Djokovic faces Sinner showdown, Fery eyes Wimbledon final

LONDON: Novak Djokovic faces his biggest obstacle to a record 25th Grand Slam title when he takes on reigning champion Jannik Sinner in their blockbuster Wimbledon semi-final on Friday.

French Open champion Alexander Zverev will lie in wait, if he can end the remarkable run of British wildcard Arthur Fery.

AFP Sport looks at the men’s semi-final action on the 12th day of the tournament.

Jannik Sinner v Novak Djokovic

Having outlasted Felix Auger-Aliassime in the longest ever Wimbledon quarter-final, Djokovic hopes to recover sufficiently to defeat the world number one.

The 39-year-old defied his advancing years at the Australian Open in January to beat Sinner in a five-set semi-final.

But questions remain over how much he has left in the tank after his draining five-hour win against Auger-Aliassime.

“I had a very long semis against Sinner,” Djokovic said of that clash in Melbourne, which ended a five-match losing streak for the Serb against Sinner.

“Obviously that was the first big tournament of the year for me, coming fresher from several months of break and preparation.

“It’s a bit different now. But nevertheless, another great, historic run for me at the Grand Slams.”

Sinner has struggled at times in hot conditions but dealt with them well in his last-eight win over Jan-Lennard Struff.

The Italian has plenty of Wimbledon history with Djokovic.

Sinner beat the seven-time champion in straight sets in the semis en route to the title last year, gaining a measure of revenge for a 2023 semi-final loss and an agonising quarter-final defeat in 2022, when he led by two sets before a trademark Djokovic comeback.

“He has won this tournament so many times and he knows exactly how to approach it. I’m looking forward to it,” said Sinner.

The four-time Grand Slam champion is yet to win a major title this year, after a remarkable second-round loss to Juan Manuel Cerundolo at the French Open, where he wilted in the heat and blew a two-set and 5-1 lead.

Arthur Fery v Alexander Zverev 

New British hero Fery has provided the fairytale of the tournament by becoming the first wildcard to reach the men’s semi-finals since Goran Ivanisevic’s memorable run to the title in 2001.

The world number 114 will face his biggest test yet, though, against Zverev, who is brimming with confidence after finally winning his maiden Slam title at Roland Garros last month.

Fery, who will rise to at least 36th in the ATP rankings next week, is hoping the home crowd can help propel him to another remarkable triumph after Flavio Cobolli struggled in a partisan atmosphere in their quarter-final.

“I have the crowd behind me here, which is a huge help, especially on Centre Court, when you have so many people pushing me,” said Fery.

“I’ve been trying to use the crowd to my advantage in important moments, just to add a little pressure maybe to the opponents. I’ll try and do that again at moments that feel right on Friday.”

Zverev will also be playing in his first Wimbledon semi-final, having previously failed to get past the last 16 in nine visits to the All England Club.

“Zverev is a step up again. I’m ready for it. I have nothing to lose,” insisted Fery.

Zverev, bidding to become the first German man to win the title since Michael Stich in 1991, is not worried about having to take on the crowd.

“Of course, I know that 99 percent of the people will be cheering for him,” said the world number three. “But I also enjoy those kind of atmospheres. I enjoy when the energy is very high.”