New Delhi:
In a major upset at the US Open, Roger Federer was knocked out of the tournament by Gregor Dimitrov in five sets. Dimitrov, the 78th-ranked Bulgarian, stunned world number three Federer 3-6 6-4 3-6 6-4 6-2 in their quarterfinal match. Roger Federer was eyeing his 46th Grand Slam semifinal berth. The Swiss was also hoping to become the oldest Slam semifinalist since Jimmy Connors at age 39 at the 1991 US Open.
Dimitrov is the lowest-ranked New York semifinalist in 28 years. This is his first win in eight meetings with Federer. Not since 174th-ranked Jimmy Connors reached the 1991 quarter-finals had New York seen so lowly a figure on the ATP ratings list reach the last four. Dimitrov is also the lowest-ranked Slam semi-finalist since 94th-rated Rainer Schuettler of Germany at Wimbledon in 2008.
Dimitrov reached his first US Open semi-final to match the deepest Slam runs of his career from Wimbledon in 2014 and the 2017 Australian Open.
Federer was denied on five break points in the 10th game of the fourth set and Dimitrov held to force a fifth set.
"I'm just happy," Dimitrov said. "The only thing I was telling myself was to stay in the match. Physically I was feeling pretty good. I was hitting some shots against him that were hard to hit."
Federer went off the court for a private medical timeout to treat his upper back near his neck.
"This is Grigor's moment, not my body's moment," Federer said. "It's OK. It's how it goes. I tried my best. I fought with what I had and that's it."
Dimitrov will meet Russia's Daniil Medvedev in the semifinal. Medvedev shook off a leg injury to reach his first Grand Slam semifinal by defeating three-time major winner Stan Wawrinka.
Fifth seed Medvedev beat Wawrinka 7-6 6-3 3-6 6-1 on Tuesday. Medvedev, at 23, is the youngest US Open semifinalist since Novak Djokovic in 2010 and Russia's first Slam semifinalist since Mikhail Youzhny at the 2010 US Open. In other quarterfinals on Wednesday, Rafael Nadal, an 18-time Grand Slam champion, will face off against Argentine 20th seed Diego Schwartzman and French 13th seed Gael Monfils will play Italian 24th seed Matteo Berrettini.
(With PTI Inputs)
