Roger Federer has promised to take a more aggressive approach to the defence of his Wimbledon title - but don't expect any McEnroe-style tantrums from the world number one. Having stood head and shoulders above the rest of the field in the last two All England Championships, the laid-back Swiss star is a short-odds favourite to complete a hat-trick of titles here on July 3.
And that is just the way he likes it.
Far from feeling burdened by expectation, Federer believes the confidence he has gained over the last two years will be liberating in terms of how he approaches matches this year.
The objective of beating Federer would appear to be beyond Mathieu and the champion's path to the semi-finals, where he could come up against 2002 champion Lleyton Hewitt, looks free of potential pitfalls.
And if Federer does find himself in an early battle for survival, he is confident that he can keep the self-destructive temper that once hindered the realisation of his talent firmly under lock and key.
Recalling an incident back in 2001 when he smashed a racket on court during a tournament in Hamburg, Federer insists that, at 24, he has got such youthful petulance out of his system.
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