Novak Djokovic came from two sets down to defeat rising star Jannik Sinner 5-7 2-6 6-3 6-2 6-2 in a stunning win that saw the World No.1 clinch a place in the semi-finals of Wimbledon.
The match presented a clash of two talents at very different stages of their career, as the quarter-final was Djokovic’s 53rd appearance at such a stage compared to Sinner’s third. However, the young Italian put in a performance that belied his years but he ultimately ran out of steam as the Serb battled back from two sets down.
Heading into the match, Djokovic had won 25 successive matches on the hallowed grass of SW19 and to many fans it was a formality that the 35-year-old would defeat Sinner as he pursues a 21st Grand Slam title to close the gap on Rafael Nadal in the battle to have the most men's major singles titles in history. To the delight of thousands of fans packed into a raucous Centre Court, Sinner clearly hadn't read the script.
Djokovic started perfectly, and led proceedings early as he broke Sinner’s first service game. The 20-year-old suffered an uneasy start with a double fault as he gave up the early break, and the Serb served aggressively to move to 3-0.
Sinner finally got up and running in the fourth game with some powerful serves of his own, but Djokovic continued his form to lead 4-1 - but it suddenly went downhill from there. The Italian brilliantly held serve as Djokovic began to make errors.
Sinner feasted on his ill-timed drop shots to take it to 4-4 before the Serb somewhat steadied the ship. It didn’t last long though, with Sinner immediately drawing back level with a sublime volleying performance combined with his powerful service games.
Sinner earned two break points on Djokovic’s serve but took the first one with a fierce whipped forehand that took the ball away from the defending champion. The Italian then secured the set at the second time of asking as he lapped up the applause from the Wimbledon fans.
The second set truly saw Sinner find his rhythm with confident play. He broke Djokovic in the third game with some beautifully disguised winners .At 3-2, Sinner locked in and rattled off three straight games to move 2-0 up. The Italian played some sensational mature tennis, returning everything Djokovic threw at him.
With the World No.1 floundering, Djokovic needed to step up a gear and he did exactly that. If you include the pandemic when the tournament was cancelled, Djokovic hasn’t lost a tennis match at Wimbledon in five years, winning the last three tournament - and he found his form in the crucial third set.
After Sinner drew back to 1-1, Djokovic won three straight games to kickstart his fightback with a number of rallies beginning to be won by the Serb. Sinner did win a sensational 20-shot rally which earned a standing ovation, but Djokovic fought back with an ace to hold and secure the third set 6-3.
With a competitive match back on the cards, Djokovic cemented the shift in momentum with a huge break at the second time of asking. Sinner was on the backfoot in the rally before he sent a forehand long.
From there, Djokovic accelerated into a 5-1 lead before clinching the fourth set 6-2. Sinner battled to stay in the contest in the fifth and final set, but Djokovic had an air of inevitability around him as errors crept into the Italian's game.
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In the end, it was remarkably straightforward for the Serb in the fifth and final set as he secured the crucial win to reach the semi-finals. In his on-court interview, Djokovic said: “Can I take you through the third, fourth and fifth sets not the first two!
“Firstly a huge congratulations to my opponent. There will be so many opportunities for him in the future. It was unfortunate for him but I wish him best of luck for the rest of the year.
“As for the first two sets, we had two different matches compared to the last three. He was the better player for the first two sets. I went out and had a refresh, had a toilet break, I had a little pep talk to myself in the mirror, it's the truth.
“Sometimes in these circumstances when not much is happening positively for you, sometimes these things are necessary. A little break to try and regather the thoughts and reassemble. I was fortunate to start the third set very well. I broke his serve very early. That gave me a confidence boost. I saw a doubt in his game. My experience helped me deal and cope with the pressure.
“The toilet break was the turning point! Even though I have played tennis on the big stage I still go through the same doubtful moments. The inner fight is always the biggest. Trying to win the internal fight is a big challenge. Once you do that, things go in your favour. I always believe I can turn the big matches around.”
Djokovic will face either Cameron Norrie or David Goffin in the semi-finals.
