Berdych sends Federer out at Wimbledon

Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic has prevented Roger Federer from making his eighth consecutive Wimbledon final, defeating the defending champion in four sets in quarter-final action on Wednesday.

Berdych prevailed on Centre Court 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4, using a powerful serve to set up a finishing volley on his second match point.

Top-seeded Federer had appeared in a remarkable 23 consecutive Grand Slam semifinals, but has now failed to reach that standard in two straight majors after his French Open defeat. He was frustrated for much of the match and dogged by an inability to consistently place his first serve.

No. 12 Berdych broke Federer four times in London, England, with the decisive break coming in the seventh game of the fourth set. Berdych served 12 aces and was broken just once.

"It's really tough to show this crowd how I'm just feeling right now, it's amazing to play on this stadium to play such a great player as Roger is, and come here and be here as a winner is just really amazing," Berdych said.

Federer said in a news conference after the match that he was playing with two previously undisclosed injuries. He said that his right leg hurt and his back stiffened during a tournament in June in Halle, Germany. He said both injuries flared up as the tournament wore on.

"It's just uncomfortable," Federer said. "Obviously, I'm unhappy with the way I'm playing. You can't play freely."

The Swiss star won five Wimbledon titles in a row beginning in 2003, lost in an epic final to Rafael Nadal in 2008 and regained the title last year. Nadal was unable to defend because of knee injuries.

Federer, looking to add to his record 16 Grand Slam wins, had to battle from a two-set deficit in the first match of the tournament. His last loss at Wimbledon before the final was his first round exit in 2002 to Mario Ancic of Croatia.

Federer will be 28 in August. The recent results will have tennis observers wondering if he can ever dominate again, although Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras are among several past men's greats who've shown that Slams can be won in the twilight of a career. Agassi won five of his eight Slams after the age of 29.

"If I'm healthy, I can handle these guys," Federer insisted.

"Quarters is a decent result," he added. "Obviously people think quarters is shocking, but people would die to play in quarterfinal stages of Grand Slam play."

The six-foot-five-inch Berdych has now reached consecutive Grand Slam semifinals, the first two of his career.

He had won just one of the previous nine on the tour against Federer, including a 2009 Australian Open match in which he squandered a two-set lead. Berdych beat Federer at the 2004 Olympics in Athens.

He will next face Novak Djokovic of Serbia, who is back in the Wimbledon semifinals after a two-year absence.

Surprise run ended

Djokovic ended the surprise run of Taiwan's Lu Yen-hsun 6-3, 6-2, 6-2, and reaches his fourth Grand Slam semifinal.

Djokovic reached the semifinals at Wimbledon in 2007 but had to retire against Nadal with a foot injury while trailing in the third set.

"This time physically I'm fitter," Djokovic said. "Those were very strange conditions and circumstances. I had to play three very long matches in three days and couldn't hold on in the semifinal. This time everything is in order and Ill give my best."

Lu, who goes by the Anglicized name Randy on the tour, will see his ranking improve from 82nd after his solid run, which included a win over three-time finalist Andy Roddick.

Lu became the first Taiwanese man to reach the quarter-finals at Wimbledon.

Nadal once again beat Robin Soderling, this time by a score of 3-6, 6-3, 7-6, 6-1. The Spaniard beat the Swede for his fifth French Open title earlier in June.

Andy Murray of Scotland was on the court Wednesday night keeping British hopes alive against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France. The last British man to win Wimbledon was Fred Perry in 1936.

Russians Elena Vesnina and Vera Zvonareva upset Serena and Venus Williams in the quarter-finals of women's doubles at Wimbledon.

The American sisters were going for their fifth consecutive Grand Slam doubles title and 13th overall. Their last loss at a major was in the 2009 French Open.

Zvonareva is also still alive in the singles draw, taking on Tsvetana Pironkova of Bulgaria in Friday's semifinals.