Novak Djokovic outlasted Canada's Felix Auger-Aliassime in a gruelling Wimbledon quarterfinal that stretched more than five hours on Tuesday, winning 7-6 (4), 6-7 (8), 6-4, 6-7 (3), 7-6 (10-6) at the All England Club. At 39 years old, Djokovic became the oldest man to reach the Wimbledon semifinals in the Open Era.
Marathon match decided by super tie-break
The match lasted five hours and 15 minutes, with the deciding fifth set going to a super tie-break after both players held serve throughout. Djokovic saved two match points in the fourth set tie-break to force the decider, then rallied from a mini-break down in the final tie-break to seal victory. According to ATP statistics, it was Djokovic's 12th career five-set win at Wimbledon and his longest match at the tournament since 2018.
Auger-Aliassime, 25, fired 28 aces and won 82 per cent of his first-serve points, but could not convert his opportunities in the clutch moments. The Canadian had never beaten Djokovic in four previous meetings.
Djokovic targets eighth Wimbledon title
Djokovic advances to face either Jannik Sinner or Carlos Alcaraz in the semifinals. He is seeking his eighth Wimbledon championship and record 25th Grand Slam title. 'I left everything out there,' Djokovic said in his on-court interview. 'Felix played incredible tennis and pushed me to my limits. This is why I still love this sport.'
Auger-Aliassime, meanwhile, will rise to a new career-high ranking after his deep run. He took the loss in stride, telling reporters: 'I gave it my all. Novak showed why he's the greatest of all time. I'll learn from this and come back stronger.'
