Federer aims to join the greats

Then Pete Sampras' seven Wimbledon titles or Bjorn Borg's 41 consecutive wins on the SW19 courts would edge closer into view.

Federer said: "Everything is possible. The grass court season is short and I showed in Halle that it can also work out with little preparation.

"Records are nice. I like to talk about 29 matches, that I have 29 titles and have won the last 20 finals I have reached.

"The streak I was very proud of was when I won more than 20 matches against top 10 players before I lost to Marat Safin at the Australian Open in January. My defeat by Ancic was a long time ago and it is not stuck in my mind.

"I don't feel unbeatable on grass but I feel like if I get my teeth into a match and play my shots right there is a very good chance I will go through. The way I have played in the last two years has carved my place in tennis history and only time will tell which league of all-time greats I will be in."

Former champion John McEnroe believes Federer's game is virtually impregnable on grass and he could win Wimbledon without even hitting peak form.

The American said: "If he plays well, there's no way he's going to lose. It's like beating Sampras. It's really, really difficult if he's on his game. And last year Federer found a way even when he wasn't playing his best.

"When I saw him win his first Grand Slam, I thought he would win at least five.

There is no reason for me to think otherwise at the moment."

Federer believes the second and third seeds at Wimbledon, Andy Roddick and Lleyton Hewitt, are his biggest threats as he seeks to get back on what he calls "a Grand Slam winning streak" after missing out on the last two.

But if there is a further challenger he expects it to be Tim Henman rather than teenage French Open winner Rafael Nadal.

Federer, promoting his watch sponsor Maurice Lacroix, said: "Tim is definitely a threat. I really respect his game, which is excellent for grass and the home crowd really get behind him, which is a bonus. He has definitely got the tools to win Wimbledon. The same can be said for other players but I would give him the edge over Nadal. I would be very surprised if Nadal reached the final."

Amelie Mauresmo refused to even discuss her Wimbledon prospects after a shock second-round defeat by 18-year-old Russian Vera Douchevina at Eastbourne.

The world No3 from France lost 6-4, 6-4 in 77 minutes and said: "I need a lot of work. You cannot feel great after a defeat like this."