Roger Federer Must Cruise Through Early Rounds to Win 8th Wimbledon Title

Roger Federer will be a force to be reckoned with at Wimbledon this year, but his hopes of winning an eighth title will be doomed if he can't sail through the early rounds. 

With his 32nd birthday looming on the horizon in August, Federer isn't a young man anymore—especially considering how much competitive tennis he has played over the years.

With a full tank of gas and his A-game, Federer still has the chops to defeat Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic on the grass at the All England Club. But if he limps into the semifinals after winning a few brutal five-set matches, Federer will not have the energy it will take to defeat those top guys.

This dynamic was illustrated to perfection at Roland Garros.

After barely escaping a five-round slugfest with hometown hero Gilles Simon in the fourth round, Federer was swept away by Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. Tsonga owned Federer, winning the quarterfinals match in straight sets while making his legendary opponent look old and slow in the process. 

No offense to Tsonga, but he doesn't hold a candle to Djokovic, Murray and Nadal.

Should Federer burn himself out with one or two long matches early on, all three of those guys will be able to take advantage of his weakness.

Since last year's Wimbledon—a tournament Federer won after a few of these types of rounds—he has been battling through a back injury that kept him out of the game for two months in the early part of this season. 

Every extra set he plays is one more opportunity for him to re-aggravate that injury. In order to ensure he has the best chance to win in the latter rounds, Federer must blow past his early opponents.

It's worth noting that Federer is much better on grass than he is on clay. His powerful serve and strong forehand are more dangerous and effective on faster surfaces. Since coming back, however, Federer has yet to fully hit his stride. Even in his latest victory in Halle, Germany, he showed some signs of rust.

Regardless of the surface, Federer needs to be at full strength to defeat the other top players in the world. If he has any chance of winning his eighth title at Wimbledon, he must be dominant in the early rounds. 

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