Novak Djokovic defeated Felix Auger-Aliassime, 7-6, 3-6, 6-3, 6-7, 7-6, in the Wimbledon quarter-finals.
Rolling back the years, Djokovic battled past his younger rival in a Centre Court thriller, finishing just before the 11pm curfew.
Djokovic and Auger-Aliassime left it all out on the court, but it was the Serb who advanced after five hours and 15 minutes of breathless action.
Jannik Sinner vs Novak Djokovic – Who reaches the Wimbledon final?
The best in the world takes on the G.O.A.T.
Both players played their part in a Wimbledon classic, making history on Tuesday evening.
Novak Djokovic and Felix Auger-Aliassime set record for longest Wimbledon quarter-final match
Djokovic and Auger-Aliassime’s 5-hour, 15-minute marathon was the longest quarter-final match in Wimbledon history.
They broke the record previously held by Rainer Schuttler and Arnaud Clement.
18 years ago, Schuttler defeated Clement, 6-3, 5-7, 7-6, 6-7, 8-6, in five hours and 12 minutes, booking his place in the 2008 Wimbledon semi-finals.
Schuttler then lost his semi-final match to Rafael Nadal, 1-6, 6-7, 4-6, in two hours and two minutes.
Djokovic will hope to avoid the same fate when he returns for his last-four clash with Jannik Sinner.
Novak Djokovic praised for what he said immediately after beating Felix Auger-Aliassime
After the match, Djokovic was told about some of the records he’d set during his quarter-final win.
The Serb didn’t want to hear it, and that pleased Great Britain’s Davis Cup captain, Leon Smith.
“He didn’t like talking at the end, I actually really liked what he said there,” said Smith during BBC Radio 5 Live’s post-match coverage.
“Don’t give me the numbers, don’t give me the accolades, this is all business.
“He’s here to win.”
Smith was equally as impressed by the performance itself.
“It’s a match that was up, down, upside down, the momentum shifts…” he said.
Novak Djokovic vs Felix Auger-Aliassime – Match stats
| Stats | Novak Djokovic | Felix Auger-Aliassime |
| Aces | 14 | 29 |
| Double faults | 6 | 5 |
| 1st Serve % | 73% | 66% |
| Win % on 1st Serve | 73% | 80% |
| Win % on 2nd Serve | 73% | 47% |
| Break points | 2/13 | 2/4 |
“I’m watching him in those last points, thinking, how do you keep moving like this? But he does it.”
Smith then looked ahead to the semi-finals, where Djokovic faces another daunting task.
“I don’t know what this body can do after a match like that, because that’s as extreme as you can get, to be five hours, 15 against a top-5 player in the world,” he said.
“He’s got a couple of days now, that’s the advantage of playing today.
“He’s got a couple of days to recover as best as he can to face the biggest challenge in the sport, playing Sinner.
“If he can recover, then he’ll know he’s got a shot, on the grass court, he’s got a shot. It’s probably his best shot!”
Djokovic has already beaten Sinner in a Grand Slam semi-final this year, at the Australian Open in January.
Whether he can repeat the feat at SW19 remains to be seen.
Djokovic and Sinner will contest their Wimbledon semi-final on Friday, July 10.
