The magic of Federer

We’ve long gasped at the way Roger Federer yields his racquet like a magician, but few of us knew he has such skills in escapology too.

Federer’s latest act – saving three match points against Marin Cilic to reach the Wimbledon semifinals for the 11th time in 18 appearances at The Championships – could well have been the most inspiring one in his long career.

“I fought, I tried, I believed,” said the Swiss. “At the end I got it done. It was great on so many levels.”

Federer’s 6-7(4) 4-6 6-3 7-6(9) 6-3 victory over Cilic, the 2014 US Open champion, marked the 10th time he’s recovered from a two-set deficit in his professional history and was the third time he’s saved match points in a major. With a superb quality unwavering, the significance of his latest win was best measured by the milestones it created.

Already possessing the most mind-boggling record in the men’s game, Federer equalled the number of semifinal appearances that Jimmy Connors amassed at Wimbledon; it was also his 307th Grand Slam match win, edging Martina Navratilova’s prolific number.

At age 34 and 336 days old, Federer became the oldest man to progress to the final four at the All England Club since Ken Rosewall achieved the feat as a 39-year-old in 1975.

More compelling still is that the Swiss kept his hopes for an eighth Wimbledon title alive. It’s a feat no man in history has achieved, and having last lifted the trophy in 2012, Federer knows how prolific such a record would be.

“In life there’s so much more to come. In tennis, tennis there’s not that much more,” Federer commented earlier in the week.

“I hope I can win Wimbledon one more time. That would be nice.”

The Swiss sounded almost whimsical then, perhaps all too aware that until the quarterfinals, it had been an arguably Federer-friendly draw; in the first four rounds, his highest-ranked opponent was world No.29 Steve Johnson, who he vanquished in straight sets.

The three-hour, 17-minute victory over Cilic was Federer’s most important test, particularly in light of the knee and back injuries that have shaped this season. It was only weeks ago that those ailments caused his first Grand Slam withdrawal in 17 years ahead of the French Open.

“It was an emotional win, always when you come back from two sets to love, but because of the season that I’ve had, it’s wonderful,” said Federer after his quarterfinal win.

“I was just very happy that I actually felt as strong as I did, you know, mentally and physically when I was down two sets to love. Whatever, those three breakpoints, after I fought them off, I did believe. Next thing you know, I was serving for the match in the fifth.

“That gives me I think a lot of confidence moving forward from here. Yeah, so I feel like I’ve clearly got a chance in the semis, even after a match like this.”

The breakthrough – if you could call that, given Federer has reached so many semifinals before – is apt reward for the Swiss’ showcase of professionalism, and sheer hard work. In London this fortnight, he’s bypassed potential side-trips to musicals and concerts, noting those are activities for his family and friends.

“Right now I have other goals than doing that stuff,” he said. “I’ve been resting, watching some football, playing with my kids in the yard, doing treatment, watching tennis. I think it’s important right now to be in that mindset.”

A similarly low-key recovery was planned after the win over Cilic, which marked Federer’s first five-set match since the 2014 US Open, when he outclassed Gael Monfils in another epic quarterfinal.

“No, I don’t do any of that stuff,” Federer laughed when asked if he’d use any recovery modern methods, like bunkering down in an igloo. “I sleep well tonight, I eat healthy, take a stretch, a massage, that’s it. I don’t do any of the new stuff. Very normal. Like old school.”

A mammoth semifinal assignment with Raonic looms, yet this was Federer at his relaxed best. As it should be after a win that didn’t simply save this Wimbledon, but arguably, his overall career too.

In many ways, the great Cilic escape symbolised Federer’s recent tennis life; uncharacteristically absent then suffering losses to players ranked many places lower, there was a sense that the all-time great was finally in decline. Deep in the fourth set of the quarterfinal, some even wondered if it might be the last we’d see of the beloved champion on Wimbledon’s Centre Court.

“Sometimes you feel when you’re down two sets to love, the mountain to climb is huge, it’s monstrous,” said Federer. “Somehow everything went very quickly and I had great focus. I was very happy.”

So too were his many fans. An achievement that so recently seemed unlikely for Federer is now clearly possible – and whether he wins an eighth Wimbledon or not, at least the magic still exists.