander Fernando Verdasco.
Soderling, who also lost in straight sets in the second round here in 2008 to Federer, paid heavily for a sloppy service game when he cracked to trail 4-5 courtesy of a netted forehand. Federer clinched the opener when the Swede went long with a second service return.
The Swede dropped just three points on serve in the second set, but Federer was the more composed in the tie-breaker, refusing to give Soderling the pace on which he thrives. Soderling finally carved out his first break points of the match in the ninth game of the third set, but Federer stood firm to lead 5-4.
The Swede 13th seed glanced a chance at 5/4 in the tie-breaker, but Federer went to 5/5 and then match point when his opponent served a third double fault. The match was Federer's when the Swede went wide with a dispirited drive.
Germany's rejuvenated Tommy Haas, the oldest man left in the draw at 31, reached his first Wimbledon quarter-final with a 7-6 (10/8), 6-4, 6-4 win over Russian 29th seed Igor Andreev.
Haas, seeded 24, and who saved two match points in his third round marathon victory over Croatia's Marin Cilic, next faces either Serbian fourth seed Novak Djokovic or Israel's Dudi Sela.
Djokovic was a semi-finalist in 2007 while Sela is the first Israeli in the last 16 here in 20 years. A win for the world number 46 would make him the first Israeli man or woman to make a Grand Slam quarter-final in the Open era.
Later Monday, third seed Andy Murray faces Swiss Olympic doubles gold medallist Stanislas Wawrinka as he continues his bid to become the first British men's champion since Fred Perry in 1936.
Lleyton Hewitt, the 2002 champion, takes on Czech Radek Stepanek while two-time runner-up Andy Roddick meets Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic. Hewitt was the only Australian man in the main draw. Former world number one Juan Carlos Ferrero takes on Gilles Simon of France.
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