Tennis-Djokovic battles back to beat Sinner and reach semi-finals (updated)

Muzali Arts

05/07/2022 17:42

(Adds details, quotes)
    By Martyn Herman
    LONDON, July 5 (Reuters) - Just when Novak Djokovic's
troubling year looked like hitting another low he salvaged his
bid for a fourth successive Wimbledon title by coming back from
two sets down to beat Italian Jannik Sinner on Tuesday.
    The Serbian top seed had looked in all kinds of trouble
against the inspired 20-year-old after being outplayed for two
sets but stormed back to win 5-7 2-6 6-3 6-2 6-2.
    In the end there was an air of inevitability about the
outcome as the battle-hardened 35-year-old seized control to
reach his 43rd Grand Slam semi-final and 11th at Wimbledon.
    He also extended an unbeaten run at Wimbledon that goes back
to 2017 and now stands at 26 matches.
    Djokovic has not added to his 20 major titles this year
after being deported before the Australian Open following a
COVID-19 standoff and then losing to old adversary Rafa Nadal in
the quarter-finals of the French Open.
    But he kept alive the prospect of facing the second-seeded
Spaniard in Sunday's final with a superb comeback, the seventh
time in his career he has triumphed after losing the first two
sets.
    After taking the acclaim of the crowd on Centre Court,
Djokovic explained how he had turned it around.
    "The first two sets compared to the last three was like two
different matches," Djokovic, who is now joint second all-time
with Jimmy Connors on 83 Wimbledon match wins, said on court.
    "He (Sinner) was the better player for two sets, then I went
out and had a toilet break and had a little pep talk with myself
in the mirror, it's actually true. Sometimes when not much
positive is happening these things are necessary.
    "I broke early in the third set and that gave me a
confidence boost and I saw a little doubt in him."
    Sinner, the 10th seed, had looked set for the biggest win of
his career to follow in the footsteps of compatriot Matteo
Berrettini who reached last year's final.
    But once Djokovic's onslaught began he faded.
    When Djokovic produced a miraculous backhand winner on the
slide to earn a break in the seventh game of the fifth set,
ending on his belly in a superman posture, Sinner knew that he
was facing mission impossible.
    The Italian belted a volley long on the next point and then
Djokovic held to love to seal victory and set up a clash with
either David Goffin or British hope Cameron Norrie.

 (Reporting by Martyn Herman; Editing by Ken Ferris)
 ((martyn.herman@thomsonreuters.com; +442075427933; Reuters
Messaging: martyn.herman@thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))