Novak Djokovic produced another Wimbledon classic as he defeated third seed Felix Auger-Aliassime in the longest quarter-final in the tournament’s history on Tuesday.
The 39-year-old Serbian battled for five hours and 15 minutes before sealing a thrilling 7-6(10), 3-6, 6-3, 6-7(4), 7-6(10-4) victory to book a semi-final clash against defending champion Jannik Sinner.
The win keeps Djokovic’s hopes alive of winning a record-equalling eighth Wimbledon title and a historic 25th Grand Slam singles crown, which would make him the most successful player in Grand Slam history.
Despite questions over whether age has caught up with him, Djokovic once again showed his fighting spirit in a match that had Centre Court on its feet.
“It was incredible to be part of a match like this,” Djokovic said after the win.
“It was one of the best matches I’ve played at Wimbledon. I can’t remember playing one this long. Maybe the 2019 final against Roger Federer comes close.
“It was a very even contest. Felix played at a really high level. In the final tiebreak, I took my chances and stayed calm. That made the difference.”
The victory also sent Djokovic into a record-extending 15th Wimbledon semi-final.
He will next face world number one Sinner, who defeated Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff 7-5, 7-6(4), 6-3 to continue his title defence.
Sinner had some difficult moments, especially in the second set where he saved a set point, but his strong serving helped him close out the match in straight sets.
The semi-final will be a repeat of last year’s Wimbledon last-four meeting between Sinner and Djokovic.
In the women’s draw, Coco Gauff reached her first Wimbledon semi-final after coming from a set down to beat fellow American Jessica Pegula 4-6, 6-3, 6-3.
Before this year’s tournament, Gauff had never gone beyond the fourth round at Wimbledon and had struggled on grass in recent seasons.
Gauff will face Czech player Karolina Muchova, who reached her first Wimbledon semi-final with a 7-6(4), 6-4 victory over Naomi Osaka.
Osaka had entered the match full of confidence after her impressive win over world number one Aryna Sabalenka in the previous round, but she was unable to get past the in-form Muchova.
Alexander Zverev also reached a Wimbledon milestone by advancing to his first quarter-final at the All England Club.
The German completed a 6-4, 7-5, 3-6, 7-6(6) victory over Jiri Lehecka after the match resumed on Tuesday following Monday night’s curfew.
Although Lehecka fought back to make the contest difficult, Zverev held his nerve to finish the job.
