Having led in both sets, with three set points on his racquet in the first, Hubert Hurkacz has a mountain to climb against Novak Djokovic after their entertaining R4 encounter paused due to curfew rules overnight. Andrey Rublev and Iga Swiatek battled back to prevail elsewhere as five maiden Wimbledon quarterfinalists sealed their place into the second week proper on Day 7.
Svitolina’s run continues, three newcomers join her in QFs
- New territory: World no. 1 Iga Swiatek vs. Elina Svitolina [WC] and Jessica Pegula [4] vs. Marketa Vondrousova set for Tuesday’s quarter-finals – everyone not named Svitolina hasn’t reached this stage at SW19 before
- Swiatek saved two match points against Olympic champion Belinda Bencic, while Svitolina held her nerve to similarly rise from a set down, beating Victoria Azarenka [19] after edging the deciding set tiebreak 11-9
- Having gone the distance against compatriot Lauren Davis in R1, America’s Jessica Pegula is now one of two US representatives still standing in singles following 6-1, 6-3 result vs. Ukraine’s Lesia Tsurenko
2019 French Open finalist Marketa Vondrousova is into her first Major quarterfinal besides that runner-up title, after responding well to a sluggish start and overcoming compatriot Marie Bouzkova 2-6, 6-4, 6-3 in little over two hours on Sunday.
The 24-year-old didn’t make things easy for herself with 44 unforced errors, but had more than double Bouzkova’s winner count (37-15) and frequently saved break point opportunities when called upon as the match momentum shifted in her favour.
Bouzkova served well throughout (81% first serve) but didn’t win enough points behind it, playing nearly 20 more total, which gave her agemate an opportunity to consistently make inroads and threaten breaks of serve if she wasn’t careful.
That happened on a handful of occasions, while Vondrousova was more aggressive at the net and it paid dividends.
She’ll next play Jessica Pegula, another first-time Wimbledon quarterfinalist, after the fourth seed raced into a double break advantage and didn’t look back against Ukraine’s Lesia Tsurenko (6-1, 6-3).
The other quarterfinal set for Tuesday will see Swiatek-Svitolina for the first time in two years, after the world no. 1 clawed her way back from the brink – two consecutive match points down – to outlast Belinda Bencic 6-7, 7-6, 6-3.
It’s only the third time she’s recovered from a set down to win in 2023, and facing Svitolina could be just as unpredictable as the Strasbourg champion has played nine three-set matches (W6, L3) since returning in April – six straight deciding set victories.
She fended off Victoria Azarenka in dramatic style before describing it as the second-happiest moment of her life after the birth of her daughter Skai, having been 7-4 down in the ten-point breaker but not losing hope, feeding off the crowd’s energy.
Redemption day for Rublev
- Jannik Sinner hits 42 winners and 23 unforced errors (+19 differential), his best of the tournament, beating Colombia’s Daniel Elahi Galan in straight-sets and returning to last-eight, where he lost in five to Djokovic
- Russian duo Roman Safiullin and Andrey Rublev [7] make their first Wimbledon quarterfinals after contrasting victories against Denis Shapovalov [26] and Alexander Bublik [23] respectively
- 2021 semifinalist Hubert Hurkacz [17] has a Djokovic-shaped mountain to climb after going two sets down against defending champion overnight
In his 100th Wimbledon match – only Jimmy Connors and Roger Federer have more – Novak Djokovic was made to work for a two-sets to love advantage against Hubert Hurkacz overnight and so his passage into the quarterfinals remains unfinished.
The 6ft 5in Pole made a conscious effort charging to the net where possible and served brilliantly in the early stages, in what quickly proved a nip-and-tuck battle between two players without much issue on their serve.
Hurkacz responded well whenever there was a hint of pressure too, holding firm after a pair of loose forehand errors gave him a 0-30 hole to dig himself out of. Djokovic, typically, did similar in the subsequent game as they couldn’t be separated.
After 12 games in 36 minutes, into a tiebreak they went.
Djokovic double-faulted at 3-3 to give Hurkacz the encouragement he needed, yet somehow the seven-time champion stole it – saving three set points in the process – including one where the 26-year-old netted a forehand with open court to aim at and Djokovic behind the baseline. Well, set two followed the same pulsating pattern.
Hurkacz saved a break point to level at two games all, as the Centre Court crowd were wowed by the touch and point construction by both during their longer rallies.
He had to save four more break points – three in a row came as he unleashed some unreturnable serves – before the fourth inadvertently had a crazy conclusion at the net, resulting in a warm embrace.
Just as the commentators questioned whether Djokovic could get the job done before curfew, like he managed against Stan Wawrinka in the previous round, Hurkacz took him into another breaker.
The reactions on display by both were remarkable, so much so that it magnified every mistake even more as a consequence. Djokovic took that set too, 7-6 (8-6) once again, and is in the driving seat now.
Regardless, the victor will have less than 24 hours’ recovery time before facing Andrey Rublev after the 25-year-old avenged his Halle defeat by Alexander Bublik – and was made to work overtime, having lost consecutive tiebreak sets (8-6, then 7-5).
A two-set advantage swiftly disappeared and things were finely poised heading into the decider, where he could’ve easily wilted under pressure like against Lorenzo Sonego a round earlier in Paris last month. Importantly though, he held firm.
That will serve as a confidence boost given he doesn’t have the same weapons Hurkacz possesses – a booming serve, counterpuncher with steady consistency.
Picture source: Getty Images
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