LONDON, July 9 (Reuters) - Novak Djokovic's age-defying pursuit of tennis immortality continues on Friday with a Wimbledon semi-final against Jannik Sinner, although that blockbuster duel has been challenged unexpectedly for top billing.
British wildcard Arthur Fery has embarked on one of the most astonishing runs in Wimbledon history and another victory against French Open champion Alexander Zverev would put him into Sunday's final on his 24th birthday.
French-born Fery, who grew up a short walk away from Centre Court, is very much the outlier in a high-powered quartet.
A fortnight ago, ranked 114th in the world and with only two previous Grand Slam match victories to his name, he could have walked down Wimbledon High Street in complete obscurity.
FERY HAS BECOME FACE OF THE CHAMPIONSHIPS
Five victories later, including a thrashing of Italian ninth seed Flavio Cobolli on Wednesday in which he won the third set 6-0, Fery has become the face of this year's Championships.
He is only the second man to reach the Wimbledon semi-finals as a wildcard after charismatic Croatian Goran Ivanisevic, who famously said a prayer before match point as he beat Pat Rafter to win the title in 2001.
Ivanisevic, however, was already a huge name, having finished runner-up at Wimbledon three times.
Fery's run has come from nowhere.
"You just don't want Arthur Fery to wake up because he is just playing such extraordinary tennis," former Australian player and BBC commentator Todd Woodbridge said.
Logic suggests the fairytale will come to an end against Germany's Zverev, who claimed his first Grand Slam title at the 41st attempt when he triumphed at the French Open and now seems to have cracked the grasscourt code.
ZVEREV GOING FOR BACK-TO-BACK SLAMS
Zverev had never been beyond the fourth round in nine previous Wimbledon appearances but has dropped only two sets en route to the semi-finals and suddenly the prospect of back-to-back Grand Slam titles looks distinctly possible.
The 29-year-old will need to contend with a fearless Fery and a partisan Centre Court crowd, although amid all the excitement Zverev sought to provide a sense of perspective.
"I've learned that a tennis match is a tennis match. Nobody will die. Their lives will not be drastically changed. We'll continue living," he told reporters after clinically dispatching American Taylor Fritz in the quarter-finals.
If Fery has become the surprise story of the Championships, Djokovic's enduring excellence remains one of tennis's most remarkable constants.
DJOKOVIC HUNTING FOR HISTORY
The 39-year-old came through the longest quarter-final in Wimbledon history on Tuesday when he outlasted Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime and, after two days to recover, the Serb will be ready to go to the well once more against defending champion and world number one Sinner.
It will be Djokovic's record-extending 55th Grand Slam semi-final and his 15th at Wimbledon.
He is also bidding for a record 25th Grand Slam singles title and his window of opportunity is closing.
"I don't know what tomorrow brings," the indefatigable Djokovic said after his quarter-final epic.
"I'm still in the tournament. I still want to go at least one step further. I still try to prove to myself and others that I'm able to compete with the best players in the world and beat them on the biggest stage."
SINNER YET TO BE TRULY TESTED
Sinner suffered a scare in the opening round against Miomir Kecmanovic but has looked largely untroubled since then, even if there remains a sense that the Italian is not firing on all cylinders.
Remarkably, he is yet to face a seeded player, but he will certainly need to find his A-game against Djokovic. The pair shared the last two Grand Slam semi-finals they contested, with Sinner winning at Wimbledon last year and Djokovic gaining revenge at this year's Australian Open.
"I feel like every match against him has really had its own story," Sinner said.
Another compelling chapter in their rivalry will unfold on Friday, but should Fery continue his astonishing run and book a birthday date in Sunday's final, the British wildcard may yet remain the dominant story of these Championships.
WIMBLEDON ORDER OF PLAY ON FRIDAY (prefix number denotes seeding)
CENTRE COURT (Play begins at 1230 GMT)
Arthur Fery (Britain) v 2-Alexander Zverev (Germany)
1-Jannik Sinner (Italy) v 7-Novak Djokovic (Serbia)
(Reporting by Martyn Herman; Editing by Alison Williams)
