July 07, (THEWILL) — Novak Djokovic advanced to the Wimbledon quarter-finals for a 16th time on Monday, after grinding out a four-set win against Australia’s Alex de Minaur. The 38-year-old Serbian recovered from a dismal start on Centre Court to win 1-6 6-4 6-4 6-4 in three hours and 19 minutes, maintaining his pursuit of a record-extending 25th Grand Slam title.
With Roger Federer watching from the Royal Box, Djokovic eventually found his footing after a turbulent first set that raised doubts about his fitness and focus. The opening stages were dominated by De Minaur, who raced through the first set in 31 minutes. Djokovic’s serve faltered, his forehand misfired, and his movement appeared laboured. The sixth seed looked increasingly rattled, but he gradually tightened his game.
By the second set, long rallies began to swing in his favour, including a 34-stroke exchange that served as a momentum shift. Djokovic saved two break points at 5-4 before levelling the match, showing the kind of tenacity that has seen him dominate the All England Club in recent years.
De Minaur, playing on Centre Court against Djokovic for the first time, stuck to a strategy of dragging the Serb into baseline duels and attacking early in the fourth set. He surged to a 4-1 lead, threatening to force a deciding set. However, Djokovic reeled off five straight games to close out the contest. It marked his 101st match win at Wimbledon and extended his record to 43 victories in his last 45 appearances at the tournament.
This was the first completed meeting between the pair on grass, after De Minaur withdrew injured before their quarter-final clash in 2024. The Australian, ranked ninth in the world, had hoped to end a 10-match losing streak against top-10 opponents, but Djokovic’s resolve proved decisive once again. The Serb, who has not failed to reach the Wimbledon final since 2017, remains on course to equal Federer’s record of eight men’s singles titles at the tournament.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
