Federer eyes Borg’s Wimbledon record

Roger Federer, left, poses with Björn Borg at the Dubai Open in March 2006 Keystone

Swiss tennis world number one Roger Federer has his sights on equalling Björn Borg's five consecutive Wimbledon victories and 11 grand slam titles.

Federer is one of six Swiss players – two men and four women – who have travelled to southwest London for the grass court grand slam event, which began on Monday.

While tradition is being challenged at Wimbledon this year – women will earn the same prize money as men for the first time and video screens will help players challenge calls – some things never change: Federer once again had the honour of being first to step out onto Centre Court.

Teimuraz Gabashvili, a 22-year-old Russian currently ranked 84 places below the top-seeded Swiss, was just behind him and hoped to create the upset of the year.

But one-and-a-half hours later Federer notched up his 49th consecutive grass-court victory and 29th in a row at Wimbledon, a streak dating back to 2002.

After a rain-delayed opening day, Federer beat Gabashvili 6-3, 6-2, 6-4. Federer’s mother sat in the Royal Box, while his girlfriend, Mirka Vavrinec, was joined by Italian motorcycling star Valentino Rossi in his supporters’ section.

Two weeks after missing out on a Grand Slam on the clay of Roland Garros, Federer arrived at the grass of the All England Club to attempt something only one man has done in the past 100 years: win a fifth consecutive Wimbledon title.

“That would be absolutely incredible,” admitted the 25-year-old Basel-born star, who is playing in his ninth Wimbledon.

Swedish legend Borg won Wimbledon from 1976 to 1980. Pete Sampras, who won half his record 14 grand slam titles at Wimbledon, was stopped at four in a row – by Federer in 2001.

“Roger is fun to watch. He’s graceful,” Sampras said earlier this year. “Roger is dominating the game much more than I ever did. What he’s done the last three years hasn’t ever been done in the sport.”

Unstoppable?

Federer has won ten of the last 16 grand slam titles – an 11th will see him tie with Borg in second place behind Sampras.

What’s more, success for Federer on the sport’s most hallowed ground takes away the sting of near-misses at the French Open, where he has lost to Spanish nemesis Rafael Nadal for the past three years.

“You do forget about it right away if you win Wimbledon the following month,” Federer said. “That overshadows the French Open by a mile.”

In last year’s Wimbledon final Federer beat Nadal, and if all runs according to plan, a dream rematch could take place on July 8.

But Marc Rosset, a former Swiss Davis Cup team captain, was not sure that Nadal would make it to the final again. Instead he was keeping an eye on 20-year-old Serb Novak Djoković, a semi-finalist at this year’s French Open and quarterfinalist at last year’s Wimbledon.

“[Fourth seed] Djoković has no weaknesses, but it’s too early for him to threaten Federer or [third-seeded] Roddick,” Rosset told swissinfo.

Romanian former world number one Ilie Năstase, who described Federer as “one of the very, very great champions in tennis history”, told swissinfo: “Frankly, I can’t see anyone who can stop [Federer].”

Not only Federer, but also…

Although all eyes and cameras are on Federer, Stanislas Wawrinka, currently ranked 43, is also in the running for the Gentlemen’s Singles Trophy and £700,000 (SFr1.73 million) top prize, but he has yet to get past the third round in a grand slam event.

Four Swiss ladies are in the running to lift the Rosewater Dish – and equal prize money. Ninth seed Martina Hingis will be looking to win her second Wimbledon singles title exactly ten years after she won her first.

Patty Schnyder, seeded 15th, has never made it beyond the third round at Wimbledon but will be hoping to continue a good run of form that saw her earn – and squander – a matchpoint against 2004 Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova at this year’s French Open.

Timea Bacsinszky and Emmanuelle Gagliardi, ranked 89 and 131 respectively, complete the Swiss delegation, but the vast majority of red-and-white painted faces will be shouting – with a total lack of neutrality – for Federer.

swissinfo, Thomas Stephens with agencies

Key facts

In 2001, Federer ended Pete Sampras’s 31-match winning streak at Wimbledon in the fourth round of the tournament.
By winning Wimbledon in 2003, Federer joined Stefan Edberg, Pat Cash, and Björn Borg as the only players to win both the juniors’ and men’s Wimbledon championships.
Federer has won four consecutive men’s singles titles at Wimbledon (2003-2006), a feat accomplished only by Borg and Sampras in the open era (post-1968). During those years at Wimbledon he dropped just five sets. Borg and Sampras lost 15 and 14 sets respectively over a similar four-year period.
Approximately 28,000kg of strawberries and 6,000 litres of cream are sold each year during Wimbledon.

In brief

This year at the All England Lawn Tennis Club, which has hosted Wimbledon since 1877, men and women will earn equal prize money and there will be instant replay on giant video screens.

Centre Court and No. 1 Court will be equipped with technology for the Hawk-Eye challenge system, allowing electronic reviews of close calls.

At the US Open and Australian Open, players were allowed two incorrect challenges per set – if a call is overturned, the player keeps that challenge – plus an extra one if there’s a tiebreaker. At Wimbledon, players will be given three per set, plus an extra one for a tiebreaker.

This year the men’s and ladies’ singles champions will each receive £700,000 (SFr1.73 million). The male purse has increased by 6.9% (£655,000 in 2006), while that of the ladies by 12% (£625,000 in 2006).