Roger Federer warns rivals he is in peak condition to win Wimbledon

Roger Federer has warned his title rivals he is fitter than at the Australian Open going into the second week of Wimbledon.

The 35-year-old was a surprise winner of the first Grand Slam of the year, his first major success since winning Wimbledon in 2012.

But he began last week as tournament favourite here and, ahead of his fourth-round match against Grigor Dimitrov, warned his opponent he had improved in the intervening months since Melbourne.

"I feel probably fitter now," he said. "I've gotten more used to matches.

"I didn’t have five-setters like the one against Kei Nishikori [in the last 16 in Melbourne], which was a tough one to catch Kei early, then have the tough match.

"Hard courts are usually more tough on the body than grass so I feel better."

Federer has yet to drop a set in his first three matches at Wimbledon despite being hampered by a cold, with Andy Murray the only one of the big four to have dropped a set to date.

Of the quartet currently firing going into the second week of the Championships, Federer added: "I’m not that surprised because I thought that everybody this week was going to find their form."

The 18-time Grand Slam champion goes into the tie as a clear favourite having won all five of his previous encounters against Dimitrov.

But the Bulgarian, no stranger to toppling the big four having beaten Andy Murray in a shock result en route to the Wimbledon semi-finals in 2014, warned Federer he posed a bigger threat than in their previous encounters.

"I feel better, I feel my game is better," he said. "My physique is better. I’m in a better place in my life, in my head. Those are a lot of positive things.

"But I’m just excited and I’m not hiding. I appreciate being in the second week and my goal, the ultimate goal, is always to win Wimbledon."