Federer last man standing of the ‘Fab 4’ QUERREY ‘IN SHOCK’ AFTER DUMPING OUT TOP SEED MURRAY, AS DJOKOVIC QUITS MATCH
am Querrey sent hobbling defending champion Andy Murray crashing out of Wimbledon yesterday, reaching his first Grand Slam semi-final at the 42nd attempt.
The No 2 seed, Novak Djokovic, followed Murray out of the tournament hours later, retiring from his match against No. 11 Tomas Berdych with an apparent injury to his right arm.
Djokovic received a medical timeout after losing the first set in a tiebreaker, then retired after dropping the first two games of the second set.
Meanwhile, Roger Federer turned his 100th Wimbledon match into an exhibition as he outclassed Milos Raonic 6-4 6-2 7-6(4) yesterday to reach the semi-finals for a record 12th time.
The Swiss, who turns 36 next month, played his best tennis of the tournament to dismantle the big-serving Canadian who knocked him out at the semifinal stage last year.
Seven-times champion Federer hit two rasping backhand winners and a forehand that had Raonic ducking for cover to break serve in the fifth game.
Sixth seed Raonic’s belief ebbed away at the start of the second set when he offered up another break with a careless forehand and Federer went for the jugular with a further break of the Canadian’s delivery as he established a two-set lead.
An 11th ace brought up a match point and Federer clinched victory when Raonic shunted a backhand wide.
Federer has yet to drop a set in the tournament this year and with defending champion Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic and Rafa Nadal all out he is a huge favourite to become the first man to win the Wimbledon title eight times. He will play Czech Tomas Berdych, the 11th seed, in the last four.
One year after knocking out 2015 champion Novak Djokovic in the third round, 29-year-old Querrey, the world number 28, won 3-6, 6-4, 6-7 (4/7), 6-1, 6-1 against Murray.
World number one Murray’s challenge petered out when he began limping off his right leg, his movement severely compromised by a recent hip problem.
“I’m still in a state of shock. I’m glad I hit that last serve in,” said Querrey who finished with 27 aces and 70 winners. I didn’t start the best but I just kept swinging away and found my groove in the last two sets.”
Querrey is the first American man in the semi-finals of a Grand Slam since Andy Roddick finished runner-up at Wimbledon in 2009.
“It’s a dream come true to be in the semi-final at Wimbledon, it’s very special,” Querrey added.
Gilles Muller’s unlikely Wimbledon run came to an end when he was beaten in five sets by Croatian Marin Cilic in their quarterfinal. Cilic, who triumphed 3-6 7-6(6) 7-5 5-7 6-1 will now face Querrey in the semi-finals.