Federer swaps living room for centre court at last

LONDON, July 5 (Reuters) Champion Roger Federer will have to dust the cobwebs off his racket today before returning for the first match of his Wimbledon defence in six days.

While rivals were held up by rain, the top seed received a walkover against the injured Tommy Haas on Sunday and faces a quarter-final tussle with former French Open champion Juan Carlos Ferrero of Spain, a recent convert to grass.

Federer's potential semi-final opponent Andy Roddick, who takes on Frenchman Richard Gasquet in the day's other quarter-final, does not think the four-times winner will be affected by the delay.

''We've been stuck in a locker room for nine hours a day...

Given the choice, I'll take a living room over a locker room,'' the American number three seed joked.

As the rain-affected tournament attempts to get back on schedule, four outstanding men's fourth round matches require completion. The pick pits 2002 champion Lleyton Hewitt against fourth seed Serb Novak Djokovic.

The women's quarter-finals also continue with Amelie Mauresmo's conqueror Nicole Vaidisova taking on French Open finalist Ana Ivanovic and former champion Venus Williams playing fifth seed Svetlana Kuznetsova.

REUTERS BJR KP1117