When Wimbledon started, Marin Cilic was looking at a draw that could have pitted him against Rafael Nadal in the quarterfinals and Andy Murray in the semifinals.
Both of them are two-time champions at the All England Club, and both of them are now out of the tournament.
"I was obviously following them (Nadal and Murray) and following all the rest of the guys," said Cilic, the U.S. Open champion in 2014. "But for me, it didn't make a big difference. It's not going to make big difference."
Cilic reached the semifinals on Wednesday by beating Gilles Muller 3-6, 7-6 (6), 7-5, 5-7, 6-1. He will next face Sam Querrey on Friday.
Muller defeated Nadal in five sets on Monday in the fourth round, and Querrey beat Murray in five sets on Wednesday.
"Players at this stage of the tournament are playing great tennis. You can't take that for granted," Cilic said. "The only part that it could be easier for me is that Sam hasn't been at this part of the tournament so far ... Maybe that can have a small part in playing that match. But I don't think it's going to matter big-time."
Cilic has also never been this far, at Wimbledon at least. He won his only major title three years ago in New York, beating Roger Federer in the semifinals and Kei Nishikori in the final.