By Martyn HermanLondon — Novak Djokovic’s age-defying pursuit of tennis immortality continues on Friday with a Wimbledon semifinal against Jannik Sinner, though 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.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 semifinals 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 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 grass court code.Zverev had never been beyond the fourth round in nine previous Wimbledon appearances but has dropped only two sets en route to the semifinals, and suddenly the prospect of consecutive Grand Slam titles looks distinctly possible.The 29-year-old will need to contend with a fearless Fery and a partisan Centre Court crowd, though amid all the excitement Zverev sought to provide a sense of perspective.“I’ve learned that a tennis match is a tennis match. No-one will die. Their lives will not be drastically changed. We’ll continue living,” he told reporters after clinically dispatching American Taylor Fritz in the quarterfinals.If Fery has become the surprise story of the championships, Djokovic’s enduring excellence remains one of tennis’s most remarkable constants.The 39-year-old came through the longest quarterfinal 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 No 1 Sinner.Serbia's Novak Djokovic reacts during his fourth-round match against Russia's Roman Safiullin on Sunday. (Marko Djurica/Reuters) It will be Djokovic’s record-extending 55th Grand Slam semifinal 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 quarterfinal 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 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 semifinals 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.