by HUGH MacDONALD , The Herald

Federer, of course, lost out to Rafa Nadal in the final at Wimbledon last year, but Tommy Haas will be hoping to restore the Halle competition's credentials this year. The 31-yearold German won the tournament in his homeland this month, beating Novak Djokovic.

He repeated the feat yesterday on Court One, dismissing the world No.4 7-5, 7-6, 4-6, 6-3 to reach the semi-finals, where he will play Federer.

Haas v Djokovic was an unusual match in that it seemed at times to be a glimpse of Wimbledon past. Both Haas and Djokovic played a limited form of serve and volley with the German the keener to approach the net.

"You know, when you get as old as me, you try to get as many free points as you can, " said Haas. "It's been working so far. It's been good when I am serving well. I feel at the net I can do some good stuff."

This faith may be tested in the most severe conditions when he plays Federer, a player who can execute the passing shot to perfection.

But Haas was content for the moment to reflect on the Djokovic victory that has crowned a remarkable comeback after years of injuries and unfortunate losses.

"There's been a lot of bad luck involved in my playing at Wimbledon over the past 13, 14 years, " he said.

"Whatever happens happens for a reason, I believe. There was one year when I would have been maybe seeded three, but my parents had a really bad motorcycle accident so I skipped that year.

"Then, when I had a pretty decent draw where I felt I could get far in the draw, I stepped on a ball in a warmup and I also lost three tie-breaks against Wayne Arthurs in the third round one year.

"I have lost a lot of tight matches. I always felt, deep down, Wimbledon will maybe have something left for me. It better come up soon because I'm not getting any younger."

But Halle has made the difference. "Winning a title on home turf was huge, " said Haas. He was also positive about the injuries that have blighted his past. "There has been an unlucky side to my career, but there has also been a lucky side to my career. To be where I am and to have achieved what I have achieved, to be living and playing the sport that I love for this long, I can't complain.

"These are the moments. To be playing Djokovic, one of the best players in the world, on Court No.1 at Wimbledon . . . these are the moments."

He certainly made the most of them, taking his chances to knock out the 22-year-old Serb and move to within one win of his maiden grand slam final appearance.

Djokovic admitted that the tension of the occasion had unsettled him. This was a surprising statement given that the world No.4 has won a major, the Australian Open in 2008.

He said: "You always feel a little bit nervous. It's up to you to put that aside and to think positively. But somehow I couldn't relax, especially at 5-5 in the first two sets. I was playing very, very defensively and making unforced errors."

He was not surprised by Haas' attacking strategy. "I knew he would be this aggressive. But he was very consistent. I did not return well and that is the bottom line, " he said.

He would not rule out another surprise in the tournament with Haas defeating Federer, who has 14 major titles and has won nine of their previous 11 meetings, including coming from two sets down in the fourth round of the French Open.

"Tommy has not lost this year on this surface, " said Djokovic. "He is playing really well and has nothing to lose against Roger. He has a chance."

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