Wimbledon; Federer To Face Nadal Again

WIMBLEDON, England (AP) – The top three men’s seeds have advanced to Friday’s Wimbledon semifinals, which means a 40th meeting between No. 2 Roger Federer and No. 3 Rafael Nadal. Federer knocked off eighth seed Kei Nishikori, 4-6, 6-1, 6-4, 6-4 to become the first player to earn 100 victories at a single Grand Slam event. Federer was broken in his opening service game but didn’t have much trouble after that. Nadal set up a much-anticipated rematch by beating Sam Querrey 7-5, 6-2, 6-2. Nadal was broken when serving for the first set at 5-4. But he converted his fourth break point in the next game and saved three break points at 6-5 before finally clinching the set.  Nadal is 24-15 all-time against Federer, including a 10-3 mark in Grand Slams. They haven’t met at Wimbledon since the 2008 final, when Nadal won 9-7 in the fifth set as dusk descended.  Friday’s other semifinal match will have defending champion and top-ranked Novak Djokovic against No. 23 Roberto Bautista Agut. Djokovic trailed 4-3 in the opening set before winning the next 10 games in a 6-4, 6-0, 6-2 victory over David Goffin.  It will be Djokovic’s ninth trip to the semifinals as he seeks his fifth Wimbledon title.  Agut reached his first Grand Slam semifinal by beating Guido Pella (PAY’-uh), 7-5, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3. The Spaniard broke Pella in the opening game of the first two sets, and then again for a 2-1 lead in the fourth.  Thursday’s women’s semifinals will have Serena Williams versus Barbora Strycova after seventh seed Simona Halep takes on No. 8 Elina Svitolina.