Tsonga ends the Roger show

Two sets down,Frenchman comes back to end Federers dream; other seeds have it easy.

Roger Federer was eliminated in the Wimbledon quarterfinals for the second straight year on Wednesday,squandering a two-set lead for the first time at a Grand Slam tournament and losing to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 3-6,6-7 3,6-4,6-4,6-4.

The six-time Wimbledon champion barely looked challenged while winning the first two sets against the 12th-seeded Frenchman. But Federer,who had been 178-0 in matches in which he had won the opening two sets at a major tournament,was broken one time in each of the last three sets. Its kind of hard going out of the tournament that way,but unfortunately it does happen sometimes, said Federer,who was playing in his 29th straight major quarterfinal. At least it took him sort of a special performance to beat me,which is somewhat nice.

Federer may be right. The 16-time Grand Slam champion finished the match with only 11 unforced errors,half as many as Tsonga,but it didnt help him get close to breaking Tsongas serve when he needed it. I was two sets down and I break. I did a good game of return and after that it was just amazing, said Tsonga,who had 63 winners,five more than Federer. I just played unbelievable,served unbelievable and now Im here,Im in semifinal and I cant believe it.

In the next round,Tsonga will face second-seeded Novak Djokovic,who defeated 18-year-old Australian qualifier Bernard Tomic 6-2,3-6,6-3,7-5. Defending champion Rafael Nadal also advanced,beating Mardy Fish 6-3,6-3,5-7,6-4. The two-time champion will face fourth-seeded Andy Murray in the semifinals. Murray defeated Feliciano Lopez 6-3,6-4,6-4.

Records to wait

Federer was seeking a record-equaling seventh Wimbledon title this year. He breezed through his opening four matches,losing only one set,and played his usual elegant game against Tsonga. In the first set,Federer earned his one and only break point of the match in Tsongas first service game,and converted it. He held the rest of the way,and then won the second set in the tiebreaker. But Tsonga finally got his first break in the third set,and another in the fourth and another in the fifth. Those were the Frenchmans only three breaks.

He can come up with some good stuff and some poor things at times, Federer said. He had basically good return games along the way in the third,fourth,and fifth. I think especially the third set,the break I get is very unusual. He chips back a couple,they stay in.

Last year,Federer lost to eventual runner-up Tomas Berdych in the quarterfinals. Hes the biggest champion in my sport, Tsonga said. He achieved a lot of things and hes just the best player in the world and Im just so happy to win against him,especially on grass because its maybe one of his favorite surface and Im just so happy today.

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Instead of Federer improving on his record haul of major titles,10-time Grand Slam champion Nadal can add to his own. The top-seeded Spaniard lost one set but did not appear to be bothered by the left foot injury he sustained in his previous match against Juan Martin del Potro. On Court 1,Djokovic overcame a tough match against his protege,holding on to reach the semifinals for the third time in his career.

Djokovic has been practicing with Tomic on-and-off since the two became friends last year in Australia,but this was the first meeting between the two in a competitive match. After Tomic put a forehand into the net on match point,the pair had a brief chat at the net. Then,with the crowd applauding,Djokovic did the same while motioning toward Tomic.

Djokovic rolled through the first set but Tomic didnt quit,instead breaking Djokovic to take a 3-1 lead in the second set and eventually evening the match. He again went up a break in the third,but thats when Djokovic got going. The two-time Grand Slam champion won five straight games to take the third set,and then won the first two games in the fourth. Although Tomic got back on serve at 2-2 and was two points from winning the set at 5-4,Djokovic soon broke to take a 6-5 lead and held for victory.

If Djokovic started reaches the here,he will guarantee himself the No. 1 ranking. He can also claim the top ranking if Nadal fails to defend his title. Tomic was the youngest man to start in the mens draw this year,and hes the youngest to reach the Wimbledon quarterfinals since Boris Becker defended his title in 1986.

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Murray is trying to become the first British man to win the Wimbledon title since Fred Perry in 1936. Against Lopez,he saved the two break points he faced,both in the third set,and finished off the match by winning the final game at love. Ive played a little bit better every year Ive come here, said Murray,who is in the semifinals for the third straight year. I want to go further.

Sania-Elena in semis

Meanwhile,Sania Mirza reached the doubles semifinal for the first time in her career after she and Elena Vesnina came from behind to beat Nuria Llagostera Vives and Arantxa Parra Santonja. The fourth seed Indo-Russian pair recorded a 3-6 6-4 7-5 win over the unseeded Spanish pair in the quarter-final. Sania and Vesnina will next face the winner of the other quarter-final match between the Chinese pair of Shuai Peng and Jie Zheng and Czech Republics Kveta Peschke and Katarina Srebotnik of Slovenia.

In the mixed doubles also,Sania had a winning day,advancing to the third round along with compatriot Rohan Bopanna. Sania and Bopanna scored a straight set 7-5 6-2 victory over Jamie Murray of Great Britain and Jarmila Gajdosova of Australia in the second round. The Indian duo will next meet Czech pair of Martin Damm and Renata Voracova who beat Eduardo Schwank and Alla Kudryavtseva.