Defending champion Novak Djokovic just averted a surprising end in the Wimbledon quarter-finals in a dramatic duel. The six-time tournament winner from Serbia defeated the strong South Tyrolean Jannik Sinner 5:7, 2:6, 6:3, 6:2, 6:2 after a set deficit of 0:2.
The top favorite (35) thus avoided his first defeat at Wimbledon since 2017, when he had to give up due to injury in the quarterfinals against Czech Tomas Berdych.
How did he turn things around? After the second sentence he “had a little motivational talk with myself in the mirror on the toilet”, reported Djokovic with a smile: “Sometimes it’s necessary when things don’t go well.”
After his recent three victories on the “holy turf” (2018, 2019, 2021), he made it into the semifinals for the fourth time in a row and for the eleventh time in total. In 2020 the tournament was canceled due to the corona pandemic.
Djokovic helps ‘experience’ at Wimbledon
On Friday, Djokovic will play Cameron Norrie for a place in the final. Norrie also kept British hopes of a home win alive with a five-set win over David Goffin (Belgium). After the 3: 6, 7: 5, 2: 6, 6: 3, 7: 5 in 3:28 hours, the world number twelfth is in the semifinals of a Grand Slam for the first time.
“The experience of having won so many games here has helped me,” said Djokovic after his 26th win in a row at Wimbledon and 84th in singles there overall. That puts him on par with Jimmy Connors; only record winner Roger Federer (105) has celebrated more successes.
As at the Australian Open (2022) and the French Open (2020), the 20-year-old Sinner failed for the third time in the round of eight. “It was a great day for Jannik, I’m sure he’ll get many more opportunities. He’s incredibly mature for his age,” said Djokovic.
Sinner buckled in the fourth set when the score was 2:5, but held out until the end, which was bitter for him. In the round of 16 he had set an exclamation mark in the duel of the young stars with the Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz (6: 1, 6: 4, 6: 7, 6: 3).