Roger Federer dropped his first set at this year's Wimbledon today but booked his place in the fourth round with a 6-3, 6-2, 6-7, 6-1 over Germany's Philipp Kohlschreiber.

The No2 seed from Switzerland maintained his steady march towards what many hope will be a Wimbledon singles final against Andy Murray with victory on Centre Court and will now face Robin Soderling.

Federer beat the Swede in the French Open Final and feels in good shape as he prepares to meet him again.

He said: “It was good to come through without losing too much energy but you have to be ready to come through seven five set matches and that's why I am here.

“I don't mind three or four setters - the crowds are nice and the sun is out so it is fun to play.

“I felt a lot of pressure two years ago when I was going for my fifth Wimbledon. I feel relaxed and it is always a pleasure to play here. Of course I want to win here again but there are many other players here with the same idea.”

The form book had suggested the outcome was a almost foregone conclusion — Federer had previous seen off his opponent three times without dropping a set, and two of those wins came on the grass of Halle in Kohlschreiber's homeland.

Kohlschreiber was given the runaround in the first set and swiftly fell 4-0 behind.

Maybe it was all a little too easy because Federer suffered a rare break of his own serve in the next game.

And he was clearly becoming frustrated with the line calling as three successive challenges proved successful.

It wasn't long, however, before normal service was resumed and Federer sealed the set with his sixth ace.

It had taken 36 one-sided minutes. There was a danger that the match would turn into an exhibition because some of Federer's play was sublime.

Never more so than in the second game of the second set when he cleverly anticipated Kohlschreiber's cross court shot from the right side of the baseline and stretched a forehand at the net to just drop the ball into the empty part of his opponent's court.

Kohlschreiber came to Wimbledon encouraged by his victory in last week's Boodles Challenge.

But he didn't have to face the world's best players at Stoke Park.

The only moment of concern for Federer in a second set lasting exactly half an hour came on break point against Kohlschreiber's serve in the seventh game when he slipped badly just behind the baseline. But there was no injury and Federer raced on to take a 2-0 lead.

There was no let up in the early part of the third set as Federer smashed down the fastest serve of the contest so far at 131mph while holding in the fourth game.

But those among the crowd who wanted to see more of this match were obliged when Kohlschreiber suddenly found some form and took the set to a tie-break which he won 7-5.

There was nearly a twist in the tail as Federer was forced to save two break points in the seventh game of the final set but, inevitably, he saved them and then won the game to seal victory.