"The Fastest Hand in the West" was Boris Becker's memorable description of Denis Shapovalov on the pulsating afternoon when the 22-year-old Canadian won a five-setter against Russia's Karen Khachanov to reach his first Wimbledon semi-final.

There's no mistaking the admiration that past generations of Wimbledon champions have for Shapovalov's tennis, with John McEnroe speaking of his "live arm". That left arm was certainly lively as Shapovalov came from two sets to one down against Khachanov, taking him through to play Novak Djokovic and putting him within two more matches of becoming the first Canadian to land the gentlemen's singles title.

At 6ft 1in, Shapovalov is five inches shorter than Khachanov, and doesn't have the bearded Muscovite's muscularity, but he is capable of serving at 137mph, and of generating plenty of power with his groundstrokes. He hit 59 winners in all.

After almost three and a half hours, Shapovalov fell on to his back in celebration, coating his Wimbledon whites in baseline dust, after a 6-4, 3-6, 5-7, 6-1, 6-4 victory that gives him a first semi-final appearance in any of the Grand Slams.

"Novak's the best player in the world, but anything's possible," Shapovalov said of Friday's match with Djokovic, who is attempting to win a third consecutive title (and sixth in total) at the All England Club.

Played in windy conditions, this was an absorbing, athletic encounter on No.1 Court between a couple of first-time Wimbledon quarter-finalists, which contained drop-shots, angles and tweeners as well as big hitting.

While he has a silent 'K' in his surname, and a gentle nature, Khachanov makes himself heard with his confrontational, hard-hitting game. Khachanov's grip is so extreme on his forehand, so far beyond the Western grip, that McEnroe says you could call it Hawaiian. And there is also nothing ordinary about the power with which he was hitting his forehand.

While this was the second five-setter of Shapovalov's tournament, the first one, against Germany's Philipp Kohlschreiber in the opening round, was more than a week ago. And he had since had a walkover through the second round and beaten his next two opponents – Britain's Andy Murray and Spain's Roberto Bautista Agut – in straight sets. He had more than enough energy for the fifth set. It was in that set that Shapovalov produced his fastest serve of the match, and his entire tournament.

Khachanov, by contrast, appeared to tire in the latter stages, no doubt feeling the effects of the five-setter he had played just two days earlier when he defeated America's Sebastian Korda 10-8 in the final set. It was Shapovalov, the boys' champion here five years ago, who advanced.

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