By Nick Butler |
Kevin Anderson recovered from two sets and a match point down to complete a remarkable men’s singles quarterfinal victory over defending champion Roger Federer at Wimbledon today.
The top seeded Swiss, chasing a record-equaling ninth singles title held by Martina Navratalova, enjoyed serene progress through the first two sets.
He took them 6-2, 7-6(5) and then held a match point in the third.
But the South African Anderson held his nerve and then broke to seal the set 7-5 and then won the fourth 6-4 as his serve proved increasingly dominant.
The match entered epic proportions in the fifth before Anderson sealed the decisive break at 11-11.
He then served the match out to seal a 13-11 set win in a match lasting 4:13.
Anderson will now face either Canada’s Milos Raonic or American John Isner in his first semifinal at the grass court Grand Slam event.
Serbia’s Novak Djokovic also reached the first semifinals since he won the event in 2015.
He enjoyed a 6-3, 3-6, 6-2, 6-2 victory over Japan’s Kei Nishikori.
“It feels great to be in the last four of a Slam,” Djokovic said afterwards.
“I’ve been building in the past couple of weeks.
“The level of tennis has been going up in the past couple of months and tournaments.”
Spaniard Rafael Nadal is currently facing Argentina’s Juan Martin del Potro for the right to face Djokovic in the semi-final.
Republished with permission from insidethegames.biz.