Djokovic remains on track for another Wimbledon title

Top seed Novak Djokovic raised his level to put an end to the fairytale run of Dutch wildcard Tim van Rijthoven during a battling 6-2 4-6 6-1 6-2 victory and keep his Wimbledon title defence on track.

Novak Djokovic
Photo: PHOTOSPORT

Chasing a fourth straight Wimbledon crown and seventh overall at the grasscourt major, Djokovic is now unbeaten on the manicured lawns of the All England Club since retiring due to an elbow injury against Tomas Berdych in the 2017 quarter-finals.

Djokovic will play Italian 10th seed Jannik Sinner for a place in the semi-finals after the 20-year-old ousted fifth-seeded Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz in the previous contest on Centre Court.

Sinner enjoyed a night to remember on his Centre Court debut beating Alcaraz with a barnstorming 6-1 6-4 6-7(8) 6-3 win in a battle of the young-guns to reach the quarter-finals for the first time.

On a day when Wimbledon’s most famous stage celebrated its centenary, the two youngest players left in the men’s draw gave a glimpse of the future with some breathtaking shotmaking that earned them a standing ovation from 15,000 hollering fans.

Belgian David Goffin edged American 23rd seed Frances Tiafoe in a five-set thriller to match his 2019 quarter-final appearance at Wimbledon when he last played in the Grand Slam.

The former world number seven fell to eventual champion Novak Djokovic in 2019 but after a injury-hit last season on Tour has returned to the last eight stage again to match his best performance at the majors.

Now ranked 58th, Goffin will next meet local hope Cameron Norrie for a place in the semi-finals after holding his nerve to outlast Tiafoe 7-6(3) 5-7 5-7 6-4 7-5 in an absorbing contest on court one that lasted four hours 36 minutes.

Ninth seed Norrie beat Tommy Paul of the United States in straight sets.

In the women’s draw Germany’s Tatjana Maria continued her dream Wimbledon run when she fought from a set down and saved two match points to beat former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko 5-7 7-5 7-5 and reach the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam for the first time.

Maria will next play up-and-coming German Jule Niemeier who beat home favourite Heather Watson.

Niemeier, 22, used her big serve and skilled net play to great effect, appearing completely at ease despite the Centre Court crowd’s clear support for Watson, who looked tight and anxious.

The German is ranked 97 and is playing at only her second Grand Slam tournament.

Unseeded Czech Marie Bouzkova snapped Frenchwoman Caroline Garcia’s eight-match winning run on grass with a 7-5 6-2 victory to reach her first Grand Slam quarter-final.

Since knocking out American seventh seed Danielle Collins in the opening round, the 23-year-old Bouzkova has grown from strength to strength at the grasscourt Grand Slam where she had never previously got past the second round.

Bouzkova will play third seed Ons Jabeur in the quarter-finals after the Tunisian beat Belgian Elise Mertens in straight sets.

-Reuters