Federer wary of Karlovic threat

 

Originally published on: 26/02/10 12:38

Karlovic stands 6ft 10in and has the most feared serve in the game, sending down 137 aces in the first four rounds.

“I like those sort of challenges,” said the five-time champion. “It’s maybe not the most fun match to go through but I like to beat this guy because he makes it hard on us to beat him. He’s become an excellent player. Not only just his serve, he’s got to have something more otherwise he wouldn’t be ranked where he is and he wouldn’t be beating all those good players. He’s not to be underestimated.”

Karlovic, seeded 22nd because of his pedigree on grass despite only being ranked 36th, relied largely on tie-breaks to defeat Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Fernando Verdasco.

Federer will not mind a repeat on Wednesday, though, having beaten the 30-year-old in nine of the 12 tie-breaks they have played, helping him win eight of their previous nine matches.

“The reason why he was number one and also why he’s maybe the best player ever is because in the tight situations he can play his best tennis,” said Karlovic of his next opponent.

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