Roberto Bautista Agut reached his first Grand Slam semifinal by beating Guido Pella 7-5, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 at Wimbledon.
The Spaniard broke Pella in the opening game of the first two sets, and then again for a 2-1 lead in the fourth. He served out the victory on his first match point when Pella sent a forehand long.
The 31-year-old Bautista Agut, who had never been past the fourth round of a Grand Slam before, will play defending champion Novak Djokovic on Friday.
“It was a really good fight. He's a really good player. Every match is really difficult here, every opponent gives everything on the court,” the Spaniard said after his victory.
“I'm enjoying playing on these courts. I've enjoyed every match I've played.
“Novak is the number one in the world and he's playing really well on grass. I'll have to play really good tennis if I want to beat him.”
Bautista Agut was the only player to reach the quarterfinals without dropping a set, while Pella had spent nearly twice as much time on court — 12 hours, 47 minutes compared to 6 hours, 48 minutes — after coming through two five-setters.
