Seven-time Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic took just over two hours to overcome 15th-ranked Holger Rune of Denmark in three sets of 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 to secure a place in the quarter-finals.
Djokovic, the second seed and holder of 24 Grand Slam titles, was not very happy after his victory.
Rune’s fans like to chant his name, saying “Ruuuuuune!”, which can sound like “Boooooo!” Djokovic clearly didn’t appreciate the situation and spoke about it in his post-match interview on court.
“To all the respectful fans who stayed here tonight, thank you so much from the bottom of my heart. I appreciate it. And to those who decided to disrespect the players, me in this case, ‘goooooon night,’ ‘goooooon night,'” he said, stretching out the “o’s” to make them boos.
The host tried to convince Djokovic that the crowd’s shouts were more of encouragement for Rune.
“I don’t accept it. Yes, they are cheering for Rune, but it’s an excuse to boo,” Djokovic said. “I’ve been on the tour for over 20 years. I know all the tricks. I know how it works. It’s okay. I’m going to focus on the respectful people, who bought a ticket because they love tennis and appreciate the effort the players put in.”
In the next round, Djokovic will face ninth seed Alex de Minaur, who reached the quarter-finals at Wimbledon for the first time by defeating Frenchman Arthur Fils 6-2, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3.
“I’ve played in more hostile environments, believe me! You can’t touch me,” Djokovic concluded.
Fritz overthrows Zverev
Taylor Fritz turned things around after losing the first two sets to Alexander Zverez to finally win 4-6, 6-7 (4), 6-4, 7-6 (3), 6-3 and reach the quarter-finals of Wimbledon.
The 26-year-old Californian, seeded No.o 13, thus equaling his best performance in a Grand Slam.
“It was fantastic to accomplish that,” he said.
The duel, played under the retractable roof of the central court, was the 35the to require five sets at the All England Club this year, equalling the mark for Grand Slams in the modern era since 1968.
Fritz’s return also happened on the 11the match in which the winner came from two sets behind, more than in any other edition of the tournament.
Zverev, seeded fourth, had won all nine of his sets played so far in the tournament, without conceding a break in 41 service games. The German gave up his first break in the third set. Fritz got another in the final set.
Fritz joined his compatriot Tommy Paul in the quarterfinals, marking the first time two Americans have reached this stage of the tournament since 2000.
In the quarterfinals, Fritz will face Lorenzo Musetti, who has taken little time to make the necessary adjustments to get used to his new life and to thwart the serve of the six-foot-eight giant Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard.
Musetti reached the quarter-finals of his first career Grand Slam tournament after beating the 21-year-old Frenchman 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-2.
The 25e The tournament’s top seed fell to the pitch after Mpetshi Perricard’s forehand failed to deliver, ending a 30-shot rally and the round of 16 match. The 22-year-old Italian’s chest throbbed with his back to the ground, gasping for breath.
After an up-and-down season, Musetti is enjoying a good time at the All England Club, having become a father in March.
“It’s been almost a year, with all the challenges and new experiences that came with my partner’s pregnancy, and becoming a father. A lot of things have happened, and changed,” Musetti explained in an on-court interview.
“It took me a long time to find the right balance,” he added.
But it took him a set to find that balance against the powerful French hitter Mpetshi Perricard, who fired 105 aces in total en route to a fourth-round appearance at Wimbledon. It was his party on Monday.
Musetti converted five of his 15 break points.
“It’s a big day. I’m very happy and proud to have gotten this victory against a very tough opponent. I had some trouble at the beginning – his serve was unstoppable,” said the Italian. “You can’t imagine how difficult it is to parry him. I’m still shaking.”
Ukrainian Svitolina advances in the women’s category
Ukrainian tennis player Elina Svitolina managed to hold back tears after her Wimbledon victory, after another bloody attack by Russia hit her home country hard.
She beat China’s Wang Xinyu 6-2, 6-1 in the round of 16.
“It’s a dark day for Ukrainians,” she said. “So yes, it was not easy to stay focused on the game today. Since this morning, I have had a lot of difficulty reading the news.”
A massive missile attack by the Russian military has hit Ukraine, killing dozens and injuring more than 150, the country’s authorities said. One of the missiles hit a children’s hospital in the capital, kyiv.
Svitolina, who has reached the semi-finals twice in her career at the All England Club, including last year, wore a black ribbon over her white tank top during her match.
“Thank you for your support,” she told the crowd at Wimbledon.
Svitolina will face Kazakh Elena Rybakina in the semi-finals. The 2022 Wimbledon champion took advantage of her Russian rival Anna Kalinskaya’s retirement while leading 6-3, 3-0 to reach the semi-finals.
Kalinskaya, 17e seed suddenly stopped playing. She had taken advantage of a medical timeout in the first set. Attention was then focused on her neck and right forearm.
Rybakina has now won 18 of her 20 matches at the All England Club. Only she, Ann Jones and Steffi Graf have maintained a 90% win rate in women’s competition in the modern era, since 1968.
The 25-year-old fourth seed is the highest-ranked player still in action.
“My serve helps me a lot, especially when the roof is closed. There’s no wind, nothing to interfere. It’s perfect for my game,” she said after hitting seven aces. “I’m very happy with the way I played my last two matches. I’m enjoying my tournament a lot.”
Jelena Ostapenko also reached the next round, where she will meet Barbora Krejcikova.
Ostapenko, 13e seed, defeated Kazakhstan’s Yulia Putinsteva 6-2, 6-3. Krejcikova, ranked 31eshowed the exit to the American ranked 11e Danielle Collins 7-5, 6-3.
With the Associated Press