Novak Djokovic has powered into his ninth Wimbledon final as the fiery defending champion feuded with the umpire and spectators before beating Jannik Sinner to reach a record 35th Grand Slam singles title match.
Djokovic was in combative mood during a 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (7/4) semi-final victory that moved him closer to a record-equalling eighth Wimbledon title.
The 36-year-old faces world number one Carlos Alcaraz or Russian third seed Daniil Medvedev in his fifth successive Wimbledon final on Sunday.
“Semi-finals are always going to be very intense. Maybe the scoreline doesn’t give the reality of what happened on court. It was super close,” Djokovic said.
On his row with umpire Richard Haigh, who stripped him of a point after he made a loud yell in the middle of a rally, Djokovic said: “The hindrance could have changed the course of the match. I felt nervous after that call, but I managed to re-group.
“It’s probably the first time it’s happened to me, I don’t normally have extended grunts. Maybe it was an echo in the roof.”
The Serb will tie Roger Federer’s eight Wimbledon crowns if he wins a fifth consecutive title on the All England Club grass.
Djokovic’s latest milestone — his record 35th Grand Slam final — took him past American legend Chris Evert, but he has an even more significant feat in his sights on Sunday.
With 23 Grand Slam singles titles to his name, the world number two is aiming to equal Margaret Court’s all-