Giants clash at Wimbledon semifinal

WIMBLEDON, England - The Associated Press

Swiss player Roger Federer hopes to retain the top spot of the ATP rankings with a long-sought victory at Wimbledon. Federer’s title credentials will be tested against Novak Djokovic. AFP photo

Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic have a common nemesis when it comes to Grand Slam finals, repeatedly finding themselves playing Rafael Nadal.

Their own rivalry gets less attention since it has largely taken place in semifinals of the major tournaments. They’ll go at it again at Wimbledon today - their ninth meeting in the last four of a Grand Slam since 2008 - knowing that Nadal won’t be waiting in the final for the winner.

Federer and Djokovic easily set up another highly anticipated matchup Wednesday as the six-time champion wrapped up a dominating 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 win over Mikhail Youzhny of Russia just a few minutes before the top-ranked Serb finished off a 6-4, 6-1, 6-4 victory over Florian Mayer on Court 1.

It will be the 27th meeting between the two, but the first at Wimbledon.

“It is our first grass-court match. We don’t know quite what to expect,” said Federer, who leads their head-to-head series 14-12. “I feel it’s a bit of an even ground.”

It should certainly be more evenly matched than their quarterfinals. Federer looked every bit the 16-time Grand Slam winner against Youzhny, a player he has now beaten 14 times in as many meetings.

At one point, with the frustrated Russian running out of ideas of how to stop the onslaught, Youzhny looked up in despair toward the Royal Box to jokingly ask Andre Agassi - who was also sitting in the front row - for advice. Not even Agassi could help him, though, and Federer wrapped up the win in 1 hour, 32 minutes.

Djokovic didn’t need much longer than Federer to beat Mayer as well.

“Roger has been on the top of the men’s game for so long,” Djokovic said. “This is where he won six titles. He definitely wants to prove himself and to everybody else that he can win it once again.”

In search of first Wimbledon final
Andy Murray and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga meet in the other semifinal, with each vying to reach his first Wimbledon final.

As always at this point in the tournament, “Murray Mania” is setting in at Wimbledon.

Murray is in the semifinals for the fourth straight year, giving him one more chance of becoming the first British man since 1938 to reach to the final. The last British man to win the title was Fred Perry in 1936. And with Nadal out of the way, the expectations on Murray are higher than ever.

“Subconsciously I’m probably extremely stressed out right now, but I try not to feel it,” Murray said. “If you think too much about it and you read the newspapers and you watch the TV, it would become far too much. But if you shield yourself from it all and get into your own little bubble, then it’s something you can deal with.”

Tsonga knows a thing or two about playing under pressure as the top “home” player at the French Open.

“Here for Andy it’s difficult because he’s alone,” Tsonga said. “In France it’s OK. We have many players and that’s fine, but here for him it’s really difficult because every eyes are on him and it’s tough for him.”