Don't write off Federer just yet

Many believe Federer's days of winning Grand Slams are over

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga's five set victory over Roger Federer from two sets down has led many to state the Swiss legend is finished and will never win another Grand Slam.

It is true that Federer is not at the standard he was some years ago but some of the obituaries have been written far too early.

He is still putting himself into positions to win major championships and Tsonga won this match through sheer good play rather than a Federer collapse.

This is the first time Federer has lost from two sets up in a Grand Slam and it is true his air of invincibility has gone, with players no longer fearing him after seeing him go 18 months without a major.

But he remains a great player and perhaps the best tennis player of all-time, while it would not be a surprise to see him add to his 16 major titles.

Federer will turn 30 this summer and his best days are behind him, but he is still a fine player and the likes of Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic know they have not seen off his challenge once and for all just yet.

The Swiss was playing so well in the lead-up to this year's Wimbledon that he was installed as the favourite for the title, and most of his performances at SW19 this fortnight lived up to that.

Even in his defeat to Tsonga, he didn't do a whole lot wrong so while Federer will be extremely disappointed to miss out on the chance of a seventh Wimbledon title, he can still feel confident that the seventh title may await him in the future.

He looked imperious this tournament until the third set against Tsonga, so it is somewhat unbelievable he lost the match.

The Frenchman should be given all the credit for that though as he barely gave Federer a chance on his serve and got the breaks he needed.

Tsonga has become a real favourite among fans thanks to his flamboyance

Tsonga dictated the play after losing the second set tie-break with big serves and crashing forehands, while he broke Federer's serve early in each of the three sets he won to put the pressure firmly on the Swiss.

He never looked like breaking down on his own serve and showed the kind of nervelessness it takes to beat a legend like Federer, comfortably reeling off the service games in each set to secure his stunning fightback.

In years gone by, players wouldn't have had the belief to come from two sets down against Federer so Tsonga showed great strength of character to continue believing in himself even when faced with an impossible-looking task.

He is an infectious character and it is easy to see why crowds take to him so easily, as he shows his emotions and plays with a smile on his face.

His flamboyance is matched by a great talent and he now has a good chance of reaching his first Wimbledon final.

He faces Novak Djokovic in the semi-final tomorrow - with the Serbian showing signs of frailties in recent matches - and if the Frenchman can play near the standard he reached against Federer, it would be hard to bet against him reaching the final.

Even in the two sets he lost, Tsonga was still playing well and you always got the sense he was in the match even at two sets down, so a performance like that will fill him with the belief that he can beat anyone.

Should Tsonga beat Djokovic, it sets up the possibility of a repeat of his Queen's final against Andy Murray in the SW19 final.

Of course, Murray will have to play the match of his life to beat Rafael Nadal in their semi-final but he has beaten the Spaniard before and Nadal may still be struggling with his foot injury.

Nadal beat Murray in straight sets in last year's Wimbledon semi-final

Murray is in top form at the moment and has swept aside both Richard Gasquet and Feliciano Lopez in the last two rounds, but beating Nadal will be a different beast altogether.

Murray will need a very high first serve percentage and his returning game will have to be as good as it has ever been, but he has beaten Nadal in big matches before and must believe he can do so again.

Nadal has not lost at Wimbledon since 2007 - he withdrew from the 2009 tournament with injury - but he is beatable and Murray is one of the few players who can beat him.

It would still be a major shock if he could beat the Spaniard but Murray will never get a better chance to beat Nadal.

It would certainly be no surprise to see Murray win a set or two, but the smart money is on Nadal to prevail in four or five sets, injury or no injury.

The big talking point at Wimbledon at the moment though remains Federer's departure.

He will be back, no question about it, but the biggest surprise was how he let the match against Tsonga slip from his grasp.

Federer was the favourite for the title after reaching the French Open final

Federer seemed unprepared for a Tsonga comeback and seemed surprised when he did so, with no Plan B in place to deal with the Frenchman's power.

He had no break points in the last four sets and that is extremely unusual and was due to a mixture of Tsonga's brilliance and Federer's slight dip in form. A slight dip is all it takes for a match to slip away but once Tsonga got back into it, Federer never looked likely to win the match.

It was an epic match that will be talked about for years to come but Federer's time in a Grand Slam will come again.

He is the greatest player who has ever lived - although Nadal has designs on taking that crown himself in the coming years - but his career is not over yet.

If anyone can win a Grand Slam in their thirties, it is Federer. It would take a fool to write him off at this stage.

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Maria Sharapova is in the Wimbledon final despite shoulder surgery in 2008

Maria Sharapova will face Petra Kvitova in the women's final after both came through tough-looking semi-finals.

Sharapova will be in her first Wimbledon final since winning as a 17-year-old in 2004 and she beat Sabine Lisicki in straight sets to make it there.

The Russian had severe troubles on her serve - she double-faulted 13 times - but Lisicki never got her powerful game flowing and will feel disappointed by her performance.

Sharapova is the overwhelming favourite for the title but she will not be able to get away with serving like that in the final.

Kvitova has looked impressive all tournament and the Czech left-hander overcame a second set wobble to defeat Victoria Azarenka in three sets and seal her place in the final.

Kvitova is the first left-handed woman in a Wimbledon final since compatriot Martina Navratilova in 1994

Her game appears ideally suited to the grass courts of Wimbledon and she has been tipped as a dark horse for the title all tournament, so it would be no surprise to see her defeat Sharapova on Saturday.

Sharapova's experience may be the defining factor in the final but she will not be taking Kvitova lightly as she has now proved herself as a quality performer, following up her semi-final appearance at Wimbledon last year.

Sharapova should take the crown but expect Kvitova to push her all the way and force a deciding set.