• Wimbledon, Day Nine

Berdych stuns Federer to reach Wimbledon semis

Roger Federer failed to reach the final for the first time since 2002 © Getty Images

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• Profile: Tomas Berdych | Novak Djokovic | Roger Federer

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Tomas Berdych condemned Roger Federer to only his second defeat in eight years at Wimbledon to knock out the defending champion 6-4 3-6 6-1 6-4.

The world No. 13 pulled off the biggest win of his career to reach his second consecutive Grand Slam semi-final, and deny Federer the chance to equal Pete Sampras' record of seven Wimbledon titles.

Berdych had the measure of the court; his powerful serve and aggressive game plan forcing the world No. 2 to make uncharacteristic errors.

Federer was slow out of the blocks and after the opening exchanges went with serve, the No. 12 seed was the one to carve out the first break of the match, after Federer's backhand slice floated long.

Berdych appeared to show no signs of nerves against the six-time champion, and closed out the set with a booming 135mph serve as Federer dropped his fourth set of the championships.

The Czech, perhaps still dwelling on the opening set, appeared to lose his concentration early in the second and Federer needed no second invitation as he grabbed the break for a 2-0 lead with a looping forehand cross-court winner. Federer appeared to be back on track as he levelled the match as Berdych had little answer to the defending champion's strokes.

Tomas Berdych reached the semi-finals at the French Open last month © Getty Images

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Federer continued to pile the pressure on his opponent, but after a crucial hold of serve for Berdych in his opening service game in the third, the No. 12 seed placed an inch-perfect pass down the Federer backhand side to craft his own break point, before forcing the Swiss out wide to take the break.

Berdych was giving the master a lesson in shot selection, and produced a drop-shot his opponent would have been proud of to take a double break and condemn the six-time champion to his first 6-1 set defeat on grass in ten years.

In what proved to be the turning point in the match, Berdych saved three break points at 3-2 in the fifth, producing a spectacular combination of aces, drop shots, passes and a smash to prove a mental toughness to match his technical display.

Federer was made to pay for a lack of aggression in the fifth, and after saving one match point, the Czech clinched a well-deserved victory.

"It's really tough to explain how I'm feeling, it's unbelievable," Berdych said after leaving Centre Court to a standing ovation. "To play in this stadium against a player as great as Roger and to be standing here as the winner is amazing. This was the toughest match of my career to close out, it's a big step forward and I'm so happy.

"Right now it's really tough to think about my next match - I just want a few minutes and hours to enjoy this. Then I have to get ready and prepare for my next opponent."

Berdych will meet world No. 3 Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals after the Serb beat unlikely quarter-final opponent Yen-Hsun Lu. World No. 82 Lu, who beat sixth seed Andy Roddick in the last round, was ouclassed by an inspired Djokovic, who cruised to a comfortable 6-3 6-2 6-2 victory.

"Nothing is easy these days," Djokovic said. "But the way I played I deserved to win. I was hitting all the shots and was playing solid. I hope I can continue with this level of my game. The way I've been playing match after match is encouraging."

Rafael Nadal is unbeaten at Wimbledon since 2007 © Getty Images

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Meanwhile, in the bottom half of the draw, Andy Murray will meet Rafael Nadal for a place in the final after both players came from a set down to beat their respective quarter-final opponents. World No. 1 Nadal came from a set down to beat Robin Soderling, while Murray's superior fitness proved decisive against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

Nadal started slowly, as rival Soderling raced to a 5-0 lead in the opening set, but Nadal battled back to seal a 3-6 6-3 7-6(4) 6-1 victory.

Soderling, who lost to Nadal in the French Open final last month, was on the back foot in the second set after an early break, but he battled back to force the set to a tie-breaker. The momentum swung firmly in Nadal's favour as the No. 2 seed levelled the match.

It was Soderling's aggressive game plan that handed him the first set, but it was his aggression that led to his downfall. The Swede was made to pay for 35 unforced errors, compared with just 12 from his opponent, as Nadal booked his place in the semi-finals and underlined his status as the tournament favourite following Federer's shock exit.

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