Djokovic battles to defeat De Minaur
LONDON: Novak Djokovic overcame a sluggish start against Alex de Minaur to reach his 16th Wimbledon quarter-final under the gaze of eight-time winner Roger Federer on Monday. The Serb was lethargic and unusually tentative in the early stages of his last 16 match against the Australian 11th seed on Centre Court but eventually found his rhythm to win 1-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4. It keeps the seven-time champion on track for a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam, which would be the crowning achievement of an astonishing career.
If he wins the crown on Sunday, the 38-year-old would also draw level with Federer's record of eight men's titles at the All England Club. The retired Swiss great watched from the royal box as his long-time rival was given his toughest test of the tournament so far. Sixth seed Djokovic was broken in the first game and conceded two more breaks as De Minaur ran away with the first set. The Serb committed 16 unforced errors, including four double faults in the opener.
Djokovic broke immediately at the start of the second set but then became bogged down in a game lasting nearly 19 minutes, which De Minaur won on his sixth break point. Both players struggled to hold onto their serve in an attritional battle but Djokovic, pleading for support from the crowd, held his nerve to level the match, letting out a roar as De Minaur went long.
The third set went with serve until the ninth game, when De Minaur skewed a forehand wide to concede the crucial break. De Minaur found new inspiration in the fourth set, surging into a 4-1 lead but crumbled at the pivotal moment as Djokovic fought back, reeling off five games in a row to seal the win. Djokovic will play Italian 22nd seed Flavio Cobolli in the last eight, with a potential semi-final looming against world number one Jannik Sinner.
WIMBLEDON: Spain's Carlos Alcaraz celebrates winning a game against Russia's Andrey Rublev on the seventh day of the 2025 Wimbledon Championships. — AFP photos
Alcaraz finds form
While Djokovic and Sinner, are in ominous form, second seed Carlos Alcaraz has blown hot and cold so far. But he found his best form after a shaky start to beat Andrey Rublev and reach the Wimbledon quarter-finals on Sunday. The Spaniard, hunting a third straight title at the All England Club, has taken his fans on an emotional rollercoaster but is into the last eight after a 6-7 (5/7), 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 win.
He will next face Cameron Norrie, who is the last British player standing at Wimbledon after beating Chile's Nicolas Jarry in five gruelling sets. Alcaraz lost three sets across his first three matches and fell behind against Russian 14th seed Rublev under the Centre Court roof. But he turned the match around in style, producing some of his best tennis in front of his adoring fans. 'I think I played intelligent and smart today against him, tactically,' said the 22-year-old. 'A really good match, which I'm really proud about.'
The five-time Grand Slam champion said he always believes in himself, even when facing adversity. 'One point can change the match completely, turn everything around. 'In tennis, you have to stay there all the time. Being strong mentally, to stay there. I knew that I was going to play better.' — AFP
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