For the 14th time in his career, Novak Djokovic will stride out onto Centre Court for a Wimbledon semi-final.
The 38-year-old will face world number one Jannik Sinner on Friday for a place in the final, a stage he has not failed to reach at SW17 since 2017.
There were scares here in an entertaining quarter-final clash with Flavio Cobolli, Djokovic losing the first set and then left face down in the grass in the final game after a nasty fall behind the baseline.
Djokovic, though, did what Djokovic does, picking his moments to raise the intensity and delivering when it mattered most in a 6-7 6-2 7-5 6-4 victory.
“Wimbledon will always be the most special tournament we have in our sport, in my opinion and many other players' opinions,” he said on court after the match.
“It means the world to me that at 38 I am able to play in the final stages of Wimbledon.”
Asked for an update on his body after that fall, Djokovic added: "It was a nasty slip and that's what happens when you play on the grass.
“You expect to fall with the way I move and slide on the grass. It came at an awkward moment but I managed to close it out. I will visit this subject with my physio and hopefully it will be fine in two days."
Ahead of the match, Djokovic admitted he had been “surprised” by Cobolli’s Wimbledon run, suggesting that “he doesn't strike me as a grass court specialist”.
The Italian, competing in his first Grand Slam quarter-final, quickly established his serve and caused Djokovic problems in the baseline exchanges too, particularly off the forehand wing.
Djokovic broke to lead 5-3 and that appeared to be that for the set, but Cobolli broke back to love and forced a tie-break. At 6-6 it was in the balance, until Cobolli made a brilliant forehand pass and converted the set point that followed.
The inevitable Djokovic response came, winning seven straight games as he cruised to the second set and then broke to lead 2-0 early in the third.
A Cobolli resurgence did not appear on the cards but the Italian came roaring back, making a sensational return to get it back on serve and they remained level through to 5-5.
With the significance of each game building, Cobolli blinked first. He whipped a forehand wide to give Djokovic the chance to serve for the set and this time there was no further drama.
Holds were exchanged in the fourth as the tension built, the biggest point of the match coming at 4-4, 30-30. A tight backhand was sent halfway up the net by Cobolli, and he then left Centre Court groaning in despair when netting a volley with the court at his mercy.
That gave Djokovic the break and he brought up two match points, though the first went with a sensational forehand pass from Cobolli. Djokovic then slipped mid-point and lay motionless face-down on the ground, as Cobolli and the umpire rushed over to check on him.
The Serbian was cheered to his feet and completed the job, and it was soon Cobolli being given a huge ovation as he walked off Centre Court in defeat but having given the seven-time champion a real test.
