Djokovic In 10th Wimbledon Semi-final As Federer Attempts To Defy Time

World number one and five-time champion Novak Djokovic reached his 10th Wimbledon semi-final and 41st at the Grand Slams on Wednesday as Roger Federer attempted to become the oldest man to make the last four in more than half a century.

Djokovic, chasing a record-equalling 20th major, defeated Hungary's Marton Fucsovics 6-3, 6-4, 6-4.

He will face Canada's 10th seed Denis Shapovalov, who beat Russia's Karen Khachanov 6-4, 3-6, 5-7, 6-1, 6-4, for a place in Sunday's final.

It was 34-year-old Djokovic's 100th career grass court victory.

Djokovic became only the third man to capture all four majors more than once with his second French Open victory last month.

Now he is halfway to becoming the first man in the Open Era and only the third in history to complete a calendar Grand Slam of all four majors.

"I'm aware of certain stats, I love this sport with all my heart, body and soul and have been devoted to it since I was four," he said.

"Sometimes things do look surreal for me but I try to live in the moment and take every opportunity I have on the court.

"Going for history is a huge inspiration for me, let's keep it going."

Djokovic raced into a 5-0 lead in the first set before 29-year-old Fucsovics got on the board.

The world number 48, bidding to become the first Hungarian man since 1948 to make the semi-finals at Wimbledon, saved five set points.

However, the rearguard action was too late to prevent the champion edging ahead.

The top seed broke for the only time in the second set in the ninth game which was enough for a two sets lead.

Djokovic had spent three hours fewer than the muscular Fucsovics in getting to the last-eight and his freshness showed when he crucially broke in the first game of the third set and then fought off two break points in the sixth.

Shapovalov fired 17 aces and 59 winners past Khachanov to reach his first Grand Slam semi-final.

The left-handed Canadian will be a huge underdog against Djokovic having lost all six matches against the world number one.

"Obviously he's the best player in the world but I think anything is anything is possible. When you look at the scoreboard first thing it will be 0-0," said the 22-year-old.

"Nothing else matters. Its a tennis match and it can go either way. I have full belief in myself and my team."

Federer, just five weeks shy of his 40th birthday, is in his 18th Wimbledon quarter-final and 58th at the majors.

He faces 18th-ranked Hubert Hurkacz, only the fourth Polish man to make the last-eight, after knocking out world number two Daniil Medvedev.

At 24, Hurkacz is 15 years younger than Federer.

Federer, chasing a ninth Wimbledon title, is bidding to reach the semi-finals for the 14th time and 47th at the Slams.

"We'll see how much more I have got left in the tank," said 39-year-old Federer who can become the oldest man in the Wimbledon last-four in the Open Era.

Should Federer prevail, he will face either Italian seventh seed Matteo Berrettini or Felix Auger-Aliassime, the 16th-seeded Canadian.

Berrettini, the Queen's Club winner, has fired a tournament-leading 67 aces and dropped serve just twice.

Auger-Aliassime, 20, is in the last-eight of a Slam for the first time after knocking out German fourth seed Alexander Zverev in five sets.

He and Berrettini are close friends while their respective girlfriends are cousins.

Auger-Aliassime is dating Nina Ghaibi while Berrettini is romantically involved with Australian player Ajla Tomljanovic who lost in the women's quarter-finals on Tuesday.

Berrettini defeated his friend in the final of the Stuttgart grass court final in 2019.