Sam Querrey is first American man in a Wimbledon semifinal since 2009

“It’s a really exceptional tennis player that we have, that our sport has right now”, he said of third-seeded Federer.

Novak Djokovic retired with an injury from his quarterfinal match at Wimbledon, putting Tomas Berdych into the semifinals.

The defending champion beat Benoit Paire 7-6 (1), 6-4, 6-4 on Centre Court. He will next face either Milos Raonic or Alexander Zverev. The seventh-seeded Croat beat Roberto Bautista Agut 6-2, 6-2, 6-2.

“Before the tournament it [managing the problem] was very short-term because you want to play Wimbledon”.

Querrey, 29, won 3-6 6-4 6-7 (4-7) 6-1 6-1 to become the first American man to reach a Grand Slam semi-final since Andy Roddick at Wimbledon in 2009. Querrey has won 10 of his last 13 matches on grass court.

The 2017 Acapulco champion Querrey is now set to play against the victor between Croatian Marin Cilic and Gilles Muller of Luxembourg.

Querrey was seeded 24th, and came into Wimbledon ranked 28th.

On No.2 Court, there is more on the line than just the prospect of Angelique Kerber and Garbiñe Muguruza, who lost the last two finals to Serena, progressing to the quarter-finals.

Murray had gone right off the boil, his first serve and forehand deserting him, and it was Querrey skipping back to his chair after a backhand victor gave him the set 6-4.

Murray was cruising at 6-1 but Querrey saved three set points before the Scot took it on the fourth, winning the tie-break 7-4. Murray had to skip some practice sessions and pull out of a couple of planned exhibition matches in the leadup to Wimbledon.

Speaking after the match, he said: “The whole tournament I’ve been a little bit sore”.

He’s the first American man to make it to the major semifinal in eight years.

Murray’s injured hip had been a subject of chatter through the fortnight but less so as he combed through four opponents with one lost set. “There’s been other years where you see players slip and fall, you see players slip and fall on clay courts, you see players slip and fall on hard courts”.

However, defending champion Murray, severely restricted by a right hip injury, was dethroned by Sam Querrey 3-6, 6-4, 6-7 (4/7), 6-1, 6-1. It wasn’t so much that Querrey played out of his skin, but that Murray was rooted to the turf going sideways, hitting a lot of shots off one leg and serving way below his best.

Raonic went 3-0 ahead in the tiebreak too but 18-times major champion Federer responded with two majestic forehand passes as he regained control with five points in a row.

Hasta la vista: Rafael Nadal looks dejected after his five-set loss to Gilles Muller. But since then, Nadal’s exits at the All England Club have come in the first round (2013), second round (2012, 2015) or fourth round (2014, 2017).

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