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Ons Jabeur [3] v Tatjana Maria, Novak Djokovic [1] v Cameron Norrie [9]; we all had these as our first two semi-finals, right? Of course we did, just as we knew that come today, we’d be watching Simona Halep [16] v Amanda Anisimova [20], Ajla Tomljanovic v Elena Rybakina [17], Taylor Fritz [11] v Rafael Nadal and Cristian Garín v Nick Kyrgios.
There was something really special about yesterday’s matches, all four going the distance with all four winners coming from behind – and it’s no coincidence that of the eight players we saw, only two will have expected to be involved at the quarter-final stage. As a consequence, we got the frantic desperation of those seeking to seize an opportunity that may never come their way again, the ravenous rabidity of others looking to make a career-defining breakthrough – and an all-time great shaping his legacy by haranguing himself in the khazi.