Settle, Gretel

I feel like I want to take the world by the throat and tell it to settle down. Has anyone else noticed the pervasive OH MY GOD ROGER FEDERER LOST A SET WE'RE ALL GOING TO DIIIIIIIIIIE mentality that's suddenly appeared post the Kohlschreiber match? I can't be the only one, surely - it's everywhere!

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Well, world, here is me grabbing you by the throat and telling you to settle, Gretel.

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One set. One set and there's a global freakout. Maybe the world was on edge what with all the various celebrity tragedies, but it was pretty ridiculous.

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Sure, that third set against Kohlschreiber was not the bestest set ever played by Roger ever, and he really should have won it after being up a break, but he lost in a close breaker, and I think the world can agree that instead of putting the hammer down when he was ahead, he started an experimental period of attempted linepainting which didn't go so well. And then he got irritated at the indignity of it that he had to go and win 6-1 in the fourth.

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Not to take anything away from Kohlschreiber, because he didn't play a bad match. You can't, if you want to take a set off the man, even if he's gone into playgroup mode. But there seems to be an awful lot of hysteria over one set. Federer lost a whole bunch of sets over in France - one is nothing.

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My two cents, anyway.

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I was surprised at how easily Djokovic came through Mardy Fish - he's playing better than I thought he was going to, which is good for him (even though he still has a repellent personality). But the match of the day has to be one which isn't even finished yet - the throwdown showdown between Tommy Haas and Marin Cilic. I'm pretty sure that's the Djokovic quarter, yes? I initially picked Haas to make the semis, but if Cilic comes through this one (they're currently locked at 6-6 in the fifth) I wouldn't be surprised either. And if the five setter doesn't take too much out of the tank, then I think whomever wins the match will win the quarter. And it's not like they'll have to play straight up - ah, middle Sunday.

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I'm going to be interested to see how Hewitt plays tonight - switched over to a bit of preview action now, sorry for the abrupt change. I can totally foresee him falling in a heap against Petzschner after his big win against del Potro. Conversely, I can see him making the quarters, so I don't know. Same for Stosur, really - she's got bad Wimbledon hoodoo from the past, so can she shake it off?

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Today's Results

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The Championships (Wimbledon)

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Men's Draw

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Roger Federer def. Philipp Kohlschreiber, 6-3 6-2 6-7 (5-7) 6-1

Novak Djokovic def. Mardy Fish, 6-4 6-4 6-4

Ivo Karlovic def. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, 7-6 (7-5) 6-7 (5-7) 7-5 7-6 (7-5)

Fernando Verdasco def. Albert Montanes, 4-6 6-1 6-4 7-6 (7-2)

Dudi Sela def. Tommy Robredo, 7-6 (10-8) 7-5 2-6 7-5

Robin Soderling def. Nicolas Almagro, 7-6 (9-7) 6-4 6-4

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Women's Draw

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Victoria Azarenka def. Sorana Cirstea, 7-6 (7-2) 6-3

Elena Dementieva def. Regina Kulikova, 6-1 6-2

Serena Williams def. Roberta Vinci, 6-3 6-4

Nadia Petrova def. Gisela Dulko, 3-6 6-3 6-4

Francesca Schiavone def. Marion Bartoli, 7-6 (7-5) 6-0

Elena Vesnina def. Dominika Cibulkova, 7-5 4-6 6-4

Daniela Hantuchova def. Ai Sugiyama, 6-4 6-3

Virginie Razzano def. Vera Zvonareva, walkover