Djokovic survives 5-hour 15-minute Wimbledon epic against Auger-Aliassime to set up Sinner semi-final

Djokovic outlasts Auger-Aliassime in record marathon

Novak Djokovic, chasing a 25th Grand Slam title, survived the longest quarter-final in Wimbledon history on Tuesday, defeating world No. 4 Félix Auger-Aliassime 7-6(12/10), 3-6, 6-3, 6-7(4/7), 7-6(10/4) after 5 hours and 15 minutes. The 39-year-old Serb saved three set points in the first-set tie-break and took a medical timeout for a left calf issue late in the opener, yet still managed to claim the set.

A double fault at 3-4 in the second set handed Auger-Aliassime the break and the Canadian levelled the match. Djokovic responded by dominating the third, then built a 2-0 lead in the fourth before Auger-Aliassime broke back on a love game and forced another tie-break, which he won. The deciding set saw no breaks of serve, and Djokovic raced through the super tie-break 10-4.

I won with my racket and a lot of heart, a lot of managing my nervousness and the extreme tension you feel in these kinds of matches. I still play tennis for these moments – I would have liked it to be the final.

I don't know how my body will react tomorrow morning, but it was one of the best matches of my career on this court.

The victory gave Djokovic his 107th singles win on the London grass, moving him past Roger Federer's 105, and secured an eighth consecutive Wimbledon semi-final, breaking Federer's record of seven straight between 2003 and 2009.

Sinner dispatches Struff in straight sets

World No. 1 and defending champion Jannik Sinner reached the semi-finals earlier in the day with a 7-5, 7-6(7/4), 6-3 win over 36-year-old Jan-Lennard Struff, who was playing his first Grand Slam quarter-final. Struff pushed the Italian hard in the opening two sets, earning a set point on Sinner's serve at 5-4 in the second, but Sinner erased it with three service winners and took control in the tie-break. The German's first-serve percentage dropped to 36% in the third set, and Sinner broke for 5-3 before serving out the match.

Semifinal showdown: Djokovic vs Sinner

Friday's semi-final pits the seven-time champion against the current No. 1. Sinner leads their head-to-head 6-5, but Djokovic won their most recent meeting, a five-set semi-final at the Australian Open in January. The winner will face either Taylor Fritz or Alexander Bublik in the final.

Women's semifinals set: Gauff vs Muchova

On the women's side, Coco Gauff reached her first Wimbledon semi-final by beating compatriot Jessica Pegula 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, converting all five of her break points. Karolina Muchova then eliminated Naomi Osaka 7-6, 6-4 to book a last-four clash with Gauff.