Fans’ favourite Federer on edge

FRENCH OPEN title favourite Roger Federer is receiving overwhelming support on and off the court as he moves a step closer to greatness.

The Swiss star reached his 20th consecutive grand-slam semi-final with a convincing 7-6 (8/6) 6-2 6-4 victory over France’s Gael Monfils yesterday.

Federer, the second seed, is bidding to win his first Roland Garros title, which would make him the sixth man to clinch the haul of all four majors.

He will never have a better chance – leading rivals Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic have all been dumped out of the tournament – and the pressure on the popular 27-year-old is immense.

He says the nerves are jangling as he closes in on a fourth consecutive appearance in the final here, and he has been left shocked at the backing he is getting. “I have felt it for a few years now, to be honest, but this year is even more extreme,” said Federer, who will equal Pete Sampras’s record of 14 grand slams if he claims the title.

“When I walk on the streets or get driven around or go for dinner, everybody is saying: ‘This is your year. You’ve got to do it.’ They are screaming from their scooters and out of the car.

Federer needed to come from two sets down to defeat Tommy Haas in the fourth round but he was more like his usual self as he eased past a rather subdued Monfils.

His forehand worked again, his error count was lower and he was more consistent. He was given a decent workout by the Frenchman in the first set, which Federer claimed after saving a set point in the tie-break.

Federer said his pre-match nerves disappeared once he strode onto Philippe Chatrier court: “We’re all nervous at this stage – I felt it yesterday and I felt it again today in the warm-up. I was tired, I was nervous and I didn’t really feel good.

“The whole story of Nadal losing, Murray losing, Djokovic losing, the draw opening up a little bit; it obviously plays with your mind.

“But it doesn’t matter if I’m zero nervous or 100% nervous. I know I’ll always play a decent match in the quarter-finals of a grand slam.”

Federer will play fifth seed Juan Martin del Potro in the last four, the Argentinian brushing aside 16th seed Tommy Robredo 6-3 6-4 6-2.

Federer has never lost to Del Potro in five matches. “I have a good record against him but it doesn’t mean a thing right now because it’s too much of a big match, he’s too dangerous,” the Swiss said.

Del Potro, 20, will make his first appearance in a grand-slam semi-final.

“If I can’t win this tournament, I want to see Roger with the trophy on Sunday,” he said.

Serena Williams felt she was her own worst enemy as she lost an epic three-setter to Svetlana Kuznetsova to dash her hopes of landing a second Roland Garros title.

Williams, the second seed, will have to wait another year to repeat her title-winning exploits of 2002 after being downed 7-6 (7/3) 5-7 7-5 by seventh seed Kuznetsova on Suzanne Lenglen court.

The American recovered from going a set down to take a 3-1 lead in the decider, but was eventually sunk when Kuznetsova clinched victory on the third of her match points.

While the Russian can look forward to a semi-final against 30th seed Sam Stosur today Williams was left to reflect on what might have been, putting the blame for her defeat firmly at her own door.

“In the third set, I had an opportunity and I got really tight. And I pretty much gave it to her,” said the 27-year-old.

Kuznetsova is the second Russian to make the semi-finals, along with compatriot Dinara Safina, the top seed and title favourite.

She is the only player to defeat Safina on clay this year. That makes her strong favourite to see off Stosur, the Australian who will be making her first appearance in a grand-slam semi-final.