Djokovic bounces back from lapse

WIMBLEDON, England — Any lapse by Novak Djokovic is brief.

When the world’s No. 1 player double-faulted on his first two points in a tiebreaker Friday, he quickly regrouped to close out a victory over American qualifier Denis Kudla, 6-4, 6-3, 7-6 (7).

“Somehow I found a way to win,” Djokovic said. As usual. He improved to 17-0 in Grand Slam matches this year, and has also won 17 consecutive matches at Wimbledon, where he is the two-time defending champion.

During a postmatch interview on court, the Serb was asked about the source of his hunger to win, and he referenced his youth in a war-torn nation.

“The way I’ve grown up in difficult times in the ‘90s for my country,” Djokovic said, “failure is never an option for me, or anybody in my family. We had to find a way to find the basic needs for us to survive during those times. It was difficult. That has strengthened my character, I would say.”

Djokovic’s opponent Monday will be No. 17-seeded Cristian Garin of Chile, who beat Pedro Martinez 6-4, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4.

On the women’s side, No. 2-seeded Aryna Sabalenka is into the second week of play, and on the verge of a career breakthrough. The hard-hitting Belarusian beat qualifier Maria Camila Osorio Serrano 6-0, 6-3 to reach the fourth round, and she might be overdue for a deep run in a Grand Slam.

Sabalenka is the only woman among the top 20 seeds who has yet to reach a major quarterfinal.

The time seems right for that to change: Sabalenka leads the tour with 32 match wins this year, her seeding is a career high in a major, and she’s navigating a draw already without eight of the 11 highest-ranked women.

“I just keep working, keep improving,” Sabalenka said. “Every match is a new match. You never know what is going to happen.”

She overpowered Osorio Serrano, and pulled away when the Colombian went 0 for 6 converting break points in the first set.

“So many chances,” Osorio Serrano said. “I couldn’t close it.”

Sabalenka next faces No. 18 Elena Rybakina, who eliminated American Shelby Rogers 6-1, 6-4.

Also still in contention is No. 7-seeded Iga Swiatek, the 2020 French Open champion, who breezed into the fourth round by beating Irina-Camelia Begu 6-1, 6-0. Swiatek seeks a Wimbledon double after winning the girls’ singles title in 2018.

“It would be amazing,” she said. “It’s another Grand Slam, so it’s like a dream come true for any of us.”

No. 21 Ons Jabeur vomited next to the backstop before her first match point and then finished off former Wimbledon champion Garbine Muguruza 5-7, 6-3, 6-2.

Jabeur became the first Tunisian woman to reach the fourth round at Wimbledon. She also had the shot of the day when she hit a running forehand around the net post from off the court for a winner.

Wild card Liudmila Samsonova of Russia reached the round of 16 at a major for the first time by beating American Sloane Stephens 6-2, 2-6, 6-4. No. 8 Karolina Pliskova swept Tereza Martincova 6-3, 6-3.

At a glance

LOOKAHEAD TO SATURDAY: The Centre Court crowd at Wimbledon will be conflicted when perennial fan favorite Roger Federer takes on Britain’s Cameron Norrie. They’ll play for a spot in the fourth round. Federer struggled in his opening match but advanced when opponent Adrian Mannarino retired because of a knee injury. The eight-time champion looked much better when he then beat Richard Gasquet in straight sets. At 39, Federer is the oldest man to play in the third round at Wimbledon since 1975. No. 2-seeded Daniil Medvedev faces 2017 runner-up Marin Cilic. On the women’s side, 17-year-old Coco Gauff will be first on Centre Court to play Kaja Juvan. Top-ranked Ash Barty takes on Kate ina Siniaková. Barty, the 2019 French Open champion, needs two more wins to become a Wimbledon quarterfinalist for the first time.

FRIDAY’S KEY RESULTS

Women’s Third Round: No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka beat María Camila Osorio Serrano 6-0, 6-3; No. 7 Iga wi tek beat IrinaCamelia Begu 6-1, 6-0; No. 8 Karolina Pliskova beat Tereza Martincová 6-3, 6-3; No. 21 Ons Jabeur beat No. 11 Garbiñe Muguruza 5-7, 6-3, 6-2; Liudmila Samsonova beat Sloane Stephens 6-2, 2-6, 6-4.

Men’s Third Round: No. 1 Novak Djokovic beat Denis Kudla 6-4, 6-3, 7-6 (7); No. 5 Andrey Rublev beat No. 26 Fabio Fognini 6-3, 5-7, 6-4, 6-2; No. 8 Roberto Bautista Agut beat Dominik Koepfer 7-5, 6-1, 7-6 (4); Márton Fucsovics beat No. 9 Diego Schwartzman 6-3, 6-3, 6-7 (6), 6-4; No. 17 Cristian Garín beat Pedro Martínez 6-4, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4; Sebastian Korda beat No. 22 Daniel Evans 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4; No. 25 Karen Khachanov beat Frances Tiafoe 6-3, 6-4, 6-4.

STAT OF THE DAY

24: Number of break points saved by Garbiñe Muguruza, who still lost to Ons Jabeur.