Just when Novak Djokovic’s troubled year looked like hitting another low, he salvaged his bid for a fourth successive Wimbledon title by coming back from two sets down to beat Italian Jannik Sinner on Tuesday.

The Serbian top seed was in all kinds of trouble against the inspired 20-year-old. He was outplayed for two sets but stormed back to win 5-7, 2-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2.

In the end, there was an air of inevitability about the outcome as the battle-hardened 35-year-old seized control to reach his 43rd grand slam semi-final and 11th at Wimbledon. He also extended an unbeaten run at Wimbledon that goes back to 2017 and now stands at 26 matches.

Djokovic has not added to his 20 major titles this year after being deported before the Australian Open following a Covid-19 standoff and then losing to old adversary Rafael Nadal in the quarter finals of the French Open.

He might even be barred from the US Open over his decision to shun a Covid-19 vaccine but kept alive the prospect of facing Spaniard Nadal in Sunday’s Wimbledon final with a seventh career comeback from two sets down.

After the match, Djokovic said: “The first two sets compared to the last three was like two different matches.”

The Serbian, who is now joint second all-time with Jimmy Connors on 83 Wimbledon match wins, said: “He (Sinner) was the better player for two sets, then I had a toilet break and had a little pep talk with myself in the mirror, it’s actually true. I broke early in the third set and that gave me a confidence boost and I saw a little doubt in him.”

Sinner, the 10th seed, looked primed for the biggest win of his career to follow in the footsteps of compatriot Matteo Berrettini who reached last year’s showpiece match. But he wilted under a Djokovic onslaught.

Semis vs Norrie

Djokovic will meet British ninth seed Cameron Norrie in the semi-final on Friday.

The 26-year-old Norrie reached his first grand slam semis after coming back from behind twice to beat unseeded Belgian David Goffin 3-6, 7-5, 2-6, 6-3,7-5.

Britain’s Cameron Norrie exults after winning a point against David Goffin on Tuesday. Getty Images

Having come into the match full of confidence after successive straight-set wins, Norrie was surprisingly ragged in the first set. He rallied to take the second but managed only two points in the first four games of the third as Goffin took it without having to do anything extraordinary. In the fourth, the Briton upped his intensity to level the match, much to

the delight of a packed No.1 Court, which had among its spectators the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, William and Catherine.

In the fifth, Norrie somehow found an extra gear to blast through a service break to love and then served out safely to secure the biggest win of his career.

‘Amazing’ for Rafa

On Monday, Nadal took another step forward in his bid for a rare calendar-year grand slam by booking his spot in the quarter finals with a 6-4, 6-2, 7-6 (8-6) win against Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp.

“To be in the quarter finals here at Wimbledon after three years without playing here, it’s amazing for me,” said Nadal.