With Roger Federer already out, the only familiar face in the men’s semi-finals at Wimbledon is top-ranked Novak Djokovic.
The other three players left — No 7 seed Matteo Berrettini of Italy, No 10 Denis Shapovalov of Canada and No 14 Hubert Hurkacz of Poland — had never even reached the quarter-finals at the All England Club before.
WIMBLEDON LIVE: Men’s semi-finals
Only Berrettini had reached the last four at any Grand Slam tournament, doing so at the 2019 US Open. That makes Djokovic the big favourite to add a sixth Wimbledon crown — and third in a row — and equal the men’s record of 20 total Grand Slam titles shared by Federer and Rafael Nadal.
First, Djokovic needs to get past Shapovalov in the semi-finals. The 22-year-old Shapovalov is only the third Canadian man to reach the Wimbledon semis. He has an 0-6 record against Djokovic. Shapovalov defeated Russia’s Karen Khachanov in a five-setter quarter-final.
In his previous match, Djokovic overcame the challenge of Márton Fucsovics 6-3, 6-4, 6-4.
Hurkacz beat Federer in straight sets in the quarter-finals and will try to follow that up by beating Berrettini. Hurkacz won their only previous matchup.
Here’s all you need to know about Wimbledon men’s singles semi-finals:
When are the men’s singles semi-finals of Wimbledon 2021?
The Wimbledon men’s singles semi-finals will kickstart at 6 pm IST, with Berrettini taking on Hurkacz. After the conclusion of the first semi-final, Djokovic and Shapovalov will take the court.
Where will the men’s singles semi-finals be held?
Both men’s singles semi-finals will be held at the Centre Court of All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in London.
How can I watch the men’s singles semi-finals?
You can watch both the matches on Star Sports Select 1 and Star Sports Select 2 (Both SD and HD formats). The matches can also be live-streamed on Disney + Hotstar. You can also follow our LIVE blog on Firstpost.com .
With inputs from AP.