Novak Djokovic claimed the all-time record for most men's singles match wins at Wimbledon, but had to overcome moments of visible frustration to beat qualifier Roman Safiullin and
The report indicates that novak Djokovic claimed the all-time record for most men’s singles match wins at Wimbledon, but had to overcome moments of visible frustration to beat qualifier Roman Safiullin and reach the quarter-finals.
It further notes that djokovic had matched Roger Federer’s record with his third-round victory on Friday, and the 39-year-old earned his 106th win at SW19 by defeating the 132nd-ranked Safiullin 7-6 (8-6) 6-3 3-6 6-3 on Sunday.
That is second only to the 120 wins achieved by nine-time women’s champion Martina Navratilova.
The Serb beat Safiullin despite an apparent issue with his eyes early in the contest, while he later received a warning for an audible obscenity and was fortunate to avoid a penalty after firing a ball to the back of the opposite side of the court when he lost serve in the third set.
“Survive to thrive – that’s how I feel,” Djokovic said, reflecting on his performances in the first week.
Acknowledging his behaviour during the match, he added: “I’m known for my outbursts and meltdowns, I had a few of those today so I apologise.
“Our mind wanders all the time. It is very hard to keep it in the present moment. Whoever manages to do that is the winner.”
Djokovic remains on course for a tantalising semi-final showdown with world number one Jannik Sinner, whose title defence continued to gather momentum as he outclassed qualifier Shintaro Mochizuki.
Sinner, a four-time major winner, claimed his third consecutive straight-set victory since surviving a huge scare in his opening five-set win against Miomir Kecmanovic.
The 6-3 7-6 (7-0) 6-3 victory sent Sinner into his fifth consecutive Wimbledon quarter-final, where the Italian will face Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff.
Djokovic – who is bidding to match Federer’s men’s record of eight Wimbledon titles and claim an outright record 25th major title – was the overwhelming favourite against Safiullin, but found his latest test far from straightforward.
Safiullin, a former quarter-finalist, was in tears after his stunning third-round victory over rising star Joao Fonseca, having struggled with an injury he feared he would never fully recover from six months ago.
The free-hitting Russian, 28, was rewarded for his persistence when he took his first set in four meetings with former world number one Djokovic to prolong the contest beyond the three-hour mark.
But, just as he did against Arthur Rinderknech in the previous round, Djokovic captured the fourth set to seal victory and set up a last-eight meeting with Canadian third seed Felix Auger-Aliassime.
