Federer, the 17 time major winner, next faces Gulbis who reached the last 16 for the first time since 2008. “It was tough to lose the second set but nice to win the match,” said 32-year-old Federer, who is contesting his 58th straight Grand Slam. “It was not a straightforward win. I knew Dmitry would try different things, take big cuts at the ball but I am pleased to have played solid.” Gulbis, the 18th seed, won a fractious third round clash against 35-year-old Czech veteran Radek Stepanek 6-3 6-2 7-5 in the Court One bullring, firing 19 aces and 45 winners. Twelve months ago, Gulbis caused controversy when he described the sport’s big four of Federer, Rafael Nadal, Djokovic and Andy Murray as “boring”. He especially pointed the finger at Federer, claiming that post-match interviews were becoming so polite and inoffensive that the fire in the belly of the sport was being doused. On Friday, Gulbis turned his fire on women in tennis, claiming the sport is no place for female players. “A woman needs to enjoy life a little bit more. Needs to think about family, needs to think about kids. What kids you can think about until age of 27 if you’re playing professional tennis, you know,” he said. Gulbis and Federer last met in Rome in 2010, three years before the 25-year-old Latvian unleashed his Paris tirade.
Posted on: Sat, 31 May 2014 19:46:16 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015