Novak Djokovic Hailed by Fans After QF Win Over Andrey Rublev at 2023 Wimbledon

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Novak Djokovic’s bid for a fifth straight Wimbledon title remains on track after he defeated No. 7 Andrey Rublev in four sets, 4-6, 6-1, 6-4, 6-3, in the quarterfinals Tuesday.

It hadn’t been totally smooth sailing for Djokovic into the quarters, and Rublev continued that trend as he claimed the first set. The rest of the match demonstrated why actually putting the 23-time Grand Slam champion away is so difficult.

Djokovic blitzed Rublev in the second set and was a model of consistency over the next two frames to seal the victory.

No better sequence showed the futility of Rublev’s challenge than the final game of the third set. The game extended for 18 points, with Rublev getting three opportunities to break Djokovic’s serve and extend the set.

On the third set point, Djokovic hit a venomous cross-court forehand that Rublev was unable to chase down. The Russian’s attempted backhand sailed harmlessly up into the air and landed wide to give the Djoker a 2-1 set lead.

The fourth set offered more of the same as Rublev simply had no answer for the No. 2 seed. The physical and mental toll of trying and failing to make up any ground on Djokovic added up as well.

There’s almost no margin for error against the legendary Serbian, and Rublev failed to capitalize in the few moments when he had his opponent on the ropes.

Djokovic take on eighth-seeded Jannik Sinner in the semifinals, which is a rematch of their quarterfinal clash at the All England Club last year. On that occasion, Djokovic fell behind by two sets before storming back and eliminating Sinner.

It’s tough to envision a different outcome in Friday’s encounter.