Federer Squeaks by Falla in Day One Action at Wimbledon
June 21, 2010 | By Long Island Tennis Magazine Staff
Defending Wimbledon champion Roger Federer came back from the brink of elimination and avoided an embarassing first-round exit during the first day of action at Wimbledon today, recovering from two sets down to beat a very game Colombian Alejandro Falla, 5-7, 4-6, 6-4, 7-6, 6-0.
Federer, looking for his record-tying seventh men’s Wimbledon singles title, was on the verge of elimination as Falla, who is currently ranked 60th in the world, served for the match at 5-4 in the fourth set. But Federer, the top seed, who also recovered from 4-4, 0-40 on his serve in the third set, finally found his game after being made to look second best for much of the match before a shocked Centre Court crowd.
He wrapped up the fourth set tie-break 7-1 before taking control in the fifth set, which he won quickly without dropping a game. Federer avoiding the ignominy of being the first Wimbledon champion to fall at the first hurdle since Lleyton Hewitt in 2003.
