Djokovic gets past Tomic to semi-finals

An out-of-sorts Novak Djokovic survived some scary moments to book his place in the Wimbledon semi-finals, beating teenage Australian Bernard Tomic 6-2 3-6 6-3 7-5 on Court One.

The Serbian second seed, with just one defeat to his name in 2011, was lethargic and error-prone against his Australian practice partner, was broken three times and needed a run of seven straight games spanning the third and fourth sets to put him in command.

He will need to play much better if he is to progress into a maiden Wimbledon final, though, and may have some concerns over an injury he seemed to suffer when falling in the fourth set.

Novak Djokovic broke serve twice to take the opening set on Court One.

The number two seed had eight break points and, although he could only convert two of them, that was enough as he took the first set 6-2.

Five of those eight points presented themselves to the Serbian in the first game, with a backhand-volley combination allowing him to get off to the perfect start.

Tomic, watched by his childhood hero, the 2001 champion Goran Ivanisevic, settled into his languid stride after that but, when he conceded three further break points in the seventh game, Djokovic cashed one of them in when the 18-year-old hit long, going on to take the set with a hold to love.

Despite being broken twice in the first set, Tomic's play on the ground was impressive, holding the centre of the court and forcing to Djokovic to scramble, and he broke to lead 3-1 early in the second.

A double-fault from Djokovic and a poorly-executed backhand slice into the net gave Tomic two chances to take his opponent’s serve, with another double-fault from Djokovic doing his job for him.

He cemented the break with a hold to love – the highlight of which was a forehand that he pinned to the line – and he could have broken in the net game had Djokovic not pulled out a brace of booming serves to take the game.

Tomic was flying now, though, and went 5-2 ahead when he chased down a drop shot and played one of his own that tied Djokovic in knots, before winning the set 6-3, taking a third set point with a looping forehand that landed flush on the baseline.

Few had given Tomic, a relative unknown from the Gold Coast, a chance prior to the match, but it was he who looked like the second seed as he broke again at the start of the third set.

Djokovic, hardly overworked with an average match time for the tournament of two hours, looked lethargic, and when he came in to try and block a passing shot, his attempted short return ballooned off court to give his opponent an ideal start to the set.

Djokovic spurned two chances to take Tomic’s serve in a marathon fourth game, showing his frustration as a challenge went against him, but he regained his composure to break to 15 in the sixth game as Tomic’s previously metronomic groundstrokes let him down.

His serve was the next thing to go, a double fault allowing Djokovic to break again to turn a 3-1 deficit into a 5-3 lead, which quickly turned into a 6-3 third-set win.

Tomic's confidence looked to have deserted him, a wildly long forehand and a weak backhand into the net giving Djokovic a third straight break at the start of the fourth set, but the teenager quickly found his mojo again and was back level in the fourth game.

Djokovic, still looking leggy and not scrambling as much as usual in defence, offered up three break points and Tomic did not need a second invitation, coming in on a tame second serve and pounding a forehand winner beyond his opponent.

Another dreamy shot on his right side staved off a break point on his own serve in the next game, while Djokovic had an injury scare as he fell to the ground in the ninth game as Tomic nailed a forehand wide of him.

Tomic’s hitting was becoming erratic again, though, and when Djokovic earned a break point in the 11th game he took it, floating a drop shot out of his opponent’s reach and he went on to serve out the match.