Novak Djokovic has equaled Roger Federer’s record for most Grand Slam semi-finals reached after overcoming an early scare against Andrey Rublev at Wimbledon.
Djokovic, who is seeded second in this year’s draw, clawed his way back from a set down to defeat the Russian 4-6, 6-1, 6-4, 6-3, on Tuesday evening. It is the second match in a row where he has dropped a set after doing so against Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz yesterday. Nevertheless, the Serbian is now on an eight-match winning streak against top 10 players at Wimbledon which dates back to 2013.
“There were some thrilling rallies, Andrey is a guy I respect a lot,” Djokovic said during his on-court interview. “Obviously, he brings a lot of intensity on the court. You can see by the way he’s grunting after his shots, especially on the forehand, it’s kind of scary, both the ball that’s coming from the corner and the sound as well.”
The latest performance from the 23-time Grand Slam champion saw him hit 42 winners past Rublev and break him five times. Although it was a far from straightforward encounter. Besides dropping the opener, he was pushed to his limits during a six-deuce game when he was serving to take the third set. In that game, Djokovic saved three break points and failed to convert four set points before prevailing. Then in the fourth frame, he broke twice more en route to securing his 32nd win of 2023.
He now leads Rublev 4-1 in their head-to-head with his sole loss being on the clay in Belgrade last year.
Djokovic’s latest match was another milestone in his record-breaking career with it being the 400th he has played at a major tournament. A number which has only been previously reached by Roger Federer and Serena Wiliams. It is the 46th time he has reached the last four of a Grand Slam and he is the third-oldest player in the Open Era to do so at Wimbledon.
“In terms of the numbers, thank you for brining them up but they’re just the numbers,” Djokovic replied when asked about the records. “In the end of the day, especially during the tournament, I don’t like to spend too much time thinking about statistics and the achievements.
“Obviously, it’s a tournament thats’ still active for me, I’m still in it as are all the other players. That’s all I’m thinking about right now, directing my attention to the next match. It’s only going to get tougher, I know that. But I like the way I played today, the energy as well, so hopefully I can have another win in a few days’ time.”
Awaiting Djokovic in the next round will be Jannik Sinner who is through to his first-ever major semi-final at the age of 21. The Italian defeated Roman Safiullin 6-4, 3-6, 6-2, 6-2. The two locked horns at the same tournament 12 months ago when Djokovic was pushed to five sets before winning.
“It’s going to be a completely different match than last year. He knows me better as I also know him better. It’s going to be also a little bit tactical,” said Sinner.
“If you play against Novak, it’s always tough to play here, especially in Grand Slams.’
“But I’m happy. I will fight for every ball. I will enjoy the moment.”
Djokovic is seeking to win his eighth Wimbledon title this year and his fifth in a row.
