LONDON: Novak Djokovic bounced back from a set down to move into the semi-finals at Wimbledon after overcoming a spirited effort by Flavio Cobolli.
The Serbian sixth seed was pushed throughout the match but held his nerve to prevail 6-7(6), 6-2, 7-5, 6-4. Djokovic has set another record at The All England Club by becoming the first man to reach the last four of the tournament for the 14th time in his career. He is also the oldest man to reach this stage of the Grand Slam for over 50 years.
“Huge congratulations to Flavio for an amazing tournament, but also a great battle today,” said Djokovic.
“Great performance from him. I played him once last year on hardcourts. We have practised on different surfaces, but we have never played on grass. I saw him play here. I knew he was playing well, but it’s different from practising and playing an official match; he played at a really high level.
“What surprised me a lot was his serve. Serving at a really fast pace and going for his shots.
“He’s such a talented and skilful player. He’s definitely one of the guys we will be seeing much more in the future.”
Djokovic withstood some fierce resistance from Cobolli, who fired 51 winners during what was his first ever appearance in the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam tournament. He converted six out of 12 break points against the Italian and won 75% of his first service points.
Late into the match, the 24-time Grand Slam champion experienced an injury scare that prompted his opponent to come and see if he was ok. On match point, he slipped behind the baseline and appeared to have jarred his hip region. Despite the scare, he sealed the victory two points later.
“Well, I finished the match so…I had a nasty slip, but that’s what happens when you play on the grass,” Djokovic commented.
“I think I haven’t fallen so far this year, but it is a bit surprising because the way I move on the grass, you’re expected to fall and have this kind of situation.
“It did come at an awkward moment, but somehow I managed to find a good serve and close it out.
“I’m going to visit this subject now with my physio and hopefully it will be well in two days.“
Djokovic will play Jannik Sinner for a place in the final, who beat Ben Shelton in straight sets. The upcoming showdown provides him with an opportunity to seek revenge over the world No.1, who has beaten him in their four most recent meetings. However, they have previously played against each other at Wimbledon in 2022 and 2023 with Djokovic winning both of those encounters.
Djokovic has won 102 matches at Wimbledon during his career, which is the third-highest in history. Only Martina Navratilova and Roger Federer have won more.
