Novak Djokovic overcame Rafael Nadal in another epic Wimbledon semi-final.
The Serbian former world No 1 will face Kevin Anderson in Sunday’s final after an absorbing 6-4 3-6 7-6 (11-9) 3-6 10-8 victory which took five-and-a-quarter hours.
It was the second longest semi-final in Wimbledon history with the longest, of course, having taken place 24 hours earlier.
Novak Djokovic will face Kevin Anderson in the Wimbledon final after beating Rafael Nadal
Nadal was beaten 10-8 in the fifth and final set after more than five hours across two days
Djokovic lets out a smile after coming through the titanic struggle against his old rival
Nadal slipped and crashed to the floor during the 18th and final match of the fifth set
The 52nd meeting between these two great rivals was delayed by the six hours and 36 minutes it took Anderson and John Isner to play their match, with Djokovic taking a two-sets-to-one lead before play was suspended just after 11pm on Friday.
Nadal will regret his missed opportunity the night before, when he was in the ascendancy but passed up two set points.
But while Anderson and Isner’s titanic tussle was more an exercise in totting up aces, this was a cast-iron classic.
The Centre Court roof remained closed, and the players carried on where they left off, raising the level of tennis seen at the championships so far by several notches.
The opening game alone, on Nadal’s serve, was 15 minutes of blistering groundstrokes and stunning winners, the Spaniard fending off two break points amid six deuces to eventually hold.
Yet when Djokovic’s serve was placed under scrutiny it promptly caved in, Nadal breaking to 15.
Nadal celebrates on his way to levelling the match after play resumed on Centre on Saturday
The Spaniard trailed 2-1 overnight but took the semi-final to a fifth set on Centre Court
Djokovic, backed by Andy Murray to win this year’s title, stretches to make a backhand
Nadal clenches his first as he looked to seal his place in the final against Kevin Anderson
Nadal celebrates as Djokovic is left slumped on the Centre Court grass at the end of a point
The Serb screams at his box as the tension rose during the fifth and final set at Wimbledon
The Duchess of Cambridge (L) and Duchess of Sussex were in the Royal Box on Saturday
Nadal gifted a break back with a suddenly sloppy service game but when he struck again for 5-3 Djokovic’s frustration boiled over and he began hammering the sole of his shoe with his racket.
Djokovic forced three break points but Nadal hauled himself level and clinched the set with an ace – called out but correctly challenged – to take the match into a decider.
South African Anderson, presumably watching somewhere with his feet up, will have no doubt been pleased.
Nadal faced a break point at 4-3 behind but roared away from trouble with a powerful first serve followed by two vicious, whipped forehand winners.
Djokovic was under the cosh in the next but two booming serves saved two break points and suddenly Nadal found himself at 0-30 as he served to stay in the match.
Nadal and the crowd on Centre Court react at the end of another epic point on Saturday
Djokovic smacks his racket against his foot as his frustration grew during the fourth set
Djokovic started brightly and took the first centre on Centre Court on Friday night
Nadal then rallied to take the second set and level the match after an early break of serve
Once again his first serve was his saviour and the match started to enter prime Anderson-Isner territory.
At 7-7 Djokovic double-faulted for 15-40 but again got out of that hole before a simply sensational forehand winner saved another break point.
The atmosphere, in sharp contrast to Friday’s slug-fest, was electric. Djokovic converted his game point and urged the crowd to its feet, Nadal converted a smash and raised his arms aloft.
Nadal was flagging, though, and it told in the 18th game of a 91-minute final set. Djokovic raced to 40-0 and when his rival’s tired forehand floated long, the 12th seed raised his arms again.
The match did not start until 8.09pm due to epic tie between Anderson and USA’s John Isner
The Serbian superstar reacts angrily as the match went deep into the night on Friday
But as the clock ticked to 11pm on the final lung-busting rally, it was Nadal who faltered first