Novak Djokovic overturns two-set deficit to surpass Sinner at Wimbledon

Novak Djokovic put his champion’s hat on just in time to shield him from the blinding brilliance of youth on a warm and cloying Tuesday afternoon on Centre Court and is through to the Wimbledon semi-finals yet again.

All his experience here, his six titles among 20 majors, his years of serial dominance and his driving conviction at 35, looked to be melting in the sun as the Italian 20-year-old Jannik Sinner bullied the first two sets from his grasp with tennis that had the crowd in raptures.

Dreamers held their breath. Realists paused their judgment; we had been here a few times before with the indomitable Serb - unlike Sinner, the 10th seed and a player of immense promise who was experiencing just his ninth match on grass, only his second against Djokovic and his first quarter-final in a slam.

But Sinner acquitted himself in defeat with all the class he had in victory against fellow prodigy Carlos Alcaraz in the fourth round. Djokovic won 5-7, 2-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 in three hours and 35 minutes and looked relieved more than elated moving into the semi-finals.

Time and age suggest they will not play each many more times – although Djokovic at 35 looks as fit as he as ever done. Yet, until the closing stages, there was little between them, apart from 15 years’ of elite experience and 82 titles.

True to his pedigree, Djokovic wound up the show with the sort of commanding presence he has brought to his tennis since he entered the Tour 19 years and 20 majors ago. But it was not as easy as he made it look. Indeed, he look perilously close to going out when Sinner rampaged through the first two sets.

“I’m sure there are going to be a lot of opportunities for him on the big stage,” he said courtside of Sinner. “He was the better