In his quest for a fifth title on the hallowed lawns of Wimbledon, top seed and World No. 1 Novak Djokovic faces the 23rd seed Roberto Bautista Agut on Friday. By the sheer weight of accomplishments on his resume, the 15-time Major champion should be the one favoured to come through this encounter.
This is the Serb's ninth appearance in the semi-finals at SW19 and he is now on a 12-match winning streak at this venue, having triumphed last year.
Djokovic has been troubled only once so far on his way to the last-four and if his performance against the 21st seed David Goffin in the quarterfinals is anything to go by, one should dread facing the Serb on the opposite side of the net.
Djokovic dropped just six games in that match and one of the sets was a bagel, demonstrating how hungry and motivated he is right now. That is an ominous sign for Bautista Agut, Novak's opponent today.
However, there is a caveat. The Spaniard has beaten Djokovic the last two times they have met and both those meetings were this year on hardcourts. They have never met on the slick grass surface though.
Unlike the rest of the Spaniards who possess grinding games, Bautista Agut happens to be well-suited for faster surfaces.
It is thus not a surprise that his first ever Grand Slam semi-final happens to be on grass. He has conceded only one set so far, against Guido Pella, in the quarterfinals. It has been a confidence-boosting ride for the World No. 22 so far and he definitely has it in him to make Djokovic work hard.
However, the occasion might get the better of him and Djokovic's vast experience would play a crucial role in deciding the outcome.
Here is all you need to know about Wimbledon 2019:
Tournament name: The Championships, Wimbledon 2019
Date: 1-14 July, 2019
Category: Grand Slam
Location: London
Surface: Grass
Round: Semi-finals
Time: (1) Novak Djokovic vs (23) Roberto Bautista Agut semi-final on Centre Court at 5:30pm IST on July 12, 2019
Head-to-head: Djokovic leads 7-3
Where to watch Wimbledon 2019 in the USA?
Tennis Channel, ESPN and ESPN2 will show Wimbledon 2019 live in the USA.
Where to watch Wimbledon 2019 in the UK & Europe?
BBC One and BBC Two will show Wimbledon 2019 live in the UK.
Where to watch Wimbledon 2019 in India?
In India, Wimbledon 2019 will be shown live on Star Sports Select 1/Select 1 HD and Select 2/Select 2 HD.
Live Stream Details and Info for the Wimbledon 2019
Wimbledon 2019 Live Stream is available on Tennis TV (a subscription is needed for the service).
It will also be shown live on hotstar.com.
Wimbledon 2019 Updates, Schedule, Results and more on Sportskeeda
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