"There were two matches: in the first two sets he was better. I took a break to go to the bathroom at the end of the second set and took the opportunity to talk to myself in the mirror to pull myself together morale", explained Djokovic who made a handicap of two sets before dismissing the Italian Jannik Sinner (13th) 5-7, 2-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2.

"On the way back, I had the chance to break quickly in the third set, it gave me confidence and I felt that he had started to doubt," continued the world No.3.

"He had nothing to lose at the start of the match and a lot to lose after the first two sets. And I felt it," explained Djokovic, who thus scored a 26th victory in a row at Wimbledon, where he haven't lost since dropping out in the quarter-finals in 2017.

Italian Jannik Sinner on the ground after a fall during his Wimbledon quarter-final loss to Serbian Novak Djokovic on July 5, 2022 Adrian DENNIS AFP

Hence a certain confidence, even when things are not necessarily going in the right direction.

"I always think I can come back two sets down. Maybe it's experience, the bathroom break, or a combination of the two..." he joked.

His victory against Sinner, who at 20 was playing his second Wimbledon after a first-round elimination last year, is Djokovic's 84th in the London Major.

He thus equals Jimmy Connors in second place among the players who have won the most victories there, behind Roger Federer (105).

On the adrenaline

The man with twenty Grand Slam trophies (who was unable to play the Australian Open in January for having refused the anti-covid vaccine and who risks missing the US Open at the end of August for the same reason) will try to climb for the 8th time in the final of the Major on grass where he seeks a seventh title, Friday against the Briton Cameron Norrie (12th), winner of the Belgian David Goffin (58th) 3-6, 7-5, 2-6, 6 -3, 7-5.

"At the end, I only had the adrenaline left to get my legs moving and put the ball in the court. It's good to have gotten out of it," admitted Norrie, who is, at 26, the first Briton to enter the last four of the London Major since Andy Murray in 2016, when he won the tournament for the second time.

Briton Cameron Norrie after his victory over Belgian David Goffin in the Wimbledon quarter-finals on July 5, 2022 Glyn KIRK AFP

In the women's draw, the first semi-final will oppose the Tunisian Ons Jabeur, N.2 on Thursday and expected at this stage, to the great surprise of the tournament, the German Tatjana Maria, a 34-year-old mother, ranked 103rd in the world.

Jabeur had already reached the quarterfinals at Wimbledon last year.

This year, she arrived undefeated on grass after her title in Berlin and had passed the first four rounds in less than five hours in total, without giving up a single set.

BBQ partners

But on Tuesday against the Czech Marie Bouzkova, the 27-year-old Tunisian took 1h47 to come back a set and win 3-6, 6-1, 6-1, thus becoming the first player from the African continent to climb in semi -finals of a Grand Slam tournament since South African Amanda Coetzer in 1997.

"I'm happy to have woken up in the second set and then to have played very well in the third", commented Jabeur who was already the first Arab player to have reached the quarters of a Major, in 2020 at the Australian Open.

Tunisian Ons Jabeur after her victory over Czech Marie Bouzkova in the quarter-finals of Wimbledon on July 5, 2022 SEBASTIEN BOZON AFP

Antics of history, she will face a player who, theoretically, should not have been there and who, practically, is a "great friend".

"Tatjana, I love her, she's a great friend, my barbecue partner!", Launched Jabeur, admiring Maria's journey.

Because the latter, still ranked beyond the 250th place in the world last March, saved two match points in the round of 16 and had to overthrow a badly embarked quarterback against his young 22-year-old compatriot Jule Niemeier (97th) to win 4-6, 6-2, 7-5.

"I have goosebumps... It's a dream to live this with my family, my two little girls. Less than a year ago, I gave birth... It's crazy!", commented Maria before leaving Court N.1.

© 2022 AFP