Ivo Karlovic: I Love the '90s!

Part of this can be attributed to Wimbledon’s slower surface speed since the ‘90s, and also to the fact that racket technology has empowered baseliners to greater heights of consistency.

In this regard Karlovic is out of step with the times; he has a solid volley, but his movement is poor for a pro and he slaps wildly at his groundies, hoping four of them go in on any one of his opponent’s service game so he can serve out the set.

With a weapon like his, however, it was perhaps inevitable that he’d put together a run at a major. Perhaps it was the wisdom he’s accumulated over the years on tour, or the sense that, at 30, he needs to act now. Whatever it may be, his play in this event should strike fear in the heart of power baseliners everywhere.

After two straight-set wins, he defeated the athletic all-courter Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in Round Three and the hard-hitting lefty Fernando Verdasco in the Round of 16, both in four sets.

Tsonga’s average first serve was only four mph faster than Karlovic’s second delivery, and Verdasco’s average first serve was actually two mph slower than the Croat’s second.

Against Tsonga, he hit 46 aces, made 77 percent of his first serves, and won 90 percent of the points when his first delivery went in the box. Against Verdasco, he hit 35 aces and won 93 percent of his first serve points. Neither Tsonga nor Verdasco held so much as a break point in eight sets.

In four matches, Karlovic has not lost serve once.

Now in the quarters, the man who makes Ivanisevic look patient faces the player who makes Sampras look one-dimensional. One could feel pretty good about Karlovic’s chances of a semi or maybe a final were he not lined up against Roger Federer next time out.

It’s not just that Federer has won eight of their nine career meetings; breaking the Swiss’ serve is no easier than it is to break the Croat’s.

While Federer’s serve is not nearly as big as Karlovic’s (he has 59 aces through four matches, less than half of the Croat’s 137) he backs up his service games better than anyone. To win, Karlovic is somehow going to have to break him, or win three of the first four sets in tiebreakers.

Both seem unlikely.

What you can count on in their Wednesday meeting is tiebreakers and short points. So crank up Superunknown, tell your favorite Bill Clinton-intern joke, and get ready for the pure power.

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