Wimbledon 2018: Roger Federer knocked out in stunning five-set upset defeat by Kevin Anderson

The big-serving South Africa claimed a 2-6, 6-7 (5/7), 7-5, 6-4, 13-11 win to see Federer's Wimbledon title slip away from his grasp and end hopes of a showdown with rival Rafael Nadal

Roger Federer’s quest for a ninth Wimbledon singles title ended in remarkable fashion here on Wednesday as the 36-year-old Swiss was beaten 2-6, 6-7, 7-5, 6-4, 13-11 by South Africa’s Kevin Anderson. Federer had coasted through the first set in just 26 minutes, taken a two-set lead and forced a match point in the third set, but Anderson refused to buckle and closed out victory with the only break of the deciding set.

Towards the end of a match that lasted nearly four and quarter hours someone in the crowd on Court One shouted out, to laughter all round: “We need to watch the football!” The match eventually ended just before 5.30pm, which at least gave those spectators who chose to leave before the concluding quarter-final between Milos Raonic and John Isner time to find a television where they could watch England take on Croatia in the World Cup semi-final.

Federer, seeking to win his 21st Grand Slam title and his fourth in his last five tournaments, took his run of consecutive sets won at Wimbledon to 34, equalling the record he had set in 2006, but was then unable to deliver the knock-out punch against an opponent who kept bouncing back off the ropes.

Anderson, who was runner-up to Rafael Nadal at last year’s US Open but was playing in his first Wimbledon quarter-final, is the first South African to reach the semi-finals here since Kevin Curren in 1983.

The 32-year-old will now meet Isner, who beat Raonic 6-7, 7-6, 6-4, 6-3 in a heavyweight showdown between two of the game’s biggest servers. Raonic hit more aces (31 to Isner’s 25), but it was the American who won most of the biggest points. Isner converted two of his five break points in the match while Raonic had only break point, which he failed to take.

Anderson ended a six-match losing streak against top five players to beat Federer, who had lost a match here from two sets up on only one previous occasion, when he was beaten by Jo-Wilfried Tsonga at the same stage of the tournament in 2011.

Roger Federer was knocked out of Wimbledon in the quarter-finals by Kevin Anderson (Getty)

Federer said afterwards that he had felt good both physically and mentally during the match but had paid a price for failing to take his chances.“Sure, it’s disappointing losing the next two sets after winning the first two and having a match point,” he said in his post-match press conference.

“I’ve been there before. I know what kind of energy I need to bring to the fifth. I was able to bring that.To be honest, I didn’t feel mental fatigue. Now I feel horribly fatigued and just awful. It’s just terrible. But that’s how it goes. Credit to him.”

Federer, who also said that he aimed to be back next year, appeared to be coasting when he dropped only one point on his serve to win the opening set. Early in the second set, however, Anderson became the first player to break Federer’s serve here this year, only for the Swiss to fight back and force a tie-break, which he won 7-5.

Anderson celebrates his victory over Federer in the Wimbledon quarter-finals (Getty)

Serving at 4-5 in the third set, Anderson went match point down after netting a forehand under pressure. Federer’s miscued backhand saved the day for the South African, who turned the tables in the next game, converting a break point with a splendid backhand return winner. Anderson went 0-40 down when he served for the set but then won five points in a row, the last of them an ace.

At 3-3 in the fourth set Anderson broke again and then served out to level the match at two sets apiece. Both men served superbly in the decider. In the first 22 games there was only one break point, which Anderson saved in the seventh game, but at 11-11 Federer hit two loose forehands, a missed backhand and a double fault to give Anderson the chance to serve out for the match.

Federer congratulates Anderson on his quarter-final victory (Reuters)

“Down two sets to love, I tried my best to keep fighting,” Anderson said afterwards. “I was able to scrape through that third set and the fourth set. By the end I thought I did a great job, not thinking about things too much. I thought I was really in the flow of the match.

“Beating Roger Federer here at Wimbledon in such a close match will definitely be one that I’ll remember especially. I just kept on telling myself that I had to keep believing and that today was going to be my day.”