Roger Federer crashed out of Wimbledon in the quarter-finals at the hands of Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz on Wednesday, potentially bringing down the curtain on the Swiss legend's All England Club career.
Federer, the 20-time Grand Slam title winner who turns 40 next month, lost 6-3, 7-6 (7/4), 6-0 to a player 15 years his junior.
It was only the eight-time Wimbledon champion’s 14th defeat at the tournament in 119 matches and his first straight-sets loss since an opening round exit against Mario Ancic in 2002.
It was also the first time he had lost a set 6-0 at Wimbledon.
“It’s super special to have played Roger here, it’s a dream come true,” said Hurkacz.
“He’s done so many special things here.”
World number 18 Hurkacz, 24, had never got beyond the third round of a Grand Slam before this Wimbledon.
However, boosted by having defeated world number two Daniil Medvedev in five sets in the last 16, he was a break up on a sluggish-looking Federer in the sixth game of the opening set.
The Swiss star, who underwent two knee surgeries in 2020, carved out a break for 2-0 in the second set.
He couldn’t hang on and Hurkacz levelled in the seventh game from 1-4 down before dominating the tiebreak.
Federer looked punch drunk and he was quickly down 0-2 in the third set before Hurkacz wrapped up the decider in just 29 minutes.
He is only the second Polish man to reach the semi-finals at Wimbledon — Jerzy Janowicz being the other in 2013.
Up next is a clash with either Matteo Berrettini of Italy or Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime for a place in Sunday’s final.
Djoker in semi-final
Earlier world number one and five-time champion Novak Djokovic reached his 10th Wimbledon semi-final with a straight-sets win over Marton Fucsovics of Hungary.
Djokovic, chasing a record-equalling 20th Grand Slam title, won 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 and will now face Denis Shapovalov for a place in Sunday’s final.
It was Djokovic’s 100th career grass court win as he made the last-four of a major for the 41st time.
“It was a solid performance, I started extremely well and didn’t do many things wrong in the first five games,” said Djokovic.
“One break of serve in the second and third set was enough to clinch the victory. But credit to Marton for fighting and hanging in there, he had a great tournament.”
Djokovic became only the third man to capture all four majors more than once with his second French Open victory last month. Now he is halfway to becoming the first man since 1969, and only the third in history, to complete a calendar Grand Slam of all four majors.