Andy Murray has backed Roger Federer to be a force at Wimbledon again and thinks it will be a long time before anyone gets close to the Swiss great’s grand slam quarter-final record.
One of the most dramatic days in Wimbledon history had a sting in the tail when defending champion Federer was bundled out in the second round by Ukrainian Sergiy Stakhovsky.
Wednesday’s loss was the first time Federer had gone out before the quarter-finals of a slam since the French Open in 2004, a run of 36 tournaments in a row, and his earliest exit since before he won the first of his 17 slam titles at Wimbledon in 2003.
Novak Djokovic is on a run of 16 consecutive grand slam quarter-finals, but if the Serbian is to equal Federer’s record, let alone beat it, he will have to maintain his streak for another five years.
Murray, who faces Spaniard Tommy Robredo in the third round today, said: “I think that will stand for a long time, I don’t see anyone breaking that for a good while.
“Records are always there to be beaten but it will take a long time for someone to do that. Novak is the closest and he wouldn’t be able to do it for about five or six years.”
Federer turns 32 next month and it seems clear the great man’s powers are on the wane.
He has won only one grand slam title in three-and-a-half years, beating Murray in last year’s Wimbledon final, and he is only fifth in the Champions Race, which shows the best players of the season.
Federer has set his sights on playing until at least the Rio Olympics in 2016, and Murray is not about to write off a man who has won seven Wimbledon titles from having further success at the All England Club.
“I’m sure he’ll be a threat, no doubt,” said the Scot. “He’ll be back.”
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