'It is not normal' - but extraordinary Djokovic defies odds once again

Here is the latest breaking news from around the world: 'It is not normal' - but extraordinary Djokovic defies odds once again Figure caption, Djokovic beats Auger-Aliassime in five-set thriller to progress to semi-finalsByAmy LofthouseBBC Sport senior journalist at WimbledonPublished58 minutes agoIt is worth remembering that what you are watching is not normal. It is not normal that a 39-year-old should beat an opponent 14 years his junior in five sets in the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam. It is not normal that after five hours and 15 minutes, he is still chasing down every single shot that is pounded towards his racquet.

It is not normal that he is gliding and sliding and then charging around the baseline, running to the net to meet drop shots, and still sending down second serves at 122 mph. But then, this is Novak Djokovic. A 24-time Grand Slam champion, one major away from the all-time record.

The Details

Arguably the greatest to ever do it. A man who thrives on proving the doubters and the critics wrong. Under the lights of Centre Court, an epic battle played out.

It was a match so engrossing it delayed the News at 10. A packed crowd lived every moment. They were first behind Auger-Aliassime, the underdog.

Then it was Djokovic, the great, roared on after losing the third set. They were split by the fifth set, but as Djokovic pulled away in the tie-break, the fans chanted his name. They stood and screamed as one as Auger-Aliassime spooned a backhand long to confirm Djokovic's victory.

What Experts Say

"To be able to come out and play this level of tennis at that age... It's really not normal," Leon Smith, Britain's Davis Cup captain, said on 5 Live. "I know he spent a lifetime on his body, but to do this, the amount of work that we don't see must be astonishing.

He deserves all the respect that he gets. " Figure caption, 'One of the best matches i've been part of' - DjokovicAn exhausted but delighted Djokovic said afterwards that he "won that match with a racquet and a lot of heart". It is a sentiment that sums up the latter half of his career.

Djokovic's movement is still sublime, his shots still potent, but his body has not always held up. Against Auger-Aliassime, an innocuous slide to a backhand led to him tweaking his left calf and needing a medical timeout. His movement was hindered for the rest of the first set, particularly on serve, but he was helped on his way to taking the opener by a series of errors from the Canadian.

The story has become one of the most prominent items on the global agenda.