Ivo Karlovic is one of those players that no one wants to see on their side of the draw. Although he has yet to make a breakthrough in a major tournament, his serve causes problems for many players, even Roger Federer.
Karlovic defeated Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 7-6, 6-7, 7-5, 7-6 to make it to the fourth round where he will play Fernando Verdasco. Tiebreaks are a standard part of any Karlovic match as his booming serve is almost impossible to break.
Some complain Karlovic’s style of booming serves does not make for exciting tennis. It calls to mind the days of Wimbledon in the 90’s when the super fast courts allowed for such players as Michael Kraijeck and Goran Ivanisevic to shine and forces the tournament to make the grass “slower” to allow more rallys to take place.
If he gets past Verdasco, Karlovic could play Federer in the quarterfinals. Not an impossible task for Federer, but certainly a tall one.
Adjusting the Net 