Federer Knocked out in Straight Sets, Djokovic Cruise into S’final

Roger Federer’s bid for a ninth Wimbledon title lay in tatters after he was stunned in straight sets by Hubert Hurkacz in the quarter-finals.

The Swiss lost 6-3 7-6 (7-4) 6-0 to the 14th seeded Pole, who reached his first Grand Slam semi-final.

It is the first time 20-time major champion Federer has lost a set to love at the All England Club.

Hurkacz will play Matteo Berrettini or Felix Auger-Aliassime for a place in Sunday’s final.

“It’s super special for me,” said Hurkacz, only the second Polish man to reach the semi-finals at a Grand Slam.

“Playing here and the special things [Federer] has done here, it’s a dream come true.”

Hurkacz, who was six when Federer won his first title at SW19, is the first player to win a set to love against the Swiss since Rafael Nadal in the 2008 French Open final.

Federer, at 39 years and 337 days, had been bidding to become the oldest man to reach the Wimbledon semi-finals in the Open era.

But defeat marked his first straight-set loss at Wimbledon in 19 years.

Meanwhile, defending champion Novak Djokovic had too much quality for Hungary’s Marton Fucsovics as he reached the Wimbledon semi-finals with a focused display yesterday.

Djokovic, 34, was far from his best, but still won 6-3 6-4 6-4 against 29-year-old Fucsovics, who was contesting his first Grand Slam quarter-final.

The Serb will play 10th seed Denis Shapovalov on Friday after the Canadian beat Russian 25th seed Karen Khachanov.

Djokovic is now two wins from a record-equalling 20th men’s major.

After winning the Australian Open and French Open titles already this year, another triumph at the All England Club will mean he equals the tally jointly held by Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. Nadal did not play at SW19 this year.

Five-time champion Djokovic had dropped just one set on his way to the Wimbledon quarter-finals and never looked like losing another against world number 48 Fucsovics.

That was despite the Serb playing less cleanly and confidently than in any of his previous four wins.