After two coups, Novak Djokovic went to the toilets and chatted with the sick monarch in the mirror. It may be the most important conversation he has had since Australian authorities asked to see his documentation in January.
What a peculiar year it has been for this evil sports giant, and what a way he found to save it on Tuesday, as it seemed like everything was lost.
For about two hours on the center court, Djokovic seemed finished, seven shadows surpassed by the magnificent Jannik Sinner.
Novak Djokovic made a big comeback to seal a place in the Wimbledon semifinals
Italian Jannik Sinner, 20 (pictured), made an impressive start by taking a two-set lead.
The world number one found two sets ahead of 10th seed Sinner in the quarterfinal match
With the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on the lookout, we were on our way to a rising age and a warning of a torch that could one day go from a 20-time Slam champion to a 20-year-old with such considerable talent. . In fact, capital sins.
But if you go for the king, you better not get lost. And here’s the kicker: Sinner hasn’t lost much in this quarterfinal. He was sublime in taking the first two sets against a colorless champion, and was only marginally below the same level during the three that followed Djokovic’s resurrection in the bathroom. But sublime doesn’t always cut it.
Not against Djokovic. Not when he’s prone to those sudden elevations, where in a blink he climbs into a different game, his shots traveling a little lower and deeper and more effervescent, relentlessly hitting his mark, over and over and over again. until the balls stop coming back.
We’re used to it, of course, and some may even find it monotonous compared to Roger Federer’s ballet, but it’s no less surprising when Djokovic arrives at this place of total and devastating efficiency.
In those three sets, the six-time champion did not face as much of a breaking point as he designed a two-set comeback for the seventh time in his career, securing a 26th consecutive Wimbledon victory and a semifinal against Cameron Norrie. .
The Serb managed to increase the intensity and regain a set himself with a 6-3 victory in the third set
Then Djokovic served the fourth set to regain equality with the Italian at Wimbledon
Seeing Sinner’s expression after his place in the last four was slammed into his back was to see what it’s like to face a plant on a giant wall at high speed. “A fantastic player,” as Djokovic called the 10th Italian top seed, before talking about the moment he spun everything.
“It was a lively talk in the bathroom,” he said. “No matter how fake it sounds or sounds to you, it really gives you an effect and support if you’re trying to revive yourself. So that’s what I did.
“I did it after losing two sets in the Roland Garros final against Stefanos Tsitsipas (who won by five in 2021), and today it has worked. It doesn’t always work. But I just felt I had to change something: I was being dominated for Sinner. Fortunately, the Grand Slams are played in the best of five. “
The match was a bright and strange story of changing rhythms. Djokovic had come out of the traps with the first seven points and a quick break to get 3-0 ahead in just nine minutes.
From there, he made it 4-1 with a new breaking point, with which all the precision and pop of his punches and services suddenly faded. It was so abrupt.
20-time Grand Slam winner Djokovic won 6-2 in the fifth set to seal the victory.
It became more evident that his level had been reduced to 4-2 ahead, when he missed a couple of throws and committed the tiniest of double fouls to regain the break.
From there, Sinner took control of the second half of the set and didn’t give in until he advanced 7-5, 6-2, standing out with the same kind of discreet dominance of the rallies that made him famous. Djokovic.
Embarrassed to become the youngest semifinalist since Djokovic in 2007, Sinner’s challenge was to cross the line. Given Djokovic’s way of reversing serious situations, the one facing Sinner was one of the longest straights in the sport.
As a test, the love was broken 3-1 at the start of the third, which was finally good enough for the set, and another break immediately came in the fourth. Going into the decision, there was the feeling of the inevitable about how this would end.
Given what we’ve seen of Djokovic in his five games here, the same could be said of the tournament.
Djokovic has not been able to add to his 20 big titles this year, but he keeps his hopes alive