Wimbledon 2017: Here is why Roger Federer’s first-round win at All England Club is special

Roger Federer's Round 1 win over Alexandr Dolgopolov is special as it made him the first man to win 85 matches in the Open Era at Wimbledon

IANS

New Delhi: Roger Federer has entered the second round of Wimbledon. One knows that there is nothing special in that piece of news considering that it is par for the course. But what makes his Round 1 win over Alexandr Dolgopolov special is that the Swiss great became the first man to win 85 matches in the Open Era at Wimbledon. Before the start of this year’s Championships, he was tied for the numero uno spot with American great Jimmy Connors.

This is one of the many Open Era records that Federer holds at his favourite tournament. With seven crowns, he is the joint record holder with Pete Sampras for having won the most number of titles. He has won five consecutive titles at SW19, a record he shares with Bjorn Borg.

Federer also shares two more Wimbledon records with Connors. He has entered the semis of the tournament 11 times and the quarters 14 times.

There are a few other records that he holds alone. He has won 34 consecutive sets at the tournament. He has appeared in seven consecutive semi-finals, seven consecutive finals and 10 finals overall.

At 35, Federer is playing as good as he has in a long time. He redirected his career and was once again counted among the very best players (even on form) when he won the Australian Open earlier this year.

The spotlight is still on him as he is looking for a record eighth crown this season. No man in any era has won eight titles at SW19.