Federer expects to need his top game to topple Djokovic

Only at Wimbledon could a semi-final between the six-time winner and the current title holder be overshadowed, but that will inevitably be the case given the swell of Andy Murray-mania ahead of the home hope’s match with Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

For the tournament’s overseas audience, however, there can be little doubting which is the pick of the semi-finals.

Federer can reclaim the world No 1 ranking from Djokovic by claiming his seventh Wimbledon title.

Overall triumph would take him level with Pete Sampras and William Renshaw, the latter having reigned in the 1880s, in terms of Wimbledon successes, and the ranking move would mean him matching Sampras’s record of 286 weeks at the top.

There is a large step to take before he can give serious consideration to either achievement though, and Djokovic has no intention of giving up his hard-earned title or his ranking.

“You have to prepare yourself well in every department,” Federer said. “Only a perfect performance will be enough to beat Djokovic.”

The 30-year-old from Basle, Switzerland was close to the ultimate performance in his quarter-final against Mikhail Youzhny on Wednesday, dropping only five games.

Djokovic knows that even though the last of Federer’s 16 grand slams came almost two-and-a-half years ago, in Australia, he is hungry for a 17th and the rankings record.

“When you’re playing at this stage of a grand slam against one of your biggest rivals, there are a lot of things involved, a lot of things on the line,” Djokovic said.

“It’s not the first time that I’m playing to win or lose a ranking. It’s not something that I think about too much. I really just want to focus on the match.”

Just as Murray starts as favourite against Tsonga, so does Djokovic heading into the tussle with Federer.

What the bookmakers say interests neither man, and neither will suggest the other has any great advantage.

Federer has beaten Djokovic in 14 of their 26 past meetings, but Djokovic has prevailed in six of the last seven, including the last three.

“Obviously it helps that he won the last couple against me,” Federer said. “It is our first grass-court match. We don’t know quite what to expect. I feel it’s a bit of an even ground. You would have to ask him. I feel good about the match. I’m excited.

“I’ve been playing well for a year now. I’m happy that going ahead into the semis I’m not tired, I’m not injured, I’m not anything. I’m fresh and ready to go. That’s how I want to feel before a semi.”

Djokovic appreciates Federer is at his most menacing on grass.

“He has a variety, great variety, in his game,” Djokovic said.

“He uses his serve very well. He opens up the court. He uses that slice really well to get the balls to bounce low. He’s very aggressive at times. He can defend well.

“He has a really smart game for this surface.”