- Thursday, November 30, 2023
By: Sattwik Biswal
NOVAK DJOKOVIC reached his 50th Grand Slam quarterfinal on Monday (5) with a straight-sets victory over Chile’s Cristian Garin at Wimbledon
World number one Djokovic eased into the last-eight at the All England Club with a 6-2, 6-4, 6-2 win and will face either Hungary’s Marton Fucsovics or Russian fifth seed Andrey Rublev for a place in the semifinals.
“Confidence levels are very high after winning the French Open,” said Djokovic.
“It was one of my biggest wins in the circumstances – two five-setters, two four-setters in the second week.
“They took a lot out of me but they also gave me wings.
“The further I go in the tournament, the more comfortable I feel and I look forward to the next challenge.”
Djokovic, the six-time Wimbledon champion and chasing a record-equalling 20th major title, is halfway to a calendar Grand Slam.
Only two men have swept all four majors in the same year with Rod Laver the most recent back in 1969.
Djokovic broke serve five times on Monday (5) and hit 28 winners, twice as many as his 17th-seeded Chilean opponent.
Shapovalov in quarters
Denis Shapovalov’s impressive run at Wimbledon saw him reach the quarterfinals after he dismissed Spain’s 2019 semifinalist and eighth seed Roberto Bautista Agut 6-1, 6-3, 7-5 on Monday (5).
The 22-year-old Canadian 10th seed – who beat Britain’s two-time champion Andy Murray in the previous round – will next face 25th seeded Karen Khachanov of Russia for a place in the last four.
A US Open quarterfinalist in 2020, Israel-born Shapovalov’s best showing at Wimbledon in three previous visits was reaching the second round in 2018.
Khachanov had a far tougher battle prevailing in five sets over American Sebastian Korda.
Berrettini advances
Matteo Berrettini stayed on course to emulate Boris Becker in 1985 in adding the Wimbledon title to winning Queen’s on his debut, easing into the quarterfinals with a 6-4, 6-3, 6-1 victory over Ilya Ivashka of Belarus.
The 25-year-old Italian plays the winner of the match between fourth seed Alexander Zverev and Canada’s 16th seed Felix Auger-Aliassime.
(AFP)
