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Rediff.com  » Sports » Fed Express bids to bring Wimbledon campaign back on track

Fed Express bids to bring Wimbledon campaign back on track

June 23, 2010 12:34 IST
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Roger Federer will hope to regain the air of invincibility that deserted him spectacularly in the first round when he returns to Wimbledon on Wednesday.

roger federerThe six-times champion looked a pale shadow of his imperious best as he teetered on the brink of a humiliating exit against Colombian Alejandro Falla and will hope for better against Serbian Ilija Bozoljac.

The Swiss has been relegated from Centre Court for the first time since 2007 but can take comfort that his opponent, a rangy qualifier who has never been past the second round at the grasscourt major, is of a different ilk to Monday's tormentor.

"The next guy is a righty, big serving guy, nothing to do with the guy I played today," Federer said on Monday.

"That's why you're happy sometimes you get over the finish line and have a chance to play much better maybe or play a different kind of a player. That's what I'm going to get for sure in the next round."

While Federer was scrapping for survival, his opponent in last year's final, Andy Roddick, enjoyed a 93-minute, one-sided stroll to book his place in the second round.

The big-serving American opens up Centre Court against in-form Frenchman Michael Llodra, who warmed up for the lawns of Wimbledon by winning his second grass court title at the Eastbourne International last week.

"He's been playing great," Roddick said. "It's a very, very dangerous match. (There is) not a lot of mystery to what he's going to do. He does it pretty well. If he serves well, it's going to be a tough one."

In the women's event, second seed and five-times winner Venus Williams follows Roddick on Centre Court against 22-year-old Russian Ekaterina Makarova.

Kim Clijsters, who has returned to Wimbledon after a four-year absence, is first on Court One against Karolina Sprem before her ex-fiance Lleyton Hewitt faces Evgeny Korolev.
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Source: REUTERS
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