Wimbledon champion through to final after overcoming Mirnyi
Swiss ace Roger Federer brought out 'The Beast' in good friend and occasional doubles partner Max Mirnyi, as the Wimbledon champion made a triumphant start to the Watsons Water Champions Challenge at Victoria Park last night.
Mirnyi, nicknamed 'The Beast' because of his fighting abilities on court, lived up to his name as he made Federer work hard for his 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 victory that earned the world number two a place in tomorrow's final. Federer tamed the towering 1.95-metre tall Belarus player in the first set, but needed to dig deep into his arsenal of shots to overcome the stubborn resistance of Mirnyi.
'I felt good in the beginning,' said Federer. 'But obviously every year it's tough to start off the year because I haven't played in such a long time. Especially against a player like Max, who relies on his serve a lot and keeps the points short. It's tough to get a rhythm and I lost the rhythm in the second set. He came out with a few good shots and luckily for me I could break him one time in the third.
'In any tournament in the early rounds, we always have tough matches. I'd rather play anyone other than Max. He is very uncomfortable to play against.
'I still want to improve my serve. I still think I can get more power down my serve and I can improve my volleys a bit and be a little bit more sharp at the net. My movements have become much better over the last few years. There are some little things to improve.'
Federer will play either Spaniard Juan Carlos Ferrero or Dutchman Martin Verkerk, who play in the other semi-final tonight, for the title.
