Nick Kyrgios revealed he was disappointed to be gifted a place in the Wimbledon final, having been determined to earn his shot at the title by beating Rafael Nadal.

But following news of that semi-final walkover, the Australian was so excited he struggled to sleep.

Kyrgios, speaking to the media on Friday, said he learned of Nadal's withdrawal with an abdominal muscle tear only shortly before the Spaniard announced his decision at a news conference.

While Kyrgios – who enjoys a feisty rivalry with the 22-time grand slam champion – sent Nadal a message on Instagram, he was yet to speak to him.

The 27-year-old had been desperate to beat Nadal, but his respect for his opponent was also evident in his words.

"Honestly, my first feeling was a bit of disappointment," Kyrgios said.

"My energy was so focused on playing him and tactically how I'm going to go out there and play, the emotions of walking out there and all that type of stuff.

"It's not the way I wanted to get to the final. As a competitor, I really did want that match – it was obviously something, as soon as I beat Garin, that I knew Rafa was a high possibility.

"It's just someone that I've had so many good battles with before. We've both taken a win against each other at this tournament, and I really did want to see how the third chapter was going to go.

"You never want to see someone like that, [someone] so important to the sport go down with an injury like that. 

"He's just played so much tennis, he's had a gruelling season, so I just hope he recovers. I'm sure I'll play him again on a big stage."

He added: "But obviously it's exciting to say I'll have a chance to play for a grand slam singles title; after everything, it's pretty cool."

Indeed, so exciting Kyrgios endured "a shocking sleep" on Thursday night.

"I got probably an hour of sleep," he said. "Just with everything, the excitement, I had so much anxiety, I was already feeling so nervous – and I don't feel nervous usually."

Kyrgios was concerned the absence of a semi-final match would knock him out of what has been "a pretty good routine" in his run to a first major final.

"People will say, 'he gets another day off', but it's definitely a shock to the system, having been playing so many matches," he explained.

"You play a match at a grand slam and you know, deep down, that you have one day to wind down, let yourself relax and then go again.

"To have two and a half, three days off... today I'm going to emulate not a match scenario but I'm going to try to have a bit more of an extended practice to try to feel like I'm in that same routine.

"That can throw anyone off. At a grand slam, you want to have those matches, you want to have those competitive juices, you want to have those going, the adrenaline.

"That's just something I'm going to have to go into the final without, that semi-final experience.

"That's okay, I'm going to take the positives, rest my body a bit; it's not bad going in there feeling fresh."

Nick Kyrgios has taken to social media to wish Rafael Nadal a speedy recovery after the Spaniard withdrew from the pair's Wimbledon semi-final through injury.

Nadal appeared to be struggling throughout his epic five-set quarter-final win over Taylor Fritz on Wednesday, and it was later confirmed the 22-time grand slam champion had suffered a seven-millimetre abdominal tear.

The two-time Wimbledon champion then announced his withdrawal from the competition at a news conference on Thursday, saying he doubted his ability to win two matches while enduring the pain.

Nadal's exit means Kyrgios will become Australia's first male Wimbledon finalist since Mark Philippoussis in 2003, and is the first player to receive a semi-final walkover in the competition in the Open Era.

The enigmatic 27-year-old has since taken to Instagram to wish the Spaniard well, writing: "Different players, different personalities.

"I hope your recovery goes well and we all hope to see you healthy soon. 'Till next time…"

The Australian has enjoyed a heated rivalry with Nadal since beating him in their first head-to-head meeting at Wimbledon in 2014, with the pair engaging in a couple of high-profile spats.

Kyrgios will now face either Novak Djokovic or Cameron Norrie in Sunday's final, as he bids to become the first Australian man to win Wimbledon since Lleyton Hewitt defeated David Nalbandian in 2002.

He has embarked on a box-office run in SW19, coming through five-set thrillers against Paul Jubb and Brandon Nakashima, as well as winning a fiery third-round contest against Stefanos Tsitsipas.

Some 6,944 days will have passed since an Australian man played in a Wimbledon final by the time Kyrgios takes to Centre Court on Sunday, though he will look to fare better than Philippoussis did in 2003's straight-sets loss to Roger Federer.

World number 40 Kyrgios is also the lowest-ranked – and the first unseeded – Wimbledon finalist since Philippoussis (number 48), as well as the lowest-ranked grand slam finalist since Marcos Baghdatis (number 54) at the 2006 Australian Open.

Rafael Nadal says prolonging his career is more important than any trophy after withdrawing from Wimbledon ahead of his semi-final against Nick Kyrgios due to injury.

The second seed played though the pain barrier in beating Taylor Fritz in a five-set thriller in Wednesday's quarter-final, but he later admitted he was unsure if a troublesome abdominal issue would clear up in time for Friday's semi-final.

Nadal appeared on the practice courts on Thursday, despite tests reportedly revealing he had a seven-millimetre abdominal tear, though it ultimately proved in vain as he announced at a news conference later in the day that his match with Kyrgios would not go ahead.

While disappointed at being denied the chance of winning a first calendar Grand Slam, having already won the Australian Open and French Open this year, the 22-time major winner feels he had no choice.

"Unfortunately, as you can imagine, I am here because I have to pull out from the tournament," he said. "As everyone saw yesterday, I have been suffering with a pain in the abdominal [area] and something was not okay there. 

"That is confirmed, I have a tear in the muscle and the communication is too late. I was thinking the whole day, I was thinking about the decision to make, but I think it doesn't make sense to go, even if I try through my career to keep going. 

"It is very tough circumstances but it is obvious if I keep going the injury will be worse and worse. I never thought about the calendar slam, I thought about my diary and my happiness.

"I don't want to go out there and not be competitive enough to play at my best. The most important thing to me is happiness over a title."

Nadal showed incredible mental and physical resilience to dig deep and see off first-time grand slam quarter-finalist Fritz 3-6 7-5 3-6 7-5 7-6 (10-4), despite being a set down when calling for a medical time-out on Centre Court.

"I make this decision because I don't believe I can win two matches under the circumstances. It is not only I can't serve at the right speed, it is I can't do the normal movement to serve," Nadal added of his decision to pull out.

"After that, to imagine myself winning two matches and for respect for myself in some way, I don't want to go out there and not be competitive enough to play at the level I need to play to achieve my goals."

Kyrgios will now receive a bye through to a first grand slam final, where either Cameron Norrie or Novak Djokovic await on Sunday.

As for Nadal, he is hopeful of returning to action within "two-to-three weeks", meaning he will have time to get back up to speed in time for the US Open, which begins on August 29.

"My goal is to go to the Montreal Masters [on August 5]," Nadal said. "Injuries are part of my career. I saw myself with options to win the title, but you have to accept things as they come."

Rafael Nadal has been forced to withdraw from Friday's Wimbledon semi-final against Nick Kyrgios, ending his hopes of a first calendar Grand Slam.

Nadal played through the pain barrier in a mammoth four-hour quarter-final clash with Taylor Fritz on Wednesday, regularly being checked over by his physio during a 3-6 7-5 3-6 7-5 7-6 (10-4) win on Centre Court.

The Australian Open and French Open champion admitted in the aftermath of that success he was "worried" about the prospect of having to withdraw from the tournament, adding: "I don't know [if I will be able to play] – I am going to have some more tests, but it is difficult to know."

Nadal appeared on the practice courts on Thursday in a bid to find a way of competing but was unable to serve at full power, and reports said tests had revealed a 7mm abdominal tear.

The 36-year-old's efforts were ultimately in vain as he confirmed he was pulling out at a news conference later on Thursday, meaning Kyrgios advances to a first major final.

Rafael Nadal has been forced to withdraw from Friday's Wimbledon semi-final against Nick Kyrgios, ending his hopes of a first calendar Grand Slam.

Nadal played through the pain barrier in a mammoth four-hour quarter-final clash with Taylor Fritz on Wednesday, regularly being checked over by his physio during a 3-6 7-5 3-6 7-5 7-6 (10-4) win on Centre Court.

The Australian Open and French Open champion admitted in the aftermath of that success he was "worried" about the prospect of having to withdraw from the tournament, adding: "I don't know [if I will be able to play] – I am going to have some more tests, but it is difficult to know."

Nadal appeared on the practice courts on Thursday in a bid to find a way of competing but was unable to serve at full power, and reports said tests had revealed a 7mm abdominal tear.

The 36-year-old's efforts were ultimately in vain as he confirmed he was pulling out at a news conference later on Thursday, meaning Kyrgios advances to a first major final.

Cameron Norrie can thrive as an underdog against Novak Djokovic and cause a sensation in Friday's Wimbledon semi-final, according to a former coach of the British star.

Ninth seed Norrie has battled through to a showdown with 20-time grand slam winner Djokovic, who had to come from two sets adrift to beat Jannik Sinner at the last-eight stage.

Their clash will be first on Centre Court on Friday, with Norrie bidding to follow in the recent footsteps of Andy Murray, Britain's last men's singles champion at the All England Club.

Djokovic is riding a 26-match unbeaten run at Wimbledon into the match, as the top seed bids to move a step closer to a fourth consecutive title at the tournament.

Yet the lower-ranked man can win, and he could even do it with a set to spare, according to Mexican David Roditi, head coach of the Texas Christian University's tennis team, with whom Norrie honed his talent as a youngster.

As well as studying sociology, Norrie's sports scholarship centred on playing for the Horned Frogs team. He spent three years at the university before leaving in 2017 to embark on a professional tennis career.

Roditi told Stats Perform he expects Norrie to thrive after his battling five-set win over David Goffin last time out.

"Obviously it's not easy to make Djokovic uncomfortable, not easy to beat him on grass," Roditi said. "What I will say is that this is finally the first time that Cameron gets to play as an underdog.

"I'm hoping that he's able to loosen up a little bit, be a little bit more aggressive, be able to go after him a little bit more than he was able to in the quarter-finals.

"I could feel he was not comfortable during that match [against Goffin]. He knew it was a great opportunity. So that underdog mentality has usually worked out well for Cameron. And I'm hoping that that's exactly what happens. And then once you get into the physicality of the game, and I think the longer this match goes, the better chances are for Cameron."

Looking at a prediction for the contest, Roditi said: "Oh, Cameron, it's got to be all Cameron. It's got to be him. So I'm saying Cameron in four sets? Wow. We'll give Djokovic a set. And well, then Cameron can win in four sets."

Roditi said there was "so much pride and so much excitement" being felt in Fort Worth at seeing Norrie grow into an elite performer on the world stage.

The 26-year-old won the Indian Wells Masters last year, the biggest achievement of his career until this fortnight.

Roditi says he always saw world-class potential in Norrie.

"There's no doubt he was head and shoulders above your typical 18-year-old coming in: extremely competitive, always willing to do the extra work physically," Roditi said. "He would go for long runs on his own, and so his endurance level is tremendous. It's great for him and his five-set matches – that showed in the quarter-finals.

"What I will say is that there was nothing he couldn't accomplish, [nothing] that we would ever be shocked or surprised [by]. He's always been able to defeat the odds and do more than anybody would expect of him.

"It's scary to think about what would happen if he wins this match. I think at this point anything's possible."

Rafael Nadal faced make-or-break tests on Thursday to determine whether he would have to abandon his Wimbledon campaign.

The 22-time grand slam winner aggravated an abdominal injury during his five-set victory over Taylor Fritz in the quarter-finals, admitting he had been in pain on court.

It did not prevent Nadal lasting the distance in a stirring battle lasting four hours and 21 minutes, taking the decider on a tie-break.

But Nadal risks having to pull out of Friday's semi-final against Australian Nick Kyrgios if his body is judged to have taken too much of a battering.

Family members appealed to Nadal to give up the ghost against Fritz, but the 36-year-old played on and pulled off a typically gutsy victory.

He confirmed after the match: "Tomorrow I'm going to have some more tests. But [it is] difficult to know. It's obvious that I am a player who had a lot of things in my tennis career, so I am used to have things and I am used to hold pain and to play with problems.

"Knowing that, when I feel something like I felt, that is because something is not going the proper way in abdominal. But let's see. I had these feelings for a couple of days."

Nadal said it was undoubtedly "the worst day" for his abdomen since he first felt a strain, which had required strapping before he played Fritz.

He said there had "been an important increase of pain and limitation", but Italian player Fabio Fognini appeared to question Nadal's injury status when he posted a message in an Instagram story, reacting to a report pointing out the Spaniard's problem.

The message read: "For sure... Guys stop believe in what you read PLEASE."

But Fognini later denied that meant he was questioning Nadal's injury, accusing journalists of twisting his words.

He wrote: "It's time to stop writing and reporting everything that you want in the wrong way. With that I wish Rafa and his entire team a lot of good luck in this Wimbledon final."

Former Spain goalkeeper Santiago Canizares, who now works in the sports media, also weighed in, writing on Twitter: "If there is anyone to believe in this society, it is @RafaelNadal. For many reasons that I am too lazy to cite.

"There are those who doubt his injury yesterday, but one fact does not bear debate: his serve was 30 per cent less than his usual speed ... Usual almost 200 km/h. Yesterday 150/160 km/h"

That did not quite stack up across the entire match, but Nadal's average serve speeds (107mph for first serve, 95mph for second serve) were his slowest of the tournament so far.

Nadal has already won the Australian Open and French Open titles this year, defying a long-time foot problem. Should he play on and win Wimbledon, he would go to the US Open in August with a chance of achieving the first men's singles calendar Grand Slam clean sweep since Rod Laver achieved the feat in 1969.

The winner of the semi-final between Nadal and Kyrgios, should it go ahead as planned, will face the winner of Novak Djokovic's match against Cameron Norrie in the title match.

Rafael Nadal says he does not know if he will be able to play in his semi-final against Nick Kyrgios after aggravating an abdominal injury during his five-set victory over Taylor Fritz.

Nadal, 36, has been vocal about his struggles physically during the tournament, but had been determined to push through the pain in an effort to keep his chances at the calendar slam alive, having already won this year's Australian Open and French Open.

During his quarter-final win against Fritz, family members were imploring Nadal to retire from the match as his clear discomfort appeared to be getting the better of him at times.

He admitted in his post-match media appearance that his condition worsened during the match, saying he will prioritise his health if he has to make a tough decision.

"I don't know [if I will be able to play] – I am going to have some more tests, but it is difficult to know," he said.

"I had these feelings for a couple of days, but without a doubt, today was the worst day. There has been an important increase of pain and limitation.

"I am worried. I don't have a decision. I need to know different opinions and I need to check everything the proper way.

"There is something more important than winning Wimbledon, and that is health."

The winner between Nadal and Kyrgios will face the winner of Novak Djokovic's semi-final against Cameron Norrie in the decider.

Rafael Nadal is hopeful he will overcome an abdominal injury that plagued him during his victory over Taylor Fritz in time for Friday's Wimbledon semi-final against Nick Kyrgios.

The 22-time grand slam winner recovered from behind to edge Fritz 3-6 7-5 3-6 7-5 7-6 (10-4) in a thrilling contest on Centre Court on Wednesday.

Nadal called for a medical time-out in the second set and never fully recovered from the issue, with his movement restricted throughout the four-hour-and-20-minute battle.

However, Nadal showed incredible mental and physical resilience to dig deep and see off first-time grand slam quarter-finalist Fritz and set up a showdown with Kyrgios.

Speaking in his on-court interview, the Spaniard admitted he was not entirely sure he would be able to see out his quarter-final tie after playing through the pain barrier.

"The body in general is fine," he said. "The abdominal [area] is not going well. I had to find a way to serve a little bit different.

"For a lot of moments I was thinking I will not be able to finish the match, but the court energy was something else.

"I honestly enjoy a lot playing these kind of matches, in front of you guys, I can’t thank you enough. It has been a tough afternoon. [Fritz] is a great player, all the credit to him.

"He's been great the whole season. But from my personal side it was not an easy match at all, so I'm just very happy to be in the semi-final.

"I hope to be ready to play it. Nick is a great player on all surfaces but especially on grass, he is having a great grass-court season.

"It's going to be a big challenge and I'm going to need to be at my 100 per cent to have a chance, and that is what I'm going to try to do."

Nadal has now won all eight quarter-finals contested at Wimbledon and is on a 19-match winning run at grand slams – three short of his own record of 21, which he set in 2010.

The victory over Fritz marked only the second time Nadal has won a fifth-set tie-break at a major, having previously prevailed against Dominic Thiem at the 2018 US Open.

It was also the first time since the same stage four years ago, against Juan Martin Del Potro, that Nadal has come through a five-set match at Wimbledon.

He has two days to recover ahead of facing Kyrgios, who had earlier defeated Cristian Garin in straight sets to reach a first grand slam semi-final.

"Tomorrow I'm going to have some more tests. But it's difficult to know [how I'll feel]," Nadal said when providing a further update on his fitness.

"It's obvious that I am not the kind of player that I didn't have a lot of things [injuries] in my tennis career, so I am used to have things and I am used to hold pain and to play with problems.

"Knowing that, when I feel something like I felt, that is because something is not going the proper way. But let's see. 

"It's obvious that today is nothing new. I had these feelings for a couple of days. Without a doubt, today was the worst day.

"There has been an important increase of pain and limitation. I managed to win that match. Let's see what's going on tomorrow."

Nadal leads Kyrgios 6-3 in their previous nine career matches, including victories in two of their three meetings in majors.

Nick Kyrgios was in disbelief after reaching his first grand slam semi-final with a Wimbledon victory over Cristian Garin, suggesting his best chances of major success had been wasted.

Kyrgios produced an impressive display on No. 1 Court to down his Chilean opponent 6-4 6-3 7-6 (7-5), becoming the first unseeded Wimbledon semi-finalist since Rainer Schuttler and Marat Safin in 2008.

The Australian, who had lost two previous grand slam quarter-finals (at Wimbledon in 2014 and the Australian Open the following year) has courted controversy during a box-office run at SW19, spitting in the direction of a spectator during his opener last week before labelling Stefanos Tsitsipas "soft" after an ill-tempered third-round match.

And the 27-year-old, who took a moment to sit and savour his win before conducting his court-side interview, thought he had squandered any chance of grand slam success earlier in his career.

"Amazing atmosphere out here again, I just never thought I'd be at a semi-final of a grand slam, honestly, I thought my ship had sailed," he said.

"You know, I didn't go about things great earlier in my career, and may have wasted that little window.

"But I'm just really proud of the way I've come back out here, and of my team."

Kyrgios put the rows and trick-shots to one side during a professional performance, serving 17 aces and saving eight of the nine break points conjured by Garin.

Asked how he had found consistency without working with a full-time coach, Kyrgios said: "I don't have a coach, I would never put that burden on someone!

"Each and every one of my team plays a very important role, [but] I feel like no-one knows my tennis like I do. 

"I've been playing this sport since I was seven, and to reach a semi-final of a grand slam… I'm pretty happy."

Kyrgios' clash with Garin represented Wimbledon's first quarter-final between two unseeded players since 2008 (Arnaud Clement v Schuttler), and the Australian said he never felt in control against a tough opponent despite posting a straight-sets win.

"Honestly, I felt I was playing on the back foot a lot, he's a hell of a player, he's obviously feeling very confident, it's been a hell of a tournament from him to make the quarter-finals," he continued.

"I felt I got a bit lucky on a couple of break points here and there, it could easily have been him standing here.

"I'll just take that and prepare for my next match.

"I don't want to think about the semi-final just yet, there's a lot to be done from now until then. We'll go back, my dad will cook dinner as always, we'll watch a movie and just chill out. That's it."

Rafael Nadal's hopes of landing a first calendar slam remain alive after he dug deep to edge Taylor Fritz in a fifth-set tie-break and reach the semi-finals of Wimbledon.

Competing at this stage of a grand slam for a 47th time – compared to a first time for Fritz – Nadal battled through the pain barrier to win 3-6 7-5 3-6 7-5 7-6 (10-4) on Centre Court.

Nadal, who was regularly checked over by his physio, will now face Nick Kyrgios as he looks to add to the Australian Open and French Open crowns already won this year.

Fritz had not dropped a single set en route to the final eight, but facing Nadal initially appeared a challenge too far when the Spaniard broke his serve in the opening game.

However, the number 11 seed responded brilliantly by whittling off five games in a row – breaking Nadal twice – to take the first set and lay down a real marker.

He could not carry that momentum into the second set, with Nadal racing into a 3-0 lead, but the 22-time grand slam winner was struggling with an abdominal injury at that point.

With mistakes again creeping into his game, Nadal called for a medical time-out when pegged back to 4-3, though he was able to successfully serve out the set to level up.

Fritz, who ended Nadal's 20-0 match streak in their most recent meeting in the Indian Wells final earlier this year, took a relatively one-sided third set to regain the lead.

Both players struggled to hold in a tense fourth set, which was tied at 5-5 with the serve in Fritz's favour, only for Nadal to show incredible resolve to break and force a decider.

The final set went the way of the serve until a mammoth seventh game when, at the fourth time of asking, Nadal took his big opportunity, yet the fearless Fritz hit back in the next game as the match went the distance.

But it was Nadal who held his nerve in the tie-break, with a stunning cross-court forehand seeing him break Fritz's serve for the first of five points in a row to get over the line in a match spanning four hours and 20 minutes.

Data slam: Nadal taken the distance

Nadal's victory was just his second ever in a fifth-set tie-break at a grand slam, having previously prevailed against Dominic Thiem in the quarter-finals of the US Open in 2018.

The Spaniard, who remains on course to meet Novak Djokovic in Sunday's final, now has 19 straight grand slam wins in 2022 – three short of his own record of 21, which he set in 2010.

WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS

Nadal – 56/35
Fritz – 56/42

ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS

Nadal – 19/3
Fritz – 5/7

BREAK POINTS WON

Nadal – 8/14
Fritz – 7/14

Nick Kyrgios wasted little time in booking a first career grand slam as he outclassed Cristian Garin in straight sets to reach the last four of Wimbledon.

The Australian, a beaten quarter-finalist at Wimbledon in 2014 and 2015's Australian Open, dominated en route to a 6-4 6-3 7-6 (7-5) win in the tournament's first quarter-final between two unseeded players since 2008 (Arnaud Clement v Rainer Schuttler).

Kyrgios has courted controversy on multiple occasions over the last fortnight, spitting in the direction of a fan in the opening round before winning a bad-tempered clash with Stefanos Tsitsipas in round three, but he put the theatrics to one side in clinching a last-four spot on No. 1 Court.

Garin started strongly as he broke to love in the contest's opening game, but Kyrgios, energised after producing one of the shots of the tournament when stooping for a scarcely believable forehand winner, broke back shortly after.

After overcoming a back-and-forth ninth game to record another break, Kyrgios served the opener out to love before moving through the gears in the second, which he wrapped up in 38 minutes to extend his lead.

Kyrgios's fine serving allowed him to take control of the contest, with his 17 aces in the match moving him clear of John Isner (114) as the player with the most aces at Wimbledon this year (120).

The Australian lost his way for much of the third set, producing a series of unforced errors to give Garin hope, but the Chilean's failure to convert any of his last eight break points saw Kyrgios force a tie-break.

Kyrgios rediscovered his form in the breaker to see out the win, setting up a last-four meeting with either Taylor Fritz or Rafael Nadal.

Data Slam: Kyrgios flying the flag after making quick work of Garin

Kyrgios' win ensured he became the first male Australian player to reach Wimbledon's semi-finals since Lleyton Hewitt in 2005.

Having being taken to five sets on two occasions in West London this year (by Paul Jubb and Brandon Nakashima), the 27-year-old enjoyed a more comfortable outing on Wednesday when extending the best major run of his career.

WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS

Garin 30/23
Kyrgios 35/29

ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS

Garin 2/5
Kyrgios 17/4

BREAK POINTS WON

Garin 1/9
Kyrgios 3/6

Wimbledon semi-finalist Cameron Norrie has pledged to take the fight to Novak Djokovic in their last-four tie.

Norrie defeated world number 58 David Goffin 3-6 7-5 2-6 6-3 7-5 on Tuesday to seal his progression to a maiden grand slam semi-final.

He is the first British man in the Open Era to reach the semi-finals of Wimbledon after Roger Taylor, Tim Henman and Andy Murray.

The world number 12's reward is a tie against top seed and reigning Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic, who is in the hunt for a 21st grand slam title. Yet that daunting challenge is not dampening Norrie's enthusiasm.

"It's great to get this now but it's only going to get tougher," said Norrie in his on-court interview.

"I'm going to take it to Novak and hopefully you guys can get behind me and I'm sure you will."

Jannik Sinner became the first player to win two sets against Djokovic at Wimbledon since Roger Federer did so in an epic final in 2019, but the Serbian hit back to win 5-7 2-6 6-3 6-2 6-2 on Centre Court.

Djokovic has now won 84 singles matches at Wimbledon in the main draw, a tally that trails only Federer (105).

Norrie has won two titles on the ATP Tour this year, but acknowledged it was hard to get an immediate grip of what he has achieved so far at Wimbledon.

"I think just winning a match like this, I'm in shock. I don't know what to say now," the 26-year-old said.

"I have flashbacks of all the hard work and all the sacrifices I have had to make and it's definitely paid off – and it feels pretty good."

Cameron Norrie will face Novak Djokovic for a place in the Wimbledon final after the British number one defeated David Goffin.

Tuesday's topsy-turvy quarter-final was only the second meeting between Goffin and Norrie and it was the world number 12 who came out on top 3-6 7-5 2-6 6-3 7-5.

The first appearance from a Briton in a Wimbledon quarter-final since 2017 did not get off to a good start from a partisan home crowd's perspective, though, and Goffin looked well in control when he broke to go a set and 4-3 up.

Yet Norrie's resolve got him through, the 26-year-old hitting straight back before breaking again to restore parity.

The momentum swung Goffin's way again in the third set, the Belgian breaking three times and getting back in front, but he lost his way from then on.

A near 50-minute fourth set went the way of the Briton, who claimed the crucial break at 5-5 and then converted a third set point.

Norrie saved a break point on his first service game of the decider, but it was neck and neck until a truly dismal serving display from Goffin gifted the home favourite the chance to serve out the win.

It was an opportunity he did not pass up as, despite seeing a first match point go begging when Goffin sliced a wonderful effort down the line, Norrie regained his composure and forced the world number 58 into an underhit backhand, wrapping up the Brit's progress to a clash with top seed Djokovic.

Data slam: Norrie the home hope

Having won two Tour-level tournaments already in 2022, Norrie is into his first grand slam semi-final, and there is hardly any bigger test than going up against reigning Wimbledon champion Djokovic.

Norrie, who was born in South Africa, is only the fourth British man to reach the Wimbledon semi-finals in the Open Era, after Roger Taylor, Tim Henman and former world number one Andy Murray.

WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS
Norrie – 49/46
Goffin – 38/46

ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS
Norrie – 5/4
Goffin – 6/3

BREAK POINTS WON
Norrie – 5/8
Goffin – 5/10

Novak Djokovic revealed "a little pep talk in the mirror" gave him the motivation to rescue his Wimbledon mission after Jannik Sinner threatened a monumental Centre Court upset.

Seeking a fourth consecutive Wimbledon title, and seventh in all, Djokovic fell two sets behind against 20-year-old Italian Sinner and left the court for a toilet break at the height of his crisis.

Djokovic returned recharged to win 5-7 2-6 6-3 6-2 6-2 for a 26th consecutive Wimbledon match win, reaching the semi-finals for an 11th time and later revealing what had occurred away from the public glare.

"I went out and had a little bit of refreshment, toilet break and a little pep talk in the mirror," said Djokovic.

That sparked laughter from the crowd, but Djokovic said: "It's actually true. Sometimes in these sort of circumstances where nothing is happening positively for you on court, and the other guy is dominating the play, sometimes these things are necessary: a little break and a little pep talk and try to recuperate and regather the thoughts, and reassemble everything that you have, and come at your opponent with the best possible game.

"I was fortunate to start the third set very well. I broke his serve early in the set and I think that has given me a confidence boost, and I saw a little bit of doubt in his game, in his movement, and I guess the experience of playing on this stage for many matches helped me a little bit to deal and cope with the pressure."

It was a third victory from two sets in arrears for Djokovic at Wimbledon, and a seventh overall in his grand slam career.

Djokovic described Sinner as "so mature for his age", adding: "He's got plenty of time, and it was unfortunate for him today, but he's had a very good tournament."

The defending champion said the first two sets and the final three felt like "two different matches", the change having been striking once Djokovic emerged from his talking-to in the mirror.

"I go through the same kind of doubtful moments as anybody else," said 35-year-old Djokovic, who is chasing a 21st grand slam title this fortnight.

"The inner fight is always the biggest fight you have to fight on the court, and so trying to win that internal fight is a big challenge.

"Once you do that, the external circumstances are more likely to go in your favour. I always believed I could turn the match around. I've done that quite a few times in grand slams, from being two sets to love down. Maybe it's the experience, maybe it's the toilet break, maybe it's everything combined, but I'm just glad I'm through.

"Every single time I step on this court the love affair keeps going and keeps growing, so hopefully I can maintain that run."