Rafael Nadal reached the Wimbledon semi-finals for the first time since 2011 with a five-set victory over Juan Martin del Potro on Centre Court.

The two-time champion won 7-5 6-7 (7-9) 4-6 6-4 6-4 hours after Roger Federer lost to Kevin Anderson.

Nadal was forced to come back from a set down before breaking in a thrilling fifth set to win in almost five hours.

The Spanish second seed will play 12-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals.

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Nadal is bidding to win his third Wimbledon title and his second Grand Slam of the year, having secured the French Open in June.

And the 17-time Grand Slam champion is a strong favourite to win the tournament following Federer’s shock exit.

Del Potro has only reached the Wimbledon semi-finals on one occasion – in 2013, when he lost to Djokovic in a record-breaking five-set thriller.

The fifth seed, who also lost to Nadal in the semi-finals of the French Open, bounced back from a set down to claim a closely-contested tie-break in the second.

Del Potro was on top for much of the third set before finally forcing a late break of serve to take the lead at two sets to one.

But Nadal broke midway through the fourth to put the pressure back on the former US Open champion and force a fifth set.

It was evenly balanced and full of drama until near the end – Nadal even jumped into the crowd at one point during a rally, and saved five break points in the final set.

But the Spaniard broke midway through the final set and held his nerve from there to set up his sixth Wimbledon semi-final – and a third meeting with Djokovic at SW19.

‘One of the best sets ever’ – analysis

Former British number one Tim Henman

It was such a great effort from Del Potro. After losing the first set we thought he would be up against it but he did well to get on level terms and then get his nose in front.

It was Rafa’s resilience, his intensity to find a way to come out on top [that made the difference].

Three-time Grand Slam champion Andy Murray

It was a great match that got better and better. That fifth set is one of the best sets I have ever seen.

Both played at such a high level, huge hitting and we saw great touch too. It was a great match and I felt very lucky to have watched that.

Shocks decimated the women’s draw early on but there is no real surprise that three of the players in Thursday’s semi-finals are Grand Slam champions.

And even less so that eight-time Wimbledon champion Serena Williams is one of them, even if it is just 10 months since she gave birth.

The American takes on Germany’s Julia Gorges, with 2016 Australian and US Open champion Angelique Kerber facing 2017 French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko in the other battle for a place in Saturday’s final.

While there has been a sense of inevitability about Williams’ march through the rounds, dropping just one set on her way and yet to face a top-50 player, Gorges says it is “unreal” for her to be into her first Grand Slam semi-final.

The world number 13 even apologised to her quarter-final opponent and friend Kiki Bertens for beating her but will have to be a bit more hard-nosed about things if she is to stop Williams reaching a 10th Wimbledon final.

Expect short rallies in a contest between the two leading servers of the championships so far, with Gorges having delivered 44 aces to Williams’ 39.

Gorges, 29, says it is an “honour” to share the court with Williams and that it is a reward for her decision three years ago to “start from zero” by changing her coach and physio and moving from the north to the south of Germany.

With Kerber still here too, it marks the first time in the Open era – since tennis went professional in 1968 – that there have been two Germans in the women’s semi-finals.

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Heather Watson was docked a point for swearing as she and Tatjana Maria lost 3-6 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 to Katerina Siniakova and Barbora Krejcikova in the women’s doubles last eight.

The 26-year-old British number two branded a line judge “pathetic” for reporting her to the umpire.

It followed an earlier warning for hitting the ball off the court.

But Jamie Murray stayed on course to defend his mixed doubles title with new partner Victoria Azarenka.

Scotsman Murray and former singles world number one Azarenka moved into the quarter-finals with a 7-6 (8-6) 6-3 win over Matwe Middelkoop and Johanna Larsson.

Murray lost in five sets in the men’s doubles quarter-finals with Bruno Soares on Tuesday but he and Belarusian Azarenka overcame the 12th seeds in an hour and 20 minutes.

Watson, who lost in the mixed doubles on Tuesday, said after her defeat against the third seeds: “I asked everybody behind me out loud, ‘What did you hear me say?’ And everybody said ‘stupid’.

“I just think it’s really pathetic. It’s like there is no point in it. You have got people in all different languages swearing constantly all the time.

“I just said ‘stupid’, nobody heard anything else and I just think it is really bad.

“I think it is a poor choice from him. It’s just unfair. In that situation you’re not telling people off when they are swearing in Czech or Spanish or whatever.

“It’s literally like a snitch running to the front of the class saying, ‘I heard her say this!’ I think it is so stupid. It is. I can’t even explain.”

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Novak Djokovic became a serious Wimbledon title contender as he made his first semi-final since 2015 with a 6-3 3-6 6-2 6-2 win over Kei Nishikori.

It was performance of resilience and resolve from the former number one, reminiscent of the player who held all four Grand Slam titles two years ago.

After taking the first set, Djokovic’s Japanese opponent saved four break points before levelling.

The Serb took the next and fought from a break down in the fourth to win.

More to follow.