‘It is not normal’ – but extraordinary Djokovic defies odds once againFigure caption, Djokovic beats Auger-Aliassime in five-set thriller to progress to semi-finalsByAmy LofthouseBBC Sport senior journalist at WimbledonPublished1 hour agoIt is worth remembering that what you are watching is not normal.It is not normal that a 39-year-old should beat an opponent 14 years his junior in five sets in the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam.It is not normal that after five hours and 15 minutes, he is still chasing down every single shot that is pounded towards his racquet.It is not normal that he is gliding and sliding and then charging around the baseline, running to the net to meet drop shots, and still sending down second serves at 122 mph.But then, this is Novak Djokovic. A 24-time Grand Slam champion, one major away from the all-time record. Arguably the greatest to ever do it. A man who thrives on proving the doubters and the critics wrong.Under the lights of Centre Court, an epic battle played out. It was a match so engrossing it delayed the BBC News at 10. A packed crowd lived every moment. They were first behind Auger-Aliassime, the underdog. Then it was Djokovic, the great, roared on after losing the third set. They were split by the fifth set, but as Djokovic pulled away in the tie-break, the fans chanted his name. They stood and screamed as one as Auger-Aliassime spooned a backhand long to confirm Djokovic’s victory.
“To be able to come out and play this level of tennis at that age… it’s not normal. It’s really not normal,” Leon Smith, Britain’s Davis Cup captain, reported on BBC 5 Live.
“I know he spent a lifetime on his body, but to do this, the amount of work that we don’t see must be astonishing.
“It is amazing. He deserves all the respect that he gets.”
