Gasquet joins Big 3 in Wimbledon semifinals

Associated Press

LONDON

The top 3 men — Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Andy Murray — sailed into the Wimbledon semifinals in straight sets. The final four lineup has an unexpected name, too.

Richard Gasquet outlasted French Open champion Stan Wawrinka in a marathon fifth set Wednesday, preventing Wimbledon from having the top 4 men’s seeded players in the semifinals for the first time in 20 years.

The 21st-seeded Frenchman overcame the fourth-seeded Swiss 6-4, 4-6, 3-6, 6-4, 11-9, falling onto his back in relief after Wawrinka’s backhand sailed long on the third match point, ending nearly 31/2 hours of play.

Gasquet, who failed to serve out the match at 5-3 in the fifth set, reached the semifinals at the All England Club for the first time since 2007.

“The last game was incredible,” he said. “I kept fighting a lot. And I did it. It’s a great match for me. It would be difficult for me to lose that one after [leading] 5-3.”

Gasquet will next face defending champion Djokovic, who swept past Marin Cilic 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 to reach the final four for the sixth straight year.

“Of course, he will be the favorite of the match,” Gasquet said. “Everybody knows that.”

Friday’s other semifinal will pit seven-time champion Roger Federer against 2013 winner Andy Murray.

Despite losing serve for the first time all tournament, Federer overwhelmed Gilles Simon 6-3, 7-5, 6-2 to advance to the semifinals for the 10th time, and to the final four of a Grand Slam tournament for the 37th time.

Murray beat Canada’s Vasek Pospisil 6-4, 7-5, 6-4 to reach his sixth Wimbledon semifinal.

Federer is closing in on a record eighth Wimbledon title and his 18th Grand Slam championship.

“The road is long getting here,” Federer said. “But still I feel like I’m fresh and I’ve got energy left in the tank for hopefully a great match with Andy and then we’ll see.”

Federer has never lost in the Wimbledon semifinals, holding a career 9-0 record. He has a 12-11 career edge over Murray, but the Briton beat him on Centre Court in the final of the 2012 Olympic tournament — a few weeks after Federer defeated Murray in the Wimbledon final for his seventh title.

“We both like to look back at that summer — me, not so much at the Olympics; him, probably not so much at Wimbledon,” Federer said. “He played unbelievable in the finals of the Olympics. I’m not going to try to look back at that too much, because he really dominated me in that one.”

Murray overpowered Federer in straight sets in the Olympic match, but since then, Federer has won four of their last six meetings, including the last three.

“I know Roger very well,” Murray said. “We’ve played each other many times. We saw each other this morning; walked to the practice courts together and stuff. We get on well. But obviously on Friday, different story.”

Federer put on another vintage grass-court display Wednesday to take Simon apart in just over 90 minutes on Court 1 in a match that was interrupted twice by rain delays.

“The stop-and-gos are tough,” Federer said.