MX23RW : Friday, December 13 09:57:39| >> :600:76757206:76757206:

Wimbledon day nine: Norrie sets up semi-final showdown with Djokovic

Wimbledon day nine: Norrie sets up semi-final showdown with Djokovic
© Reuters
Great Britain's Cameron Norrie sets up a semi-final showdown with reigning champion Novak Djokovic on day nine of the 2022 Wimbledon championships.

British number one Cameron Norrie produced a remarkable fightback to defeat David Goffin 3-6 7-5 2-6 6-3 7-5 and reach the semi-finals of the 2022 Wimbledon Championships.

A high unforced error count and low first-serve win percentage characterised Norrie's first set in front of the home crowd, and the British number one soon found himself a set and a break down.

Norrie soon began to look a bit more like his usual composed self on the court, and while Goffin managed to serve to stay in the second set once, he could not do a second time after sending a return from the Brit into the net.

The crowd was soon stunned into silence after Norrie's errors returned to hand Goffin a double break in the third set, and despite earning one break back himself, the Brit would go 2-1 down in the match with a whimper.

A crowd-inspired Norrie would break after a mammoth eighth game in the fourth set before holding to take the match all the way, and the Brit would edge a tight final set to spark jubilant scenes on Tuesday evening.

Norrie will now face men's number one seed Novak Djokovic, who was on the brink of a shock elimination from the tournament in the quarter-finals to 20-year-old Jannik Sinner, but the reigning champion came from two sets down to post an astonishing 5-7 2-6 6-3 6-2 6-2 victory.

With the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge watching on, Sinner initially struggled with his serve as Djokovic raced into an early 3-0 lead in the first set, but the Italian came storming back.

An uncharacteristic double fault from Djokovic saw Sinner break the champion's serve and level proceedings at 4-4, after which the Serbian was forced to save another break point before holding.

Sinner nevertheless broke once more and sealed the first set with a powerful serve that Djokovic could only return into the net, and the ruthless 10th seed capitalised on a number of Djokovic errors to draw first blood in set two.

A successful challenge from Sinner gave him the double break and the opportunity to serve for the second set, and the 20-year-old clinched it with aplomb - serving right into the corner as Djokovic returned long.

However, Djokovic - in a true champion's fashion - somehow sparked a magnificent turnaround in the third and fourth sets to set up a decider, and a flurry of aces saw him to match point before he held to love in his final game.

Tatjana Maria in action at Wimbledon on July 5, 2022© Reuters

Over on Court One at lunchtime, Tatjana Maria's remarkable success story continued with a 4-6 6-2 7-5 success over compatriot Jule Niemeier as she made the semi-finals after returning from two maternity breaks.

Thirty-four-year old Maria initially struggled to keep up with the pace and precision of a player 12 years her junior, and Niemeier needed just the one break straight away to take the first set.

The 22-year-old would seemingly be on her way to victory after breaking in the first game of the second set, but some error-strewn games allowed Maria to clinch a double break and move 3-1 up.

Maria would force a deciding third set against her compatriot, and the mother-of-two would avoid a tie-break as Niemeier netted from close range at match point before a warm embrace between the two Germans.

The highest-ranked top seed left in the women's tournament, Ons Jabeur, would close the day on centre court against Marie Bouzkova, and she also recovered from a slow start to win 3-6 6-1 6-1.

Bouzkova stunned the crowd with a wonderful showing in the first set against the third seed, who immediately broke back at the start of the second to make things interesting against the 23-year-old.

Jabeur would quickly consign the first set to history as she dropped just two games in the second and third sets on her way to a maiden semi-final at SW19, becoming the first Arab woman to do so.

ID:489377:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:collect5497:
Written by
Ben Knapton

Click here for more stories about Novak Djokovic

Collect / Create New Data
Share this article now:
Cameron Norrie in action at Wimbledon on July 3, 2022
Read Next:
Wimbledon day seven: Norrie into quarters, Watson bows out
>
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
1.15am
Rams
@
49ers


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!