Djokovic v Nadal in blockbuster Wimbledon semi

Novak Djokovic finished in flurry of intensity and efficiency against Kei Nishikori to book a spot in the semifinals at Wimbledon.

Djokovic’s 6-3 3-6 6-2 6-2 victory over the Japanese means this is the deepest he’s gone at a major tournament since advancing to the final of the US Open in 2016.

The victory was his 13th straight over Nishikori and sees him level the legendary Pete Sampras with 63 main-draw wins at Wimbledon.

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“I just try to build the momentum. Obviously I’ve been very pleased with the way I’ve played so far on the grass court season,” Djokovic said.

“Today I had a tough opponent, a big challenge. I think we were quite even to the middle of the third set, then I managed to step up and play up a gear, really end up this match really well.”

“I’m enjoying my Wimbledon journey.”

Djokovic, a three-time champion at the All England Club, will now face Rafael Nadal after the Spaniard beat Juan Martin del Potro in the match of the tournament.

It will be the 52nd professional meeting between the Serb and the Spaniard.

Nadal, the No.2 seed, required four hours and 48 minutes to finally subdue Del Potro 7-5 6-7(9) 4-6 6-4 6-4 in what is unfolding as his best Wimbledon fortnight since he reached the final in 2011.

If you can meet with triumph and disaster, and treat those two impostors just the same.

Thank you both for tonight, @RafaelNadal and @delpotrojuan ????#Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/RxA7tpxqXf

— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 11, 2018

“Very emotional match. Great quality of tennis,” Nadal said.

“Of course sorry for Juan Martin, he’s an amazing opponent, amazing player. Anything could happen. Very happy. Very important achievement for me to be back in the semi-finals.

“(It had) little bit everything, great points, great rallies. He was hitting the ball great with the forehand. I just tried to resist.

“Now is the moment to enjoy, but to start the recovery. The opponent that is coming is one of the toughest you can face.”

In a scintillating day of Centre Court action, Djokovic and Nishikori opened proceedings, a match-up between two players with exceptional athleticism, rock-solid backhands and the ability to blend offence and defence.

The factor separating them today, as it so often has previously, was mental strength; Nishikori’s tendency to break down in errors or suffer through spells of listless were evident on Wednesday.

Having done the hard work to recover from an early break down in the first set, Nishikori ended a searching rally by spraying a backhand to hand Djokovic another service break, and a 5-3 lead. The Serb converted to take the opening set.

Nishikori bounced back to win the second set against an increasingly disgruntled Djokovic, who would go on to receive two warnings – one a code violation for flinging his racquet, the other a time violation – during the match.

But while Djokovic was able to channel that anger in a way that added an urgency and sting to his game, Nishikori went the opposite way.

Nishikori getting treatment on that right arm again. Took some painkillers.

Asked for the trainer 4 times vs Gulbis but said after the match he never thought about retiring.

— José Morgado (@josemorgado) July 11, 2018

It’s hard to know how much of an impact Nishikori’s right arm issue had on his game, one that required a visit from the trainer early in the third set. But although he held for 2-2 and moved ahead 0-40 in the fifth game, he would win just four of the next 22 points.

The fourth set was similarly one-sided, with Djokovic exhibiting positive body as he forged ahead 4-1 and benefitting from a rash of Nishikori errors in the final game to seal victory.

“I like the level of tennis that I’m playing on right now. I really do,” Djokovic said.

“I think with the performances I’ve had, I deserve to be in the semifinals. I don’t want to stop here. I hope I can get a chance to fight for a trophy.”

Rafa v Delpo

Following that match on Centre Court was a battle that would turn out to be one of the best to grace the storied court in recent years.

In a match laden with highlight reel-worthy points and compelling momentum swings, Nadal’s court coverage and relentless intensity ultimately proved too much for Del Potro, who sprayed one too many forehands when break points presented.

Deadpan Andy Murray: "This 5th set is one of the best sets of tennis I’ve ever seen live. Incredible."

— Courtney Nguyen (@FortyDeuceTwits) July 11, 2018

The best match I’ve ever seen! Big respect!!!

— Simona Halep (@Simona_Halep) July 11, 2018

Incredibly, after Del Potro double-faulted when serving for the second set, Nadal would go on to do the same in the ensuing tiebreak; he led it 6-3, but committed the cardinal sin for 6-6. Del Potro would go on to win that, and belted an off-forehand winner that caught the baseline to take the third, too.

Nadal rebounded in the fourth, and so to the epic fifth, during which several games went to deuce, players hit diving shots, Del Potro ended up on the ground multiple times, Nadal chased a ball and ended up in the crowd, and Del Potro earned five break points – only to see them all slip away.

Del Potro belted back-to-back aces to hold for 4-5, forcing Nadal to serve for the match. And after 71 minutes of compelling shot-making in that final set alone, he did.

“I believe I increased little bit the level in the fourth and the fifth. But the fifth, he was playing huge, no? It was so difficult to stop him,” Nadal assessed.

“I am very happy the way that I survived a lot of important points in that fifth set. I think I did a lot of things well. I went to the net. In general terms, have been a positive match. Only negative thing is I played almost five hours, and I had the chance maybe to play less winning that second set. For the rest of the things, great news, semifinals of Wimbledon again.

“You enjoy because at the end of the day we are playing in one of the best courts in our sport, against a great opponent, with full crowd, fifth set, great level of tennis. Of course, you have to enjoy.”