Djokovic ready to live out his childhood dream again after reaching sixth Wimbledon final

Novak Djokovic said it felt like “a dream come true” to reach another Wimbledon final.

The Serbian top seed overcame Spain’s Roberto Bautista Agut in four sets on Centre Court on Friday.

His 6-2 4-6 6-3 6-2 success left Djokovic thrilled, and he headed off to watch as much of the keenly anticipated clash between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal as he could manage.

Four-time champion Djokovic said: “This has been the dream tournament for me when I was a child, so to be in another final is a dream come true regardless of the history and the many finals that I’ve played in grand slams.

“Playing finals at Wimbledon is something different, so I’ll definitely enjoy that experience.”

Djokovic spent long stretches of the match chuntering to himself and at times taking on the crowd, suspecting they favoured Bautista Agut. Eventually he channelled his frustrations in a positive way, gaining control of a match that had become finely balanced.

“I had to dig deeper,” Djokovic said, after booking a sixth visit to the final. “It’s semi-finals and Roberto was playing his first semi-finals in a grand slam, but regardless of that he was not really overwhelmed with the stadium and the occasion. He played really well.

“In the first set he was still probably managing his nerves and made some uncharacteristic unforced errors, but later on at the beginning of the second he started to establish himself.

“He started to play better and he placed his serves really, really nicely to open up the points. I got a bit tight and it was a very close opening five or six games of the third set.

“That’s where the match really could have gone different ways and I’m glad it went my way.”

Asked about his plans for the rest of Friday, with Federer and Nadal following Djokovic onto court, he added: “Of course I will watch it. I’m a fan of that match-up as well. Federer-Nadal is one of the most epic rivalries of all-time.”