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Wimbledon 2022: 'Toilet break, mirror pep talk' fueled Djokovic comeback against Sinner

Defending champion Novak Djokovic made a strong comeback against Jannik Sinner to seal his 11th Wimbledon semi-finals berth.

tennis Wimbledon 2022: Novak Djokovic survives Sinner scare to seal semifinal berth; fans relieved snt
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London, First Published Jul 5, 2022, 9:55 PM IST

Six-time champion Novak Djokovic reached his 11th Wimbledon semi-final after pulling off a stunning comeback against Jannik Sinner in the grass-court major in London on Tuesday. The top seed engineered a mid-match turnaround to roar back and seal a 5-7, 2-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 victory against the 20-year-old Italian..

Sinner successfully targeted Djokovic's serve early, breaking it four times on the way to a two-sets-to-love-lead, but the six-time champion responded by raising his game to spectacular effect on Centre Court, wrapping up a three-hour, 35-minute victory to extend his winning streak at SW19 to 26 matches.

Following the epic encounter, the Wimbledon defending champion revealed that after losing the first two sets a pep talk in the mirror during the 'toilet break' helped him make a strong comeback.

Talking about winning his 26th consecutive game at Centre Court, Djokovic stated that he is filled with happiness, love and pride for playing yet another game on this historic tournament. "Majority of players will agree this is the biggest tournament in the history of our game. This tennis court is the most important one in my life. This court inspired me to take the tennis racket for the first time in my life when I was 5," the Serbian added.

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Before this quarter-final clash, Djokovic paid his opponent a supreme compliment by comparing the Italian's game to his own. "I kind of see a little bit of myself in his game," the Serbian had said. "From back of the court, playing flat backhands, constantly staying on the back of the line, trying to put pressure on opponents."

Before Tuesday's clash, the pair met just once, when the 20-time Grand Slam champion opened their ATP Head2Head series at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters 2021 with a 6-4, 6-2 victory. But the 20-year-old Sinner has improved since then; a five-time tour-level titlist, the Italian claimed three trophies in the second half of the 2021 season.

The win moved Djokovic within two matches of his fourth consecutive crown at the grass-court Grand Slam in London, where his semi-final opponent will be Cameron Norrie or David Goffin.

Also read: Wimbledon 2022: 'It's amazing, so very happy' - Rafael Nadal on sealing quarterfinals berth

The Serbian fans breathed a sigh of relief after the Serb registered a win in the quarter-finals. Here's a look at what his supporters said on Twitter:

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