Novak Djokovic on Friday defeated world no 12 Cameron Norrie in the Wimbledon 2022 semi-final to set up the title clash against Nick Kyrgios. The Serb won 2-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4. 

Djoko, seeded No 1 at the All England Club, got off to a slow start against his British competitor. After losing the first set, the 20-time Grand Slam champion went on a roll. He asserted his dominance through and through. When the match ended, the Serbian legend curled his lips as if sending a kiss to someone in the stands who had been backing Norrie during the match.

Also Read: Nick Kyrgios’ road to the Wimbledon 2022 final

Novak Djokovic has now extended his winning streak at Wimbledon to 27 matches in a row. He will play his eighth final on Sunday and pursue a fourth straight championship. The 35-year-old also broke Roger Federer’s record of making it to the final of a Grand Slam men’s singles event. The Swiss player has done it 31 times and Djoko 32. Rafael Nadal, who withdrew from Wimbledon 2022 at the semi-final stage, is third on the list with 30 final appearances. 

Most Grand Slam  finals (all-time):

32-Novak Djokovic 

31-Roger Federer

30-Rafael Nadal

Djokovic will face first-time major finalist Nick Kyrgios for the trophy on Sunday. The unseeded Kyrgios, a 27-year-old from Australia, did not need to play on Friday because 22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal withdrew from their semifinal with a torn abdominal muscle.

Talking about playing Kyrgios in the final, Djoko said, “There’s going to be a lot of fireworks! We haven’t played for some time. Never won a set off him.”

Also read: Kyrgios wishes Nadal ‘quick recovery’ after Spaniard withdraws from Wimbledon

The reigning Wimbledon champion has played Kyrgios twice and lost on both occassions. 

“I didn’t start off well. He was the better player for the first set. Cameron didn’t have much to lose. He’s playing probably the tournament of his life. I wish him all the best, he’s a great player, I have a lot of respect for him,” Djokovic added.