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Tennis, Wimbledon, Day 11: Roger Federer tops Nadal, reaches 12th Wimbledon final; to face Djokovic

Associated Press Friday, 12 July 2019, 20:45 Last update: about 6 years ago

The Latest at Wimbledon (all times local):

7:43 p.m.

Roger Federer will play for a record-extending ninth Wimbledon title in his 12 final at the All England Club after beating Rafael Nadal 7-6 (3), 1-6, 6-3, 6-4 on Centre Court.

The 20-time Grand Slam singles champion will face Novak Djokovic for the title on Sunday.

Federer's serve served him well against his Spanish rival, who won their last meeting at Wimbledon in the 2008 final — taking the epic fifth set 9-7 as darkness descended. The Swiss great finished with 14 aces this time and landed 69% of his first serves.

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Federer won his record eighth Wimbledon title in 2017, but lost to Djokovic in the final in both 2014 and 2015.

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6:50 p.m.

Roger Federer is within one set of reaching a record-extending 12th Wimbledon final.

Federer leads Rafael Nadal 7-6 (3), 1-6, 6-3 in the semifinals on Centre Court.

In the third set, Federer broke Nadal for the first time in the match to take a 3-1 lead, then saved three break points in the next game. Nadal saved two more break points at 4-1 but Federer held serve the rest of the way, clinching the set when the Spaniard netted a forehand.

Federer has won a record eight Wimbledon titles. Nadal has two, and beat Federer in the 2008 final.

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6:10 p.m.

Rafael Nadal won the second set of his Wimbledon semifinal against Roger Federer 6-1 to level the set score at 1-1.

Nadal saved two break points at 1-1 in the second set before breaking Federer twice in a row and serving it out at love.

Federer won the first set 7-6 (3).

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5:35 p.m.

Roger Federer has won the first set 7-6 (3) in his Wimbledon semifinal against Rafael Nadal.

Nadal led 3-2 in the tiebreaker before Federer won five straight points, clinching the set with a forehand winner.

Nadal saved the only break point of the set at 4-3, as Federer netted a backhand after a 21-stroke rally.

It is the first match between the rivals at the All England Club since their classic five-set final in 2008.

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4:30 p.m.

Shintaro Mochizuki became the first Japanese player to reach a junior boys' Grand Slam singles final after outlasting fourth-seeded American Martin Damm 6-1, 0-6, 10-8.

The eighth-seeded Mochizuki will play Carlos Gimeno Valero of Spain, who beat Harold Mayot of France 7-6 (5), 6-4. Gimeno Valero will also be playing his first Grand Slam final.

In the junior girls' final, Alexa Noel of the United States will face Daria Snigur of Ukraine.

Noel beat Diane Parry of France 6-2, 6-1, and Snigur defeated American Emma Navarro 6-3, 6-0.

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4 p.m.

Novak Djokovic has reached the Wimbledon final for the sixth time.

The defending champion came through a tough match against Roberto Bautista Agut on Centre Court 6-2, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2.

Djokovic is a four-time champion at the All England Club and will play either Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal on Sunday for another title. Federer and Nadal were to play next on Centre Court.

Djokovic was broken once in the second set, allowing Bautista Agut to even the score. But the top-seeded Serb saved two break chances in the third set and won easily in the fourth, though he needed five match points in the final game to close it out.

With the victory, Djokovic has reached his 25th Grand Slam final. He won 15 of the previous 24.

In the Wimbledon final, Djokovic is 4-1. His only loss was against Andy Murray in 2013.

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3:20 p.m.

Defending champion Novak Djokovic is one set away from his sixth Wimbledon final.

The top-ranked Serb won the third set to lead his semifinal against Roberto Bautista Agut 6-2, 4-6, 6-3.

In the third, Djokovic broke for a 4-2 lead and then saved two break points in the next game — the second with a backhand winner down the line after a 45-stroke rally. He double-faulted on his first set point but converted the second with a volley winner that clipped the net cord.

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2:35 p.m.

Roberto Bautista Agut has evened his Wimbledon semifinal against defending champion Novak Djokovic after winning the second set 6-4.

Djokovic won the first set 6-2, but Bautista Agut broke for a 2-1 lead in the second. The Spaniard failed to convert two more break points at 3-1 but served out the set when his forehand clipped the net cord and landed in.

Play was halted for a few minutes at 3-1 after a fan in the crowd needed medical attention.

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2:05 p.m.

The Wimbledon semifinal between Novak Djokovic and Roberto Bautista Agut was briefly interrupted after a fan became ill on Centre Court.

Play was halted with Bautista Agut leading 3-1 in the second set as a member of the crowd received treatment. The match resumed minutes later.

Djokovic won the first set 6-2.

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1:50 p.m.

Defending champion Novak Djokovic has won the first set 6-2 in his Wimbledon semifinal against Roberto Bautista Agut.

Djokovic took a 3-0 lead after breaking the Spaniard in his first service game, and the top-ranked Serb broke again in the final game when Bautista Agut sent a forehand long.

Djokovic is looking for his fifth Wimbledon title, while Bautista Agut is appearing in his first Grand Slam semifinal.

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7:35 a.m.

The latest installment in the Roger vs. Rafa rivalry at Wimbledon is coming to Centre Court.

Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal will face each other in the semifinals Friday, their first meeting at the All England Club since their classic 2008 final.

Nadal won that match 9-7 in the fifth set.

Federer beat Nadal in the Grand Slam tournament's previous two finals.

Federer is an eight-time Wimbledon champion, while Nadal has won two titles at the All England Club.

In Friday's first match at Centre Court, defending champion Novak Djokovic faces Roberto Bautista Agut, a Spaniard playing in his first Grand Slam semifinal.

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