Djokovic beats Hurkacz in two-day match to advance to Wimbledon quarter-finals | Tennis

Novak Djokovic took another step towards his eighth Wimbledon title. The London Grand Slam champion overcame Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz, 18th in the ATP rankings, but needed two days to clinch the victory in three sets to 1 – parts of 7/6 (6), 7/6 (6), 5/7 and 6 /4. The match had to be stopped on Sunday due to the time limit – matches must be finished by 11pm in the British capital – and finished on Monday. No. 2 in the world, the Serb advanced to the quarter-finals on the English lawn.

Despite conceding a set for the first time in the tournament, Djokovic maintained a long unbeaten streak at Wimbledon Center Court. Since the 2013 final, when he lost to Andy Murray, the Serb has been unbeatable on the main stage at the Grand Slam in London.

For a place in the semifinals, Djokovic will face Andrei Rublev, ranked 7 in the world. The Serb has a 3-1 advantage in the history of confrontation with Russia. They also met in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open in January, where Djokovic emerged victorious.

Djokovic won in two sets in a tiebreaker on Sunday before breaking the tie at Wimbledon. When the match resumed on Monday, Hurkacz maintained a good serve and put pressure on the Serb and managed the first half of the match at the end of the third set (7/5). The Serbian player grew in the last stage of the fourth set, managed to break serve in the seventh game and kept the advantage of closing the penalty at 6/4.