By Richard Pagliaro | Saturday, July 13, 2018

A long day's journey into a night of exhaustion and exhilaration delivered an epic semifinal and classic cliff-hanger.

Leave it to the Wimbledon to cap spellbinding suspense with a strict curfew.

Watch: Anderson's Lefty Forehand Sparks Epic Victory

Episode 52 of the Rafael Nadal vs. Novak Djokovic saga was every bit as invigorating as advertised.

Djokovic denied three set points in the third-set tie break to take a 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (9) lead over Nadal in today's second Wimbledon semifinal that was suspended at 11 p.m. local time due to the tournament curfew.

The winner of the Djokovic-Nadal semifinal will face 32-year-old Kevin Anderson in Sunday's final.

In an epic battle of former all-Americans, Anderson edged John Isner, 7-6 (8), 6-7 (5), 6-7 (9), 6-4, 26-24, to advance to his first career Wimbledon final with a historic triumph that staggered both big men.

The longest match in Centre Court history spanned six hours, 36 minutes and was the second longest Grand Slam match to Isner's 11 hour, 5-minute marathon win over Nicolas Mahut at the 2010 Wimbledon.

The Grand Slam champions will resume their riveting duel at 1 p.m. tomorrow on Centre Court prior to the women's final between 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams and two-time major winner Angelique Kerber. 

The tournament will confer with Nadal and Djokovic before resumption of play tomorrow.

If both agree, they will continue the semifinal with the roof open. However, if one or both semifinalists object then the match will resume with the Centre Court roof closed since the roof was closed when the match began.



For the first time, all four men's semifinalists were 30somethings and they collaborated on a semifinal day for the ages.

The eighth-seeded Anderson and ninth-seeded Isner combined for 102 aces. Isner saved five of six break points in the final set before the 6'8" South African earned the lone break of the deciding set for a 25-24 lead when Isner poked a forehand wide.

The ultra-marathon left both big men calling on Wimbledon to change its rule and implement a fifth-set tie break. 

"It gets kind of ridiculous at some point in time when it's late in the fifth set, over 20-All," said Anderson, who saved a match point upsetting defending champion Roger Federer in a four hour, 14-minute quarterfinal. "I can feel the crowd, as I said earlier, they're pretty antsy for us to get off the court. They've been watching us for over six hours. I mean, now, it pushes these guys back, as well. It's not ideal for them either potentially having to come back and play tomorrow.

"Even if there's a middle ground, obviously in a match like today, it's pretty historic in terms of the length. It feels great to be part of it, coming through. Maybe there's a middle ground that we can include a tiebreak at maybe, say, 12-All. I think that's a fair balance. If a match is 12-All in the fifth set, I don't think it needs to continue."



"The amount of times it gets to that point is pretty rare," Anderson said. "I think it protects the players' health as well. Because being out there for this length can be pretty damaging from a health standpoint, too."

Electric baseline exchanges and declarative strikes marked today's 52nd clash between Nadal and Djokovic.

A sharply struck return forced a back-pedaling Nadal to net a forehand. Djokovic had the break and a 4-3 lead 36 minutes into the match.

On triple-set point Djokovic danced around his backhand drilling a diagonal forehand to seize a one-set lead after 46 minutes permitting just six points on serve.

The good news for Djokovic fans: He owned a 55-1 record when winning the first set at Wimbledon.

The bad news? His lone loss was to Nadal in the 2007 semifinals.

Striking with conviction, Djokovic continued beating the world No. 1 to the ball and bossing Nadal in baseline rallies earning two more break points in the third game of the second set.

Struggle strengthened Nadal, who saw Djokovic barking at himself between points in frustration and put the bite on a blistering drive earning his first break for 3-1, spiking a run of three straight breaks.

A sweat-soaked t-shirt clinging to his body made Nadal look like a man who had been dunked in a pool. Djokovic made the second-seeded Spaniard sweat some more earning a pair of break points in the ninth game.

Roping a backhand down the line, Nadal gained set point and when Djokovic's backhand down the line missed the mark the old rivals were even at a set apiece at about 9:50 p.m. with the 11 p.m. curfew looming.

Baseline exchanges intensified throughout a tense third set. Djokovic detonated his signature shot, the backhand down the line, at the right times, while Nadal ripped running forehands with verve and accuracy.

Deadlocked at 5-all, Djokovic was down love-30. Wife Jelena stood in support as the 12th seed scalded his 13th ace down the T navigating an arduous hold for 6-5.

Charging net for a couple of fine backhand volleys, Nadal forced a third-set tie break. By then, the 2016 Olympic doubles gold-medal champion had won 21 of 26 trips to net.

In a tense and thrilling tie break, Djokovic dipped a slick drop shot to save the second set point, leveling at 7-all.

Djokovic denied a third set point then read a Nadal half-volley, burst out of the blocks and banged a backhand pass crosscourt for his second set point at 10-9.

When Nadal's backhand down the line missed the mark, Djokovic had a two-sets to one lead.

Both stopped to sign autographs as they walked off court.

In their prior 51 matches, neither man has ever successfully rallied to win from two-sets-to-one down.

Nadal will try to change history and continue his quest for an 18th Grand Slam crown tomorrow.