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Switzerland's Roger Federer shakes hands with Italy's Lorenzo Sonego after winning their fourth round match - Reuters
LONDON (Reuters): A sudden downpour is rarely a welcome sight at Wimbledon.
Hence spare a thought for Italian Lorenzo Sonego who on his Centre Court debut found himself break point down at 5-5 in the first set of his fourth round showdown with Roger Federer when a cloudburst sent the players scurrying back to the locker room.
One can only guess the torment he must have endured during Monday’s 20-minute stoppage, during which the roof was closed over the soggy and windswept court, but upon resumption it was clear the disruption had done Sonego no favours.
He immediately produced a double fault under the floodlights to surrender his serve and that was the break Federer needed to prove that when it comes to Wimbledon he is no pushover, even at the grand old age of 39.
The eight-time champion weathered a first-set storm, from his opponent and the rain gods, to become the oldest man in the Open Era to reach the Wimbledon quarter-finals with a 7-5 6-4 6-2 win over the 23rd seed.
