Double defending champion Roger Federer made Nicolas Kiefer pay for a bizarre and ill-timed impression of Liverpool's European Cup winning goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek to reach the Wimbledon last 16 on Saturday. The top seed struggled to subdue the German 25th seed 6-2, 6-7 (5/7), 6-1, 7-5 and now faces Spanish 23rd seed Juan Carlos Ferrero for a place in the quarter-finals.
But the crucial point of the tie came when Kiefer led 5-3 in the fourth set, was 30-15 and just two points from taking the world number one into a final set.
As Federer approached the net to put away a forehand, the 27-year-old Kiefer leapt in the air with his arms outstretched in an effort to put his opponent off his stroke in the manner of Dudek.
The Liverpool goalkeeper had hopped from side to side, with his arms outstretched, to distract AC Milan's players in the European Cup final penalty shoot-out in Istanbul last month.
It worked for the Polish footballer but it backfired on Kiefer as Federer clinched the next four games of the fourth set to take the tie.
Federer, unbeaten on grass since losing in the first round here in 2002, eased through the first set in only 28 minutes with breaks in the third and seventh games.
The 27-year-old Kiefer, once the world number four, grabbed just six points off the Federer serve before the Swiss star clinched the set with a breathtaking backhand, hit from just behind him but timed to perfection to drop out of the range of the German. It was a regal show although the Centre Court royal box voted with its feet.
Packed with British Olympians such as Colin Jackson, Audley Harrison and Jonathan Edwards as well as injured British Lions rugby star Lawrence Dallaglio, lunch was called. As a result, the box was mostly empty as the second set was played out and the VIPs missed out on an impressive Kiefer fightback overturning a 2-5 deficit in the tiebreak to level the match when Federer netted a return after 77 minutes.
However, the misfiring Federer was soon back on top grabbing a break in the second game with a running forehand as he moved into a 3-0 lead and then broke again in the sixth before taking the set 6-1 when Kiefer sent a lob long.
Federer hit back immediately but he was to serve up two successive double faults in the eighth game to hand Kiefer the advantage again as the German led 5-3.
He then took the match with his 14th ace after 2hr 35min of thrilling action, a win which also gave him a 32nd successive win on grass.
RESULTS (x denotes seeded player):
Men's singles (3rd round): Juan Carlos Ferrero (ESP x23) bt Florian Mayer (GER) 3-6, 6-2, 6-1, 6-1; Roger Federer (SUI x1) bt Nicolas Kiefer (GER x25) 6-2, 6-7 (5/7), 6-1, 7-5;m Mikhail Youzhny (RUS x31) bt Jonas Bjorkman (SWE) 7-5, 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (11/9); Max Mirnyi (BLR) bt Jiri Novak (CZE x28) 5-7, 7-5, 6-4, 7-6 (7/2).
COLLATED ON FRIDAY
Men's singles (2nd round): Andy Roddick (USA x2) bt Daniele Bracciali (ITA) 7-5, 6-3, 6-7 (3/7), 4-6, 6-3.
Men's singles (3rd round): Feliciano Lopez (ESP x26) bt Marat Safin (RUS x5) 6-4, 7-6 (7/4), 6-3; Taylor Dent (USA x24) bt Tomas Berdych (CZE) 6-3, 7-6 (7/5), 6-3; Lleyton Hewitt (AUS x3) bt Justin Gimelstob (USA) 7-6 (7/5), 6-4, 7-5; Fernando Gonzalez (CHI x21) bt Joachim Johansson (SWE x11) 6-4, 6-4, 6-2; Mario Ancic (CRO x10) bt Gael Monfils (FRA) 6-3, 6-3, 6-1.
Unfinished: Mikhail Youzhny (RUS x31) leads Jonas Bjorkmann (SWE) 7-5, 6-3, 3-6, 4-4.