JOIN USDjokovic waltzes past Mayer to enter semifinals
Normal service was resumed at Wimbledon on Wednesday as Roger Federer returned to the semifinals after a two-year absence with a sparkling display to crush Mikhail Youzhny.
The Swiss, still seeking a record-equalling seventh title at the All England Club after losing in the quarterfinals in 2010 and 2011, produced an hour and a half of Centre Court magic to set up a last four clash with defending champion Novak Djokovic who was no less impressive in beating Florian Mayer.
With rays of sunshine finally breaking through the clouds after days of rain interruptions, two of the men’s game’s golden generation look to be at the peak of their powers.
With the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and former Wimbledon champions Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf watching on from the Royal Box, Federer glided majestically around the turf, barely raising a sweat in a 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 drubbing.
Having lost all 13 of their previous meetings, Youzhny’s only real hope was that the back pain that afflicted Federer in the previous round against Xavier Malisse returned.
Instead, Federer looked as smooth as ever to reach his 32nd Grand Slam semifinal -- taking him ahead of the record he shared with American Jimmy Connors.
At one stage a crestfallen Youzhny even looked up pleadingly to Agassi. “I was asking Andre for help,” the Russian said.
Top seed Djokovic had a few nervous moments early on as he reacquainted himself with outdoor tennis after playing his three previous matches under Centre Court’s roof.
He dropped serve in the fifth game but he soon found his range to outclass the 28-year-old Mayer. He broke decisively in the 10th game of the first set, sprinted through the second and cruised through the third to wrap up victory in an hour and 44 minutes.
Looking ahead to his 27th clash with Federer, but first on grass, Djokovic said: “This is where he won six titles. He definitely wants to prove himself and to everybody else that he can win it once again.
“We both have to play at our best in order to get a win.” Later in the day, France’s Jo-Wilfried Tsonga reached his second successive semifinal with a 7-6, 4-6, 7-6 6-2 win over German Philipp Kohlschreiber.
A relieved Tsonga performed his victory twirl around Court One after breaking Kohlschreiber for the second time in the fourth set to win an engrossing but sometimes scrappy encounter in two hours 48 minutes.
The fifth seed sealed victory on his first match point after rushing to the net and firing a forehand crosscourt winner. Tsonga, who lost to Djokovic in the semis last year, will next meet fourth seed Andy Murray.
Murray reached a fourth consecutive semifinal with a dramatic 6-7, 7-6, 6-4, 7-6 victory over Spain’s David Ferrer.
The British fourth seed thrilled the Centre Court crowd as he fought back from a set down in the quarterfinal.
Paes-Vesnina advance
Leander Paes and his Russian partner Elena Vesnina reached the quarterfinals of the mixed doubles event with a straight-set victory over Australia’s Ashley Fisher and Mona Barthel of Germany. The fourth-seeded Indo-Russian pair beat Fisher and Barthel 6-3, 6-3 in a match that lasted just over an hour. The duo will next take on Belarussian pair of Max Mirnyi and Victoria Azarenka.
On Tuesday, Mahesh Bhupathi and Rohan Bopanna bowed out of men’s doubles event after a straight-set loss to Mikhael Elgin and Denis Istomin. Bhupathi and Bopanna, who had rebelled against the AITA to be paired as a team for London Olympics, lost 5-7, 6-7 (3-7), 3-6 in two hours and four minutes.
Results Men’s singles (quarterfinals): 4-Andy Murray (Gbr) bt 7-David Ferrer (Esp) 6-7 (5), 7-6 (6), 6-4, 7-6 (4); 5-Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (Fra) bt 27-Philipp Kohlschreiber (Ger) 7-6 (7-5), 4-6, 7-6 (7-3), 6-2; 1-Novak Djokovic (Srb) bt 31-Florian Mayer (Ger) 6-4, 6-1, 6-4; 3-Roger Federer (Sui) bt 26-Mikhail Youzhny (Rus) 6-1, 6-2, 6-2.