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Novak Djokovic had to be at his best to pass Andrey Rublev on Tuesday to win 4-6 6-1 6-4 6-3 in a thrilling battle to reach the Wimbledon semifinals.
Rublev, who has never reached the semifinals of a grand slam, was in inspired form throughout the first set, using his massive serve and thumping groundstrokes to take an early lead.
As is so often the case when players face the imperious Djokovic, Rublev couldn’t maintain the same quality and intensity as the Serb who took off with the second set.
But Rublev picked up his level again and pushed Djokovic all the way in the third set, with the 23-time grand slam champion holding his serve after an epic 15-minute game to take a 2-1 lead.
Although Rublev continued to fight on, he was unable to rekindle the same form that helped him win the first set – now a distant memory – as an early stoppage of serve in the fourth sent the Russian to another defeat in the quarterfinals of sent the Grand Slam.
It is quite remarkable that at the age of 36 Djokovic still manages to find the best tennis of his career and he has cemented his place as the overwhelming favorite to win Wimbledon with every passing round.
His win over Rublev means Djokovic will now play in his 46th grand slam semifinal, tying Roger Federer’s record, but the Serb insists he’s not thinking of records just yet.
“At the end of the day it’s just numbers, especially during the tournament I don’t like to spend too much time on statistics,” Djokovic said in his on-field interview.
“It’s a tournament that’s active for me, I’m still in it, as are the other players, and that’s all I’m thinking about.
“It’s only getting harder, but I like the way I played today and also the energy on the pitch, so hopefully I can get another win in a few days,” he added.
Perhaps the person who will be most disappointed with Djokovic’s win will be his own daughter, Tara. The world number 2 told the BBC ahead of the quarter-final that Rublev is Tara Djokovic’s favorite player because she likes his headband and his intensity.
Djokovic, who hasn’t lost on Wimbledon’s Center Court in a decade, certainly agrees with his daughter’s analysis of Rublev. “There were some exciting rallies,” said Djokovic. “He brings a lot of intensity to the pitch, it’s quite scary both the ball and the noise coming from the corner.
“He’s someone who’s been in the top 10 for a few years now, I have to congratulate him on a great game today and a great tournament.”
Up for Djokovic, who is attempting to equal Federer’s record of five consecutive Wimbledon titles – tied with Björn Borg – and eight overall, is rising star Jannick Sinner, who defeated Russia’s Roman Safiullin earlier on Tuesday.
