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Novak Djokovic can make Wimbledon history in his quarter-final against Flavio Cobolli, while his title rival Jannik Sinner must banish fears over an elbow injury when he faces Ben Shelton on Wednesday.

Djokovic, the seven-time champion, and world number one Sinner will book a blockbuster semi-final showdown if they win their last eight matches.

But before that heavyweight showdown is secured, both Djokovic and Sinner have pressing issues to resolve.

Djokovic will pass Roger Federer to take sole ownership of the all-time record for most Wimbledon men’s semi-final appearances if he advances to the last four for the 14th time.

The Serb is bidding to become the second man in the Open era to reach the Wimbledon semi-finals aged 38 or older after Ken Rosewall, who made that stage aged 39 in 1974.

The 24-time Grand Slam champion is also aiming to reach a record extending 52nd major semi-final.

That would take him within two wins of breaking his tie with Margaret Court for the most Grand Slam singles titles by a man or woman.

Success at Wimbledon has been child’s play for Djokovic, who has reached the final in every one of his appearances since 2018.

But it was a new experience for the sixth seed to watch his son Stefan take to the court against his quarter-final opponent this week.

Cobolli and Djokovic are good friends, so the Serb was delighted to see the Italian 22nd seed practice with his 10-year-old.

“They hit a few days ago. They played some points.Obviously, he loves tennis. He has everyone’s signature, except mine. But that’s okay, I’ll accept that! Djokovic said.

“I’ll have a conversation with my son and see what he has noticed in the game of Cobolli.”

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 Sinner concern

Sinner sparked fears he may have to pull out of the tournament after injuring his right elbow in an awkward fall during his fourth-round tie against Grigor Dimitrov.

The Italian top seed was trailing by two sets and on the brink of a shock defeat when Dimitrov pulled a pectoral muscle while serving and had to retire from the match.

Sinner subsequently cancelled a scheduled practice session at the All England Club on Tuesday after undergoing an MRI scan on the injury.

He is due to face American 10th seed Shelton later on Wednesday, when all eyes will be on the three-time Grand Slam champion’s fitness.

The 23-year-old beat Shelton in straight-sets in the Wimbledon fourth round last year and also eliminated him in this year’s Australian Open semi-finals.

Sinner, who has never made the Wimbledon final, is bidding to make history by becoming the first Italian player to reach the last four at the All England Club multiple times.

Shelton, eyeing a third Grand Slam semi-final at just 22, has already surpassed dad and coach Bryan, who reached the Wimbledon last 16 here 31 years ago.

In the women’s tournament, Mirra Andreeva is the youngest Wimbledon women’s quarter-finalist since 2007.

Under the wing of former Wimbledon winner Conchita Martinez, the Russian seventh seed has breezed impressively through the first four rounds without dropping a set.

But Andreeva faces former Olympic champion Belinda Bencic, who is enjoying her best ever Wimbledon just over a year after giving birth.

“I’m fighting with everything I have on the court, I still want to win very badly but it’s much different now,” Bencic said.

A five-time Grand Slam champion, Iga Swiatek has conquered her demons on the grass by reaching her second Wimbledon quarter-final on the back of her first final on the surface at Bad Homburg.

Her last eight opponent, Russian world number 19 Liudmila Samsonova, has won two of her five WTA titles on grass.

Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic said her dream had come true after she reached a first Wimbledon semi-final with a 7-6 (7/3), 7-6 (7/2) win against Russian seventh seed Mirra Andreeva on Wednesday.

The former Olympic champion is enjoying her best run at the All England Club just over a year after giving birth.

The 28-year-old had her daughter Bella in April 2024, but has already risen to 35th in the world since returning from maternity leave.

Wimbledon appears to be child’s play for Bencic this year, and she dispatched Andreeva in just over two hours of enthralling quarter-final action on Centre Court.

Bencic, a former world number four, will face five-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek for a place in Saturday’s final.

“It’s crazy, it’s unbelievable. It’s a dream come true. I tried not to think about it at the match point. I’m just speechless,” Bencic said.

“I studied all evening yesterday to come up with a plan. I think it worked out well. With two tie-breaks it is not easy, it’s just a small edge.”

READ ALSO: Wimbledon Line Technology Fails Again As Fritz Reaches Semis

Bencic’s only other Grand Slam last-four appearance ended in defeat at the US Open in 2019, two years before she won singles gold at the Tokyo Olympics.

She is the first Swiss woman semi-finalist at Wimbledon since Martina Hingis 27 years ago, having failed to make it past the last 16 in her previous eight visits to southwest London.

“I’m very proud. I didn’t say it to myself much before but since having Bella I say it to myself every day. It’s not only me, I wouldn’t be able to do it without my amazing family and team,” Bencic said.

“We worked so hard on the comeback. We are enjoying life on tour and to play great is a bonus.

“I’m generally just really happy to be able to play again, because my body allows it.”

The rising star of the WTA Tour, 18-year-old Andreeva was the youngest women’s Wimbledon quarter-finalist since Nicole Vaidisova in 2007.

Under the wing of former Wimbledon winner Conchita Martinez, the Russian had breezed through the first four rounds without dropping a set.

Andreeva said she was so focused on each point during her fourth-round tie against Emma Navarro that she did not realise when she won on match point.

But Bencic proved equally locked in and the Swiss veteran defied a painful cracked toe-nail in the second set to seal her memorable triumph.

“They always crack. It is the life of a tennis player. I didn’t want to take a medical time-out so you don’t have to see this,” she said.

Before a reunion with the legendary striker, Paris Saint-Germain coach Luis Enrique dismissed concerns about his relationship with Kylian Mbappe and described Wednesday’s Club World Cup semi-final showdown between the European champions and Real Madrid as “special.”

At a press conference held at the MetLife Stadium outside of New York, the Spanish coach of PSG stated to reporters that “playing against Real Madrid is always a special game.”

“We are delighted to be playing in a game like this because it indicates that we have done a good job so far.”

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Following Mbappe’s departure for Real, PSG returned to the United States for the tournament after winning the UEFA Champions League for the first time.

Mbappe was initially suspended from the team for refusing to sign a new contract, but Luis Enrique used him sparingly after making it clear he would leave. In his final year in Paris, Enrique was coached by him.

Luis Enrique said, “All I can say is that belongs to the past, it is behind us now.”

This game is “a special game thanks to a lot of things.” Because this is the Club World Cup semi-final, this game is significant. That makes the match very intriguing, and we need to be ready to stay focused.

After receiving both of their red cards in the quarter-final win over Bayern Munich, the coach said, “We are very close to playing another final, and that is a true motivation.”

The Club World Cup marks the start of a new era for Real under their new coach Xabi Alonso, while PSG are aiming to bring an even more silverware-laden season to an end with even more silverware.

Luis Enrique, who is closely associated with Barcelona but also played at the Santiago Bernabeu in the 1990s, said, “I think it’s very difficult to analyze Real Madrid because Xabi Alonso is just starting to work there.”

Real Madrid has always been and always will be a pleasure to play against them.

“They are the most prestigious club in the world, and Xabi has the necessary tools to take on the challenge.”

Real’s coach Alonso did not speak to the media on Tuesday as the Spanish giants’ flight from their training facility in Florida was delayed due to stormy weather.

After beating Fluminense 2-0 in their first last-four tie on Tuesday, the winners of Wednesday’s semi-final will advance to the final on Sunday in Chelsea’s place.