Wimbledon 2008: Federer Remains on Course With Emphatic Win

Roger Federer continued his march towards an expected sixth consecutive mens singles final with a straight sets victory over Mario Ancic on Center Court. Federer, up against the last man to beat him at Wimbledon, blew away his opponent 6-1, 7-5, 6-4 in a rain-interrupted quarter-final as he maintained his perfect record at this year's championship.

Rain delayed the start by three-quarters of an hour, and it was Ancic who appeared to have left his form in the dressing room, broken during his first and third service games and eventually succumbing after an opening set lasting just twenty minutes. However, another stoppage for rain appeared to disadvantage Federer and it took until the penultimate game of the second set before he achieved the break he required.

With the Swiss' power from the back of the court constantly unsettling Ancic's attempts to come to the net, a fightback looked unlikely, and Federer duly wrapped up victory with a single break in the third. The world No1 is still to drop a set, and in winning 88 per cent of points on his first serve - up from 85 in the previous round, and 78 at the start of the tournament - Federer's form continues to improve formidably.

"I'm playing great, serving excellently, and there were many aces today," said Federer afterwards. "It was tough with so many rain delays, which broke my momentum, but I got back into the match."

A meeting with Federer is the dubious reward for Marat Safin after the Russian, who has now dispatched four seeded opponents, overcame Feliciano Lopez in four sets. Safin, currently ranked 75th in the world, fought back from one set down to progress 3-6, 7-5, 7-6, 6-3 at the expense of 31st seed Lopez.