'Sad to see': Fans gutted over 'heartbreaking' scenes at Wimbledon
Denis Shapovalov left the court in tears at Wimbledon on Friday after matching it with Novak Djokovic put still losing in straight sets.
Djokovic is just one win away from a record-equalling 20th grand slam title after beating Canada's Shapovalov 7-6(3) 7-5 7-5 to reach the Wimbledon final.
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The World No.1 had to absorb a barrage of powerful hitting from Shapovalov to reach his seventh Wimbledon final - the 34-year-old eclipsed at times by a 22-year-old opponent who lit up an overcast Centre Court.
But as he almost always does, Djokovic responded to adversity with his usual dogged defence and clinical precision to set up a Sunday showdown with Italian Matteo Berrettini.
Tenth seed Shapovalov was bidding to become just the second Canadian man to reach the Wimbledon final.
Despite producing some scintillating tennis, he was left pondering what might have been after failing to crack the toughest nut in the business.
He struck 40 winners but whenever Djokovic found himself in peril, he manned the barricades, saving 10 of the 11 break points he faced and making only 15 unforced errors as he simply refused to be knocked off course.
Djokovic won the opening set despite Shapovalov serving for it at 5-4, then saved several break points in the second as his opponent threw the kitchen sink at the five-time champion.
Even in the third set Shapovalov continued shooting from the hip but eventually his fire blew out as Djokovic claimed one of the toughest straight sets wins of his Wimbledon career.
Shapovalov left the court with tears in his eyes to a standing ovation from the Centre Court crowd.
Fans flocked to social media to praise his gutsy effort against the 19-time grand slam champion.
Shapovalov played like a dream and lost. This #Wimbledon has been heartbreaking on so many levels for me.
— richa singh (@richa_singh) July 9, 2021
Denis Shapovalov leaves Centre Court in tears.
God, he would have beaten a lot - A LOT - of players with the way he played today. And the way he battled in the third 👏👏👏 pic.twitter.com/dsnWAKvdbn— The Tennis Podcast (@TennisPodcast) July 9, 2021
Heartbreaking for #Shapovalov. Walks away with tears in his eyes but probably has earned the respect & admiration of so many around the world. Gave the world #1 plenty to worry about. Hope to see him go on & win many titles in the future.
Djoko & Berrettini will be something!— Uday_LFC (@LfcUday) July 9, 2021
A teary exit from Shapavalov. Heartbreaking 💔
He has had many chances but couldn't convert most of it.. But surely a player to watch out for in future.
Hope Berrettini wins the finale somehow.. #Wimbledon #WimbledonThing#djoker #shapovalov— ☢●¢яι¢кєт🔥𝔏๏ver●❂ (@mohan_sachin007) July 9, 2021
Sad to see his #Wimbledon run end, but at 22yrs old @denis_shapo has a big future. With @felixtennis at 20yrs old tennis has a great 🇨🇦 future ahead 💕 https://t.co/G5povTut42
— Kirstine Stewart (@kirstinestewart) July 9, 2021
I love to see the tennis stan world being mad because Novak Djokovic' mental strength is absolutely insane and he played the most important points perfectly. The GOAT for a reason #Wimbledon
— was careyspearss ミ☆ (@MDNASPEARSS) July 9, 2021
Great effort and great run by Shapo at #Wimbledon2021 - a huge step in his young career. Bravo Denis!
Meanwhile, Djokovic off to his 30th Grand Slam final - insane.— Brittany Ramsay (@BeeRamsSports) July 9, 2021
Brilliant, brutal tennis by Novak Djokovic. Won the big points when it mattered. That’s why he’s unstoppable and, surely, on his way to 20 grand slam titles #Wimbledon
— Graham Swann (@Graham_Swann) July 9, 2021
Djokovic to meet Berrettini in Wimbledon final
Djokovic is now in sight of a sixth All England Club triumph and will face Berrettini in the Centre Court showpiece on Sunday.
"I don't think the scoreline says enough about the performance or the match," Djokovic said.
"He was serving for the first set and was probably the better player, had many chances.
"I would like to give him a big round of applause for everything he has done today and also this two weeks.
"We are going to see a lot of him in the future, he is a great player."
Victory on Sunday would ensure Djokovic draws level with long-time rivals Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal on 20 major titles.
Berrettini powered his way into a first Wimbledon final with a 6-3 6-0 6-7 (3) 6-4 win over Hubert Hurkacz.
The 25-year-old from Rome is the first man from Italy to reach a grand slam final since Adriano Panatta won the French Open in 1976.
with agencies
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