Tsonga boots out Federer

Wimbledon, England — For the very first time in his record-breaking career, six-time Wimbledon champion Roger Federer couldn’t hang on to a two-set lead at a Grand Slam tournament.

The 16-time major champion, who was playing in his 29th straight Grand Slam quarterfinal, won the first two sets against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga at Wimbledon on Wednesday, but squandered the lead and lost 3-6, 6-7 (3), 6-4, 6-4, 6-4.

That makes his record 178-1 in Grand Slam matches in which he led two sets to none.

“I was controlling the match. Next thing you know, he just continued serving great,” said Federer, who also lost in the quarterfinals last year. “But the chances were slim. And then again, he only needed a couple of breaks to end up bringing it home.”

Federer and Rafael Nadal have won the last eight titles at the All England Club, but only the top-seeded Spaniard — still dealing with a left foot injury — has a chance to extend that streak after beating Mardy Fish 6-3, 6-3, 5-7, 6-4.

In today’s semifinals, Nadal will face fourth-seeded Andy Murray while Tsonga meets Novak Djokovic. Murray beat Feliciano Lopez 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 — the only straight-set result in the men’s quarterfinals — while Djokovic defeated 18-year-old Australian qualifier Bernard Tomic 6-2, 3-6, 6-3, 7-5.

Late last night, 2004 champion Maria Sharapova played German wild card Sabine Lisicki in the women’s semifinals.

Fourth-seeded Victoria Azarenka faced Petra Kvitova in the early match on Centre Court. (Results were not yet available as of press time.)

The 29-year-old Federer walked out onto Centre Court in the opening match Wednesday and started off playing the effortless brand of tennis that has given him more major titles than any other man.

He jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the opening set, breaking Tsonga at his first chance, and breezed through the rest of his service games. The second set looked similar, but neither player even held a break point.

Then things started to change.

“He had basically good return games along the way in the third, fourth, and fifth,” said Federer, who was broken once in each of those three sets.

Tsonga’s reward for beating Federer is a semifinal match against Djokovic, who may still be the hottest player on tour.

The second-seeded Serb won 41 straight matches to start the season, including his second Australian Open title, but lost to Federer in the French Open semifinals. AP