Federer switches off tennis to recharge for Wimbledon second week

By Bill Scott Jul 2, 2006, 19:04 GMT

Defending champion Roger Federer and his partner Mirka Vavrinec watch Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland take on Mario Ancic of Croatia during their third round match for the Wimbledon Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis Club, Friday 30 June 2006. EPA/GERRY PENNY

London - Over a weekend off at the Wimbledon Championships, Roger Federer kept his television exposure to tennis to a minimum as he prepared for the second week of the event that means the most to him.

The Swiss world number 1 hits the halfway point of a bid for a fourth consecutive trophy at the All England club, taking a record grass-court win streak of 44 on the trot into Monday's fourth-round showdown with Tomas Berdych.

But TV sets at the Federer camp's rented house close to the club were surely silent as the Swiss took his days off to decompress after not dropping a set to this stage for the second time in his Wimbledon career.

'I enjoy watching other matches, ladies' or men's,' said Federer, who attended an Elton John charity event last week. 'I'm watching a fair bit of it, you know, but not crazy because I also have another life.

'I also want to do something else than just focus on tennis all the time. Going to the city, go somewhere, do something else.'

But with 13th-seeded Czech Berdych a dangerman for Federer, the top seed also put in the practise time Sunday with coach Tony Roche to keep his lethal game razor sharp.

Federer has won three of four in the series, with Berdych beating him in an Athens Olympic disappointment in 2004 and Federer earning his last victory just a fortnight ago on grass in the final at Halle, Germany.

With two-time finalist Andy Roddick bundled out in the third round by Andy Murray and Argentine David Nalbandian also gone, two potential obstacles to Federer's progress have been knocked over.

But that's not how the cautious Swiss sees things.

'It's a very tricky match already,' he said of the Berdych contest. 'If I come through that, there's other good players lying ahead.

'I actually don't look that far down the draw. That would be semis, and we're not there yet. I think it's quite a tough draw I have this year.'

Second seed Rafael Nadal will take another step into the grass-court unknown as he plays his his Grand Slam fourth-round match on the surface upon which the clay king has vowed to also become a threat.

The eager Spaniard ended the retiring Andre Agassi's Wimbledon career Saturday and hopes to continue against Georgian qualifier Irakli Labdaze, an outsider ranked a distant 165th.

2002 champion and sixth seed Lleyton Hewitt has scrambled in his earlier wins and expects a dogfight when he faces Spanish surprise David Ferrer for a quarter-final place.

'He's a tough player on all surfaces and he's very competitive. I've never seen him sort of go away in matches,' said the Australian. 'It's gonna be a dogfight out there.

'I'd prefer to win in straight sets if I can, go out there and cruise through. But I guess, you know, just being competitive out there, you know, that never-say-die attitude.'

Seventh seed Mario Ancic, the last man to beat Federer on grass back in 2002, will play Serbian Novak Djokovic while Britain's Murray carries national hopes when he faces Australian Open finalist Marcos Baghdatis.

In the women's draw, three Russians, two Belgians and a surprise two Serbs remain in the final 16.

Top seed Amelie Mauresmo faces one of them when she plays Ana Ivanovic, while Jelena Jankovic hopes to follow on after upending holder Venus Williams as she next plays 2004 French Open winner Anastasia Myskina.

The Belgian duo of second seed Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin-Hardenne aim to advance, while Russians Maria Sharapova and Elena Dementieva are also in action on what is forecast as another hot, sunny week.