NOVAK POSTS KEY VICTORY
Serbian superstar makes 50th Grand Slam quarters
LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — Novak Djokovic marched into his 50th Grand Slam quarterfinal while Roger Federer became the oldest man in the modern era to make the Last Eight at Wimbledon on”Manic Monday” at the All England Club.
World No. 1 Djokovic, chasing a sixth Wimbledon and record-tying 20th major, eased into the quarters for the 12th time with a 6-2, 6-4, 6-2 win over Chile’s Cristian Garin. Federer, who will be 40 in just under five weeks’ time, brushed aside Italy’s Lorenzo Sonego 7-5, 6-4, 6-2 to make the quarterfinals at Wimbledon for the 18th time and 58th overall at the majors. Djokovic will next face Hungary’s Marton Fucsovics, one of a host of players booking last-eight spots at the tournament for the first time. The list included women’s top seed Ashleigh Barty, second seed Aryna Sabalenka, Karolina Pliskova, Viktorija Golubic as well as Matteo Berrettini, Denis Shapovalov, Karen Khachanov and Felix AugerAliassime in the men’s draw. Djokovic 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.
“Confidence levels are very high after winning the French Open,” Djokovic said.
“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.” Eight-time Wimbledon champion Federer will face either second seed Daniil Medvedev or Hubert Hurkacz, the 14th seed, for a place in the semifinals.
Medvedev was leading Hurkacz 6-2, 6-7 (2/7), 6-3, 3-4 when play was halted for the night due to rain.
Confidence levels are very high after winning the French Open.
“It is not fair for anyone. I have been in these situations before — but these guys are young and they can recover,” said Federer, the oldest man in the Last Eight since the dawn of the Open Era in 1968.
Barty reached the quarterfinals for the first time, beating French Open champion Barbora Krejcikova of the Czech Republic 7-5, 6-3.
The 25-year-old Australian will play the winner of the match between unseeded compatriot Ajla Tomljanovic and British teenager Emma Raducanu. “It was an incredibly tough match,” Barty said. “Barbora has had an unbelievable year and am happy to come through in the end.”
Ons Jabeur’s historic campaign saw her also reach the quarterfinals for the first time, beating Poland’s 2020 French Open champion Iga Swiatek 5-7, 6-1, 6-1.
The 26-year-old is the first Tunisian woman to reach the last eight and will face Belarus second seed Aryna Sabalenka who defeated Elena Rybakina 6-3, 4-6, 6-3.
“It was a great match and I had to stay calm rather than get angry,” Jabeur said.
Both Jabeur and Sabalenka have a season-leading 33 wins in 2021.
Former world No. 1 Pliskova reached her first Wimbledon quarterfinal with a 6-2, 6-3 win over Russian wildcard Liudmila Samsonova.
Men’s seventh seed Berrettini became only the fifth Italian man to make the last eight with a quickfire 6-4, 6-3, 6-1 win over Ilya Ivashka of Belarus.
The Queen’s Club champion, the first Italian man in the quarter-finals since 1998, will face Auger-Aliassime of Canada.
Auger-Aliassime, seeded 16, defeated fourth-seeded German opponent Alexander Zverev 6-4, 7-6 (8/6), 3-6, 3-6, 6-4.