Djokovic and Gauff advance at Wimbledon
LONDON — Novak Djokovic needed more than five hours to beat Felix Auger-Aliassime in the Wimbledon quarterfinals. The seven-time champion prevailed 7-6 (10), 3-6, 6-3, 6-7 (4), 7-6 (4) on Tuesday, securing a spot in the semifinals against defending champion Jannik Sinner.
The match ended around 11pm, just before the All England Club curfew. In the final set tiebreaker, Djokovic celebrated by raising his arms and doing a little dance. “These are the kind of moments I still play tennis for,” he said.
Djokovic, who is seeking his 25th Grand Slam title, reached a record eight consecutive semifinals at Wimbledon, surpassing Roger Federer. During the match, he received medical attention for discomfort in his left leg, but continued playing.
Sinner, meanwhile, advanced earlier by beating Jan-Lennard Struff 7-5, 7-6 (4), 6-3 in less than half time. Last year, Sinner eliminated Djokovic in the Wimbledon semifinals, while Djokovic bested him at the Australian Open.
Gauff comes back and reaches the semi-finals
Coco Gauff, 22, came back to beat Jessica Pegula 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 and reach the Wimbledon semifinals for the first time. She became the youngest player to reach the semifinals in all four Grand Slams since Maria Sharapova in 2007.
“In seven years, it’s the first time I’ve been able to walk on Center Court without feeling nervous,” Gauff said. In the semifinals, she will face Czech Karolina Muchova, who eliminated Naomi Osaka 7-6 (4), 6-4.
Also on Tuesday, Alexander Zverev beat Jiri Lehecka 6-4, 7-5, 3-6, 7-6 (6) to advance to the quarterfinals against Taylor Fritz.
