Novak Djokovic swatted aside Alexander Zverev to become the oldest French Open semi-finalist in 57 years.
The 38-year-old was trailing Zverev by a set when the German accidentally swallowed a fly.
Zverev, who lost in last year’s final to Carlos Alcaraz despite leading two sets to one, promptly choked again as Djokovic won 4-6 6-3 6-2 6-4.
Djokovic was buzzing after stretching his winning run at Roland Garros to 22 matches – he was last beaten here in 2022 by Rafael Nadal.
Since then he claimed the title in 2023, pulled out injured before his quarter-final last year and took Olympic gold in August.
Djokovic dropped serve in the first game, but Zverev did not manage another break for the rest of the three-hour 17-minute contest, the defining moment of which came in the fourth set when the Serbian won an incredible 41-shot rally to stave off a break point.
And if Djokovic is going to win a record 25th grand-slam title in Paris, he is going to have to do it the hard way.
Having accounted for Zverev, the third seed, he faces number one Jannik Sinner in the last four and, if he wins that, he will most likely meet second seed Alcaraz in Sunday’s final.
It would be an unprecedented one, two, three at a men’s grand slam and replicate Steffi Graf’s feat when she won the women’s French Open title in 1999.
Djokovic took match point at the fifth attempt thanks the last of many drop shots.
He said: “My way of playing is based on running but at my age it’s not so easy to run so much. I tried to impose my rhythm with one or two drop shots.
“Tonight is one of those reasons why I still keep playing.”