Serbia’s Novak Djokovic celebrates beating Argentina’s Juan Martin Del Potro during their semi-final match on day eleven of Wimbledon at the All England Club in Wimbledon, southwest London, yesterday. RIGHT: Britain’s Andy Murray celebrates beating Poland’s Jerzy Janowicz in their semi-final match.
LONDON: Novak Djokovic withstood a ferocious onslaught from Juan Martin Del Potro to subdue the Argentine 7-5, 4-6, 7-6(2), 6-7(6), 6-3 in a titanic Wimbledon semi-final yesterday.
The top seed needed all his skill and fighting spirit to tame the eighth-seeded Del Potro who made light of his knee injury to keep the world number one on court for four hours 43 minutes, the longest semi-final ever seen at Wimbledon.
“It was one of the best matches I’ve been a part of, one of the most exciting. It was so close,” said a hugely relieved Djokovic.
“I could not separate us, apart from when I was 2-1 up and a break up, and I dropped serve. That’s why he’s a grand slam champion. He came up with some top shots...credit to him.”
Djokovic broke in the 12th game of the first set to win it 7-5 but former US Open winner Del Potro took the Serbian’s serve midway through the second set and levelled the match on a baking Centre Court.
Del Potro saved three set points at 5-6 in the third but Djokovic stepped up his level to romp through the tiebreak 7-2.
The top seed struck again with a break in the seventh game of the fourth set but Del Potro broke straight back and saved two match points in an incredible tiebreak before taking it 8-6.
Djokovic broke again to lead 5-3 in the deciding set and he recovered from 0-30 down to seal victory with a searing backhand down the line.
Djokovic will play Olympic champion Andy Murray, who held his nerve to tame Jerzy Janowicz 6-7(2), 6-4, 6-4, 6-3 to set up a Wimbledon final showdown.
The top two players in the world will meet in the final after Murray recovered from the disappointment of losing the first set to beat 24th seed Janowicz in two hours and 52 minutes on Centre Court. The first set was dominated by serve but Janowicz was inspired in the tiebreak and powered through it 7-2.
Murray broke the giant Pole in the first game of the second set and he clung on to his own serve to level the match.
Janowicz broke early in the third set and led 4-1 but Murray drew inspiration from the home crowd and won five games in a row to take it 6-4.
The roof on Centre Court was closed, halting Murray’s momentum to his obvious.
“There was still 45 minutes of light left,” Murray said of the roof controversy.
“This is an outdoor event and I believe you should play as much as possible outdoors.
“I had 20 minutes, took a shower and got back to work. He was on his phone to someone. That’s the way he is, he plays loose on the court as well.
“I’m delighted. He’s very talented and unpredictable, he’s got a huge serve and he didn’t give me much rhythm.”
The British player added: “But after I got back from 1-4 down in the third set I felt the momentum was with me.”
The 26-year-old, who missed the recent French Open due to injury, has now reached the final in each of his last four Grand Slam appearances.
However, that will mean little to Murray unless he avenges last year’s tearful final defeat against Roger Federer and emulates Fred Perry’s 1936 Wimbledon triumph.
Murray’s seventh Grand Slam final tomorrow will be his fourth meeting with world number one Djokovic with a major title on the line.
Djokovic defeated Murray in the 2011 and 2013 Australian Open finals, while the Scot won a five-set thriller to seal his maiden Grand Slam title at the US Open last year. AGENCIES
