Federer coasts into final (From The Northern Echo)

Federer coasts into final

8:52am Saturday 4th July 2009 in

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ROGER Federer has spent a career making history – now he’s just one win from securing his place as the greatest of the greats.

Federer was just the warmup man to the main event yesterday but tomorrow he’ll be the star attraction once again.

His 7-6, 7-5, 6-3 win over Tommy Haas secured him a seventh consecutive Wimbledon final appearance, the first man to do that since 1922.

Watched by Rod Laver and Bjorn Borg, two fellow legends of the game, it’s a record that will mean nothing to the five-time All England Club champion.

Federer has just one burning ambition, winning an unprecedented 15th Grand Slam title that would edge him away from Pete Sampras and on to a plinth of his own in the pantheon of his sport.

“I’m very proud of all the records I’ve achieved because I never thought I would be that successful as a kid – winning Wimbledon once was a dream scenario,” said Federer.

“This is a great opportunity for me to get into the history books but it’s not the only reason I’m playing tennis.

However, to go for something that big is quite extraordinary.

“I’m honoured to share the record with Pete Sampras and I consider him a good friend. I don’t know whether he will come to watch on Sunday but it would be great to see him.”

Last year Federer stood on the brink of history; a win over Rafael Nadal would have been a sixth consecutive title, scrubbing Borg from the record books.

However, he admitted the pressure got to him but, ominously for Andy Roddick, his opponent this weekend, he insists he couldn’t be more relaxed 12 months on.

“For some reason that record last year meant the world to me, I was in a bubble for two weeks just dreaming about achieving it,” he said.

“This time around I’m more relaxed, maybe because I won in Paris that has taken the pressure off me.”

Federer always knew this match would be no formality against a player enjoying a late renaissance in his career.

Haas, 31, pushed the Swiss the distance at Roland Garros in an encounter that was to prove the making of the eventual champion.

He then won the Wimbledon warm-up tournament at Halle, an event where Federer normally shines, and saw off fourth seed Novak Djokovic to reach the fourth Grand Slam semi-final of a career that started 13 years ago.

But this is Federer’s stage and it was always going to take more than that to beat him.

If Roddick wants a sleepless night, he better speak with Haas, who said: “He is playing well and serving well but I wouldn’t give him a chance to beat Roger.”