Sam Querrey knocked out Andy Murray in the quarter-final. (Source: Reuters)
As the match progressed, Andy Murray did not look comfortable. He failed to respond to the big serves of Sam Querrey and struggled through the fourth and fifth set before giving up and suffering a loss in five sets in the quarter-final.
Murray’s title defence at Wimbledon came to an end after he suffered a 3-6 6-4 6-7(4) 6-1 6-1 loss to Querrey after struggling with the hip injury after the third set. He had been troubled with that injury before it was a time it finally caught up with Murray.
Querrey hit 27 aces in the match and completed his second win over Murray in nine meetings now. He will now play Marin Cilic in the semi-final, his first in Grand Slam, on Friday. This is not the first time the American has defeated a world number one at Wimbledon. Last year, he beat defending champion Novak Djokovic. Querrey is now the first American male player to enter the Wimbledon semi-final since Andy Roddick did in 2009.
“I’m still in shock myself,” Querrey said. “I didn’t start my best but kept with it and kept swinging and I hit my groove in the fourth and fifth sets. It feels great and it’s a dream come true … to get to a semi-final and have it happen at Wimbledon makes it a bit more special.”
The match did not start as it ended. Murray completed dominated the first set and did not show any signs of the injury. He moved around the court smoothly and it was only in the second set that he showed a little discomfort. In the third, which was stretched to a tiebreak, Murray gave it in.
Querrey did not slip despite Murray taking the tiebreaker. He won nine straight games to win the fourth set and lead 3-0 in the fifth. Murray, helped by the crowd which wanted him to win, did try his best but Querrey broke him again to lead 5-1 before serving out the match.
