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Mario Ancic: Faces defending champion next.
Mario Ancic set up a quarter-final clash with Roger Federer at Wimbledon thanks to an epic five-set triumph over Fernando Verdasco.
The Croatian came from two sets down to beat the 22nd seed from Spain 3-6 4-6 6-3 6-4 13-11 in three hours and 49 minutes and will now face the defending champion and world number one in the last eight.
Ancic was the last player to beat Federer on grass in the first round here in 2002, but admitted: "He was not Roger Federer at that time.
"I can sit here and talk stories about how great a win it was and how I beat Roger Federer, but actually it wasn't Roger Federer as we know him today.
On Monday's win, Ancic, who struggled with a leg injury throughout the match on Court 11, said: "I think the match itself was unbelievable, dramatic.
"The first two sets I have to say, it's not too many times that I really feel that somebody's playing unbelievable. Whatever I tried, whatever I was trying to do, he was hitting me off the court.
"I really felt after two sets I did nothing wrong, I just said to myself, 'Keep on fighting.' Maybe something can open up like it can on grass. I got the break and I think from there on the match started.
"And then the fifth set was a fight, it could probably go either way. I felt a little bit I was having more chances, that I was the one who was all the time putting the pressure on his serve."
Ancic reached the semi-finals in 2004 and quarter-finals in 2006, when Federer exacted his revenge on his way to a fourth Wimbledon title, but missed last year with glandular fever.
"Wimbledon means so much to me," he added.
"It doesn't matter what happens at the end of the week. I really feel for me this is the tournament I grew up with. This is the tournament I always felt great at and always have great memories."
