Anderson stuns Federer in quarter-final cliff-hanger

Thursday, 12 July 2018 00:08 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

London (Reuters) - Kevin Anderson produced an astonishing fightback from two sets down to beat eight-time champion Roger Federer 2-6 6-7(5) 7-5 6-4 13-11 in a quarter-final cliff-hanger at Wimbledon yesterday.

The big South African’s hopes looked forlorn as Federer skipped through the opening two sets on Court One with his usual panache but he turned the match on its head to cause the biggest shock yet in a tournament full of upsets. It was his first win against Federer at the fifth attempt and means he is the first player representing South Africa to reach the semi-final here since Kevin Curren in 1983.

Eighth-seed Anderson, 32, saved a match point in the 10th game of the third set and grew in confidence against an increasingly-ragged Federer who had won the first set in 26 minutes. He won the third set to snap Federer’s 34-set winning streak at Wimbledon and Federer was clearly shaken as Anderson dominated the fourth set to drag the 20-times Grand Slam champion into a decider.

Six times Anderson was required to hold serve to stay alive and each time he was equal to the task.

Federer eventually cracked at 11-11, double-faulting to hand Anderson a break point which he converted when the defending champion hit a weary-looking forehand halfway up the net.

Anderson stayed cool and sealed victory on his first match point with a powerful first serve which Federer could only return into the tramlines.

Djokovic into Wimbledon semis like a man on a mission

London (Reuters): Three times Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic was a man on a mission after the former world number one beat Japan’s Kei Nishikori 6-3 3-6 6-2 6-2 on Wednesday to reach the semi-finals for the eighth time.

“I feel like I’m peaking at the right moment,” declared the 12th seeded Serb after joining Americans John McEnroe and Pete Sampras in fourth place on the list of most Wimbledon semi-final appearances in the Open Era.

The 31-year-old will play either second-seeded Spaniard Rafael Nadal or fifth-seeded Argentine Juan Martin del Potro in the last four.