Federer drops set on way to semis
LONDON: The mayhem created by an Australian firecracker the previous evening was continued in brutal fashion by Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov on Wednesday as he annihilated defending Wimbledon champion Andy Murray.
With 19-year-old Nick Kyrgios’s third-round demolition of world No. 1 Rafael Nadal still the talk of the town, Dimitrov caused the second seismic shock on Centre Court in the space of 24 hours by outclassing Murray 6-1, 7-6 (4), 6-2.
The Briton’s shattering defeat means that two of the so-called Big Four in men’s tennis have departed in quick succession from the grasscourt grand slam, both walloped by members of a brash new generation with scant regard for reputations.
With cracks beginning to show at the top of the men’s game, Canada’s Eugenie Bouchard and Romania’s Simona Halep underlined the sense of a changing of the guard in women’s tennis as they both reached the semifinals.
Bouchard, 20, beat Germany’s Angelique Kerber 6-3, 6-4 while Romanian third seed Halep, 22, continued her fantastic year to overcome last year’s runner-up Sabine Lisicki 6-4, 6-0.
They will face-off on Thursday, when both will become the first women from their respective countries to play in a Wimbledon semi-final.
Canada, apparently the new force in North American tennis after the poor showing by the United States at the All England Club, had a second semifinalist when Kyrgios lost his quarterfinal match against Milos Raonic 6-7 (4), 6-2, 6-4, 7-6 (4) late in the evening.
Roger Federer finally blotted his copybook, dropping a set for the first time at this year’s Wimbledon before reaching the semis with a 3-6, 7-6 (5), 6-4, 6-4 win over fellow Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka.
It is the ninth Wimbledon semifinal for the 32-year-old seven-time champion, who has been in imperious form on the grass this year, winning at Halle before steaming through five rounds at the All England Club.
Federer, playing his 16th tour match against his Davis Cup team mate Wawrinka, looked listless during the first set before getting into his stride to notch his 14th win over the Australian Open champion.
“It’s tough (playing against a friend), Stan played great especially in the first two sets, until he started to really struggle with his fitness,” Federer said.
Wawrinka had to play three days in a row after weekend rain caused scheduling problems at the championships. He had also spent and hour and 40 minutes longer on court than Federer.
“He was hitting it so well so I had to wait for my chance,” Federer said. “It’s hard against a friend because we know each other’s game so well and I wish him all the best for the rest of the season, because he has been great so far this year.”
Another slight chink in Federer’s formidable armour showed itself as he served a nervy game to complete the victory. It took five match points for the 17-times grand slam champion to wrap up the contest, finishing with a big serve and a smash.
He will meet either Raonic for a place in the final.
Top seed Novak Djokovic, meanwhile, suffered some jittery moments under the big-serving onslaught of Marin Cilic before changing his shoes and pulling his game together to win 6-1, 3-6, 6-7 (4), 6-2, 6-2 for a place in the Wimbledon last-four.
The Serbian former champion began efficiently, rattling through the first set in 27 minutes on a sunny but subdued Court One.
The crowd had half an ear on Henman Hill, where big-screen spectators whooped and groaned through champion Murray’s defeat by Dimitrov.
Djokovic’s intensity dropped in the second set. The world No, 2 slipped and slid in the baseline dust and his towering Croatian opponent grabbed a break of serve using his big forehand to pummel the six-times grand slam champion.
“We could hear the crowd during the match and it was a bit distracting; but no excuses, we had to concentrate,” Djokovic said.
“It was a tough five-setter. Coming in I knew Marin would play aggressively.”
In doubles, Leander Paes advanced to the men’s doubles quarterfinals after the Indian and his Czech partner Radek Stepanek beat the Netherlands’ Jean-Julien Rojer and Horia Tecau of Romania 6-4, 7-6 (5), 6-4, 7-5.
Earlier, Rohan Bopanna and Andrea Hlavackova progressed to the pre-quarterfinals of the mixed doubles by winning 6-4, 7-5. (Reuters)