Defending Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic took another step towards retaining his crown on Tuesday (July 11), beating Andrey Rublev in the quarterfinal.
After the win, he said he is “of course” the favourite to win Wimbledon, after reaching the semi-finals.
The tournament’s order of play today will include a semi-final face off between Djokovic and Jannik Sinner, as well as other semi-finals matches.
He said: “I don’t want to sound arrogant, but of course I would consider myself favourite. Judging with the results I’ve had here — the previous four occasions of Wimbledon I won, and reaching the other semi-final — I do consider myself favourite.”
The seven-time champion was typically confident after beating seventh seed Andrey Rublev 4-6, 6-1, 6-4, 6-3 in the high-quality thriller.
He paid tribute to his Russian opponent, saying: “Rublev is a fantastic player who’s got one of the best forehands in the game. Brings a lot of intensity to the court, he kind of scares off his opponents across the net. I have lots of respect for him.”
The tournament’s order of play on Friday will include a semi-final face off between Djokovic and Jannik Sinner, as well as other semi-finals matches.
Speaking of their battle on Centre Court after the win Djokovic said: “It was like a dogfight. He had his chances, I had my chances. I’m very glad to overcome the challenge. I think this is the best I’ve played him in any grand slam.
“He played terrific tennis. So far, so good — we reached the semi-finals. Still a couple of matches to go. Hopefully, I can get a shot at the title.”
So when will Djokovic next be playing at Wimbledon, and how can you watch him?
What time is Djokovic playing at Wimbledon today?
The Serbian, 36, now faces first-time semi-finalist Jannik Sinner at Centre Court today at approximately 1.40pm.
Speaking the last time the pair met in 2022, Djokovic said: “He plays on a very high level. He likes to play on grass. From forehand and backhand, he’s smashing the ball really, really hard, trying to be the one to dictate the point from early on. I know his game well. He’s so young, so of course it’s expected that he’s going to improve. He is improving.
“He’s a very complete player. I’m looking forward to that challenge. I’m sure he’s going to be very, very motivated to win.”
QF IDEMOOOOOO 🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱😃🙌🏼🙏🏼💪🏼 @Wimbledon #Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/WFJ6uGdYKI
— Novak Djokovic (@DjokerNole) July 10, 2023
How to watch Djokovic’s match at Wimbledon
Djokovic’s match will be aired on the BBC (though coverage may switch to BBC Two to break for BBC News, if necessary). Tune in ahead of time to find out how the earlier match is progressing, as the semi-final could be delayed if it is not the first match of the day.
Who else is playing at Wimbledon on Friday?
Games set to be played today include the ladies’ doubles semi-final, the quad wheelchair single semi-finals, and the boys’ and girls’ singles semi-finals.
The official schedule can be viewed here.
