Of all the words written by the Oscar-winning screenwriter William Goldman, these three are his most enduring testament: “Nobody knows anything.” It’s said that he was referencing the ingredients for a surefire Hollywood hit, but maybe someone should check he wasn’t talking about tennis.

Just as Roger Federer was looking increasingly rejuvenated and becoming everybody’s tip to surge improbably into a 13th Wimbledon final, along came first-time quarter-finalist Hubert Hurkacz to turn the story on its head.

Federer has won five more Wimbledon titles than the Pole has so much as contested, but in this last eight battle the Swiss never looked truly comfortable.

Hurkacz – who made it to the third round at Wimbledon in 2019 but had never gone beyond the second round in any other Grand Slam - arrived here on a six-match losing streak. Now he is in the semi-final.

In front of a Centre Court crowd restored once again to capacity, Hurkacz sensationally bulldozed the eight-time champion 6-3, 7-6(4), 6-0 in one hour and 48 minutes. Federer had never lost a set to love at Wimbledon before, and this one might have been his last.

“It’s super special for me, playing on this special court against Roger,” Hurkacz told the crowd. Asked if he could have imagined defeating Federer in this place and in such style, the Pole replied modestly: “Probably not. The special things he has done here throughout his career, it’s a dream come true. Playing here in front of you guys, thank you so much for coming here and cheering. I’m super proud and super happy to be here. I can’t wait for the next one.”

So those 11 games Hurkacz played on the Centre Court on Tuesday actually earned him a lot more than merely – merely! – his fourth round win over world No.2 Daniil Medvedev. How different might this quarter-final have been, had he not banked that crucial experience?

Federer, of course, was bristling with the usual mind-boggling statistics. The oldest man in any Grand Slam quarter-final since 1977 was making his 18th appearance in Wimbledon’s last eight. He was bidding for his 14th semi-final hereabouts, and his 106th match win on the SW19 greensward. Didn’t happen.

Even before a ball was struck, Federer made his first mistake by inviting 24-year-old Hurkacz to serve, presumably to capitalise on any nerves the Pole might show. And yes, Hurkacz was understandably a little tight, but not enough to throw that big first serve off balance.

In their only previous meeting two years ago at Indian Wells, Federer had capitalised on Hurkacz’s second serve – but that was when the Pole was ranked 67 rather than 18, and before the two knee surgeries Federer had last year.

Instead, in blustery conditions it was the Swiss who couldn’t find his groove. He came back from 0-40 for 2-2, but next time around Hurkacz put a whistling passing shot past him, before Federer erroneously opted to leave a ballooning backhand return; and when Hurkacz’s chance to break arrived, he closed down the rally at the net.

A few minutes more and he was back at his chair having bagged the set, celebrating with a refreshing bite from a whole greengrocer’s shop of bananas neatly laid out next to him. 

This was not the start the Centre Court crowd had expected to see. After his grim first round display against Adrian Mannarino, Federer had clawed back confidence with every match, playing something like his best to whisk past Lorenzo Sonego in the fourth round.

By all means the 6ft 5in Pole – the bean Pole, as it were – had been endearingly bashful in his on-court interview following his win over Medvedev, but the vast majority of the crowd were here to see one result only.

So they bellowed in approval at the start of the second chapter when Federer broke right off the bat. Yet still he was plagued by mistakes, obliged to fight off a trio of break points straight away.

When Hurkacz earned another trio at 2-4, he made sure to exploit that chance. Come the breaker, Federer was all set to put away an easy winner at the net when his back foot slipped and he flubbed the shot.

One way or another, he never regained his balance. It is five years since Federer came back from a two-set deficit in this neighbourhood, to Marin Cilic at the same stage of the tournament. It looked a horribly distant memory this time. He played the third set as if the match was already over. It is not an experience he will remember with pleasure.

It was “Hubi” who moved into top gear, to become just the second Polish man to reach the last four here, after Jerzy Janowicz in 2013. He will never forget this day.

Do zobaczenia w piatek, Hubi… see you Friday.

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