|
Serbian tennis icon Novak Djokovic may not have been at his clinical best on Friday at Wimbledon, but the seven-time champion showcased his trademark resilience to overcome a stern challenge from Arthur Rinderknech and equal Roger Federer's record for the most men's singles match wins at the grass-court Grand Slam.
After being pushed hard on Centre Court, Djokovic raised his level in the decisive moments to neutralise the Frenchman's powerful serve and seal a hard-fought 7-5, 6-4, 1-6, 7-6(4) third-round victory in the ongoing Wimbledon. The win was the 105th singles triumph of his Wimbledon career, drawing him level with Federer for the most men's singles victories at the tournament. Only former world No. 1 Martina Navratilova, with 120 wins, has recorded more singles victories at Wimbledon. "To be able to make history in this sport is a huge honour and a huge privilege. Particularly here, it's always been a dream childhood tournament of mine. I'm not thinking about whether it's going to be 105 or 106, but I'm just thinking about trying to win that match on a given day," Djokovic said in his on-court interview as per the ATP Tour website. "Today I was quite stressed out. There was more tension than usual. I knew it was going to be a very challenging match for me. I'm just happy to overcome this. I propose a matchup between me and Roger for 106!" he added. Having triumphed in his first meeting against Rinderknech, Djokovic set up a fourth-round meeting with 28-year-old qualifier Roman Safiullin, who earlier ousted star Joao Fonseca 6-3, 6-3, 6-3, with a near-flawless performance. Safiullin, who struggled with injury at the back end of 2025, did not record a tour-level win this year before Wimbledon. After overcoming Rinderknech in their first career meeting, Djokovic booked his place in the fourth round, where he will face 28-year-old qualifier Roman Safiullin. The Russian advanced with a dominant 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 victory over rising Brazilian star Joao Fonseca, producing a near-flawless display. Safiullin's run marks a remarkable turnaround after an injury-hit end to the 2025 season. He arrived at Wimbledon without a single tour-level victory in 2026, but has rediscovered his form on the grass to reach the second week of the Championships. (ANI)
|
