39-year-old Djokovic wins five-set classic to reach Wimbledon semifinals, where Sinner awaits.
LONDON: Novak Djokovic produced another remarkable display of resilience, outlasting Felix Auger-Aliassime in a marathon contest lasting more than five hours to seal a 7-6 (10), 3-6, 6-3, 6-7 (4), 7-6 (4) victory on Tuesday and book a Wimbledon semifinal clash with defending champion Jannik Sinner.
The grueling encounter reached its climax in a dramatic final-set tiebreak. After a lengthy rally ended with Auger-Aliassime sending a forehand wide to hand Djokovic a 9-4 lead, both players bent over their rackets in sheer exhaustion. Even while catching his breath, Djokovic urged the Centre Court crowd to raise the volume, waving his racket to draw even louder cheers before closing out the epic victory.
Djokovic sealed the victory on his first match point, forcing another error from the 25-year-old Canadian with a powerful forehand to end the epic contest after 5 hours and 15 minutes—just minutes before the All England Club’s 11 p.m. curfew came into effect.
Djokovic celebrated the hard-fought victory by raising his arms to acknowledge the roaring Centre Court crowd before sharing a warm handshake with Auger-Aliassime at the net. He then broke into his trademark elbows-to-knees dance, a move he often says his daughter has been teaching him.
“These are the kind of moments that I still play tennis for,” Djokovic said after sealing his place in the Wimbledon semifinals.
Djokovic continued to rewrite the record books in his pursuit of a record-extending 25th Grand Slam title, reaching a record eighth consecutive Wimbledon men’s singles semifinal—surpassing Roger Federer’s mark of seven straight final-four appearances at the All England Club.
Awaiting the Serbian is defending champion Jannik Sinner, who enjoyed a far less demanding route to the semifinals. The Italian needed less than half the time Djokovic spent on court, defeating Jan-Lennard Struff 7-5, 7-6 (4), 6-3 earlier on No. 1 Court.
The upcoming clash adds another chapter to their growing rivalry. Sinner defeated Djokovic in straight sets in last year’s Wimbledon semifinals, while Djokovic prevailed in a five-set battle during this year’s Australian Open semifinals.
“I wish it was the final, so I don’t need to worry about how the body will feel tomorrow,” Djokovic said after his marathon victory.
“I was telling the kids to go to sleep after the fourth set, but they didn’t want to listen,” Djokovic said with a smile. “I’m glad they stayed because, honestly, it was one of the best matches I’ve ever been a part of on this court.”
Medical timeout
Djokovic also had to overcome a physical scare during the marathon contest. In the opening set, the Serbian appeared troubled by a lower-leg issue, grimacing during the ninth game before holding serve to love for a 5-4 lead.
He then received treatment from the trainer during the changeover, taking a medical timeout as his left ankle and calf were examined. The trainer tested the stability of the ankle before massaging Djokovic’s calf muscle.
Earlier, Djokovic had been seen stretching his leg by pulling back the toe of his shoe while also loosening up near the back of the court. The stretching continued throughout the match, becoming more frequent in the closing stages of the decisive fifth set as the physical demands of the five-hour epic took their toll.
“It was really anybody’s game in the super tiebreak in the fifth,” Djokovic said, reflecting on the dramatic finish to the marathon encounter.
Djokovic questions roof closure
The 39-year-old also voiced his frustration over the decision to close the Centre Court roof at 7:40 p.m., shortly after Auger-Aliassime leveled the match by winning the second set.
Djokovic argued that there was still enough daylight to continue play outdoors and appealed to Wimbledon tournament referee Denise Parnell to delay closing the roof.
“We can play a whole another set outdoors. We’re an outdoor tournament,” Djokovic said. “You remember the first round? You didn’t close it until like 8:20 or 8:30, and now you want to close it at 7:40. Where’s the consistency?”
“You’re so proud of your rules, and yet you’re not sticking to any kind of rules,” Djokovic added, continuing his criticism of the decision to close the Centre Court roof.
Gauff rallies into first Wimbledon semifinal
Earlier in the day, Coco Gauff recovered from a set down to defeat Jessica Pegula 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 and reach the Wimbledon semifinals for the first time in her career.
After a first set marred by costly double faults, the 22-year-old American regrouped impressively to take control of the contest. With the victory, Gauff became the youngest player to reach the semifinals at all four Grand Slam tournaments since Maria Sharapova achieved the feat at the 2007 French Open, according to the WTA Tour.
Gauff will next face 10th seed Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic in the semifinals, with a place in Saturday’s final at stake. Muchova, the 2023 French Open runner-up, advanced after defeating Naomi Osaka 7-6 (4), 6-4 on No. 1 Court.
The semifinal appearance marks a breakthrough for Gauff at Wimbledon. In her previous six visits to the All England Club, she had never progressed beyond the fourth round. This time, however, the American looked far more composed on Centre Court.
“I think after seven years playing this tournament, it’s finally the first time I can walk on Centre Court and not feel nervous,” Gauff said.
In the completion of a suspended fourth-round match, second seed Alexander Zverev defeated Jiri Lehecka 6-4, 7-5, 3-6, 7-6 (6) to book a quarterfinal showdown with sixth seed Taylor Fritz on Wednesday.
Heat takes center stage at Wimbledon
Players also had to contend with soaring temperatures on a sweltering day at the All England Club. Under clear skies, play began with the mercury already at 29 degrees Celsius (84°F), with forecasts predicting it would climb to 31°C (88°F) during the afternoon.
Defending champion Jannik Sinner, who struggled in the Paris heat during this year’s French Open, tried to stay cool by wrapping an ice towel around his neck during changeovers.
Coco Gauff also sought relief from the conditions. Early in her match, the American asked the chair umpire for an ice pack and was later seen pressing a blue ice pack against her cheeks and the tops of her thighs to cope with the heat.
