Novak Djokovic: Survives epic quarterfinal, battles Sinner after outlasting Felix Auger-Aliassime in the longest Wimbledon men’s singles quarterfinal in history, winning 7-6 (10), 3-6, 6-3, 6-7 (4), 7-6 (4) in five hours and 15 minutes on Centre Court.
The seven-time Wimbledon champion broke a record for the longest quarterfinal at the All England Club and reached an eighth consecutive semifinal, moving past Roger Federer. Djokovic, 39, showed remarkable endurance against a player 15 years younger, sealing victory in a tense fifth-set super tie-break after a punishing 22-shot rally. He urged the crowd to raise the noise before finishing the match.
“These are the kind of moments that I still play tennis for,” Djokovic said. “I’m still able to battle these young guys that have 15 years less than me. In a sense, it is really a nice surprise.” The Serbian also dealt with a left leg injury scare during the first set and voiced frustration over Wimbledon closing the roof.
Novak Djokovic: Survives epic quarterfinal, battles Sinner in a blockbuster rematch after the world No. 1 defeated Jan-Lennard Struff in straight sets. Sinner beat Djokovic at Wimbledon last year, while the Serbian edged the Italian in five sets at the Australian Open. Djokovic joked he wished the match was the final to avoid recovery worries, but now has two days to rest before Friday’s semifinal.