Swiss great Roger Federer suffered one of his most crushing defeats in recent times as he slumped to a straight sets quarter-final loss to Poland's Hubert Hurkacz.
Federer, 39, had played himself into form through the first week at the All England Club to raise hopes of an improbable ninth title at SW19 after two knee operations and a month short of his 40th birthday.
But Hurkacz is a top-20 player and 15 years Federer's junior. The Pole and was too good on the day, with Federer enduring a straight-sets loss at Wimbledon for the first time in 19 years. It was Federer's 14th defeat at the tournament in 119 matches and his first straight sets loss since an opening round exit against Mario Ancic in 2002.
After a poor first set in breezy conditions, Federer led 4-1 in the second but he could not find his timing and Hurkacz kept his to win 6-3, 7-6, 6-0, handing the Swiss great his first ever bagel at Wimbledon.
Before this two weeks, 14th seed Hurkacz had won only four matches on turf but no one would have guessed his lack of grass court pedigree after witnessing him on Wednesday.
The cheers and standing ovations could not save Federer from a Centre Court mauling, his 39-year-old body seemingly giving way.
A Federer forehand into the tramlines handed Hurkacz the biggest win of his career while fans were left wondering that should this turn out to be the Swiss's final Wimbledon appearance, there could not have been a more cruel way to bow out than losing 6-0 in the final set.
The eight-time champion had not come from two sets down to win a match for five years, and it was not going to change this time either. Hurkacz wrapped up victory in an hour and 49 minutes, becoming the second Polish man to reach the semi-finals at a grand slam after Jerzy Janowicz eight years ago.
“It's super special for me,” Hurkacz said. “Playing on this special court against Roger, it's a dream come true.”
