London: It was a sporting spectacle that was hard to match, as the American legend John McEnroe said, "The final point of the match said it all." World No.4 David Ferrer, who had run the No.8 Juan Martin del Potro ragged, then pulled him wide on his forehand, producing an angle that appeared a tad too sweet for the Argentinian battling on one leg.
The 24-year-old responded with a lunge, stretching to flick a forehand down-the-line that gave him game, set and match. Del Potro, 6 ft 6, the tallest man to win a Grand Slam in the open era, twisted his knee in the third game of the opening set, with Ferrer serving at 15-40. The Argentine lay sprawled on the court with a concerned Ferrer looking on.
For a while it appeared like Del Potro would pull out. The 2009 US Open champion, who admitted that thoughts of conceding the match did cross his mind as he lay on the ground, pulled himself up and returned to the court with a heavily taped knee.
The key was in the returning. In the final count, it was as much his serve as it was his returns, punishing and penetrating, that was responsible for the 6-2, 6-4, 7-6 (7-5) result that came after 2 hours and 16-minutes of play.
"It was my best forehand of the match," Del Potro said of the stroke that put him in the semifinals, "I was in a lot of pain when I fell. The doctor bandaged my leg and gave me some magic pills (anti-inflammatories) that helped me continue.
He is a tough player to play, he never gives up, he's fighting all the time. I had to play my best tennis to beat the most consistent performer so far this season."
Next up for Del Potro, who has lost serve just twice in The Championships so far, is the world No.1 Novak Djokovic. The Serb beat the big-serving Czech Tomas Berdych 7-6 (7-5), 6-4, 6-3 in another quarterfinal clash.
The last time Del Potro and Djokovic met at this venue was in the bronze medal play-off at the 2012 London Olympics in which the Argentine upset the Serb with his ferocious all-court game.
In another quarterfinal match, big-serving Pole Jerzy Janowicz, ranked 22, stopped his 130th-ranked countryman Lukasz Kubot 7-5, 6-4, 6-4.
Murray comeback lifts home spirits
Andy Murray gave the home fans jitters as he came back from two sets down to book a place in the Wimbledon semifinals with an edgy 4-6, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4, 7-5 win over unseeded Spaniard Fernando Verdasco on Wednesday.
Murray's hopes of ending Britain's 77-year wait for a men's Wimbledon champion were on the verge of being shredded as he found himself playing catch-up.
Murray, who has now reached five successive Wimbledon semis, will face Jerzy Janowicz in the last four.
It was a sporting spectacle that was hard to match, as the American legend John McEnroe said, "The final point of the match said it all." World No.4 David Ferrer, who had run the No.8 Juan Martin del Potro ragged, then pulled him wide on his forehand, producing an angle that appeared a tad too sweet for the Argentinian battling on one leg.
The 24-year-old responded with a lunge, stretching to flick a forehand down-the-line that gave him game, set and match. Del Potro, 6 ft 6, the tallest man to win a Grand Slam in the open era, twisted his knee in the third game of the opening set, with Ferrer serving at 15-40. The Argentine lay sprawled on the court with a concerned Ferrer looking on.
For a while it appeared like Del Potro would pull out. The 2009 US Open champion, who admitted that thoughts of conceding the match did cross his mind as he lay on the ground, pulled himself up and returned to the court with a heavily taped knee.
The key was in the returning. In the final count, it was as much his serve as it was his returns, punishing and penetrating, that was responsible for the 6-2, 6-4, 7-6 (7-5) result that came after 2 hours and 16-minutes of play.
"It was my best forehand of the match," Del Potro said of the stroke that put him in the semifinals, "I was in a lot of pain when I fell. The doctor bandaged my leg and gave me some magic pills (anti-inflammatories) that helped me continue.
He is a tough player to play, he never gives up, he's fighting all the time. I had to play my best tennis to beat the most consistent performer so far this season."
Next up for Del Potro, who has lost serve just twice in The Championships so far, is the world No.1 Novak Djokovic. The Serb beat the big-serving Czech Tomas Berdych 7-6 (7-5), 6-4, 6-3 in another quarterfinal clash.
The last time Del Potro and Djokovic met at this venue was in the bronze medal play-off at the 2012 London Olympics in which the Argentine upset the Serb with his ferocious all-court game.
In another quarterfinal match, big-serving Pole Jerzy Janowicz, ranked 22, stopped his 130th-ranked countryman Lukasz Kubot 7-5, 6-4, 6-4.
Murray comeback lifts home spirits
Andy Murray gave the home fans jitters as he came back from two sets down to book a place in the Wimbledon semifinals with an edgy 4-6, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4, 7-5 win over unseeded Spaniard Fernando Verdasco on Wednesday.
Murray's hopes of ending Britain's 77-year wait for a men's Wimbledon champion were on the verge of being shredded as he found himself playing catch-up.
Murray, who has now reached five successive Wimbledon semis, will face Jerzy Janowicz in the last four.
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