Warsaw, Poland – Roger Federer’s bid for a ninth Wimbledon title is over after he was stunned in straight sets by Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz in the quarter-finals. The Swiss lost 6-3 7-6 6-0 to the 14th seeded Pole, who reached his first Grand Slam semi-final.
In front of a Centre Court crowd restored once again to capacity, Hurkacz sensationally bulldozed the eight-time champion in one hour and 48 minutes.
Only the second Polish man to reach the semi-finals at a Grand Slam, after Jerzy Janowicz in 2013, Hubert Hurkacz will play seventh seed Matteo Berrettini for a place in Sunday’s final.
“It’s super special for me,” said Hurkacz, who was six when Federer won his first title. “Playing against Roger, when you’re a kid, it’s like a dream come true.”
Hubert Hurkacz is the first player to win a set to love against the Swiss since Rafael Nadal in the 2008 French Open final. Federer himself said he “does not know” if he will play at Wimbledon again.
Earlier this year, Hurkacz became the first Polish player to win an ATP Masters 1000 singles title at the 2021 Miami Open.
In the second semi-final, defending champion Novak Djokovic will play 10th seed Denis Shapovalov after the Serb beat Hungary’s Márton Fucsovics, who was contesting his first Grand Slam quarter-final.
Meanwhile, the Czech Republic’s Karolína Plíšková, who has reached the last four at Wimbledon for the first time by defeating Switzerland’s Golubic on Tuesday, will face second seed Aryna Sabalenka in the women’s semi-final on Thursday.
The 29-year-old Czech, whose previous best Wimbledon showings were fourth-round appearances in 2018 and 2019, has yet to drop a set at this year’s Championships.
“It means a lot to reach the semi-finals, of course. Especially after not really having many good weeks before Wimbledon, it feels like a dream,” said Plíšková, who last month dropped out of the top 10 for the first time in five years.
Plíšková will be hoping to emulate fellow Czech Barbora Krejcikova who last month became only the second Czech to win the French Open Women’s Single Title after Hana Mandlíková in 1981!
The second semi-final will see world number one Ashleigh Barty face former champion Angelique Kerber for a place in Saturday’s final.
How far can underdogs Hubert Hurkacz and Karolína Plíšková go? With the likes of Novak Djokovic, Aryna Sabalenka and Ashleigh Barty still in play, the latest Wimbledon odds are certainly against them. With Hurkacz at +3300 and Plíšková at +500, the Czech and Polish pair are the Men’s and Women’s semi-finals longest shots.
Kafkadesk 
Warsaw, Poland – Roger Federer’s bid for a ninth Wimbledon title is over after he was stunned in straight sets by Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz in the quarter-finals. The Swiss lost 6-3 7-6 6-0 to the 14th seeded Pole, who reached his first Grand Slam semi-final.
In front of a Centre Court crowd restored once again to capacity, Hurkacz sensationally bulldozed the eight-time champion in one hour and 48 minutes.
Only the second Polish man to reach the semi-finals at a Grand Slam, after Jerzy Janowicz in 2013, Hubert Hurkacz will play seventh seed Matteo Berrettini for a place in Sunday’s final.
“It’s super special for me,” said Hurkacz, who was six when Federer won his first title. “Playing against Roger, when you’re a kid, it’s like a dream come true.”
Hubert Hurkacz is the first player to win a set to love against the Swiss since Rafael Nadal in the 2008 French Open final. Federer himself said he “does not know” if he will play at Wimbledon again.
Earlier this year, Hurkacz became the first Polish player to win an ATP Masters 1000 singles title at the 2021 Miami Open.
In the second semi-final, defending champion Novak Djokovic will play 10th seed Denis Shapovalov after the Serb beat Hungary’s Márton Fucsovics, who was contesting his first Grand Slam quarter-final.
Meanwhile, the Czech Republic’s Karolína Plíšková, who has reached the last four at Wimbledon for the first time by defeating Switzerland’s Golubic on Tuesday, will face second seed Aryna Sabalenka in the women’s semi-final on Thursday.
The 29-year-old Czech, whose previous best Wimbledon showings were fourth-round appearances in 2018 and 2019, has yet to drop a set at this year’s Championships.
“It means a lot to reach the semi-finals, of course. Especially after not really having many good weeks before Wimbledon, it feels like a dream,” said Plíšková, who last month dropped out of the top 10 for the first time in five years.
Plíšková will be hoping to emulate fellow Czech Barbora Krejcikova who last month became only the second Czech to win the French Open Women’s Single Title after Hana Mandlíková in 1981!
The second semi-final will see world number one Ashleigh Barty face former champion Angelique Kerber for a place in Saturday’s final.
How far can underdogs Hubert Hurkacz and Karolína Plíšková go? With the likes of Novak Djokovic, Aryna Sabalenka and Ashleigh Barty still in play, the latest Wimbledon odds are certainly against them. With Hurkacz at +3300 and Plíšková at +500, the Czech and Polish pair are the Men’s and Women’s semi-finals longest shots.