Novak Djokovic beats Rafael Nadal in Wimbledon classic

Djokovic beats Nadal in Wimbledon classic

Novak Djokovic has reached his first Wimbledon final since 2015 courtesy of a five-set win over Rafael Nadal in the semi-finals of the famous competition.

Djokovic, who will face Kevin Anderson in the final on Sunday, recorded a 6-4 3-6 7-6 3-6 10-8 win over Nadal after five hours and 16 minutes of high-quality tennis in the English capital.

Djokovic led by two sets to one when play stopped on Friday night, with the Serb winning a tie-break in the third after a high-energy first two sets.

Nadal raced into a 3-0 lead in the fourth set before Djokovic won three straight matches to level it at 3-3.

The Spaniard secured another break at 4-3, however, before holding to ensure that the last-four affair would enter a fifth set.

A dramatic fifth saw both players hold their first eight services, but Djokovic edged 9-8 ahead before finally breaking the Nadal serve to take the fifth 10-8.

Nadal and Djokovic had not faced each other this deep into a Grand Slam since the 2014 French Open final, and they served up a classic at Wimbledon to resume their long-standing rivalry on the big stage.

Djokovic is bidding to win his first Grand Slam title since 2016.

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