Wimbledon 2017 | Roger Federer enters semi-finals; Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic crash out

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Roger Federer defeated Milos Raonic 6-4, 6-2, 7-6(4) on Wednesday to reach his 12th Wimbledon semi-finals. Meanwhile, Novak Djokovic was forced to retire from his quarterfinal match, while defending champion Andy Murray stoically battled on till the end in a loss to Sam Querrey in the quarter-final.

In his 100th match at the All England Club, Federer started the game on the offensive and played out two quick-fire sets to take a two-sets-to-love lead in the match. However, Raonic recovered in the third set and looked to pose a challenge holding his service games to keep Federer on the back foot. In the eighth game of the set, Federer had to save multiple break points before taking the set to the tie-breaker. Raonic surged ahead to 3-0 in the tie-breaker, but Federer made a fantastic comeback to win the set 7-4 and the match 6-4, 6-2, 7-6(4).

The 18-time Grand Slam champion will now face 2010 runner-up Tomas Berdych for a place in the Sunday showdown. With the win, the 35-year-old also became the second oldest man to reach the semi-finals after Ken Rosewall who finished runner-up in 1974 at the age of 39.

“100 matches, I can’t believe it, that’s a lot,” said Federer after the game, reported AFP.

“I’m very happy my body kept me going over all these years. It was a perfect setting, beautiful weather – a Mexican wave on Centre Court, you don’t see that every day. I’m so happy to be through.

“I’m very pleased with how I’m playing. You can always play a little better. You adjust to the conditions,” he added.

Meanwhile, Novak Djokovic had to retire from his quarter-final against Tomas Berdych due to an injury to his right elbow. Djokovic, dealing with a long-term right shoulder problem, needed treatment on his elbow at the end of the first set and was trailing 7-6(2), 2-0 when he called it quits.

While Djokovic was being forced to retire, it was also not a good day for the World No.1 Andy Murray, who was sent packing by American Sam Querrey after losing the match 3-6, 6-4, 6-7 (4/7), 6-1, 6-1. Querrey, who became the first American man to reach the semi-finals of a Grand Slam since Andy Roddick finished runner-up at Wimbledon in 2009, will face former US Open champion Marin Cilic for a place in the final. Defending champion Murray's hip injury woes finally came to a point where he was leaning on the racket at multiple points. As the fifth set wore on, he was left immobile and rooted and watched in agony as Querrey blanked him time and again. The injury now leaves Murray's season under a big cloud.

“It feels great. It’s a dream come true to be in the semi-final at Wimbledon, it’s very special,” Querrey said after winning the game.

In the mixed doubles, the Indo-Croatian pair of Sania Mirza and Ivan Dodig lost to the defending champions pair of Henri Kontinen and Heather Watson to bring the curtains down on their campaign at the Wimbledon. 

But the Indian hopes at the All England club are still alive with Rohan Bopanna being the last Indian standing in the senior draw. The pair of Bopanna and Gabriela Dabrowski dominated their third-round clash against Croatian pairing of Nikola Mektic and Ana Konjuh and won the match 7-6 (5), 6-2 to book their quarter-final date with Kontinen and Watson.

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