UNWELCOME DISTRACTION

The top seed, who was playing on Court One, admitted that the unfolding drama in Murray's match was an unwelcome distraction.

"(There was) so much noise coming from the Centre Court," the Serb said.

The Murray contest was one everyone at Wimbledon wanted to watch, Djokovic said, adding: "I said to the chair umpire, 'Let's just stop the match, put it live on the big screen and let's watch it till they're done. It's going to be better for all of us'."

Roger Federer of Switzerland hits a return during his men's singles quarter-final tennis match against Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships, in London July 2, 2014. [Photo/Agencies]

Seven-times champion Federer may be 32 but will be eager to prove that he can still teach the young guns a thing or two after he advanced to his ninth Wimbledon semi-final with a 3-6 7-6(5) 6-4 6-4 victory over fellow Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka.

He will face 23-year-old Canadian Milos Raonic, who ended the remarkable run of 144th-ranked wildcard Kyrgios 6-7(4) 6-2 6-4 7-6(4).

The Australian's efforts in saving nine match points to subdue Richard Gasquet and then slay Nadal finally caught up with the teenager as Ranoic blasted down his 39th ace to become the first Canadian man to reach the last four here since Robert Powell in 1908.

With cracks beginning to show in the top echelons of the men's game, Canada's Eugenie Bouchard and Romania's Simona Halep heightened the sense of a changing of the guard in women's tennis as both reached the semi-finals.

Bouchard, 20, beat Germany's Angelique Kerber 6-3 6-4 while Romanian third seed Halep, 22, continued her fantastic year to overcome last year's runner-up Sabine Lisicki 6-4 6-0.

Eugenie Bouchard of Canada reacts after defeating Angelique Kerber of Germany in their women's singles quarter-final tennis match at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships, in London July 2, 2014.  [Photo/Agencies]

They will face-off on Thursday, when both will become the first women from their respective countries to play in a Wimbledon semi-final.

Of the last four standing in the women's draw, only 2011 Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova has tasted grand slam glory. She now faces fellow Czech Lucie Safarova.