Novak Djokovic kept his Wimbledon championship defence on track with a gruelling 6-2 4-6 6-1 6-2 win against Tim van Rijthoven on Sunday, ending the Dutchman’s fairytale run.
In his quest for a fourth Wimbledon title and eighth overall, Novak Djokovic is currently unblemished on the All England Club’s groomed lawns since withdrawing due to an elbow injury in the 2017 quarter-finals against Tomas Berdych.
Serbian No. 1 Novak Djokovic will face Italian No. 10 seed Jannik Sinner in the quarterfinals on Friday after the 20-year-old upset No. 5 seed Carlos Alcaraz on Centre Court earlier in the day.
A pair of Serb break opportunities and a break point save gave him a 1-0 lead in the first set.
At Centre Court, the audience erupted in celebration when Van Rijthoven broke 20-time major champion Robin Haase’s serve in the second set to even things up.
Although the Dutchman had acquired some momentum, Djokovic demonstrated why he has won 25 straight matches on grass. He raised his level in the third set to break twice and end the contest.
In the fourth game, the 35-year-old roared “come on” with fists clinched, while a break in the seventh placed the top seed in complete command of the match.
A forehand winner by Djokovic on his 28th match point of the night kept Djokovic’s championship defence on track.