Novak Djokovic emerged victorious from a five-hour-15-minute epic against Felix Auger-Aliassime on Centre Court at Wimbledon, winning 7-6 (10), 3-6, 6-3, 6-7 (4), 7-6 (4). The match, which finished just six minutes before the 11pm curfew, saw Djokovic advance to a record 15th Wimbledon semi-final, where he will face Jannik Sinner.
Djokovic's Heroic Quest
Djokovic described the contest as "one of the best matches I have been involved in on this court in my career." He added: "With my racket and a lot of heart. Towards the end it was anyone's match. But these are still the moments I still play tennis for." The Serb is chasing a record-breaking 25th grand slam title.
The first set alone lasted 79 minutes, with Djokovic winning a lengthy tie-break 12-10 after Auger-Aliassime fired a wild forehand volley wide. At 4-4 in the first set, Djokovic experienced a brief injury scare when he skidded while playing a backhand, requiring the trainer, but he quickly resumed play.
Momentum Shifts and Drama
Both players dominated on serve until Djokovic was broken for the first time at 3-4 in the second set after a double fault. Auger-Aliassime needed only to hold serve at 5-3 to level, but Djokovic quickly reached break point. However, the Canadian produced one of the tournament's best points: after sending Djokovic wide, he followed with a drop shot; Djokovic reached it and hit a flick back, but Auger-Aliassime scrambled, fired a lob, and then hit a double-handed backhand winner from five metres behind the baseline. Centre Court erupted, and Auger-Aliassime took the set.
The roof was closed at 7.40pm despite 90 minutes of natural light remaining, which seemed to help Djokovic. He hit harder and with more depth, securing the third set with a break. In the fourth, Djokovic broke early but Auger-Aliassime broke straight back, eventually winning the set in a tie-break.
Final Set Tie-Break Decides
As the match extended past 10pm, the crowd stood to applaud both players at 4-3 in the final set. Djokovic responded with a stunning backhand winner, and Auger-Aliassime replied with a forehand winner. Serves held until the final-set tie-break, where Djokovic's defensive prowess proved decisive. He fended off several powerful shots to move to 9-4 and sealed the match.
Djokovic has now reached a record 15 Wimbledon semi-finals, including eight in a row. He faces Jannik Sinner next, but remains focused: "I'm going to look at all the numbers when I finish my career. But right now it is all business."
