The tank is full – Federer sounds Wimbledon warning

Roger Federer issued an ominous warning to his Wimbledon rivals as he beat Jay Clarke in straight sets before declaring: “the tank is full”.

The eight-time All England Club champion revealed after his first-round win over Lloyd Harris that he had endured some mobility issues, but he was quickly up to full speed against British number four Clarke on Thursday.

Federer, moving freely and with typical grace, wrapped up the first set in 28 minutes en route to a 6-1 7-6 (7-3) 6-2 triumph on No.1 Court.

“I really enjoyed myself. The tank is full. I came here with a lot of confidence, the first few matches haven’t been very taxing physically,” said the 20-time grand slam winner.

“You try to win your matches regardless of the score, if you win them in straights that’s better.

“This first week has been going well and I know the opponents in terms of ranking will now get better.”

Federer marches on…@rogerfederer equals Jimmy Connors’ Open era record of 17 third round appearances in the men’s singles at #Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/9gaOJRFwUq

— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 4, 2019

Clarke had the backing of a home crowd in London and produced a spirited second-set showing, earning warm praise from the Swiss maestro, who has been impressed with some of the young players emerging at this tournament, not least Coco Gauff in the women’s draw.

“I thought the crowds were great, they were really hoping for Jay to get into the match and he did that in the second set,” said the 37-year-old. 

“I struggled to take care of business a bit from the baseline. Thankfully I played a pretty good breaker. I had some help from him as he gave me a couple of unforced errors.

“It’s refreshing to see new players. I love the story [of Gauff], the same with Jay and new players coming through – unfortunately a few lost already.

“They will take care of business in the future and I will watch from the couch.”