TENNIS – Roger Federer has reached his 10th semifinal at Wimbledon after after his three- set win over Gilles Simon with 6-3 7-5 6-3 setting up a semifinal match against Andy Murray who beat Vasek Pospisil 6-4 7-5 6-4. Defending champion Novak Djokovic beat Marin Cilic 6-4 6-4 6-4 to qualify for the semifinals at Wimbledon where he will face Richard Gasquet who beat this year’s Roland Garros champion Stan Wawrinka. Diego Sampaolo
Roger Federer needed three sets to reach his 10th semifinal at the All England Club and is looking to qualify for his tenth final against Andy Murray in a repeat of the 2012 final. The Swiss Maestro won seven titles and lost two finals against Rafa Nadal in 2010 and Novak Djokovic in an epic five-set match in 2014.
Federer opened up a 3-0 lead before the match was interrupted by rain. After the match resumed after 37 minutes King Roger was unstoppable and wrapped up the first set after 37 minutes. Federer hit 15 winners and dropped only 15 seven points on serve.
Federer broke serve in the seventh game of the second set but Simon broke back to love for 5.4. This was the first time in this tournament that Federer dropped his serve. Federer regained the lead by breaking in the 11th game before the match was interrupted by rain for less than one hour. After the match resumed Federer hit three service winners to clinch the second set with 7-5.
Federer claimed an early break lead in the third set before getting a double break in the seventh game to take the win after one hour and 34 minutes.
“The conditions were not easy for either player and it was windy too. The stops and goes are tough but I used them to my advantage. I stayed ahead or made a difference. The breaks helped me rather than hindered me. I had a great service game after the second rain delay and reset and took the lead in the third set. The game I got broken he was too good, so I have no problems accepting that”, said Federer.
Andy Murray beat Vasek Pospisil 6-4 7-5 6-4 after the match was interrupted twice by rain showers
Murray broke serve to take a 3-1 lead before the match was interrupted for 37 minutes. Murray closed out the first set with 6-4.
Murray was serving at 3-4 before the match was interrupted again by rain. Murray converted on a set point at 30-40 with a backhand
In the third set Murray did not convert two break point chances at 3-3, but he capitalized on his opportunity at 4-4 30-40 on Pospisil’s next service game. Murray fended off a break point before wrapping up the match with 6-4.
“I needed to step up because at times he was serving very well. I just managed to come up with some good shots. The third set was tricky because I had a bunch of break points but overall it was a good match”, said Murray.
Djokovic has reached the 27th .Grand Slam of his career. He will take on Richard Gasquet who battled past Richard Gasquet 6-4 4-6 3-6 6-4 11-9 to qualify for his first Wimbledon semifinal in eight years.
Djokovic got his first braak in the third game of the opening set for 2-1 before converting on his fourth set point to clinch the first set with 6-4 after 35 minutes.
Djokovic earned four break point chances in the ninth game of the second set. He converted it on the second opportunity for 5-4 as Cilic hit a slice backhand into the net. The Serb served out for the second set on his first set point after 39minutes.
Djokovic got the only break of the third set in the seventh game for 4-3 following a forehand error from Cilic and served out to 15 after one hour and 49 minutes.
“I came out with the right intensity, moved well all over the court and tried to get as many returns back in play. I didn’t allow Marin to come back in the match. It was a close game when I was serving for the set. I think that helped my confidence to feel better afterwards”, said Djokovic
Richard Gasquet avenged the defeat against Wawrinka of two years ago at the Roland Garros where he lost 8-6 in the fifth set.
Gasquet committed four unforced errors to Wawrinka’s 14 to win the first set with 6-4.
Gasquet went down a break to trail 0-3 in the second set but broke back in the fifth game. He faced set point chances at 4-5. He fended off the first two opportunities before committing a double fault to lose the second set.
Wawrinka broke serve at the start of the third set. He dropped just five points on serve en route to winning the third set with 29 minutes.
In the fourth set Wawrinka made a double fault on Gasquet’s set point allowing the Frenchman to draw level on sets with 6-4.
In the fifth Gasquet could not serve out for the match at 5-3 in the fifth set and faced a break point at 9-9. Wawrinka brought up a break point chance at 9-9 30-40 but he made three errors allowing Gasquet to earn three match points.
Gasquet converted on his third break point chance to close out the match after three hours and 26 minutes. It was the 10th time in 23 matches that the Frenchman won a match decided in the fifth set.
“Even if I lost this important game at 5-3, I kept fighting a lot. It was important because I know it’s a great match playing the Roland Garros winner in a quarter final of a Grand Slam, so I need to keep focus and to stay focused and to fight. It’s a very nice victory for me to win against him 11-9 in the fifth set”, said Gasquet
The Frenchman will try to break a nine-match losing streak against Djokovic in the Friday semifinal
