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Novak Djokovic crashed out of Wimbledon on Wednesday as he was forced to retired injured in his quarter-final match against Tomas Berdych .
Djokovic was hoping to win a fourth Wimbledon title and also had a chance of reclaiming his World No 1 ranking after Andy Murray’s defeat to Sam Querrey earlier in the day.
But during the first set of his match against the experienced Berdych, Djokovic began to struggle with an elbow injury. After his defeat, he revealed the elbow had been troubling him for 12 to 18 months, and that it had been hurting more intensely as Wimbledon progressed.
“It's unfortunate I have to finish the Wimbledon grand slam this way," Djokovic said after his loss. “I tried to get it in the condition where I was able to play.
“I was able for 30 minutes to play with pain that was bearable. The serve and forehand were the shots where I could feel it the most and after that there was really no sense (in continuing).”
Djokovic lost a first-set tiebreak to Berdych and began experiencing real difficulty with his serve, before he decided to retire early into the second set, with the score at 6-7 (2-7) 0-2.
Djokovic is out of Wimbledon (Getty) “The intensity and the level of pain was not decreasing,” he added. “It was only increasing as the days went by. Actually, I started feeling it already more or less at the beginning of the tournament.
“I kept doing everything with my physiotherapist, and physiotherapist of ATP, what we possibly could to try to recover it and get it into the state where I'm actually able to perform. I was able to perform up to this stage. But as I've said, it was only getting worse.
“Unfortunately today was the worst day. Probably the fact that I played yesterday, kind of days adding up, you know, as I've said before, it wasn't helping at all.”
The best pictures from The Championships 2017Show all 55 1 /55The best pictures from The Championships 2017 The best pictures from The Championships 2017 The best pictures from Wimbledon US player Venus Williams prepares to recieve serve from Britain's Johanna Konta during her women's singles semi-final win on the tenth day of the 2017 Wimbledon Championships
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The best pictures from The Championships 2017 The best pictures from Wimbledon Johanna Konta of Great Britain during her semi final loss against Venus Williams of The United States on day ten of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships
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The best pictures from The Championships 2017 The best pictures from Wimbledon Sir Cliff Richard looks on from the centre court royal box on day ten of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships
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The best pictures from The Championships 2017 The best pictures from Wimbledon Stefan Olsson in action during the Gentlemen's Wheelchair Singles on day ten of the Wimbledon Championships
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The best pictures from The Championships 2017 The best pictures from Wimbledon Gordon Reid in action during the Gentlemen's Wheelchair Singles on day ten of the Wimbledon Championships
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The best pictures from The Championships 2017 The best pictures from Wimbledon Johanna Konta talks to her trainer prior to her semi-final against Venus Williams on day ten of the Wimbledon Championships
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The best pictures from The Championships 2017 The best pictures from Wimbledon A member of staff adds names to the order of play board prior to the start of the action on day ten of the Wimbledon Championships
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The best pictures from The Championships 2017 The best pictures from Wimbledon Spectators are led into the grounds on day ten of the Wimbledon Championships
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The best pictures from The Championships 2017 The best pictures from Wimbledon Switzerland's Roger Federer returns against Canada's Milos Raonic during their men's singles quarter-final match
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The best pictures from The Championships 2017 The best pictures from Wimbledon Croatia's Marin Cilic reacts as he uses a towel during a break in play against Luxembourg's Gilles Muller during their men's singles quarter-final match on the ninth day of the 2017 Wimbledon Championships
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The best pictures from The Championships 2017 The best pictures from Wimbledon Croatia's Marin Cilic serves to Luxembourg's Gilles Muller during their men's singles quarter-final match on the ninth day of the 2017 Wimbledon Championships
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The best pictures from The Championships 2017 The best pictures from Wimbledon Rufus, a Harris hawk, sit on a seat on Centre Court ahead of day nine of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club
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The best pictures from The Championships 2017 The best pictures from Wimbledon Slovakia's Magdalena Rybarikova waits to receive a serve from US player Coco Vandeweghe during their women's singles quarter-final match, after it re-commenced on a covered Centre Court, after rain delayed the match on Court One, on the eighth day of the 2017 Wimbledon Championships
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The best pictures from The Championships 2017 The best pictures from Wimbledon Coco Vandeweghe of The United States in discussion with the chair umpire during the Ladies Singles quarter final match against Magdalena Rybarikova of Slovakia on day eight of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships
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The best pictures from The Championships 2017 The best pictures from Wimbledon US player Coco Vandeweghe returns against Slovakia's Magdalena Rybarikova during their women's singles quarter-final match on the eighth day of the 2017 Wimbledon Championships
Daniel Leal-Olivas
The best pictures from The Championships 2017 The covers are pulled across court two during the Ladies Singles quarter final match between Magdalena Rybarikova of Slovakia and Coco Vandeweghe of The United States on day eight of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships
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The best pictures from The Championships 2017 A steward wrestles with an umbrella in the wind as rain delays play in the women's singles quarter-final match between Slovakia's Magdalena Rybarikova and US player Coco Vandeweghe on the eighth day of the 2017 Wimbledon Championships
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The best pictures from The Championships 2017 The best pictures from Wimbledon Johanna Konta of Great Britain celebrates victory after the Ladies Singles quarter final match against Simona Halep of Romania on day eight of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships
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The best pictures from The Championships 2017 The best pictures from Wimbledon A spectator attempts to keep dry as they watch action on the screen on day eight of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships
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The best pictures from The Championships 2017 The best pictures from Wimbledon Spectators attempt to keep dry as they watch the Ladies Singles quarter final match between Johanna Konta of Great Britain and Simona Halep of Romania on the screens on day eight of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships
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The best pictures from The Championships 2017 The best pictures from Wimbledon Spectators attempt to keep dry as they watch action on the screen on day eight of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships
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The best pictures from The Championships 2017 The best pictures from Wimbledon Romania's Simona Halep returns against Britain's Johanna Konta during their women's singles quarter-final match on the eighth day of the 2017 Wimbledon Championships
Adrian Dennis/AFP
The best pictures from The Championships 2017 The best pictures from Wimbledon Spectators watch the action on centre court on day eight of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships
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The best pictures from The Championships 2017 The best pictures from Wimbledon The Championships celebrate their 140th birthday this year, and the All England Club is looking better than ever.
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The best pictures from The Championships 2017 The best pictures from Wimbledon Fans watch the play on a court.
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The best pictures from The Championships 2017 The best pictures from Wimbledon Ball-kids wait to enter a court.
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The best pictures from The Championships 2017 The best pictures from Wimbledon Hungary's Timea Babos returns against Denmark's Caroline Wozniacki.
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The best pictures from The Championships 2017 The best pictures from Wimbledon A general view of court 10.
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The best pictures from The Championships 2017 The best pictures from Wimbledon Kei Nishikori plays a tweener.
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The best pictures from The Championships 2017 The best pictures from Wimbledon A general view of Court No 1.
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The best pictures from The Championships 2017 The best pictures from Wimbledon Dustin Brown during his match against Andy Murray.
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The best pictures from The Championships 2017 The best pictures from Wimbledon Spectators watch Rafa Nadal in action.
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The best pictures from The Championships 2017 The best pictures from Wimbledon A fan drinks champagne.
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The best pictures from The Championships 2017 The best pictures from Wimbledon The Championships were first held in 1877.
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The best pictures from The Championships 2017 The best pictures from Wimbledon A television camera operator stands on a platform above the All England Club.
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The best pictures from The Championships 2017 The best pictures from Wimbledon Players chairs are pictured.
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The best pictures from The Championships 2017 The best pictures from Wimbledon Pimm's.
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The best pictures from The Championships 2017 The best pictures from Wimbledon A ball-boy is seen on court as Britain's Katie Boulter plays.
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The best pictures from The Championships 2017 The best pictures from Wimbledon Fans peer over a fence to see the play on an outside court.
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The best pictures from The Championships 2017 The best pictures from Wimbledon Ground staff talk.
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The best pictures from The Championships 2017 The best pictures from Wimbledon A spectator wears a tennis ball hat.
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The best pictures from The Championships 2017 The best pictures from Wimbledon A member of the ground staff looks on before play begins.
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The best pictures from The Championships 2017 The best pictures from Wimbledon Selfie!
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The best pictures from The Championships 2017 The best pictures from Wimbledon Court attendants sit to the site of a court.
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The best pictures from The Championships 2017 The best pictures from Wimbledon Service stewards stand at the top of an entrance.
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The best pictures from The Championships 2017 The best pictures from Wimbledon Australia's Thanasi Kokkinakis and Australia's Jordan Thompson play against Netherland's Jean-Julien Rojer and Romania's Horia Tecau.
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The best pictures from The Championships 2017 The best pictures from Wimbledon A ball boy rolls a ball.
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The best pictures from The Championships 2017 The best pictures from Wimbledon A court attendant uses an umbrella to cast shade on a player.
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The best pictures from The Championships 2017 The best pictures from Wimbledon Ball-kids queue up ahead of play.
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The best pictures from The Championships 2017 The best pictures from Wimbledon Ball-kids are told they "should not be seen. They should blend into the background and get on with their jobs quietly."
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The best pictures from The Championships 2017 The best pictures from Wimbledon Fans wear sun hats made from pages of a newspaper.
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The best pictures from The Championships 2017 The best pictures from Wimbledon A fan walks between outside courts.
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Berdych, who has never won a Grand Slam, will now play Roger Federer for a place in Sunday’s final.
Berdych famously beat Federer in the quarter-finals at the 2010 Championships, on his way to the final which he lost to Rafael Nadal.
Federer was the overwhelming favourite to win that match but Berdych prevailed 6-4 3-6 6-1 6-4, and he will need to produce a similar upset if he is to make this year’s final, where either Querrey or Marin Cilic await.
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