Djokovic displays experience in win over Hurkacz to advance to Wimbledon quarters

Novak Djokovic's experience was on display at Wimbledon on Monday. And so was Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva's inexperience.

Djokovic, a seven-time champion at the All England Club who is looking for his 24th Grand Slam title overall, reached the quarterfinals at the grass-court major for the 14th time by beating Hubert Hurkacz 7-6 (6), 7-6 (6), 5-7, 6-4 in a match that started Sunday on Centre Court.

Djokovic saved three set points in the first set and then was two points from losing the second set. Play was then suspended because of the late hour. On Monday, Hurkacz finally managed to pick up a set, using his strong serve to near perfection.

"Honestly, I don't recall the last time I felt this miserable in returning games ... due to his incredibly accurate and powerful serve," Djokovic said on court. "He's got one of the best serves in the world and it's so difficult to read it."

Hurkacz had held his serve for all 67 games at Wimbledon this year until the fourth set, when Djokovic broke him to lead 4-3. Before that, the 17th-seeded Pole had saved all 18 break points he faced.

Djokovic reached the quarterfinals at a Grand Slam tournament for the 56th time in his career, second only to Roger Federer's men's record 58. He will next face Andrey Rublev for a spot in the semifinals.

Canada's Fernandez, partner eliminated in doubles

Canada's Leylah Fernandez and Dutch partner Wesley Koolhof lost 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 to the British tandem of Olivia Nicholls and Jonny O'Mara on Monday in third-round mixed doubles action at Wimbledon.

The fourth-seeded team of Fernandez, from Laval, Que., and Koolhof combined for five aces, but hit into seven double-faults — including one on match point — and were broken four times on 11 chances.

Nicholls and O'Mara went up a break in the third set to take a 4-2 lead and won the next two games to set up a quarterfinal against fifth seeds Matthew Ebden and Ellen Perez of Australia.

Fernandez, who was eliminated from women's singles and doubles competitions last week, was the last Canadian remaining in any of the senior events.

Andreeva concedes big lead vs. Keys

Andreeva, a Russian qualifier who is still only 16 years old, had been showing her maturity throughout the first week of the Wimbledon tournament but things went awry on Monday. The teenager had won all six of her matches on grass to reach the fourth round at the All England Club but she let a big lead over 25th-seeded Madison Keys slip away in a 3-6, 7-6 (4), 6-2 loss on No. 2 Court.

In the final game, Andreeva slipped while going for a ball and the racket again went flying out of her hand.

Engzell docked the Russian a point for a second thrown racket, giving Keys a match point. Andreeva argued the call, pleading her case.

"I didn't throw the racket. I fell," Andreeva told Engzell. "I slid and then I fell."

The call stood, however, and Keys then finished off the match to reach the Wimbledon quarterfinals for the first time since 2015.

"Coming out here, you know that she's a really great player. But you don't want to be the player that loses to her for her to get to her first quarter," Keys said on court. "I've fallen short a few times and it's great to be back in the quarterfinals here at Wimbledon."

Keys has reached the semifinals at the other three Grand Slam tournaments, including a run to the final at the U.S. Open in 2017, but her only other quarterfinal appearance at the All England Club ended at that stage.

Keys will next play Aryna Sabalenka, who defeated No. 21 Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-4, 6-0. The second-seeded Sabalenka won the Australian Open this year and has a 16-1 record in major tournaments in 2023.

Defending champion Elena Rybakina also reached the quarterfinals. She advanced when Beatriz Haddad Maia retired from their match with a lower back injury with Rybakina leading 4-1.

Also in the men's tournament, Chris Eubanks reached the quarterfinals in his first Wimbledon appearance, beating fifth-seeded Stefanos Tsitsipas 3-6, 7-6 (4), 3-6, 6-4, 6-4. He will next face third-seeded Daniil Medvedev, who advanced when Jiri Lehecka retired from their match with the Russian leading 6-4, 6-2.

Later Monday, two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova fell in straight sets (6-0, 6-3) to 2022 finalist Ons Jabeur, who will now meet Rybakina. Top-seeded Carlos Alcaraz got past 2021 Wimbledon runner-up Matteo Berrettini 3-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-3, setting up a quarterfinal match against No. 6 Holger Rune.

WATCH | Canada's Shapovalov falls to Safiullin at Wimbledon:

Canada's Denis Shapovalov eliminated from Wimbledon

1 year ago

Duration 1:52

The Canadian struggled after taking the opening set and looked to be limping throughout the match.