Wimbledon quarter-finals: Djokovic trails Sinner, Goffin v Norrie, Maria through – live!

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Not quite yet! A pair of service winners secure set four for Djokovic, and we’ve got ourselves a decider! Djokovic 5-7 2-6 6-3 6-2 Sinner

Ach! Sent by Djokovic to hither and yon, Sinner can’t reach another drop-volley, slipping as he tries to get under its second bounce and flying arse over baseball hat. Djokovic comes around the net to help him, and he looks like he’ll be OK; we’re soon away again, Djokovic netting a backhand on set point before netting a forehand on deuce. Is the pendulum swinging towards youth once more?

Better from Norrie, a huge forehand giving him 30-all on serve and getting both him and the crowd going. But back to Centre, consecutive errors from Djokovic mean 5-2 30-0 is now 5-2 30-all, and though Sinner may not save the set as a consequence, he’s building confidence for an assault on the decider. But have a look! Djokovic sends yet another dodgy drop into the net for 30-40…

Murray Mound/ Henman Hill watching the Centre Court action. Photograph: Zac Goodwin/PA

Updated at 11.38 EDT

Back on Centre, Sinner is on the board in set four, trailing 1-5, and as I type that an ace means Djokovic will have to serve for the set at 5-2.

Norrie holds, forcing Goffin to serve out, and bellows with exertion when his backhand forces an error for 0-15. But he then loops a forehand wide and is soon facing two set points, swiping a forehand wide to hand Goffin a 6-3 first set. Norrie has a lot of work to do because Goffin isn’t even playing that well, 54% of first serves in and 83% of second-serve points won.

David Goffin takes the first set. Photograph: Paul Childs/Reuters

Updated at 11.34 EDT

Goffin has settled much quicker than Norrie and consolidates to love for 5-2. Norrie’s returning, especially of second serves, isn’t up to its usual standard, while his forehand, which I thought might dominate proceedings, needs rousing.

Break point down, Norrie finds himself in the corner, but hooks a brilliant forehand cross-court for a clean winner … no he doesn’t! The umpire calls out, Hawkeye agrees, and Goffin leads 4-2 in the first. Meantime, Djokovic extends his lead in the fourth to 4-0, and Sinner needs to find something: even if it’s too late to save this set, there’s another coming right after it, and if he can’t recapture his form of earlier, he’s going home.

“Very loyal to his team, when we see them getting rid of their coaches left, right and centre …” tweets Mysteron_Voice. “Is that a not so subtle dig at a certain US Open Champion from Sue Barker there…”

You might think that; I couldn’t possibly comment.

Photograph: PA

Djokovic’s ability to do the necessary even when off his game is up there, not just with the greatest tennisers ever but the greatest in any sport ever. It’s not even that he’s a high bottom level, though of course he does, more than his ability to find a way to win is unparalleled. His calmness on the big points is born of certainty, and we’re seeing that here– 2-0 up, he raises an insurance break point that Sinner saves, then another, and this time Sinner’s forehand cross-court can’t save him, the ball flying wide – by a bit – and by the looks of things, we’re going to get a decider. Djokovic 5-7 2-6 6-3 3-0 Sinner

Goffin is a phenomenal athlete with ludicrous work ethic, but he’s also 31, and the extent of his match against Tiafoe, not just a five-setter but along five-setter, cannot be ignored. Norrie, meanwhile, has got a lot better than anyone really expected because, explains Calvin Betton, “He moves well, absolutely loves competing, serves pretty good. He’s also lefty and has two really unique ground strokes. His FH is this slow loopy thing that he usually goes cross court on that means you’re always hitting a high BH with no pace off it, and his BH is like a weird drive underspin thing. No one else plays like that really. So it’s hard to get a handle on it.” Anyhow, we’re 2-2 in set one, the pattern of the match not yet set.

The early stages of this fourth set will be crucial – if Djokovic breaks early, you can see the match running away from Sinner … and two double faults followed by a long forehand give him the chance. But Sinner finds yet another nails forehand cross-court only to err again, then a backhand drops long and suddenly, the devastatingly new has changed into the hilariously familiar.

Norrie and Goffin are away; Norrie is in his first major quarter, while Goffin has never made a semi.

Cameron Norrie at start of his match. Photograph: John Walton/PA

Updated at 11.08 EDT

Three set points down, Sinner performs an unbelievable get, charging to the net to flick a drop cross-court for a clean and incredible winner. But Djokovic serves out and that’s the third set! Sinner leads 7-5 6-2 3-6, but Djokovic lost just four points on serve there, and made just three unforced errors.

Excellent from Sinner, hammering down a serve to make Djokovic serve out for the set at 5-3.

hail to the king: Novak Djokovic orchestrates the spectators to cheer Photograph: Sébastien Bozon/AFP/Getty Images

Updated at 11.03 EDT

…but Sinner saves both, the second by hanging on a long rally – not something you often see against Djokovic.

Goffin and Norrie are knocking up on No1 while, on Centre, Djokovic has two set points at 5-2 15-40…

Cameron Norrie walks onto the court ahead of his quarter final match against Belgium’s David Goffin Photograph: Paul Childs/Reuters

Updated at 10.51 EDT

But let’s go back to Tatjana Maria for a moment, because the enormity of her achievement requires quite some digesting. She’s been playing tennis for 17 years, had reached round three of a slam once, in 2015, while taking two breaks to have kids, the second not much more than a year ago … and now she’s in the last four at Wimbledon. In its way, it’s every bit as wondrously inspirational as Emma Raducanu winning a major at 18.

Updated at 10.45 EDT

Djokovic has found himself and Sinner’s level has dropped slightly; it’s now 4-2 in set three, and the holds are coming more easily.

Back on Centre, Djokovic has broken Sinner for 3-1 in set four, noising up the crowd as he holds again for 4-1. This is intensifying.

A first Grand Slam semi at 34! Imagine that!

Next on No1: David Goffin v Cameron Norrie [9]

“I have goosebumps everywhere,” says Maria, her face illuminated by smiles. She doesn’t know what to say but tries to enjoy every moment, then Rishi Persad asks her about her two young daughters – she gave birth just a year ago – but somehow she avoids convulsing into tears, laughing instead, putting hands over face. My eyeballs are sweating for her, all the more so when she talks about her friendship with Ons, her potential semi opponent, talking about how much she loves her kids, waves to the crowd, and takes her leave. That was so uplifting I might need to weight my ankles.

What a match that was, and what a moment for Tatjana Maria! Decades of slog, of struggle, all for this, and doesn’t she enjoy it! She looked likely to lose after set one, she looked certain to lose when 4-2 down in set three, but here she is in the last four – where she’ll meet Jabeur or Bouzkova. I cannot wait to see that, but I also can’t wait to hear her interview, and here it is!

Relief: Tatjana Maria celebrates winning her quarter final match against Jule Niemeier Photograph: Matthew Childs/Reuters

Updated at 10.32 EDT

Sinner holds for 1-1 in set three, while on No1, Niemeier finds herself under a nasty overhead … that she hammers into the corner for 15-all. Maria, though, wins the next point which takes her two from victory, and when Niemeier guides a slice approach long, she has two match points!

Back on No1, it’s 5-5, and charging to the net at 15-30, Niemeier looks ready to raise a break point only to flip her pick-up long. We wind up at deuce, then Maria nets a backhand slice and is this the match right here? She drops her racket in frustrastion, then prepares to play the biggest point of her life … and a nervous backhand from Niemeier, also playing the biggest point of her life, is enough. Then, the point of the match, the pair exchanging lobs before, with Maria at the net and Niemeier at the back, the latter can’t find the pass, playing safe if we’re being real, then a deft volley has her hurtling in, diving, chucking her racket … and unable to get the ball back. Maria quickly closes out, and now leads 6-5 in the third. What a contest this is!

Djokovic has rebounded from 0-2 down six times in his Wimbledon career and we’ve seen him turn matches around so many times – whereas we’ve never seen sinner win one of this magnitude – but I don’t think I’ve ever seen him look as befuddled as this against any player not in the big four. He holds in the first game of set three; every journey starts with a small step.

Djokovic, of course, takes a break. He’s got a lot to think about in the little room, and not a lot of time in which to do it.

Djokovic makes 0-30, but Sinner’s first serve is a boss and it helps him make 40-30; another, out wide to the backhand, can’t be returned, and JANNIK SINNER LEADS NOVAK DJOKOVIC 7-5 6-2! The crowd are right behind him, partly because Djokovic is not their favourite, but also, you hope, because they know they’re seeing a seizing of power, like when Federer beat Sampras in 2001, that we could be talking about decades from now!

Jannik Sinner two sets up Photograph: Aaron Chown/PA

Updated at 10.23 EDT

Maria rushes through a hold to 15 and now leads 5-4; Niemeier will have a sit-down then serve to stay in the championships. Good luck, old mate.

Back on No1, meanwhile, Maria has broken Niemeier back! This is an absolute jazzer of a contest, not as high a standard as we might expect at this stage but with both players leaving their soul out there. It’s 4-4 in the decider and I’ve still not a clue who’s going to win.

A wild forehand from Djokovic gives Sinner 15-40; what on earth are we seeing here?! The inspiring beauty of disgusting youthfulness, yes, but also the numbing onset of middle age? I can’t remember the last time I saw Djokovic play as carelessly as this, but might this be a turning point? At 30-40, Sinner looks in control of the next rally, only for a net-cord to send the ball dribbling over for a winner, greeted with the usual heartfelt apology. But you know what? IT DOESN’T MATTER! Because another Djokovic error means that when Sinner plants a forehand onto the baseline that’s unreturned but called out, a challenge confirms the double-break that means Jannik Sinner, aged 20 and three-quarters, leads Novak Djokovic 7-5 5-2! This is very, very special.

A tame Sinner drop, patted into the net, gives Djokovic 0-15 at 2-3, while a fine pick-up from Maria sees Niemeier net a volley for deuce. At 30-all, though, Djokovic botches yet another drop – he’s trying to end rallies earlier than he might, perhaps because Sinner’s forehand is so hot – and seconds later it’s 7-5 4-2, while Niemeier also holds for 4-2 and is now two games away from the semis!

Meantime, has Niemeier struck a crucial blow? She gets to 30-40, Maria goes long, and there’s the break, the sixth of the match. Maria 4-6 6-2 2-3 Niemeier

Sinner consolidates, and from 1-4 has lost just two games, now leading 7-5 3-1! He’s playing even better than he did against Alcaraz, the depth and whip of his forehand dictating the points and in the process denying the changes of pace and direction that Djokovic usually deploys to such great effect. This is so affirming to watch.

At 1-2 in the decider, Niemeier finds a second ace of the match for 40-0, and might’ve rediscovered her mojo, now coming into the net and with confidence. She holds to 15 to make 2-2, and I’ve not a scooby how this is going to end.

OH I SAY! Sinner only needs one of two break points, unleashing yet another scorching forehand for 2-1 in set two! He’s dominating now, and Djokovic is in trouble!

We start with a hold apiece in each of our new sets, Niemeier finding her first ace to seal her deal. On Sinner, incidentally, he’s from the bit of Italy that’s almost Austria, and I’m told he fits the stereotype Italians have of people from that area: calm, composed and dispassionate. Those are qualities that can help a lot with elite sport in terms of handling pressure, but a bit of fire is also helpful and we’re seeing a more attitudinous body language from him today – and as I write that, he makes 15-40 on the Djokovic serve!

“Niemeier up to eleven doubles now,” tweets @Mysteron_Voice. “What’s happened to the serve-bot that demolished Heather Watson?”

Pressure has happened. It’s a lot.

Or rather, we got ourselves two ball-games! Maria breaks Niemeier for the third time in set two to force a decider! She started as though it was she feeling the pressure of her first quarter, but as she settled, her opponent became more tentative! Maria 4-6 6-2 Niemeier

Tatjana Maria squares the match and takes it into a third set decider Photograph: Adrian Dennis/AFP/Getty Images

Updated at 09.58 EDT

…and this time, that forehand lets him down, Djokovic sticking him in the corner and inciting the kind of slip we saw from him in his first-round match against Wawrinka. But a fine drop-shot, which holds up in the wind, arranges a second set point, and this time a big serve seals the seal! Who on earth saw that at 0-2? Mates, we got ourselves a ball-game! Djokovic 5-7 Sinner

Jannik Sinner takes the first set. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian

Updated at 09.38 EDT