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Djokovic downs Mayer to sprint into semis
Top seed and defending champion Novak Djokovic motored into the Wimbledon semi-finals with a quick-fire 6-4, 6-1, 6-4 victory over Germany's Florian Mayer on Wednesday.
The Serb did not need to be at his brilliant best to dispatch the world number 29 who laboured to stay in the match, but never looked like troubling his opponent.
Djokovic had a few nervous moments early on as he reacquainted himself with outdoor tennis after playing his three previous matches under Centre Court's roof.
He dropped serve in the fifth game but he soon found his range to outclass the 28-year-old Mayer.
He broke decisively in the 10th game of the first set, sprinted through the second and cruised through the third to wrap up victory in an hour and 44 minutes.
"I had a little trouble adjusting to the sun and to outdoor conditions because I played last three matches indoors. So it took me a bit of time to get into the rhythm," Djokovic told reporters.
"It was a tricky first set obviously. It was important for me to get a set lead, and after that I played much better."
Looking ahead to his 27th clash with Federer, but first on grass, Djokovic said: "This is where he won six titles. He definitely wants to prove himself and to everybody else that he can win it once again.
"We both have to play at our best in order to get a win."
'I thought I played great out there today'
Roger Federer ruthlessly dismantled Mikhail Youzhny 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 to reach the Wimbledon semi-finals for the eighth time on Wednesday.
The third seed and six-times champion was at his imperious best on Centre Court against the 26th-seeded Russian, picking him off at will to set up a last-four showdown with defending champion Novak Djokovic.
"I thought I played great out there today," Federer said in a courtside interview after a 14th successive win over Youzhny. "My game maybe suits up well against his.
"He was down in all the sets rather quickly. I am extremely happy to be back in the semi-finals here at Wimbledon."
Federer and Youzhny were watched from the Royal Box by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and former Wimbledon champions Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf.
"I think it's inspiring when royalty and other legends of the game come to watch," Federer said. "It's great for tennis."
The Russian made far too many unforced errors
Federer, knocked out in the quarter-finals at the All England Club the last two years, roared into a 4-1 lead and after a short rain delay wrapped up the first set in 28 minutes.
The Swiss maestro broke in the first game of the second set with the aid of a lucky net-cord and, showing no sign of the back injury which hampered him in his quarter-final win over Xavier Malisse, he sauntered into a 2-0 lead.
With the sun making a rare appearance at the tournament, Federer broke Youzhny again at the start of the third set.
The Russian let out a huge roar of frustration when he failed to take advantage of a break-point but he made far too many unforced errors to get back into the match.
Federer wasted three match points on Youzhny's serve but he quickly earned himself two more and took the first with a deft angled volley to wrap up victory in an one hour 32 minutes.
Murray wears down Ferrer to reach semis
Andy Murray reached a fourth consecutive Wimbledon semi-final with a dramatic 6-7, 7-6, 6-4, 7-6 victory over Spain's David Ferrer on Wednesday.
The British fourth seed thrilled the Centre Court crowd as he fought back from a set down in the quarter-final to book a last-four meeting with Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.
Murray gradually wore down tenacious seventh seed Ferrer after a nail-biting second-set tiebreak in which he fell 5-2 behind and saved a set point at 6-5 down before taking it 8-6.
The Scot clinched the third set with an ace before a short rain interruption with the score 5-5 in the fourth and he won the decisive tiebreak 7-4, sealing victory in three hours 52 minutes with another ace.
Tsonga sees off dogged Kohlschreiber
France's Jo-Wilfried Tsonga reached his second successive Wimbledon semi-final with a 7-6, 4-6, 7-6, 6-2 win over German Philipp Kohlschreiber on Wednesday.
Fifth seed Tsonga danced around Court One in delight after breaking Kohlschreiber for the second time in the fourth set.
He sealed victory on his first match point after rushing to the net and firing a crosscourt winner, clinching victory after two hours 48 minutes.
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