December 25, 2024

Wimbledon quarter-finals: Djokovic beats Fucsovics, Khachanov v Shapovalov – live!

Shapovalov #Shapovalov

11.37am EDT 11:37

Hold tight Khachanov too, who played really well – especially given the tough match he had on Monday. He’ll be back.

11.37am EDT 11:37

Shapovalov [10] beats Khachanov [25] 6-4 3-6 5-7 6-1 6-4!

Khachanov nets and Shapovalov hurls himself to the turf! What a win this is and what a match this was! He played beautifully in the final two sets and never altered his approach, looking to take risks and hit winners; he’s a big danger in the semi and a future superstar.

11.35am EDT 11:35

One thing you know is that Shapovalov will go for this, and he opens with an ace … then a double! Pressure! Pressure? Pah! Shapovalov is ripping it here, forehands out wide, and Khachanov kan’t kope, all the more so with that one-two again, a serve out wide then a forehand into the opposite corner. Shapovalov has two match points!

11.32am EDT 11:32

On Centre, Federer invited Kurkacz to serve and they’ve swapped holds.

11.32am EDT 11:32

Khachanov is forced to save another break point at 30-40 – Shapovalov goes long on the return – but on advantage, he sends a backhand cross-court wide, just. Then, on deuce, he finds his way to the net, again, but Shapovalov’s power is too much and he can’t control his volley. Still, he saves another break point only to find himself facing another and this time he’s done for, Shapovalov sending him to hither and yon … only to go long when anywhere short and it was point over! That is a monumental oversight! He’s 0/6 from break points in this set, 3/18 across the match! But immediately, he forces another … and Khachanov goes long on the forehand. That’s 5-4, and Shapovalov will shortly return to serve for the match!

11.26am EDT 11:26

“I love how early Shapo takes the backhand,” returns James W. “One of the few left handers with a single handed backhand too. I can only think of Deliciano Lopez as the one other to have one in today’s game.”

Is that a typo? Its a belter.

Delicious Deliciano. Photograph: Toby Melville/REUTERS

Updated at 11.28am EDT

11.23am EDT 11:23

This reminds me a bit of the Isner-Anderson semi: although it went 26-24 in the final set, it was obvious Anderson would win for quite some time because he was clearly less tired. Not to the same extent, but Shapovalov has lost three points on serve this set and two of those were doubles. He holds to love for 4-4.

11.19am EDT 11:19

Khachanov has looked less so, but at 15-0 he screeches a disgusting backhand pass cross-court for a winner. But from 40-0 he winds up at 40-30, and though he then secures the game, these difficult holds must be taking a toll. He leads 4-3.

11.15am EDT 11:15

Shapovalov needs to put that last game away because he’ll be fuming with how he tossed it … and that’s exactly what he does, holding to 15 for 3-3 in the decider. He’s looking strong.

11.12am EDT 11:12

And have a look! A forehand winner, then a backhand to the corner followed by an overhead, and at 0-30 Shapovalov has a sniff. Khachanov’s tired now, and yanked to the net for a drop, those stone hands can only pat into the net; as Martina notes, when you’ve not played a volley in 10 days you’ll struggle. But then he comes in again and plays two belters to save the first break point! Probably because he’s tired and needs short points, but it works, and then a wild forehand return gives him 40-30. Key point coming up and again Shapovalov is wild, a return soaring long. Khachanov cleans up swiftly, five points in a row giving him 3-2 – an achievement he celebrates with requisite gusto.

11.08am EDT 11:08

But it’s Shapovalov who’s finding things easier, and he rushes through a much easier hold for 2-2.

11.03am EDT 11:03

Meantime, on No1, Khachanov hangs onto his serve to 30 and that’s a sizeable hold. He leads 2-1 in the decider.

11.02am EDT 11:02

Djokovic says it was a solid performance – he started well, but after that Fucsovics fought back and one break was enough for each set. He then talks about how much he loves the sport, “with my body and soul”, having played since the age of four, so when he hears of his achievements – a list of which is read to him – it feels surreal, but he thanks Rishi Persad for helping his confidence. He notes that both Khachanov and Shapovalov are looking great – “we’re all looking great, we’re in the semi-finals” – then, when prompted, though as if he’d forget, discusses his happiness as playing in front of a capacity crowd for the first time.

10.58am EDT 10:58

Fucsovics gets an ovation too, and he’s earned it. He could easily have shrunk in that first set but he didn’t, and actually missed chances to make even more of a match of it.

10.57am EDT 10:57

Djokovic [1] beats Fucsovics 6-3 6-4 6-4!

He’s just so good, and reaches his 41st major semi-final! He plays wither Khachanov or Shapovalov next, and does his whipping up each stand thing, which makes him extremely loveable.

Novak Djokovic through to the semi finals. Photograph: Adam Davy/PA

Updated at 10.59am EDT

10.56am EDT 10:56

Khachanov takes the first game of the final set and leaps himself into life on the way back to his chair. But he still played a five-setter just two days ago and Martina reckons he’s bushed, wondering if Shapovalov has noticed.

10.54am EDT 10:54

Well done Marton Fucsovics! (Why do we always use fore and surnames in such sentences? I think it’s a rhythm thing, so we need the syllables, but I’m not sure). Anyway, He holds, so Djokovic will serve for the match at 5-4 in the third.

10.51am EDT 10:51

Shapovalov [10] wins the fourth set against Khachanov [25] 6-1, to level the match at 2-2!

Here comes the decider, and Shapovalov has his tail right up.

10.49am EDT 10:49

John Inverdale wonders if we won’t realise how good Djokovic is till he retires, unlike Hafa and Hoger. But surely no one is in any doubt, he just not as loved as they are – oh, and he holds for 5-3, so Fucsoivcs must now hold to stay in the match.

Updated at 10.50am EDT

10.48am EDT 10:48

Meantime, Fucsovics struggles through another deuce hold, and trails 4-3 in set three.

10.47am EDT 10:47

Shapovalov arranges himself a break point for 5-1, but a big serve quickly confiscates it to make deuce; no matter. A fine backhand return from Shapovalov, backhand down the line, drops onto the corner and is too good, then Khachanov swipes long! Shapovalov will now serve for set four, and if he botcehs it will still get another go.

10.41am EDT 10:41

Fucsovics is also having at it, but again he can’t convert his break points – there are two of them. He’s really close, just missing lines as Djokovic hits inside them, but at the end of it, Djokovic has 4-2 and he has a temper. While that was going in, Shapovalov consolidated to love.

10.39am EDT 10:39

Now then! Khachanov hasn’t won a point on his second serve so far this set, and a double at 0-30 risks the advantage he just flogged himself to acquire. He saves the first break point, but forced to rely on another second serve, he goes long on the backhand and Shapovalov now leads 3-1 in set four! This looks like going to a decider!

10.32am EDT 10:32

Meanwhile, on No1, Shapovalov is punching the air like he’s just scored a worldy after somehow retrieving a shot from behind him and around his arse, sending a lob that Khachanov meets with a tweener. He responds with a deep volley, Khachanov nets, and they end up at deuce on the Khachanov serve … but Khachanov closes out beautifully, and this is a brilliant match now; we’re at that elusive juncture, where both players are playing well at the same time. It’s one game all, Khachanov by two sets to one.

The spectators on No 1 Court are enjoying the match too. Photograph: Adrian Dennis/AFP/Getty Images

Updated at 10.41am EDT

10.28am EDT 10:28

Shonuff, he’s facing a break point at 30-40, but Djokovic goes fractionally long with a backhand, then applauds when a fine drop of his is met with an even better one, across the face of the net. An ace follows, and that’s huge hold for 1-2!

10.23am EDT 10:23

So Shapovalov takes a break while, on Centre, Djokovic has, so far, retrieved four break-back points, the first three in a row. Credit to Fucsovics, he’s had several opportunities to write this off and hasn’t taken them, but class eventually prevails and he trails 6-3 6-4 2-0.

10.20am EDT 10:20

Looking at the stats for that set, almost all of them are in Shapovalov’s favour, but when it’s tight it comes down to a few points and Khachanov played them better.

10.19am EDT 10:19

Khachanov [25] wins the third set 7-5 to lead Shapovalov [1]0 2-1!

Khachanov struggled to serve out against Korda and he’s struggling to do so here too. A poor backhand hands Shapovalov break-back point, but he strong-stands and makes deuce before closing out, a wild forehand return handing him the set when he would’ve been feeling the pressure.

10.15am EDT 10:15

Oh dear. Another forehand error gives Djokovic 15-40, and seconds later he has his break. Fucsovics now looks extremely displeased with life.

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