Roger Federer crashed out of Wimbledon after a marathon five-set shoot-out with big-serving Kevin Anderson in the quarter-finals here yesterday. The eight-time champion was two sets up and had a match point in the third, but almost three hours later he trudged off on the end of a seismic 6-2, 7-6 (7/5), 5-7, 4-6, 11-13 upset. Federer found himself scheduled on Court One having been ousted from his usual Centre Court domain for the first time in three years.

But he found himself in even more unfamiliar territory with an inspired Anderson's relentless, thudding serve eventually overpowering the 20-time Grand Slam winner. The setting was not the only thing alien to the defending champion. When Anderson broke in the second set it was the first time the Swiss had dropped serve at this Wimbledon.