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Matthew Ebden and Max Purcell’s hopes appeared all but over in their Wimbledon semi-final against top seeds Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury on Thursday, but the Australian pair turned things around in spectacular style to seal a championship match spot at the grass-court Grand Slam.

Ebden and Purcell fended off five match points for their opponents in the third-set tie-break, a pivotal moment in their 3-6, 6-7(1), 7-6(9), 6-4, 6-2 victory on No. 1 Court. The 14th seeds used the momentum from that third-set escape to dominate the second half of an enthralling three-hour, 59-minute encounter, breaking serve four times to reach their second major final of the season.

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It is the second time that Ebden and Purcell have beaten Ram and Salisbury in a Grand Slam semi-final this year, having also defeated the American-British duo in the last four at January’s Australian Open. Thursday’s win in London extended the pair’s Grand Slam match record to 13-3.

Awaiting the Australian pair in Saturday’s final will be defending champions Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic or 2019 winners Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah.

Eight years after Wimbledon debutant Nick Kyrgios stunned Rafael Nadal in the 2014 fourth round, the two men will square off again Friday for a place in the 2022 title match.

Only three of their previous nine ATP Head2Head matchups were decided in straight sets, with three of their box-office contests coming at the majors and four at the ATP Masters 1000 level. But their 10th meeting is their most intriguing yet, such are the storylines woven through each man's progress to the semi-final stage. (Learn how Nadal has built a 6-3 advantage in the rivalry.)

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For starters, Nadal was not even sure that he would walk out onto Centre Court for the match following his quarter-final victory over Taylor Fritz. After delivering a Herculean effort to overcome an abdominal injury and twice come from behind in a five-set epic, the Spaniard could not confirm whether he would be fit to compete again in the semi-finals.

While he awaits further tests to reveal the extent of the injury, which primarily affected his serve against Fritz, he had no doubts about the level of his tennis from the baseline.

Two classic five-set comebacks set the stage for Friday's Wimbledon semi-final between Novak Djokovic and Cameron Norrie, both of whom will benefit from two days' rest before the showdown encounter.

Djokovic escaped a two-set deficit against Jannik Sinner, dominating the final three on Centre Court, while Great Britain's Norrie battled back from two-sets-to-one down against David Goffin. Norrie's triumph was boosted by support from the No. 1 Court crowd, which included Prince William and Kate Middleton, the Duke and Duchess Of Cambridge.

The South African-born and New Zealand-raised Londoner has carried the hopes of his adopted nation as the last Briton standing in the men's and women's singles draws since the quarter-final stage. The ninth seed called on British fans to help see him through to the semi-finals and hopes for similar support when he returns to Centre Court for the second time this fortnight.

"I think at the end of the fourth [set]... I really got the crowd involved," he said of his match against Goffin on Tuesday. "From then on, they were behind me every point. I think it frustrated him a little bit. Maybe that was the difference."

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Rafael Nadal’s team implored him to retire after the Spaniard had treatment on an abdominal issue in the second set of his thrilling quarter-final win against Taylor Fritz at Wimbledon on Wednesday. With an unbeaten record at major tournaments in 2022 on the line and just three retirements in his past decade on Tour, however, that decision was never going to sit well with the two-time champion.

“They told me I needed to retire from the match,” said Nadal in his post-match press conference after his dramatic 3-6, 7-5, 3-6, 7-5, 7-6(10-4) win. “For me it was tough to retire in the middle of the match. [It was] not easy, even if I had that idea for such a long time.

“I did it a couple of times in my tennis career. It’s something that I hate to do. So, I just kept trying, and that's it.”

Clearly in discomfort and unable to serve at full power on Centre Court, Nadal showcased his trademark resilience to rally and clinch a stunning four-hour, 20-minute victory. He admitted that it was less the medical time-out and more his desire to see things through to the end that enabled him to carry on.

“They can't do much [in the medical time-out], honestly,” said the 36-year-old. “The doctor came, gave me some anti-inflammatories and analgesic. The physio just tried to relax the muscle there a little bit, but it's difficult. Nothing can be fixed when you have a thing like this. That's it.

Taylor Fritz came close to the biggest win of his career on Wednesday at Wimbledon against Rafael Nadal. But instead of advancing to his first major semi-final, the American lost against the 22-time major winner in a final-set tie-break and walked off court shattered.

“It was a tough match. I think I did some things well and some things not as good. In the end he was just really, really, really good,” Fritz said. “Certain parts of the match I felt like maybe I kind of just needed to come up with more, do more. I left a lot up to him, and he delivered. It was a great match. Honestly, probably hurts more than any loss I've ever had.”

The 24-year-old showed his dismay as he walked to the net to shake hands with Nadal, and took a moment at his chair before leaving the court.

“After the match was over, I was sitting there and I felt like crying, like I wanted to cry,” Fritz said. “I’ve never felt like that ever after a loss. I've never felt like I could cry after a loss. Just that's telling enough to know that this one hurt more than any other one's hurt before.”

The good news for Fritz is that he pushed the two-time Wimbledon champion to the absolute limits in his first major quarter-final. Although he was unable to claw past the Spaniard, Fritz showed he is capable of testing the best in the sport on tennis’ biggest stages.

Rafael Nadal and Taylor Fritz put on a show on Wednesday evening at Wimbledon, with the Spaniard prevailing in a five-set thriller to reach his eighth Wimbledon semi-final.

While the pair exchanged blows on Centre Court, a vocal crowd watched on in support, gasping in astonishment at the shotmaking that was on display at SW19. After the clash, ATPTour.com spoke to some of the lucky fans who had witnessed Nadal clinch another memorable victory on the lawns in London.

“I thought it was absolutely amazing,” said Andre Richards [below right], aged 63 from London. “When it started we thought it was going to be Taylor’s match. Then as it went on it was so even. Over the 35 years I have been coming, that was there with the Nadal and Roger Federer final that I went to in 2008. Nadal and Federer was probably the greatest match ever and that match tonight really rivals it. It was amazing.”

Photo Credit: Sam Jacot/ATP Tour
Babs Smith from Lincolnshire, England, watched the match donned out in fancy dress. For her, the victory meant a lot.

“What a match. I was chuffed for Nadal. It was point for point. The atmosphere was crazy and enthralling throughout,” Babs [below left] said. “Anybody could have won and nobody deserves to lose but experience came through on the day. Nadal is a legend and we are so happy.”

Rafael Nadal and Nick Kyrgios will meet on Friday a blockbuster Wimbledon semi-final, their third clash at The Championships.

Nadal currently leads their ATP Head2Head 6-3, and the Spaniard is pursuing a record-extending 23rd major title. Kyrgios is trying to reach his first Grand Slam final. ATPTour.com looks back at the pair’s previous ATP Head2Head meetings.

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2022 Indian Wells QF, hard, Nadal d. Kyrgios 7-6(0), 5-7, 6-4
Every clash between Nadal and Kyrgios is highly anticipated, and their 2022 meeting at Indian Wells was no different. This time, Nadal carried a perfect 18-0 record on the season into the match.

Kyrgios brought some of his best tennis, even earning two break points in his first return game of the deciding set. But Nadal and his battling spirit refused to give in, and the Spaniard triumphed 7-6(0), 5-7, 6-4 after two hours and 46 minutes.

Top seeds Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury are through to the Wimbledon semi-finals for the second straight year following a dramatic, five-set victory Wednesday at The Championships. The American-British pairing outlasted 12th seeds Nicolas Mahut and Edouard Roger-Vasselin, 6-3, 6-7(1), 6-1, 3-6, 6-4.

Ram-Salisbury sealed victory with their fourth break of the match in its final game, confirming their progress to their seventh Grand Slam semi-final as a team, all since 2020. Champions at the 2020 Australian Open and the 2021 US Open, the pair is bidding for its first final at doubles World No. 1 Salisbury's home major.

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The top seeds created the bulk of the chances in the three-hour, 17-minute contest, finishing four-of-nine on break points while dropping serve just once on three break points against. But their French opponents dominated the second-set tie-break and capitalised on their lone break of the match in the fourth set to force a decider on No. 2 Court.

Late in the second set, Ram-Salisbury thought they earned a break of serve to move ahead 6-5, but a successful challenge saw the call overturned, giving the Frenchmen new life. While Mahut and Roger-Vasselin used that momentum to run away with the ensuing tie-break, Ram-Salisbury snapped back to take the first five games of the third set.

Rafael Nadal and Taylor Fritz’s Wimbledon quarter-final has entered a deciding set after the second-seeded Spaniard dug deep to level proceedings Wednesday on Centre Court.

Nadal, who won the Australian Open in January and Roland Garros in June, is seeking to keep his bid for the 2022 Grand Slam alive at the grass-court major in London. For the 11th seed Fritz, a first Grand Slam semi-final spot is on the line.

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The American reeled off five games in a row to clinch the first set, before Nadal left the court for a medical timeout when leading 4-3 in the second set. Although the Spaniard still appeared in clear discomfort, particularly when serving, he stayed aggressive to break Fritz’s serve twice to level the match.

Fritz, bidding to become the youngest American man to reach the semi-finals at Wimbledon since Andy Roddick in 2005, looked to have regained control of the match after he capitalised on Nadal errors to break twice and ease to the third set, before more solid groundstrokes earned him another break in the opening game of the fourth. The Spaniard was typically resolute, however, going for his shots to keep points short to prevail in a fourth set that featured five breaks of serve.

Nick Kyrgios reached his first Grand Slam semi-final on Wednesday, overcoming Chilean Cristian Garin 6-4, 6-3, 7-6(5) in front of a raucous crowd on Court No. 1 at Wimbledon. The 27-year-old is the first Australian man to advance to the last four at a major since Lleyton Hewitt reached that stage at the US Open in 2005.

Kyrgios overpowered Garin with his thunderous ball striking, while he also demonstrated great touch from all areas of the court to earn the biggest win of his season after two hours and 13 minutes.

“An amazing atmosphere out here again. I just never thought that I would be in the semi-finals at a Grand Slam. I thought that ship had sailed,” Kyrgios said in his on-court interview. “I didn’t go about things great earlier in my career and may have missed my window. I am really proud of the way I have come back out here.”

Most Grass Wins (2022)

The No. 40 player in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, who was playing in his third major quarter-final and first since the 2015 Australian Open, will next meet second-seeded Spaniard Rafael Nadal or American Taylor Fritz. Kyrgios trails 22-time major champion Nadal 3-6 in their ATP Head2Head series, while he has never played Indian Wells titlist Fritz.

For a little over an hour on Tuesday, Rafael Nadal practised on Court 16 at Wimbledon with his sights set on his next encounter; Wednesday’s quarter-final against Taylor Fritz. Accompanied by Francisco Roig and Marc Lopez, his two coaches, the 22-time Grand Slam champion was working hard to keep alive his chances of reclaiming a title he won in 2008 and 2010.

“It’s good,” Roig told ATPTour.com after the training session. “We managed to train a lot, there were a couple of days when we almost played for four hours. When we got here, the first thing was to be able to compete. He arrived here unsure about his foot treatment in Mallorca, even though it went well for him.

“The goal was to keep playing better every day. Now we’re in that situation. Given how last-minute it was, we can be happy after three years without playing on grass. So far, we’re doing well. When we arrived, we weren’t thinking about winning, but now he is among the favourites.”

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To stay on track for a third Wimbledon crown, Nadal must next move past Fritz, with whom he shares a 1-1 ATP Head2Head record. In March, the American defeated the Spaniard in the final of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, a match in which Nadal played with a rib fracture that subsequently kept him out of action until the Mutua Madrid Open in early May.

Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic’s red-hot form on the grass shows no sign of abating at Wimbledon.

The defending champions eased to a 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 quarter-final victory against 11th seeds Kevin Krawietz and Andreas Mies on Tuesday at the grass-court major. The win extended the all-Croatian team’s winning streak to 12 matches, following its title runs at The Queen’s Club and Eastbourne in the lead-up to The Championships.

Mektic and Pavic were dominant behind serve, facing no break points and winning 85 per cent (45/53) of points behind their first delivery to keep two-time Roland Garros champions Krawietz and Mies under constant pressure. The second seeds converted four of their six break points to register a one-hour, 39-minute win and improve their record as a team at Wimbledon to 10-0.

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Their next opponents will be Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah. The Colombian duo advanced to their second semi-final at the All England Lawn Tennis Club after Denis Kudla and Jack Sock retired from the quarter-final clash with the Colombians leading 6-3, 6-3, 6-7(3).

Taylor Fritz has enjoyed the best run at a major of his career at Wimbledon, where he is into the quarter-finals without losing a set. The 11th-seeded American will face a tough challenge in the last eight against second seed Rafael Nadal, who has won the first two majors of the season.

It will be a rematch of this year's BNP Paribas Open final, in which Fritz defeated Nadal for his first ATP Masters 1000 title.

Before the match, ATPTour.com caught up with Fritz's coach, Michael Russell, to speak about his charge's run at SW19, his message for Fritz, why the 24-year-old needs to be aggressive against Nadal and more.

How fun has it been for you to see all the hard work coming out at another big event like this?
It’s great. You know how tennis is, there are so many ups and downs. Taylor had the injury during the clay-court season with Madrid and Rome and then a couple first-round, early exits in ‘s-Hertogenbosch and in Queen’s.

We put a really good week of training in before Eastbourne and then obviously had that unbelievable week in Eastbourne, not even losing serve and then continued to take that into Wimbledon. It’s fantastic. That’s the pinnacle of coaching. You put the hard work in and then you see the results.

The Wimbledon quarter-final action rounds out Wednesday when Rafael Nadal, Taylor Fritz, Nick Kyrgios and Cristian Garin take to the lawns at the All England Lawn Tennis Club in pursuit of a final-four spot.

Nadal and Fritz will meet for the first time since their championship match clash at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells in March. The American ran out a straight-sets winner on that occasion as the Spaniard struggled with a fractured rib, but second seed Nadal has the added motivation of maintaining his perfect Grand Slam record for 2022 as the two face off at the grass-court major.

Kyrgios and Garin each came through five-set thrillers in the fourth round in London, and the pair's maiden ATP Head2Head meeting sees both players hunting their first Grand Slam semi-final appearance.

ATPTour.com looks at the quarter-final action set for Day 9 in the British capital.

View Singles Draw | View Doubles Draw | View Schedule

A little self-reflection can go a long way for Novak Djokovic.

The six-time Wimbledon champion was two-sets-to-love down and struggling to find his best level in his quarter-final clash with Jannik Sinner at the grass-court major on Tuesday afternoon, and the top seed admitted a quiet moment off court had been pivotal in his 5-7, 2-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 comeback victory.

“The first two sets compared to the last three, we had probably two different matches,” said Djokovic in his on-court interview after surging to the semi-finals in London for the 11th time. “He was the better player for two sets. I went out, had a little bit of refreshment at the toilet break and had a little bit of a pep talk in the mirror.

“Sometimes in these kinds of circumstances, where not much is happening positively for you on the court and the other guy on the court is dominating the play, these things are necessary. A little break, a little pep talk, to try and recuperate and regather the thoughts. Reassemble everything that you have to come at your opponent with the best possible game.

“Even though I’ve played tennis on the big stage for 20 years now, I go through the same doubtful moments as anybody else. The inner fight is always the biggest fight on the court and off the court, so trying to win that internal fight is a big challenge. Once you do that, I feel like external circumstances are more likely to go in your favour."

Great Britain’s final hope of a singles champion at this year’s Wimbledon is still alive.

It took all the resilience he has, but ninth seed Cameron Norrie found a way to rally past former World No. 7 David Goffin 3-6, 7-5, 2-6, 6-3, 7-5 on Tuesday for a place in his first major semi-final. The lefty is the fourth British man in the Open Era to advance to the last four at The Championships.

"Just winning a match like this, I’m in shock. I don’t know what to say now," an emotional Norrie said in his on-court interview. "But just straight flashbacks to all the hard work, all the preseasons and all the sacrifices I’ve had to make. So it definitely pays off and it feels pretty good."

Entering the tournament, Norrie had never reached a major quarter-final. The 26-year-old will now play six-time champion Novak Djokovic for a spot in the championship match.

“It’s great to get this, but it only gets tougher. I’m going to come out, I’m going to enjoy that and take it to him," Norrie said. "Hopefully you guys can get behind me again. I’m sure you will… Looking forward to it. Can’t enjoy it too much now, just [need to] get ready for Novak in a couple of days."

Novak Djokovic completed his seventh two-set comeback on Tuesday at Wimbledon when he rallied past Jannik Sinner for a spot in the semi-finals, adding to his impressive five-set resume.

Three of Djokovic's two-set comebacks have come at Wimbledon. The first was in the second round in 2005 against Guillermo Garcia-Lopez when the Serbian was 18. He also clawed back against Kevin Anderson in the fourth round in 2015.

Djokovic's Seven Two-Set Comebacks

Djokovic is now 10-1 in five-setters at Wimbledon. The six-time champion's only loss in those matches came in the fourth round in 2006 against Mario Ancic when Djokovic was 19.

The Serbian is 37-10 in five-setters overall and has won his past eight five-set matches. He has not lost one since the Roland Garros semi-finals in 2019, when Dominic Thiem defeated him.

Novak Djokovic came back from the brink on Tuesday at Wimbledon, where the six-time champion pulled off a stunning quarter-final comeback to end Jannik Sinner’s hopes at the grass-court major in London.

The top seed engineered a mid-match turnaround to roar back and seal a 5-7, 2-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 victory against the 20-year-old Italian. Sinner successfully targeted Djokovic’s serve early, breaking it four times on the way to a two-sets-to-love-lead, but the six-time champion responded by raising his game to spectacular effect on Centre Court, wrapping up a three-hour, 35-minute victory to extend his winning streak at SW19 to 26 matches.

“Happiness, love, fulfilment, pride, [I feel] everything on this court,” said Djokovic in his on-court interview, when asked about extending his winning streak. “I love it. I think the majority of the players would agree this is the biggest tennis tournament in the history of our game, so this court is the most important one, definitely in my career and my life.

“This court inspired me to take the tennis racquet in my hand for the first time when I was five. Every single time I step on this court, the love affair keeps growing, so hopefully I can maintain that run.”

The top seed was full of praise for 20-year-old Sinner, who had not won a tour-level match on grass prior to his first-round victory over Stan Wawrinka last Monday.

The men's singles quarter-finals begin on Tuesday at Wimbledon, with two matches on tap at SW19. Top seed Novak Djokovic will face Jannik Sinner in the Centre Court opener, with Great Britain's Cameron Norrie and David Goffin set to close play on No. 1 Court. 

Two men's doubles quarter-finals are also set for Day 9 at The Championships. Defending champions and second seeds Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic face 11th seeds and two-time Roland Garros champs Kevin Krawietz and Andreas Mies on No. 3 Court, while 2019 Wimbledon champions Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah face Americans Denis Kudla and Jack Sock on Court 12. 

View Singles Draw | View Doubles Draw | View Schedule

[1] Novak Djokovic [SER] vs. [10] Jannik Sinner (ITA)

Prior to this quarter-final clash, Djokovic paid his opponent a supreme compliment by comparing the Italian's game to his own.

"I kind of see a little bit of myself in his game," the Serbian said in his most recent press conference. "From back of the court, playing flat backhands, constantly staying on the back of the line, trying to put pressure on opponents."

Andy Murray and Felix Auger-Aliassime have both accepted a wild card into next week’s Infosys Hall of Fame Open in Newport.

Murray will compete at the Rhode Island ATP 250 for the first time in 16 years, having advanced to the semi-finals in 2006. The Scot also played the tournament — where he owns a 4-2 record — in 2005.

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Auger-Aliassime will make his debut in Newport. The 21-year-old Canadian is No. 9 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings and will pursue his second ATP Tour title. Earlier this year, he lifted his maiden tour-level trophy in Rotterdam.

“I’m looking forward to competing in the Infosys Hall of Fame Open for the first time,” Auger-Aliassime said. “Newport’s tennis history is one-of-a-kind, and I’m excited to experience all it has to offer, continue the grass court season, and meet the local fans.”