Dazed Djokovic unsure he will play Wimbledon after shock exit

● Serbian left reeling by Cecchinato defeat in quarter-finals and admits he doesn’t know if he will compete on grass this season

at 5-3. But from somewhere Cecchinato got a second wind, breaking back and forcing a tie-break.

It was a classic, Djokovic wasting three set points and Cecchinato unable to take the first of three for the match.

But on number four Djokovic left a looping backhand return which landed just in and Cecchinato celebrated a famous victory, 6-3, 7-6 (7/4), 1-6, 7/6 (13-11).

Cecchinato had not won a single grand slam match until he arrived at Roland Garros, but the 25-year-old is now the first Italian to reach the semifinal since Corrado Barazzutti 40 years ago.

He said: “Maybe I’m sleeping. It’s amazing. It’s unbelievable for me. For me to beat Djokovic in a quarter-final at Roland Garros it’s amazing. For me, it’s the first time semi-final grand slam. Now I need to think for the semi-final and I need some rest for recovery. I am very happy.”

Next up for Cecchinato is No 7 seed Dominic Thiem of Austria, who beat second seed Alexander Zverev, pictured, in their quarter-final.

Zverev had fought through three consecutive five-setters and spent almost two and a half hours longer on court than Thiem on his way to the last eight. So it came as no surprise when the 21-year-old German, in the quarter-finals of a grand slam for the first time, began to cramp up badly.

He suffered a muscle injury in his leg during the first set and had it heavily strapped up by the trainer during the second.

Canny Thiem consistently served wide to get his opponent stretching before working him all around the court. Zverev needed more running repairs at the start of the third set but it was to no avail, Thiem ending his entertaining run with a comprehensive 6-4, 6-2, 6-1 victory. “How close was I to pulling out? I thought about it. I definitely thought about it,” said Zverev. “But, you know, I didn’t want to pull out for the first time of my career in a grand slam quarter-final.

“I knew I wasn’t going to win the match. There was no way for me. I mean, I could barely move. I couldn’t serve. I couldn’t really do anything.

“But I still wanted to finish the match and kind of give the credit to Dominic. He deserves to be in the semi-finals. End on a loss and not on a retirement.

“I actually felt good today. Waking up in the morning, I actually felt ‘Okay I can play five sets again’. I thought it was going to be a tough, physical match, but unfortunately my body didn’t hold up.”

For Thiem a third consecutive Paris semi-final beckons.

“It was tough for him today, he’s one of the fittest guys on tour,” said Thiem. “It’s tough to play three five-setters in a row.

“I hope that we have many more encounters against each other at this stage or even later in a grand slam.”

0 Sloane Stephens: In control. Sloane Stephens and Madison Keys ensured there will be an American in this year’s French Open final.

The two great friends, who met in the US Open final last year – won by Stephens – will face each other in the last four at Roland Garros.

Stephens brushed aside young Russian Daria Kasatkina while Keys also went through in straight sets against Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan.

Theirs is supposedly the friendliest rivalry in tennis, and Stephens said: “It’s the same thing as always. When we get on the court, it’s time to compete. But before that, we are not going to be weird and awkward.

“Now I just have to go find her, because I need to tell her some juicy stuff. I just went and searched for her in the training room.

“I think everything will be normal. And then when we get on the court, it’s time to compete. It’s go time. Until then, we’re the same girls as always.”

Stephens was in control after winning a marathon game on Kasatkina’s serve