‘Greatest’ talk won’t derail Nole
LONDON: Novak Djokovic reached his 50th Grand Slam quarter-final on Monday with a straight-sets victory over Chile’s Cristian Garin at Wimbledon but insisted that the growing discussion of him as the “GOAT” (greatest of all time) will not derail his campaign.
World No.1 Djokovic eased into the last-eight at the All England Club for the 12th time, 6-2, 6-4, 6-2, and will face Hungary’s Marton Fucsovics for a place in the semi-finals.
“Confidence levels are very high after winning the French Open,” said Djokovic.
“It was one of my biggest wins in the circumstances — two five-setters, two four-setters in the second week.
“They took a lot out of me but they also gave me wings.
“The further I go in the tournament, the more comfortable I feel and I look forward to the next challenge.”
Serbia’s Djokovic, chasing a sixth Wimbledon crown and a record-equalling 20th major title, is halfway to a calendar Grand Slam.
Only two men have swept all four majors in the same year with Rod Laver the most recent back in 1969.
Djokovic’s French Open triumph last month allowed him to become only the third man to claim all four majors on more than one occasion.
Even Switzerland’s Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal of Spain cannot claim such an achievement.
“I don’t really allow myself too much to think about that,” said Djokovic when asked if he has even considered the mantle of “greatest ever”.
“I feel privileged and honoured of course and very happy to be in this position to make history in the sport.
“At the same time I need to go about my everyday routines and everyday life on the tour pretty much the same way that I feel it has reaped a lot of success for me.
“If I start giving away my attention and energy to these speculations and discussions and debates, I feel like it’s going to derail me from what I feel is the priority.”
Fucsovics became just the third Hungarian man and first in 73 years to reach the quarter-finals at Wimbledon.
The 29-year-old, ranked at 48 in the world, defeated Russian fifth seed Andrey Rublev 6-3, 4-6, 4-6, 6-0, 6-3.
OLDEST MAN
Roger Federer on Monday became the oldest man to reach the Wimbledon quarter-finals since the dawn of the Open Era in 1968.
Federer, who will be 40 in just under five weeks’ time, eased past Italy’s Lorenzo Sonego 7-5, 6-4, 6-2 to make the last-eight at the All England Club for the 18th time.
“I felt after the first set I was able to control things. I couldn’t be more excited to be in the quarters,” said the Swiss.
In what will be his 58th Grand Slam quarter-final, eight-time Wimbledon champion Federer will face Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz, the 14th seed, who upset second seed Daniil Medvedev, for a place in the semi-finals.