Sinner stands between Djokovic and historic title again

Novak Djokovic, at 39 years old, and world number one Jannik Sinner are set to clash in the Wimbledon semi-finals on Friday. Djokovic is just two wins away from an outright record 25th Grand Slam singles title, breaking the tie with Margaret Court. The two met at the same stage last year, with Sinner winning in straight sets despite an elbow injury, while Djokovic was hampered by a fall in the previous round. This year, Sinner is fully fit and, after a five-set scare in the first round against Miomir Kecmanovic, has not dropped a set. Djokovic, on the other hand, needed a medical timeout for a left calf issue during his epic five-hour-15-minute quarter-final win over Felix Auger-Aliassime, battling until almost 11pm. Despite his age and time on court, Djokovic's movement and shot-making deep into the fifth set were astonishing. His serve has been strong, saving 16 of 18 break points against Sinner in their Australian Open semi-final in January. Sinner has improved his serve technique, shortening his ball toss, and has hit 97 aces against 16 double faults so far. In the quarter-finals against Jan-Lennard Struff, he won 84% of his first-serve points. Both players will have two days of rest. The head-to-head stands at 6-5 in Sinner's favor, but Djokovic won their last meeting at the Australian Open. "I still try to prove to myself and others that I'm able to compete with the best players in the world and beat them on the biggest stage," Djokovic said. Sinner added: "Every match has its own story. On grass, if you have a bad serving day, it's going to be very tough."