Djokovic and Swiatek march into Wimbledon semi-finals in pursuit of history
LONDON: Novak Djokovic’s relentless chase for tennis immortality rolled on at Wimbledon as the 38-year-old Serb battled past Flavio Cobolli 6-7(6), 6-2, 7-5, 6-4 to reach a record 14th semi-final at the All England Club.
The seven-time champion is now just two wins away from an unprecedented 25th Grand Slam title and a potential eighth Wimbledon crown, which would equal Roger Federer’s men’s singles record. Wednesday’s semi-final showdown, however, pits him against world number one Jannik Sinner—a significantly tougher test than the spirited Italian Cobolli.
Sinner, showing no signs of the elbow injury that recently troubled him, cruised past big-hitting American Ben Shelton 7-6(2), 6-4, 6-4 to reach his second straight Wimbledon semi-final.
On the women’s side, Iga Swiatek broke new ground by securing her first semi-final at Wimbledon. The world number one clay-court star defeated Liudmila Samsonova 6-2, 7-5 and will next face Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic, who outlasted teenager Mirra Andreeva in a tense 7-6(3), 7-6(2) victory.
With Djokovic reaching a record-extending 52nd Grand Slam semi-final, the stage is set for an epic final stretch in SW19. While the likes of Sinner and reigning champion Carlos Alcaraz may seem like the future of men’s tennis, Djokovic’s formidable 44-2 record in his last 46 matches at Wimbledon suggests the king is not ready to relinquish his throne just yet.
