The heat is rising in London

LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 04: Andy Murray of Great Britain

The heat in England continues to rise as Wimbledon reaches its men’s semifinal. People are ready to watch a high level of tennis and each and every player will try to be the champion of champions and but they will face difficulties of a high magnitude, but who ever over comes them, will get the chance to play in the final on Sunday.

It is a huge day, not just for players but also for the tennis lovers.

The men’s semifinal matches are:

Novak Djokovic (1) vs Roger Federer (3): Two well-known names in England, while Novak earned the number One seed after beating Rafael Nadal in the final, Roger Federer, who has a great record of winning England’s Grand Glam six times will face each other in the semis on Friday. The Swiss player has not won any title for last two and a half years and it promises to be a great game against the Serb and he has shown his magic in this year’s Wimbledon tournament. Djokovic, who has won all the games in this edition of the tournament with ease will face problems playing against Federer, though he plays a different range of shots and finds fun in the game.

There is no doubt that this will be a very entertaining match. While novak will play to win two back to back Wimbledon Grand Slams, Federer will play to win the title, to make history, to join Pete Sampras. The Swiss player played a record 32 semis. It has to be noted that while Federer is a very good player on grass, the Serb has beat him in most matches for the last two and half years,so there is no advantage for any of them.

Djokovic and Federer have met 26 times, with Federer leading 14–12. Djokovic, however, has won 6 of his last 7 encounters with Federer, and 4 out of their last 5 meetings in Grand Slams.

“I’m not trying to defend my title here,” said the 25-year-old Djokovic, who has dropped only one set in reaching the semifinals for the fourth time. “I’m trying to fight for it as every other player who is in the last four. My mind-set is very positive. I obviously felt relief in a way that I won the tournament on the grass [last year]. But now I’m feeling great about playing on grass. This year I’ve been playing really well, consistently well, from the start of the tournament, and I hope to continue that way.”

“Maybe he uses the grass court better because of that slice,” Djokovic said. “He has a really smart game for this surface. But I improved playing on grass in the last couple of years. I won the title here last year, am in another semifinal this year so I’m feeling good. I really have nothing to lose.”

“He has a lot of respect from me, from all the players. There is no question about it,” Djokovic said of Federer. “But we are all rivals, we are all opponents. I don’t think about his history or his success or whatever too much when I’m on the court. I just want to win that match.”

LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 04: Novak Djokovic of Serbia

While Roger Federer said:

“I’ve been playing well for a year now,” Federer said. “I’m happy that going ahead into the semifinals I’m not tired, I’m not injured, I’m fresh and ready to go. That’s how I want to feel. It’s been a better tournament than in Paris for me anyway, where I struggled all the way through.

“It is interesting that this is our first grass-court match. I’m looking forward to it,” said Federer, who can win a record-equaling seventh Wimbledon title after losing in the quarterfinals the past two years. “I haven’t put too much thought into it, to be quite honest, yet. I’m just happy that I’m around further than I’ve been the last couple years.”

“Obviously I’m aware that Novak is the defending champion and the world No1. That’s not going to make it easy to come through. I know it’s possible. I know I’m playing really well. I am aware things are going to get complicated. I’d better prepare well because it’s going to be a tough match.”

“I know it’s possible. I know I’m playing really well,” said Federer, who is 14-12 against Djokovic overall but 1-6 since the start of 2011. “I am aware things are going to get complicated in the next match. I better prepare well, because it’s going to be a tough match.”

LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 04: Roger Federer of Switzerland

Last year, Federer was beaten by Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the quarter final.

In the quarter final, Novak Djokovic beat Florian Mayer by 6-4 6-1 6-4. Roger federer beat Mikhail Youzhny 6-1 6-2 6-2.

Previous meetings:

In their last meeting, Djokovic beat Federer 6-4 7-5 6-3 at the French Open this year

In their first meeting this year, Novak beat Federer by 6-2 7-6(7/4), in Rome

In the last meeting last year the Serb beat the Swiss 6-2 6-1 in the UAE.

Federer last beat Djokovic at the French Open in 2011 with a score of 7-6(7/5) 6-3 3-6 7-6(7/5)

From this, one can easily pick Novak as the favourite, but the result of this kind of match will be very hard to predict. We have to wait and see that if Federer turn back the clock and make the history. Or will Djokovic beat him ?

The other match of the day is

Andy Murray (4) vs Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (5): Murray will play to go into the final against Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and the encounter will be as entertaining as the first match. While the Scot has a record of playing four back-to-back semis at Wimbledon, he hasn’t won any of them, and the Frenchman will be playing in the semis for the second time, but neither has ever made it to the final. This is a chance for both of them to do just that.

Both of them had tough games in the quarter finals and also played three times before the semis, but anything can happen in the semis.

LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 04: Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France

Murray said:

‘When you start each tournament, you want to try and win. Obviously now that I’m in it, I’m not thinking, ‘Great, I’m in the semifinals’. You want to try and go further.

‘But I know how hard it is. Everyone kept telling me I had such a hard draw and how tough it was going to be to get through. I managed to do that. I’ve beaten some very good players. It’s been a good tournament so far.

‘But I want it to continue. I’d be disappointed if I lost before the final in any tournament, but I don’t just expect to get there. It’s a very difficult thing to do. You need to make sure you perform properly.

“Subconsciously, I’m probably extremely stressed out right now, but I try not to feel it. Then, yeah, when the tournament’s done there’s normally a pretty big release of that. I just don’t want to be on the court for a few weeks.”

While Tsonga was quoted as saying:

“Here for Andy is difficult because he’s alone. I mean, in France it’s OK. We have many players and that’s fine, but here for him it’s really difficult because every eyes are on him and it’s tough for him.

“Tennis in the U.K. is not really a sport that necessarily gets followed loads for the rest of the year, but everyone gets into it when Wimbledon comes round because they understand how big a competition it is,” Murray said. “The support that I’ve had over the last sort of five, six years here has been great.

“I’m trying my best to win the tournament for myself, obviously, but also for everybody else.”

In the quarter finals Andy Murray beat Spanish player David Ferrer 6-7(5/7) 7-6(8/6) 6-4 7-6(7/4) and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga beat German Philipp Kohlschreiber 7-6(7/5) 4-6 7-6(7/3) 6-2.

Last meetings:

Andy Murray beat Tsonga at their last meet in London, 2011 by a score of 3-6 7-6(7/2) 6-4

Murray also beat Tsonga in the second-last match between them 6-2 6-2 at Wimbledon,2010 by a score of 6-7(5/7) 7-6(7/5) 6-2 6-2

It is to be noted that Tsonga has never beaten Andy Murray.

This may look tough for the French player, but Tsonga can make it to the final for the first time by winning in the semis.

The winner of both semifinals will face each other in the Final on Sunday.