Garcia-Lopez 2-6 2-6 4-6 Federer
There it is - a stroll in the summer sun for the five-time champ, and on this form Federer must remain favourite to add another. Imperious stuff, and the crowd roar their throaty approval. Roger claps his hand on his racquet strings as he takes his bow. Supreme.

Garcia-Lopez 2-6 2-6 4-5* Federer
A woman in the crowd with a sunhat like a foxglove watches on impassively as G-Lo stays alive - for now.

Garcia-Lopez 2-6 2-6 *3-5 Federer
Errors from G-Lo, nothing from Fed - another hold to love. One hour 24 minutes on the clock, but time is almost up.

Garcia-Lopez 2-6 2-6 3-4* Federer
G-Lo slices deep and comes in to the net - passed with wristy relish by Fed. Two big serves get the Iberian's nose back in front, and that's a backhand pass to tell the grandkids about as Rog comes in behind an approach that's too short.

"Wow - no Mirka in the box - that must be the first time since the start of their relationship in Fed's tennis history."
Chloe in Plymouth by text on 81111

Garcia-Lopez 2-6 2-6 *2-4 Federer
One hour 16 minutes in, and Fed is cruising with the top down. He's utterly untroubled on serve once again, tormenting G-Lo with spitters, slicers and body-shots. Are you watching, world?

Garcia-Lopez 2-6 2-6 2-3* Federer
Break out the bunting, pop the corks on the champagne - G-Lo has won a sixth game! He smiles as he makes his way back to the chair. All about silver linings from now on.

Garcia-Lopez 2-6 2-6 *1-3 Federer
Let's look on the bright side - G-Lo is at least on course to beat his PB for most games won against Rog; when beaten in Basle in 2006 he won just two, in Indian Wells last year just five. The bad news: they were both best-of-three sets, not five.

Garcia-Lopez 2-6 2-6 1-2* Federer
You can shake your head all you like, G-Lo - the only thing it'll do is make you even dizzier than Federer's magic out there. 15-40 as the errors pile up, and as three lads in the crowd dressed in faux-grass waistcoats and Tam o' Shanters grin delightedly, Fed flashes his blade with beautiful brutality - break taken.

Garcia-Lopez 2-6 2-6 *1-1 Federer
Two casual acers from Fed - six in the match, and it's done in the time it takes to read this update.

Garcia-Lopez 2-6 2-6 1-0* Federer
Another set, the same start - a comfy hold from the Spaniard. As omens go, it's useless.

Garcia-Lopez 2-6 2-6 Federer
And now a drop-shot, disguised as well as a fifth columnist - G-Lo abandons all hope even as it dinks off Federer's racquet. We haven't even been going for an hour, and the match is as good as gone. The watching Bruce Forsyth gazes on motionless, like some waxwork effigy designed to allow the real Bruce to escape the crowds unhindered.

Garcia-Lopez 2-6 2-5* Federer
Sweet mother of... what a forehand from Federer! A rally is gradually gaining pace when G-Lo aims one wide, and Roger runs onto it to crash it away at a speed so extreme it's a surprise the ball hasn't melted. Break in the bag, surely the set to follow. Remarkable.

Garcia-Lopez 2-6 *2-4 Federer
Not quite sure how G-Lo's going to find his way back into this match. Maybe he could get a mate down to join him on court, or ask Roger to play left-handed. Easy Fed hold.

Garcia-Lopez 2-6 2-3* Federer
...and G-Lo does the same. No sign of Mirka in the VIP seats this afternoon - probably resting up in the shade since she's due to give birth to Fed Jnr in a few weeks time, a cold compress on her forehead and a plate of cheese with holes by her side.

Garcia-Lopez 2-6 *1-3 Federer
That must have taken less than 50 seconds. G-Lo's barely out of his chair when Fed polishes off the last of his service smashers.

Garcia-Lopez 2-6 1-2* Federer
He's settling in on Centre now. G-Lo. That backhand can be a weapon - Fed also lets his concentration wobble a fraction to drift out to 30-0. That seems to irritate him, however - he finds the back of the line with a late-dipping backhand pass, cashes in a double-fault and then creams another backhand return across G-Lo's nose to snatch away a break. Whose idea was it to attack the Federer backhand?

Garcia-Lopez 2-6 *1-1 Federer
What's this - a break point on the Fed serve? That's what double-faults can do to you. He saves it with a booming ace out wide, ships a surprise second as the wind monkeys with his ball-toss and saves that too with another leaping devil of a serve. G-Lo sniffs a rare chance and yells in frustration as his swinger of a forehand eats net, and a whippy forehand diving over the tape and away from Roger levels us up.

"I fear Roger might have won this before I've downed a Pimms here on the Mound and headed back to my seat at Centre Court. "
Anon by text on 81111

Garcia-Lopez 2-6 1-0* Federer
All manner of makeshift fans being utilised by the steaming masses baking slowly in the bright afternoon sun - programmes, hats, even a flip-flop on the far side. Innovative. G-Lo drills a beefy backhand down the line to kick-start his second set challenge.

Garcia-Lopez 2-6 Federer
Four fans high in the grandstand get to their feet to reveal t-shirts stencilled with enormous red letters - I think they're meant to spell GO ROG, but spacing issues make it seem as if they're rooting for a monster named Gorog. Lovely forehand short angled pass from Fed, and that's the set in his back pocket in a mere 27 minutes.

Garcia-Lopez 2-5* Federer
That's more like it, G-Lo - lovely passing shot off the backhand side rolled over the net to leave even Fed flailing. Gracefully flailing, of course. Solid hold from the Spaniard, who's lost both his previous meetings with the tournament favourite.

Garcia-Lopez *1-5 Federer
Just three points dropped on serve so far from Fed, and G-Lo is looking both bamboozled and banjaxed. Roger purrs around court, impervious to the heat, his gold-embossed shirt unblemished by sweat.

Garcia-Lopez 1-4* Federer
Federer is clambering all over G-Lo, forcing errors all over court. Three-quarters full on Centre - there was the usual dash for the smaller rooms at the end of the Dulko-Shara set-to, and some have chosen to stretch legs further to the refresco stalls. Dreamy Fed forehands and that's another break. Familiar storyline in this script.

Garcia-Lopez *1-3 Federer
If you don't know much about G-Lo, he's reached a career-high ranking of 42 this summer and made it through to the third round at Queen's. Had some fun at Eastbourne, too, missing out in the semis to Henman's Nemesis (TM) DmitryTursunov. Easy hold for Roger.

Garcia-Lopez 1-2* Federer
Trouble for the Spaniard. The wind is blustering around Centre, bowing the net and wobbling the ball in flight. Roger's seen all this before, of course - he piles on the pressure until G-Lo crumbles like a coconut ring.

Garcia-Lopez *1-1 Federer
Decent dash there from the 26-year-old Spaniard. He makes Fed work for the game, one thrashing exchange from the back ending with Roger flicking a forehand wide, but the bandannaed five-time champ eases through the gears to pull away from the traffic.

"Tom, that last game must have taken quite some typing - which is more stressful for you, live text on a close game at Wimbledon or any Test over involving England at cricket? Sally in London"
Sally in London by text on 81111
The nagging sense of imminent doom inherent in most England matches carries its own special level of stress, Sally. Although let's keep things in perspective - it's not ambulance-driving.

Garcia-Lopez 1-0* Federer
Right - once more unto the breach. G-Lo opens with a double - we've all been there - but then bounces back with an ace. Sweet hitting to the corners leave Fed a little stretchy.

1535: Not often that Fed feels like an anti-climax, but after that Dulko-Sharapova delight, everything's all back to front in the Fordyce head.