Wimbledon 2016: Staging epic fightback, Roger Federer beats Marin Cilic in five sets to reach semis

New Delhi: Seven-time champion Roger Federer fought back from two sets and three match points down to make his 11th Wimbledon semi-final and become the most successful Grand Slam match winner on Wednesday.

The 17-time major champion defeated Marin Cilic in five grueling sets 6(4)-7, 4-6, 6-3, 7-6(9), 6-3, which lasted three hours and 22 minutes at the All England Club centre court.

The world number three thus leveled Jimmy Connors` Wimbledon record of 84 wins. Federer, who saved the three match points in the fourth set, fired 27 aces and 67 winners to avenge his semi-final loss to ninth seed Cilic in the semi-finals of the 2014 US Open.

Federer, 34, now has a record 307-50 win-loss record in Grand Slam matches, ahead of Martina Navratilova (306-49) and Serena Williams (303-42). He also became the oldest Wimbledon semi-finalist since 39-year-old Ken Rosewall in 1974.

In the semi-final, he will play another big server Canadian Milos Raonic, who defeated American Sam Querrey 6-4, 7-5, 5-7, 6-4 in another quarter-final. Federer has won nine of their 11 meetings, including in the last four at Wimbledon two years ago, but Raonic triumphed in their last encounter in Brisbane earlier this year.

The world number two, and 2013 champion at the All England Club Andy Murray, faces French 12th seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga for a place in the semi-finals.

The 29-year-old Murray holds a 12-2 record over Tsonga and has won all of their four meetings on grass.

In fact, since 31-year-old Tsonga defeated the British star at the 2008 Australian Open, Murray has racked up 26 successive wins over French opponents.

Murray, who is bidding to reach a seventh Wimbledon semi-final, revealed he will prepare for Wednesday`s last-eight clash by doing yoga and pilates.

Tsonga lost to Murray at Wimbledon in 2010 and 2012.

But Murray will not under-estimate the two-time semi-finalist.

Tsonga needed five sets, and four and a half hours, to beat John Isner in the third round but just 24 minutes to make the last-eight for the fourth time when compatriot Richard Gasquet retired with a back injury.

In the remaining quarter-final, French 32nd seed Lucas Pouille takes on 2010 runner-up Tomas Berdych, the 10th seeded Czech.

Pouille had never won a grass court match before this year`s Wimbledon.

(With Agency inputs)