CNN
 — 

Novak Djokovic had to be at his very best to get past Andrey Rublev on Tuesday, winning 4-6 6-1 6-4 6-3 in a thrilling clash to reach the Wimbledon semifinals.

Rublev, who has never reached the semifinals of a grand slam, was in inspired form during the first set, using his huge serve and booming ground strokes to take an early lead.

However, as is so often the case when players face the imperious Djokovic, Rublev was unable to maintain the same quality and intensity as the Serb ran away with the second set.

But Rublev picked up his level again and pushed Djokovic all the way in the third set, with the 23-time grand slam champion holding serve after an epic 15-minute game to take a 2-1 lead.

Though Rublev continued to battle on, he was unable to rekindle the same form that helped him win the first set – now a distant memory – as an early break of serve in the fourth consigned the Russian to another bruising grand slam quarterfinal defeat.

It is quite remarkable that Djokovic still consistently manages to find some of the best tennis of his career at the age of 36 and he has solidified his place as the overwhelming favorite to win Wimbledon with each passing round.

His victory over Rublev means Djokovic will now play in his 46th grand slam semifinal, tying Roger Federer’s all-time record, but the Serb insists he’s not thinking about records just yet.

“They’re just numbers at the end of the day, especially during the tournament I don’t like spending too much time thinking about statistics,” Djokovic said in his on-court interview.

“It’s a tournament that’s active for me, I’m still in it, as well as the other players, and that’s all I’m thinking about.

“It’s only going to get tougher but I like the way I played today, the energy on the court as well, so hopefully I can get another win in a few days’ time,” he added.

Perhaps the person who will be most disappointed with Djokovic’s victory is his own daughter, Tara. The world No. 2 told the BBC before the quarterfinal that Rublev is Tara Djokovic’s favorite player, as she likes his headband and his intensity.

Djokovic, who now hasn’t lost on Wimbledon’s Center Court for a decade, certainly agrees with his daughter’s analysis of Rublev. “There were some thrilling rallies,” Djokovic said. “He brings a lot of intensity to the court, it’s kind of scary both the ball and the sound coming from the corner.

“He’s someone that’s been around the top 10 for a few years, I have to congratulate him for a great match today and a great tournament.”

Up next for Djokovic, who is bidding to match Federer’s record of of five consecutive Wimbledon titles – held jointly with Björn Borg – and eight overall, is rising star Jannick Sinner, who beat Russia’s Roman Safiullin earlier on Tuesday.

CNN
 — 

Daniil Medvedev beat compatriot Andrey Rublev to reach the US Open semifinals on Wednesday, but warned that a player might “die” in what he called “brutal” conditions at the tournament.

Medvedev triumphed over Rublev in straight sets, 6-4 6-3 6-4, but both players could be seen struggling with the heat inside the Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Medvedev, the 2021 US Open champion, took two medical breaks during the match, both times using an inhaler in an attempt to overcome side effects of the grueling conditions.

Both players continued to use towels throughout the match to deal with the copious levels of sweat in the energy-sapping encounter.

Midway through the third set, the 27-year-old Medvedev could be heard saying to the camera, “one player is going to die and you are going to see.”

According to CNN’s Weather team, temperatures reached 93 degrees Fahrenheit at Flushing Meadows during the match, with conditions feeling like 96 degrees Fahrenheit. The area is under a heat advisory until 8p ET on Wednesday.

CNN has reached out to the US Open for comment about the conditions on court.

After the victory, Medvedev called the conditions “brutal” and explained that he couldn’t see the ball by the end of the first set.

“The only good thing I see in these conditions is that both suffer,” Medvedev said during his on-court interview. “It was tough for both of us. There were some ups and downs but that is so normal. At the end of the first set I sort of could not see the ball anymore. I played with sensations.”

“I tried to go for it, tried to run and he did the same. Before points I was like: ‘Wow, he can’t run anymore’, so I tried to go and make him run and run and run, but he was there all the time. But we were tired all the time. Brutal conditions and super tough to win.”

In such exhausting and humid conditions, it was Medvedev who was able to dig into the necessary energy reserves to claim the victory and book his spot in the US Open semifinals.

There was little to separate the two Russians – who have previously called themselves “really close friends” with Rublev the godfather to Medvedev’s daughter – with long rallies and games making it even harder for the players on court.

But as Rublev began to wilt, Medvedev was able to force enough errors to win in straight sets – a monster final game epitomized the victory, lasting over 15 minutes before Medvedev was able to force one final error from his compatriot on his fifth match point after two hours and 48 minutes.

After battling the conditions and a tough opponent, Medvedev showed why he’s a real contender for this year’s title, coming from a break down in each set in the impressive victory.

He will now face either Carlos Alcaraz or Alexander Zverev – who play later on Wednesday – for a place in the final.