Roger Federer vs. Steve Johnson: Score and Reaction from 2016 Wimbledon

With a chance at an 18th Grand Slam championship in reach after Novak Djokovic's shocking ouster, Roger Federer is not wasting any time.

The third-ranked Swiss moved through his fourth-round match against Steven Johnson on Monday with a 6-2, 6-3, 7-5 straight-sets triumph. It's the 14th time in the last 15 years Federer has made at least the quarterfinals at Wimbledon.

He also tied Martina Navratilova for the most wins (306) in Grand Slam tournaments in the Open Era. 

The event's Twitter feed captured Federer's subdued celebration:

Johnson, playing a fourth match in a major for the first time, was far from a slouch. He blasted eight aces, had 23 winners and could have pulled off an upset if Federer were anything less than brilliant. 

Unfortunately, Johnson found out why Federer has won this event seven times. He posted six aces of his own and won 75 percent of his first-serve points, holding off Johnson on three of his four break-point chances. There were also unbelievable shots like this, recorded by Punters Lounge Tips:

"

Seriously? This is just ridiculous from Roger Federer #Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/BIAsAvOfVQ

— Punters Lounge Tips (@punterslounge) July 4, 2016"

But it was Federer's ability to avoid mistakes that ensured his breezy move to the quarters. 

While Johnson recorded 21 unforced errors as he tried to play the aggressor, Federer recorded just 13. His near-flawless second set saw him post nine winners against a single unforced error; it was enough to overcome Johnson's five aces and sterling 10 winners.   

For what looked like an easy walkover in the first set and even for those simply looking at the overall score, it was anything but. Johnson battled valiantly for his life in the third set, breaking Federer for the first time and grinding the vet into mistakes. After totaling five unforced errors in the first two sets, Federer had eight in the third.

As he has throughout the tournament, Federer buckled down when needed. Down 3-1, he held serve and rebroke Johnson to tie it up at three games apiece. They traded holds until it was 5-5, when Federer earned the deciding break of Johnson and held his serve to finish off the match. 

He completed the win with 33 net-point victories, offering a blueprint of how he could play moving forward. 

Up next for Federer is ninth-seeded Marin Cilic, who had an easy afternoon in his match with Kei Nishikori. The No. 5 seed was forced to withdraw down 6-1, 5-1 due to a rib injury. Cilic was on the court for just 43 minutes and should enter his third straight Wimbledon quarterfinal fresh. 

Federer holds a 5-1 all-time mark against Cilic, but they have not played since the Croat's upset win at the 2014 U.S. Open semifinal. Cilic went on to defeat Nishikori in straight sets and win his first-ever Grand Slam. Federer and Cilic have never played on grass.

Fresh legs may wind up being the deciding factor for Federer as well. He's looked refreshed at the All England club, winning each of his matches in straight sets. It's been a process for him since he returned at last month's Stuttgart Open, reaching a pair of semifinals before being upset.

It's possible Federer is now finding his stride at the perfect time. Sitting out the French Open to rest a lingering back injury may have ended a historic run of health for the all-time great, but that rest may be just what he needed for one final kiss of the trophy at the All England Club.