Raonic outlasts Federer, Murray also through to Wimbledon final

During quarterfinal action at Wimbledon on Wednesday, Roger Federer won a five-setter he probably should have lost. In the semifinals on Friday, Federer lost a five-setter he almost definitely should have won. Such are the excruciatingly small margins of tennis.

Federer, coming off a nail-biter against Marin Cilic in which he saved three match points, succumbed to Milos Raonic 6-3, 6-7(3), 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 in three hours and 25 minutes. The Swiss led by two sets to one and had a 15-40 chance early in the fourth in addition to a 40-0 advantage on serve at 6-5 in the fourth, but he could not get across the finish line. Raonic simply stole the penultimate set and then cruised through the decider with a single break that came at 2-1.

Two double-faults at 40-15 and 40-30 in the 12th game of the fourth set ignited a downward spiral for Federer. When the 34-year-old dropped serve in the fourth game of the next set on a stellar forehand pass by Raonic, it was all but over. Federer also had two opportunities to finish that game in his favor but could not convert.

“Opportunities were all around the fourth set,” the seven-time Wimbledon champion reflected. “I think I pushed him on a few service games to get the break. But somehow I couldn’t get it done. Either he served well or he hit the line on the serve, or with the forehand; he did a great job there.

“It was always going to come down to a few shots here and there. Unfortunately they went his way today. It’s disappointing for me, clearly.”

“It’s definitely a great feeling, from many different aspects,” Raonic explained. “Today I sort of persevered. I was sort of plugging away; I was struggling through many parts of the match. He gave me a little opening towards the end of the fourth–I made the most of it. Then I sort of tried to run away with it.

“I did a lot of things well. The attitude kept me in the match. I think that’s what made the biggest difference. I was quite vocal, but I was always positive. I was always looking for a solution.”

The solution was not an easy one, and it won’t be on Sunday against Andy Murray. Wimbledon’s crowd favorite and 2013 winner coasted through a much more straightforward semifinal contest, thrashing Tomas Berdych 6-3, 6-3, 6-3.

Murray committed only nine unforced errors before advancing in one hour and 58 minutes.

“I’m pumped obviously,” the world No. 2 commented. “You know, I feel pretty calm just now, maybe because of the way the match went.  It wasn’t too stressful a match.”

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