Winning in front of empty stands would have been a hollow victory: Roger Federer

LONDON: Roger Federer declared on Monday that if he had triumphed at Wimbledon without any fans in attendance, it would have felt like a hollow victory.

Roger Federer extended his dominance at Wimbledon, recording a 7-5, 6-4, 6-2 victory over Italy's Lorenzo Sonego to reach his 18th quarterfinal at the All England Club.

At 39 years and 337 days, Federer is the oldest man to reach the quarterfinals at Wimbledon in the Open Era, breaking the record set by Ken Rosewall (39 years, 224 days) in 1974.

The eight-time All England Club champion is one of the most loved athletes around the world, and no matter where he plays, or who he plays - including home favourites - he can always count on crowd support.

Hence he cannot be happier that Wimbledon's two main showcourts will be full from Tuesday onwards - the first time outdoor stadiums will be at 100 per cent capacity at a sporting event in Britain since the COVID-19 pandemic shut down all sports in the country in March 2020.

The pandemic saw last year's Wimbledon cancelled for the first time since the Second World War while the U.S. Open was played behind closed doors. The French Open, which was contested in September rather than it's usual May slot, allowed just 1,000 people into the grounds each day.

"I tried to think back like what would it have meant for me to win Wimbledon with no crowds in a finals ... I felt like it probably would have taken 70 per cent or 80 per cent of everything away from me," the Swiss said after being wildly cheered on during his fourth-round win over Lorenzo Sonego on Monday.

"Sure, I would have been Wimbledon champion, but it never would have felt the same. That's why so happy that we have crowds back. I hope it stays this way," he added.

With an injured knee forcing Federer to sit out the 2020 season after his run to the Australian Open semifinals in January, he was mostly spared the ordeal of having to play in front of empty stands. Agencies

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