Roger Federer, number one seed for the Wimbledon 2010 Men’s Singles Championship, was knocked out of the tournament at the quarter final stage by 12th seeded Czech Tomas Berdych in four sets this afternoon.
Big serving Berdych will meet Novak Djokovic in the Semi-Final after lifting this match 6-4 3-6 6-1 6-4 to make relatively short work of what is easily the most impressive victory of his career to date.
Federer has been a master of grass at Wimbledon, where he has lifted the Men’s Singles title a remarkable six times. Until this year, he has not missed a Wimbledon Final since 2002. The Swiss, however, has had a more difficult year in ’10, struggling even in the First Round where he looked on the ropes, and needed five sets to defeat Alejandro Falla.
Berdych has had a fantastic year in 2010, a year when he has really come of age. He almost made the Final of the French Open – losing out in five sets to the redoubtable Robin Soderling (who plays Rafael Nadal this afternoon) in the Semi-Final at Roland Garros marked him out as a player to follow at Wimbledon, but few could have anticipated the level of dominance he displayed today against the very best of opponents.
Djokovic, the third seed, who has also endured a slightly tricky passage to the Semi-Final including a five set wobble of his own, will have his work cut out if he is to set up a Grand Slam final against this impressive Czech player. The Semi-Final between the two, on today’s evidence, could be a close run thing – Berdych is in the form of his life, and Djokovic does not know when he is beaten. A fascinating prospect for tennis fans.
