Wimbledon 2021: Federer’s exit, Barty party and Djokovic’s 20th Slam, highlights from SW19-Sports News , Firstpost

London: There were record title triumphs for Novak Djokovic and Ashleigh Barty, a moving farewell for Roger Federer, and even more tears.

Here, we look back on some of Wimbledon’s magical moments in the second week:

Butt, seriously

Karen Khachanov reached the quarter-finals for the first time with a five-set win over Sebastian Korda in a tie which set a record for most breaks of serve in a set.

Russian 25th seed Khachanov triumphed over his American rival 3-6, 6-4, 6-3, 5-7, 10-8.

A marathon 81-minute final set on Court 18 featured 13 breaks of serve before Khachanov steadied himself to take the victory.

“At least we made some records in some ways,” said 25-year-old Khachanov.

Korda, on his 21st birthday, admitted he had been carrying an injury late in the match.

“It’s kind of like my butt area,” he explained.

Raducanu, tears for fears

She came into Wimbledon as the 338th-ranked player in the world waiting on her school exam results.

But Emma Raducanu ended up as the last Brit standing in the singles event, making it all the way to the last-16 where the 18-year-old retired with breathing difficulties in her clash with Ajla Tomljanovic.

Her exit prompted John McEnroe, who won three Wimbledon titles, to controversially claim the occasion “got too much” for the teenager.

However, former women’s champion Marion Bartoli said: “Gosh, she is only 18, it will be a great learning experience for her. It’s very difficult to make assumptions from the outside but she has been a great story of this tournament.”

Federer, over and out?

Roger Federer crashed out in the quarter-finals at the hands of Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz, but insisted he will not be rushed into retirement even with his 40th birthday just four weeks away.

Federer, the 20-time Grand Slam title winner, lost 6-3, 7-6 (7/4), 6-0 to a player 15 years his junior.

It was only the eight-time Wimbledon champion’s 14th defeat at the tournament in 119 matches and his first straight-sets loss since an opening-round exit against Mario Ancic in 2002.

It was also the first time he had lost a set 6-0 at Wimbledon and just the third time at a Slam.

“I don’t know. I really don’t know. I’ve got to regroup,” said Federer when asked if his Wimbledon career was over.

Stars out for Barty

Ashleigh Barty said if she could be “half the person” her fellow indigenous Australian and two-time Wimbledon victor Evonne Goolagong Cawley is she would be “very happy.”

Barty beat Karolina Pliskova 6-3, 6-7 (4/7), 6-3 in the women’s final with the victory coming on the 50th anniversary of her “friend and mentor” Cawley’s first win at the All England Club.

“The stars aligned for me over the past fortnight,” said Barty.

“That it happened to fall on the 50th anniversary of Evonne’s first title here is absolutely incredible.”

Djokovic – simply ‘the best’

Novak Djokovic said he considered himself the “best player” after winning a record-equalling 20th Grand Slam title but refused to anoint himself as the “greatest of all time”.

The 34-year-old went to 20 majors alongside Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal courtesy of a sixth Wimbledon title secured by a 6-7 (4/7), 6-4, 6-4, 6-3 victory over Italy’s Matteo Berrettini.

If he wins a fourth US Open in September, he will become the first man since Rod Laver in 1969 to complete the calendar Grand Slam and just the third in history.

“I consider myself best and I believe that I am the best, otherwise I wouldn’t be talking confidently about winning Slams and making history,” said Djokovic.