In an unprecedented turn of events at this year’s Wimbledon, the beloved crowd-favorite Novak Djokovic found himself trailing behind for the first time. However, he mounted a stunning comeback, overpowering Andrey Rublev with a resounding 4-6, 6-1, 6-4, 6-3 victory, securing his spot in the semifinals on Tuesday (11).
Rublev, the inspired seventh seed, managed to snatch the opening set, igniting a spark of hope. Yet, this was akin to provoking a slumbering grizzly bear.
Djokovic retaliated with an onslaught of punishing shots, keeping his dreams alive for a remarkable fifth consecutive Wimbledon title.
Rublev displayed exceptional tennis skills that would have posed a challenge for any other player in the world.
However, Rublev’s valiant efforts were insufficient to halt the indomitable 36-year-old Djokovic from reaching his 46th Grand Slam semifinal, a record equaling the remarkable achievement of eight-time champion Roger Federer.
The second seed will now go head-to-head with Jannik Sinner in his 12th Wimbledon semifinal, following the Italian’s earlier victory over Roman Safiullin.
In the eighth game, Rublev managed to break Djokovic’s serve with a barrage of powerful forehands. He then held his own serve, capitalizing on a Djokovic error, to claim the opening set.
At that moment, it appeared that Rublev might secure his first-ever win in a Grand Slam quarterfinal, even against a formidable opponent who had not tasted defeat on Centre Court in a decade.
Nevertheless, Djokovic promptly reestablished his authority, effortlessly storming through a one-sided second set.
The Serbian maestro remained in control, breaking Rublev’s serve early in the third set. Yet, Rublev was not ready to concede, and Djokovic was pushed to his elastic-limbed limits when serving at 5-4. Fending off three break points and requiring five set points in a sensational game, Djokovic moved within a set of his remarkable 33rd successive Wimbledon victory.
Momentarily deflated, the 25-year-old Rublev fell behind 3-1 in the fourth set, with no hope of staging a comeback. Djokovic wrapped up the match, marking his 400th Grand Slam appearance, a milestone achieved only by Federer and Serena Williams.
(with inputs from Reuters)
