Wimbledon 2021: Roger Federer defeats Italy's Sonego to reach quarter-finals
A sudden downpour is rarely a welcome sight at Wimbledon.
Hence spare a thought for Italian Lorenzo Sonego who on his Centre Court debut found himself break point down at 5-5 in the first set of his fourth-round showdown with Roger Federer when a cloudburst sent the players scurrying back to the locker room.
One can only guess the torment he must have endured during Monday’s 20-minute stoppage, during which the roof was closed over the soggy and windswept court, but upon resumption, it was clear the disruption had done Sonego no favours.
He immediately produced a double fault under the floodlights to surrender his serve and that was the break Federer needed to prove that when it comes to Wimbledon he is no pushover, even at the grand old age of 39.
The eight-time champion weathered the first-set storm, from his opponent and the rain gods, to become the oldest man in the Open Era to reach the Wimbledon quarter-finals with a 7-5 6-4 6-2 win over the 23rd seed.
“It’s just amazing the difference an indoor and an outdoor situation can do,” Federer, who turns 40 next month, said after advancing to the last eight at the All England Club for a record-extending 18th time.
