Novak Djokovic faced an early challenge but pressed on with his pursuit of a record-equaling eighth Wimbledon trophy and a standalone 25th Grand Slam title, defeating Italian Flavio Cobolli 6-7(6), 6-2, 7-5, 6-4 on Wednesday to advance to the semifinals.
The 38-year-old’s comeback enabled him to achieve a record 14th singles semifinal at the All England Club, where he will compete against top seed Jannik Sinner.
ALSO READ: BWF Title Eludes Kidambi Srikanth as he Loses in Semi-finals of Canada Open
Coboli put on a Spirited Show
Cobolli, the 22nd seed, demonstrated remarkable mental strength to bounce back from a break after trailing 3-5 in the opening set, which he narrowly clinched in a tiebreak by unleashing powerful winners from his orange-framed racket, garnering enthusiastic applause on Centre Court.
ALSO READ: Wiaan Mulder’s Epic Reaction on not Chasing Lara’s 400 Wins Hearts
Djokovic faced strong pushback from Cobolli, who struck 51 winners in his inaugural quarter-final match at a Grand Slam event. He won six out of 12 break points versus the Italian and secured 75% of his first serve points.
The two players traded service breaks at the beginning of the third set, but Djokovic took charge in the 11th game and finished the set with a powerful ace.
The fourth set was competitive, but Cobolli failed to convert an easy winner at the net during the ninth game.
ALSO READ: Akash Deep- The New Star of India’s Growing Pace Bowling Riches
Djokovic Survived Injury Scare
Toward the end of the match, the 24-time Grand Slam champion faced an injury scare that led his opponent to check on his well-being. At match point, he lost his footing behind the baseline and seemed to have injured his hip area. In spite of the scare, he clinched the win two points later.
ALSO READ: Stats! Shubhman Gill broke these Major Records during his Epic 269 vs England
Djokovic downplayed the situation during his post-match interview. “I had a nasty slip. But that’s what happens when you play on grass,” Djokovic said.
Djokovic currently holds the record for the most men’s singles semi-final appearances at Wimbledon, eclipsing eight-time champion Roger Federer, who made it to the final four 13 times.
