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– Clay season hibernation –
After losing to Raonic in the Wimbledon semi-finals last year, he shut down his season to rest a knee injury which had already required surgery earlier in 2016.
He came back in January this year, won the Australian Open for his 18th Slam, added the Indian Wells-Miami Masters double before hibernating again through the clay court season.
Former champion Boris Becker hailed Federer’s new approach.
“Federer is playing the best tennis ever at the age of 35 because he has got everything right in the rest of his life too,” Becker told the BBC.
Berdych, meanwhile, will not be overawed by facing Federer having defeated him in four sets in the 2010 quarter-finals on his way to his only appearance in a Slam final.
Four years younger, 11th-seeded Berdych came to Wimbledon ranked outside the top 10 for the first time since 2009.
He knocked out eighth-seeded Dominic Thiem in five sets in the last 16 before seeing Djokovic retire with a right elbow injury in their quarter-final.
Berdych is in the Wimbledon semi-finals for the second successive season after a poor year at the Slams in which he exited the Australian Open in the third round and Roland Garros after two matches.
“Roger is an exceptional tennis player, he’s the greatest of them all. It’s a great challenge to have the opportunity to play him,” said the 31-year-old.
Querrey, meanwhile, has reached a maiden semi-final at the majors at the 42nd time of asking.
The 24th-seeded American, who knocked out 2015 champion Djokovic 12 months ago, proved that was no fluke by downing defending champion Murray in the quarter-finals on Wednesday.
The 29-year-old is also the first American man to reach a Grand Slam semi-final since Andy Roddick reached the Wimbledon final in 2009.
Querrey trails 2014 US Open champion and seventh seed Marin Cilic 4-0 in head-to-head meetings.
Two of those clashes have been at Wimbledon — in 2009 and 2012.
The encounter five years ago was the second longest match in Wimbledon history at five hours and 31 minutes, something Cilic doesn’t want to experience again on Friday.
“Hopefully it’s not the longest one ever,” he said of a match decided 17-15 in the final set.
However, with Querrey and Cilic having fired 231 aces between them at the tournament, a long afternoon cannot be ruled out.
