Djokovic’s 7-6 (8/6), 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 victory over Russian qualifier Roman Safiullin in the fourth round took the seven-time Wimbledon champion past Federer to 106 men’s match-wins at the grass-court Grand Slam. Only Martina Navratilova (120) has won more singles matches at the All England Club across the men’s and women’s events.
The 39-year-old is through to his 17th Wimbledon quarter-final and his ninth in a row. In his record-extending 66th Grand Slam quarter-final, Djokovic will play Canadian third seed Felix Auger-Aliassime – a 6-7 (4/7), 7-6 (8/6), 6-3, 6-7 (2/7), 6-1 winner against Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.
Djokovic’s win kept him on course for a blockbuster semi-final showdown with defending champion Jannik Sinner, who beat Japanese qualifier Shintaro Mochizuki 6-3, 7-6 (7/0), 6-3.
“Survive to thrive, that’s how I feel. So hopefully the thriving part is coming,” Djokovic said. “Our mind wanders all the time, it’s very hard to keep it in the present moment, whoever does that is a winner.”
After dropping a set in two of his first three matches at the All England Club this week, Djokovic again looked out of sorts at times but did enough to keep his bid for tennis immortality on track.
The Serb is aiming to win a record 25th Grand Slam singles crown, which would break a tie with Margaret Court and take him level with Federer on eight Wimbledon titles.
Osaka avenged a straight-sets defeat against Sabalenka in the French Open last 16 in June by eliminating her fellow four-time Grand Slam champion with a superb 6-2, 7-6 (7/2) victory on Centre Court.
It is five years since Osaka lifted her most recent Grand Slam trophy at the Australian Open. Osaka is yet to drop a set across her opening four matches at Wimbledon.
Seeded 14th, she is finally finding her groove on grass, helped by the eye-catching outfits she arrives on court wearing. Her walk-on costumes have included a kimono, a bomber jacket with a long train and a cloak that looks like an open kimono.
Once again the 28-year-old treated fans to a memorable outfit before delivering a tailor-made performance that left Sabalenka’s Wimbledon challenge in tatters in the last 16.
Osaka faces Czech 10th seed Karolina Muchova, who eliminated former Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova in the fourth round, for a place in the semi-finals.
“For me this court is so special. This is the first match I’ve won on this court. It means a lot,” Osaka said.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve had so much fun on the court and to do it here, really means a lot.” Sabalenka’s bid for a 15th consecutive Grand Slam quarter-final came to an abrupt halt.
She bows out of a major tournament before the quarter-finals for the first time since the French Open in 2022. She had lost in the semi-finals on each of her past three visits to Wimbledon and has never made the final.
“I just want to go, get completely drunk, forget about tennis, and try to get in better shape,” said Sabalenka.
World number one Sinner eased past 151st-ranked Mochizuki to set up a last-eight tie with German veteran Jan-Lennard Struff.
“I tried to stay aggressive. I had some chances in the second set and couldn’t use them, but I’m still very happy, trying to step up the level as we go,” said the four-time Grand Slam champion.
Struff became the oldest first-time men’s Grand Slam quarter-finalist in the Open era after Hubert Hurkacz retired injured during the fifth set of their last-16 tie.
Elsewhere on Sunday, Coco Gauff clinched a dramatic late-night victory over Belinda Bencic to reach the quarter-finals for the first time in her career.
The two-time Grand Slam champion, who reached the fourth round as a 15-year-old in 2019, finally made the last eight in her seventh appearance at the All England Club with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory.
Gauff will face fourth seed Jessica Pegula in an all-American quarter-final on Tuesday. Pegula, who has never won a Grand Slam, beat compatriot Iva Jovic in three sets. (AFP)
