Novak Djokovic survived a scare to reach the Wimbledon quarter-finals with a tense four-set victory over Alex de Minaur on Monday, staying on course for a blockbuster clash with world number one Jannik Sinner.
Seven-time champion Djokovic endured a nightmare start to his last-16 match against the Australian 11th seed on Centre Court, but eventually battled back to win 1-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4.
Fresh from his 100th win at Wimbledon on Saturday — making him the third player to achieve that feat after Martina Navratilova and Roger Federer — Djokovic reached his 16th quarter-final at the tournament.
Aged 38, Djokovic is aiming to win a record 25th major title, breaking a tie with the long-retired Margaret Court, and a record-equalling eighth men’s crown at the All England Club.
That would make him the oldest Grand Slam singles champion in the Open era.
“It wasn’t a great start for me, it was a great start for Alex de Minaur obviously. I kind of reset myself in the second set,” Djokovic said.
“I was very pleased to hang in tough in the right moments and win this one.”
Sixth-seeded Djokovic’s 101st victory at Wimbledon came under the gaze of Federer, who was sitting in the front row of the royal box alongside his wife Mirka.
“It’s probably the first time he’s watching me and I’ve won the match,” said Djokovic. “The last couple I lost, so good to break the curse.
“No, it’s great, obviously, great to have Roger, a huge champion and someone that I admired and respected a lot.
“We shared the stage for so many years, and it’s great to have him back.”
In the last eight, Djokovic faces Italian 22nd seed Flavio Cobolli, who defeated former Wimbledon runner-up Marin Cilic 6-4, 6-4, 6-7 (4/7), 7-6 (7/3).
The 23-year-old will be playing in his Grand Slam quarter-final having never advanced past the third round in his seven previous appearances at the majors.
While defending champion Carlos Alcaraz is yet to consistently find his top form at the tournament, Sinner has been dominant on the grass.
The three-time Grand Slam champion, who takes on Bulgarian 19th seed Grigor Dmitrov on Monday, is looking to reach his maiden Wimbledon final.
He has dropped just 17 games in his first three matches, equalling Jan Kodes’ 1972 record for the lowest number of games lost on route to the Wimbledon last 16.
Iga Swiatek, a five-time major winner, has never reached a Wimbledon final but the Pole is in a strong position in the second week of the tournament after the exit of so many of the top seeds.
Although Swiatek, who plays Danish 23rd seed Clara Tauson in the last 16, has reached only one All England Club quarter-final, she made the Bad Homburg final on grass recently and also won the Wimbledon junior title.
Russian seventh seed Mirra Andreeva, who is just 18 years old, can reach the Wimbledon quarters for the first time if she defeats American 10th seed Emma Navarro, who ended Barbora Krejcikova’s reign as champion on Saturday.
Former Olympic champion Belinda Bencic reached her maiden Wimbledon quarter-final — and first at any Grand Slam since 2021 — with a 7-6 (7/4), 6-4 victory against Russian world number 17 Ekaterina Alexandrova.
Russia’s Liudmila Samsonova defeated Spain’s Jessica Bouzas Maneiro 7-5, 7-5.
AFP
AFP
