WATCH: Wimbledon stars align for Roger Federer as Rafael Nadal bows out

Roger Federer says he’s fit and rested and getting more of a buzz than ever from winning grand slams – and events on Monday suggested the Wimbledon stars could be aligning to ease his path towards a record 19th major title. While the Swiss master had the purists purring on Centre Court as he dispatched Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov 6-4 6-2 6-4 in the fourth round, across the concourse on Court One his main rival Rafael Nadal was bowing out in a gruelling five-setter against Luxembourg’s Gilles Muller.

The Spanish two-time champion’s defeat did Novak Djokovic no favours either. Scheduled to play Monday’s third match on Court One, organisers were forced to push the Serbian second seed’s encounter against France’s Adrian Mannarino back to Tuesday due to the late finish of the Nadal-Muller epic that lasted almost five hours.

Meanwhile the final member of tennis’s Fab Four, Andy Murray, struggled to live up to his billing as world number one in a laboured victory against another Frenchman, Benoit Paire. So does that combination of circumstances put 35-year-old Federer, who missed this year’s claycourt season to better prepare for his favourite tournament, in pole position to win an eighth Wimbledon?

“I feel like I’m rested …read more