'No one can beat Roger Federer at Wimbledon'
A former Wimbledon champion has seen enough in the tournament's first week to declare Roger Federer odds-on to win an eighth crown.
According to 1996 winner Richard Krajicek, Federer is the only man who can win the third grand slam of the season at the All England Club.
UNDER FIRE: Federer, Djokovic question Wimbledon courts
The men's draw has been described as the most open in years, but according to Krajicek, it's anything but.
"On paper, to me, there isn't any favourite but only one: Roger Federer," Krajicek said in an interview with Tribune de Geneve.
"He is simply amazing.
"Right now he is the best player in the world and plays the most beautiful tennis.
"I don't imagine anyone will beat him. He is playing better than the others."
In what shapes as an epic second week of the 131st championships, the so-called Big Four are among a record seven 30-somethings through to the fourth round.
Between them, Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray have won the past 14 Wimbledon titles since Lleyton Hewitt landed the sport's greatest prize in 2002 -- and are again heavily favoured to extend their remarkable dominance to a decade and a half.
After a magical opening to the season, 10-time finalist Federer began the championship as favourite to land an unprecedented eighth men's singles crown and has powered into the last 16 for an astonishing 15th time.
Turning 36 next month, the Swiss maestro continues to smash records and notch milestones seemingly every time he steps on to the court.
With his 85th, 86th and 87th successes so far, Federer has eclipsed Jimmy Connors (84) as the most prolific winner at Wimbledon in history, while he also chalked up his 10,000th ace en route to a fourth-round meeting on Monday with Dimitrov.
While Federer has moved majestically into the second week, Nadal has violently carved his way through the draw to stamp himself as the main challenger.
Runner-up to Federer at the Australian Open in this wildly retro season, the relentless Spaniard hasn't dropped a set since May in powering to a 10th French Open title and ominously reclaiming his aura of invincibility.
After arriving last year as the first man since Rod Laver in 1969 to hold all four grand slam trophies, Djokovic entered the tournament having been stripped of every single one.
But a morale-boosting and drought-breaking run to the title in Eastbourne has preceded, like Federer and Nadal, three consecutive wins also for Serbia's three-time champion.
Bidding to join legendary fellow Brit Fred Perry as a three-time champion, Murray is the only member of the big four to have dropped a set as he battles a hip injury that threatened to scupper his title defence before it even began.
The world No.1 resumes against another unseeded Frenchman, Benoit Paire, hoping two days' rest will sufficiently rejuvenate his battered body for a serious second-week assault.
with AAP
The two televised feature matches exclusively live from 8:30pm (AEST) on 7TWO, PLUS7 and the 7Tennis App tonight are:
Andy Murray (GBR) v Benoit Paire (FRA)
Grigor Dimitrov (BUL) v Roger Federer (SUI)
