Tomas Berdych reached the Wimbledon semifinals for the second time in his career with a 7-6 (4), 6-3, 6-2 win over Lucas Pouille.
Berdych wins tight first set tiebreak
It was clear Pouille was a bit nervous being in his first major quarterfinal and it showed as he struggled to hold in his opening service game before being broken in an eight and a half minute game lasting 18 points and featuring six deuces, the Czech creeping in front when Pouille's forehand sailed long. The Frenchman showed why he has arrived at this point with an immediate break back.
After an unforced error at 0-40, Pouille received a donation as Berdych double-faulted to level the set 2-2. Pouille would get another chance to break ahead 3-2, but at 30-40, Pouille found the net with his backhand. Berdych would go on to hold and the remaining six games would go to the server, setting up a tiebreak. Pouille immediately gave up the minibreak, but recovered it at to get the breaker back on serve, but serving at 1-2, he lost both of his service points and was eventually behind 5-1 before staging another rally to cut the 10th seed's lead to 5-4, but a cross-court forehand winner at 6-4 ahead gave him the set.
Berdych wins the second set in routine fashion
Berdych had the momentum and he started the second brightly, breaking Pouille in his first service game to take a 2-0 lead. At 15-40, Pouille sprayed a forehand well wide to give Berdych the only break of the set. The Czech was rarely threatened, facing one break point at 30-40 in the fifth game, but he did well to save it and hold. The rest of the set was routine and Berdych closed out the set at 5-3, 40-15 when Pouille's forehand was long, the 2010 semifinalist now in firm control with a two set lead.
Berdych routs Pouille in third set to reach last four
The outcome was now no longer in doubt and Berdych broke the set open quickly, breaking in the third and fifth games. At 1-1, he struck a powerful backhand down the line, forcing an errant Pouille volley. Consolidating that break with a hold, he got the double break for a 4-1 lead when at 0-40, the Frenchman's slice backhand found the net, any sliver of hope of a comeback now gone. Pouille saved match point at 1-5 down, showing the character that got him to the quarterfinals to hold, but it only delayed the inevitable as Berdych closed out the match when at 40-0, a deep backhand approach forced a final slice backhand error, the Frenchman's dream run over while Berdych was back in the semifinals for the first time since 2010 and a meeting with Andy Murray.