Andrey Rublev forced Novak Djokovic to fight extremely hard to grab the lead in the match after dropping the opening set. Ultimately, the seven-time Wimbledon champion grinds him out to win in four sets, 4-6 6-1 6-4 6-3.
At the All England Club on Tuesday, Novak Djokovic defeated Andrey Rublev in four gruelling sets to reach the Wimbledon semifinals.
Djokovic’s motivation increased after giving up the first set, and he played a fierce final game in the third set to take the lead and ultimately win 4-6 6-1 6-4 6-3.
The third set’s conclusion was a contest of strength, ability, and willpower as Djokovic eventually held his serve to take the lead in the match for the first time.
When he grabbed the first set from the great champion, Rublev nearly offended him. In the ninth game, with the advantage, he forced Djokovic into a rally and beat him with a powerful forehand. He then coolly served the remainder of the first set.
Despite falling behind early on in the match, Djokovic came out swinging in the following set.
Rublev made mistakes to give up two breakpoints early on, which allowed Djokovic to break his first serve game of the second set with a groan of frustration. The Serb broke him once again to go up 4-0, and despite Rublev recovering a point, Djokovic easily claimed the second set.
The next set featured a significantly more competitive Rublev. In the second game, he put the seven-time Wimbledon champion under pressure, but Djokovic held his ground and won.
With the score tied at 2-2 in the third set, Djokovic forced Rublev into lengthy rallies in the fifth game, forcing him into mistakes that allowed him to take the lead and hold serve.
But when Djokovic was serving for the set, he ran into a wall of resistance. When Rublev manoeuvred himself around a bouncing ball and flicked it over the net past the Serb, the Centre Court audience cheered loudest.
When Rublev hit a return down the court, Djokovic saved a breakpoint and put his finger to his ear to elicit another raucous response from the audience.
As they continued to struggle through the third set’s tenth game, Djokovic charged down a short ball only to flip it wide and hand Rublev another breakpoint.
He failed to field a drop shot and was unable to convert. feeling the edge. To further energise the crowd, Djokovic yelled at it.
The game’s turbulent exchanges came to a conclusion when Rublev’s racquet sent the ball flying far into the air. Djokovic and the crowd watched as it floated through the air. He chose not to play it. Before the call “out” was made, it bounced and there was a brief moment of silence as it dribbled away.
Djokovic had won the third set, taken the lead in the overall contest, and maintained his momentum going into the fourth set.
He got a quick break and kept Rublev from having any more chances to rejoin the set.
Djokovic blasted a precise winner down the line after hitting a massive serve in stride. Rublev, who was pushed to the side, struggled to make a return but was forced to leave the court to his left because it was open.
Djokovic broke Rublev to finish the match off with a flourish. He quickly pulled ahead in the ninth game of the fourth set and earned three match points thanks to a brilliant opening and a smart challenge of a line judgment. Rublev defended one, but Djokovic sliced the ball across the court and over the net during a rally.
Rublev ran after it and dove after it, but he was unable to get it before it bounced again. Eventually, he was pummeled and fell to the ground.
They want to win, as Djokovic remarked afterward:”They want to get a scalp, they want to get a win. But it ain’t happening.”
