Novak Djokovic, the 24-time Grand Slam champion, endured a worrying fall during his quarter-final match against Flavio Cobolli at Wimbledon. Leading by two sets to one, Djokovic was serving to close out the match at 5-4 in the fourth set.
At 40-30, Djokovic was wrong-footed by a Cobolli forehand. Standing several yards behind the baseline, where the grass was still relatively slick, the Serbian star slipped, virtually doing the splits, and fell face-first onto the court.
The Centre Court crowd gasped as Djokovic lay on the turf for several seconds, drawing concern from both his opponent and the spectators. His wife Jelena and son Stefan watched on from his player box, looking deeply concerned.
Thankfully, Djokovic was able to gingerly get to his feet, wiping himself down with his towel. He won the next two points to secure the match 6-7 6-2 7-5 6-4, booking a semi-final berth against Jannik Sinner.
After his win, Djokovic told the BBC's Rishi Persad on court, "Huge congratulations to Flavio for an amazing tournament and a great battle today." When asked about his fall, Djokovic said, "Well, I finished the match... so." He added, "It did come at an awkward moment but somehow I managed to find a big serve."
Djokovic also mentioned that he'll consult his physio, but that he seems okay. He expressed enthusiasm about facing Sinner in the next round. World No.1 Sinner booked his place in the final four with a straight sets victory over Ben Shelton.
Speaking about the prospect of playing Djokovic, the Italian said, "Different matchup. Me and Novak, we know each other better because we've played quite a lot. So we understand what's working and what's not. But yeah, I've never won against him here in Wimbledon, so it's going to be a very, very tough challenge."
Comments (0)
Leave a Comment
Be the first to comment on this article!