Tuesday, 10th July 2007 at 11:37 pm

Federer prepares for lawn bowls

Roger Federer’s grip on the Wimbledon title looked awfully tenuous by the time he’d lost the fourth set to the raw power and relentless movement of Rafael Nadal, and begun set number five in shaky fashion. But ice cold composure and some stellar shot-making held off the Spaniard on centre court to allow Fededer to nail title number five, matching the record of a watching Bjorn Borg. With Nadal improving on grass every time he touches down on the surface, however, what are Federer’s chances of six in a row?

We’ll see in a year, by which time much may have happened in the tennis world; this year’s US Open will be a fascinating guage in one of sport’s most arresting rivalries. But for those who watched the closing stages of the men’s final - the winning smash, the obligatory Swiss tears, the good-natured BBC interview afterwards - it was the Federer outfit that was most eye-catching.

The Richie Benaud jackets have become an established part of Federer’s Wimbledon wardrobe, but the full lawn bowls outfit was a new touch. Perhaps realing subconsciously that Nadal is leading a youthful assault on the world number one, Federer may well be leaning towards a more sedate sport in keeping with his advancing years (he’s well into his mid-20s already). Bowls could do with the publicity - the World Championships don’t get quite the audience Wimbledon does - and Federer may well turn out to be a natural; he’s certainly got a flair for the dress code, and in bowls, that’s half the battle won already.