Novak Djokovic makes cheeky dig at Lionel Messi moments after five hour Wimbledon epic

Novak Djokovic joked he would rather play ’90 minutes like Lionel Messi’ after surviving a five-hour Wimbledon quarter-final marathon

The Serbian tennis player won the longest-ever quarter-final at the All England Club in a gruelling five-hour and 15-minute match against third seed Felix Auger-Aliassime.

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At 39 years old, he outlasted the Canadian in an incredible five-set battle to remain in contention for an eighth Wimbledon title.

The match finished just six minutes before Wimbledon’s strict 11pm curfew.

Following the match, Djokovic was drawn into a comparison with the footballing icon: “Fantastic, unbelievable, like Messi. Only one scores goals and you win after five hours and 15 minutes.

The former No1 jokingly responded: “It would be nice to play 90 minutes like him.”

Messi’s World Cup drama

Lionel Messi had orchestrated a dramatic comeback of his own at the World Cup, where Argentina had to overcome a 2-0 deficit against Egypt to ultimately win 3-2.

After being pushed to extra time by Cape Verde in the previous round, the South Americans seemed destined for a shock exit as the Pharaohs led 2-0 until the 79th minute.

Messi assisted Cristian Romero with 11-minutes left on the clock, which motivated the rest of Lionel Scaloni’s side.

The Inter Miami forward then netted himself the equaliser with a left-footed shot, making amends for a penalty he previously missed.

In stoppage time, Enzo Fernandez’s header allowed Argentina to avoid the upset, leaving Egypt heartbroken after leading for a the majority of the match.

Both athletes continue to compete at the highest level despite approaching the latter stages of their career.

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Messi kept his nation’s World Cup defence alive after another decisive contribution, while the Serbian beat the World No3 in one of his longest matches he has ever played.

Following the Wimbledon clash, the 24-time Grand Slam winner added: “I did it with a racket, and a lot of heart, A lot of management of the nerves and the extreme tension you feel in these kind of matches.

“It was anybody’s game. These are the moments I still play tennis for, for sure.

“I wish it was the final so I don’t need to worry about how the body will feel tomorrow.”

The next steps

The win secured Djokovic’s ticket to the semi-finals, where he will play reigning champion and World No.1 Jannik Sinner.

Meanwhile, Messi helped Argentina progress to the international tournament’s quarter-finals, where they will play Switzerland at the Kansas City Stadium, Missouri.

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After confirming their place in the final eight, the Barcelona legend broke down on the pitch.

In his post-match conference, Messi said: “I cried because I felt that I let my teammates down because of the penalty I missed.

“But thankfully, God had something special for me in the end. I’m very happy.”