LONDON, July 12, 2017
Roger Federer headlined Wednesday’s quarterfinal action at Wimbledon to keep alive his quest for an eighth trophy at The Championships. With an outstanding performance, the 35-yaer-old Swiss emerged victorious from his 100th match at Wimbledon (89-11), winning 6-4, 6-2, 7-6 over Milos Raonic in just under two hours of play.
“I can’t believe it, 100 matches, it’s a lot. 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, so happy to be through,” Federer told the BBC.
“I’m very pleased with how I’m playing. You can always play a little better. You adjust to the conditions – it’s like going to work, you can’t produce the best every single day but you have to make sure your average is as high as possible.”
The third seed will meet Tomas Berdych in the semi-finals. The Czech benefited from the retirement of Novak Djokovic, leading 7-6, 2-0.
“It is not the shoulder, it is the elbow that keeps bothering me for over a year and a half,” Djokovic explained in his post match press conference.
“It is unfortunate that I had to finish Wimbledon Grand Slam in this way. If someone feels bad it is me.
“I tried. From yesterday I tried to get it in the condition where I could play.
“I could play with pain that was bearable for 30 minutes, but the serve and the forehand were shots where I could feel it the most and there was no sense (to continue).”
Murray Falls
Defending champion Andy Murray los to US-American Sam Querrey 3-6, 6-4, 6-7, 6-1, 6-1 but was hampered by a hip injury. The encounter ended after two hours and 42 minutes.
“I had chances in the first three sets,” said Murray. “In the second set, I think I was up 4-3, then got broken twice there. That obviously turned out to be quite an important part of the match. I did manage to win the third. Maybe I could have got the match done in three sets there, had I closed out the second after getting the break. Sam served extremely well at the end of the match, loosened up, was going for his shots. [There was] nothing much I could do.
“The whole tournament I’ve been a little bit sore. But I tried my best right to the end. I gave everything I had. I’m proud about that. But it’s obviously disappointing to lose at Wimbledon. There’s obviously an opportunity there. So I’m sad that it’s over.”
Despite the loss, Murray will remain at World No. 1 in the ATP rankings on Monday.
Querrey will next take on the tournament’s dark horse Marin Cilic, who marched into his first Wimbledon semi-final, breaking Gilles Muller‘s serve three times to end the great run of the 34-year-old left-hander 3-6, 7-6, 7-5, 5-7, 6-1.
