Djokovic beats Norrie, to face Kyrgios in Wimbledon final
Record-breaking Novak Djokovic hit top form after a sluggish start against Britain's Cameron Norrie, reaching an eighth Wimbledon final, where he will face Nick Kyrgios.
Serbia's Novak Djokovic celebrates beating Britain's Cameron Norrie during their men's singles semi final tennis match on the twelfth day of the 2022 Wimbledon Championships at The All England Tennis Club in Wimbledon, southwest London, on July 8, 2022.
Novak Djokovic has fashioned a second consecutive comeback victory at Wimbledon, this one with a deficit far less daunting, the drama far less palpable.
The top-seeded Djokovic beat No. 9 seed Cam Norrie of Britain 2-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 in the semifinals on Friday to run his winning streak at the All England Club to 27 matches in a row as he pursues a fourth straight championship there.
NEW ACHIEVEMENT 🔓
— ATP Tour (@atptour) July 8, 2022
With an 85-10 record at Wimbledon, @DjokerNole surpasses Jimmy Connors and is the 2⃣nd player in the Open Era with most wins at the tournament. 💪@Wimbledon | #Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/HvVUoqVUgI
On the steamiest afternoon of the fortnight so far, with the temperature reaching 85 degrees Fahrenheit (30 Celsius) and the air still, Djokovic got off to a slow start and often looked displeased, shaking his head or gesticulating toward his guest box.
But unlike in the quarterfinals, when he dropped the opening two sets against No. 10 seed Jannik Sinner before winning in five, it took little time for Djokovic to assert his dominance.
When it ended, Djokovic curled his lips as if sending a kiss to someone in the stands who had been backing Norrie during the match.
'A lot of fireworks'
“The job," Djokovic said, "is not finished.”
He will face first-time major finalist Nick Kyrgios for the trophy on Sunday.
The unseeded Kyrgios, a combustible 27-year-old from Australia who drew jeers for the mere mention of his name during Djokovic's on-court interview, did not need to play on Friday because 22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal withdrew from their semifinal with a torn abdominal muscle.
“Well, one thing is for sure,” said Djokovic, who has lost both past matches against Kyrgios. “There’s going to be a lot of fireworks, emotionally, from both.”
It will be the 32nd Grand Slam title match for Djokovic, breaking a tie for the men's record he shared with Roger Federer, and gives the 35-year-old from Serbia a shot at a 21st major title and seventh at Wimbledon.
Only Federer, with eight, owns more at the grass-court tournament among men.
The women's final is Saturday, with No. 3 Ons Jabeur of Tunisia facing No. 17 Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan. That will be the first Wimbledon final since 1962 between two women both making their debuts in a major final.
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