AT WIMBLEDON, IT WILL BE JOKER VS ANDERSON

LONDON:NOVAK Djokovic reached his fifth Wimbledon final on Saturday with a 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (11/9), 3-6, 10-8 victory over Rafael Nadal in the second longest semi-final ever played at the tournament.

Djokovic, the 2011, 2014 and 2015 champion, will face Kevin Anderson, the first South African in the final in 97 years, for the title after a 5-hour 15-minute marathon.

Victory on Sunday for the 31-year-old Serb would take his career Slam tally to 13, four behind Nadal but still seven back from Roger Federer.

It was a second day of epic drama at the All England Club after Anderson had needed 6 hours and 36 minutes to beat John Isner on Friday. That set the record for the longest semi-final at the tournament and became the second longest Grand Slam singles match ever played.

Djokovic will take a 5-1 career record over 32-yearold Anderson into Sunday’s final. His only loss was in 2008, while he has twice defeated the big-serving Anderson in two of his trophy-winning campaigns at Wimbledon in 2011 and 2015. Anderson is the first South African man since Brian Norton in 1921 to reach the Wimbledon final.

He is also just the third African to reach this stage after Norton and Jaroslav Drobny who represented Egypt when he made the championship match in 1952 and 1954. “I really hope that it’s a source of inspiration for kids,” said Anderson after his 6-hour 36-minute epic semi-final win.