Djokovic Advances to Wimbledon Finals After Near-Five-Hour Thriller With del Potro
World number one Novak Djokovic defeated Juan Martin del Potro 7-5, 4-6, 7-6(2), 6-7(6), 6-3 on Centre Court on Friday to advance to the finals of Wimbledon 2013. Clocking in at four hours and 43 minutes, the semifinals five-set contest between Djokovic and del Potro made history as the longest semis match in the history of Wimbledon, beating the 1989 semis match between Boris Becker and Ivan Lendl, which lasted four hours and one minute. Djokovic was unable to convert two match point opportunities at 6-4 in the fourth set tie-break and needed to wait 47 more minutes for the victory.
Djokovic hit 80 winners, including 22 aces, past del Potro. He awaits the second Friday semifinals match between Andy Murray and Jerzy Janowicz, the 24 seed to determine his opponent, and will look to add to his 2011 Wimbledon crown and his seventh major overall. Djokovic now joins an elite group of John McEnroe, Mats Wilander and Stefan Edberg in making it to 11 Grand Slam finals.
"It was one of the best matches that I’ve been a part of, one of the most exciting definitely," Djokovic said. "I’m privileged to be a winner of this match. It was so close, they couldn’t separate us. When I was two sets to one and a break up, and I dropped that serve, well… But that’s why he’s a Grand Slam champion and right at the top."
Last year in their only previous grass-court meeting, del Potro defeated Djokovic for the bronze medal at the London 2012 Olympics, which was also held at the All England Club, Wimbledon.
