Novak Djokovic overcame a dramatic fall to defeat Flavio Cobolli 6-7(6), 6-2, 7-5, 6-4 on Wednesday, securing his place in a record 14th Wimbledon semifinal.
The 38-year-old Serbian slipped awkwardly whilst attempting to close out the match on his second match point, doing the splits before landing on his stomach.
Despite the concerning tumble, Djokovic quickly regained his composure to seal victory two points later.
The seven-time Wimbledon champion will now face world number one Jannik Sinner on Friday as he continues his pursuit of an unprecedented 25th Grand Slam title and aims to equal Roger Federer's record of eight Wimbledon crowns.
Novak Djokovic is through to the next round of Wimbledon
Reuters
Sinner demonstrated his championship credentials with a commanding 7-6(2), 6-4, 6-4 victory over tenth seed Ben Shelton on Thursday evening.
The Italian world number one, who wore a protective sleeve on his right arm following an elbow injury sustained against Grigor Dimitrov on Monday, produced an efficient performance with 33 winners and just 17 unforced errors.
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"I'm very, very happy with this performance. Playing against him is so difficult," Sinner said of Shelton after the match.
The 23-year-old's victory marks his fourth consecutive Grand Slam semifinal appearance and improves his career record against Shelton to 6-1.
The head-to-head record between the two players favours Sinner 5-4, with the Italian winning their four most recent encounters, including last month's French Open semifinal.
However, Djokovic holds a perfect 2-0 record against Sinner at the All England Club, having defeated him in the 2023 semifinals and 2022 quarterfinals.
Friday's match will mark their fifth meeting at a Grand Slam tournament and their third at Wimbledon.
The Serbian's experience on Centre Court, where he has now accumulated 102 career victories, could prove crucial as he seeks to reverse his recent losing streak against the world number one.
Speaking after his victory on Centre Court, Djokovic addressed the concerning fall that occurred at match point.
"It was a nasty slip and that's what happens when you play on the grass," he said.
Novak Djokovic suffered a nasty fall during the quarter-final but managed to come through it
Reuters
"It came at an awkward moment but I managed to close it out. I will visit this subject with my physio and hopefully it will be fine in two days."
The Serbian expressed his enduring love for the tournament, stating: "Wimbledon will always be the most special tournament we have in our sport."
Looking ahead to Friday's semifinal, Djokovic added: "I will have [Jannik] Sinner in the next round so I look forward to that. That is going to be a great match-up."
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