Novak Djokovic shares tennis with 'classless' action at Wimbledon

Novak Djokovic blows kisses into some of the crowd after being booed during his Wimbledon semi-final win. photo: Getty

Novak Djokovic has cemented his reputation as one of tennis’ most divisive figures after securing his place in the Wimbledon final with a win over England’s Cameron Norrie in the last four.

Djokovic came back from a shaky start to defend his bid for a fourth consecutive Wimbledon title, with a 2-6 6-3 6-2 6-4 semi-final win over local hope Norrie.

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The comeback win opened the stage for an exciting championship showdown on Sunday with Nick Kyrgios, who is hoping to become Australia’s first men’s champion at the All England Club since Lleyton Hewitt reigned 20 years ago.

Djokovic overcame a strong start from Norrie, which brought a wave of emotion from the tight and tight home crowd, many of whom booed the Serb throughout the match.

Norrie received a standing ovation from the fans on midfield after the match, with Djokovic showing his class by standing at the net and joining the applause for his opponent as he came off the pitch.

However, it was the attitude towards the crowd of the 20-time grand slam champion after the match that sparked heated debate on social media.

After being booed by the fans during his serve, Djokovic turned towards the crowd after sealing victory and giving a sarcastic kiss to those who had booed him.

Some fans insisted it was the perfect response to the hostility that Djokovic had displayed during the match, while others saw it as a “classless” act on the part of the Serbian.

The new feat of being a six-time Wimbledon champion from 32 finals in a major tournament is a record for men’s tennis.

That puts him one ahead of Roger Federer and two ahead of Rafael Nadal, who pulled out of the semifinals with Kyrgios through injury.

Djokovic has great respect and admiration for Norrie after the match.

“Cameron hasn’t lost much, he’s played the tournament of his life,” Djokovic said.

“He’s a great player and I have a lot of respect for him.

“Cameron dominated the game and I was lucky to break his serve in the second set.

“He gave me the game and from then on I think the momentum changed.”

Djokovic and Norrie both dropped serve at the first request, with the crowd giving vocal support to the ninth seed.

But while Norrie quickly found her rhythm, Djokovic – apart from a stunning “tweener” lob – missed oddly, losing serve twice more in the set, which Norrie sealed with an ace.

The Serb landed just 55 percent of his first serve and made 12 unforced errors against his left-handed opponent in the opening set.

Djokovic looked calmer early in the second set, finding more rhythm on his serve and cutting errors.

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A single break for the 35-year-old in the eighth game changed the game, leaving him 5-3 up.

It was part of eight games out of nine for the 35-year-old, who took the second set and then led 5-1 in the third, giving Norrie a mountain to climb.

Djokovic broke again early in the fourth set and didn’t concede a single break point as he clinched the win.

The Serb is now on a 27-game winning streak at Wimbledon as he seeks to level with Pete Sampras on seven titles at the All England Club – just one behind Federer’s men’s record.

Novak Djokovic celebrates his match point against Cameron Norrie in the Wimbledon semifinals. photo: Getty

If he wins the title, he will reach 21 Grand Slam titles, surpassing Federer and just one behind Nadal in the race to be crowned the greatest of all time.

Djokovic already knew he would play number 40 Kyrgios after Nadal withdrew from the tournament ahead of the semi-final against the Australian with an abdominal injury.

Kyrgios, 27, will be playing in his first Grand Slam final but has a 2-0 winning streak against Djokovic.

“The work isn’t done yet,” said Djokovic, chasing a fourth straight Wimbledon title.

“One thing is for sure, there will be a lot of emotional fireworks from both sides.

“He plays free, has a big game and a lot of power in his shots. I’ve never won a set against him – hopefully this time it will be different. He won’t have much to lose.”

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