Former world No.1 Novak Djokovic has reached his 10th Wimbledon quarter-final following a 6-4, 6-2, 6-2, win over Karen Khachanov in the fourth round.
Taking to Court One on Monday evening, the Serbian had two challenges. Asides from the powerful hitting Khachanov was the fading light. Threatening to halt the match and delay it into Tuesday. Despite the obstacles, Djokovic weathered the storm to come through as he capitalized on his opponents hit-and-miss play. In total he produced 29 winners to 12 unforced errors compared to the Russian’s tally of 19 and 22.
“I’m very pleased.” Djokovic told BBC Sport following his win.
“He’s (Khachanov) got weapons. He’s got a big first serve, a bit forehand, but I managed to get a lot of first serves back in play. Made him play the extra shot. I served well when I needed to.”
A roller-coaster start to the match saw an animated Djokovic get frustrated with his play. At one point throwing his racket out of anger. Twice, both players exchanged breaks, before Djokovic secured a crucial breakthrough. Leading 5-4, he went on to snatch the opening set as his opponent buckled at the worst possible time. Khachanov hit three consecutive unforced errors to gift Djokovic the lead.
In pole position, Djokovic extended his lead with the help of his lacklustre rival. A three-game winning streak saw him dominate the second set. Breaking at the start and at the end. Khachanov illustrated glimmers of the tennis that has rewarded him two ATP titles, but it was by no means consistent enough to trouble the three-time Wimbledon champion.
As the light began to fade, Djokovic faced a race against time to finish. Unlike Centre Court, Court One does not have the luxury of having an operational roof until next year. Midway through the third frame, Djokovic had a chance to break for 4-2, but came up short during a 17-shot rally. Nevertheless, he converted the break a couple points later with the help of another costly error from the Russian.
Firmly in the driving seat, the 12th seed surged towards the finish line. Two match points came and went before he prevailed on the third time of asking after a 20-shot rally concluded with a Khachanov backhand into the net. Prompting a relieved Djokovic to put his hands in the air.
“It was really difficult conditions to play in. I mean, the last could of games I couldn’t see the ball clearly as it was getting very dark. It was very windy through the entire match, so I had to hang in there.“ Djokovic reflected afterwards.
Matching Jimmy Connors with 41 appearances in a grand slam quarter-finals, Djokovic will next take on Kei Nishikori. The 24th seed battled from a set down to defeat Latvia’s Ernest Gulbis 4-6, 7-6 (7/5), 7-6 (12/10), 6-1, earlier in the day.
“We have already played a couple times this year on the clay. Obviously on the grass it will be a completely different game.” Djokovic previewed about his upcoming clash with the Japanese player.
“He has reached his first quarter-final here at Wimbledon, but he’s a big match player. An established player for many years. He has struggled a little bit with injuries, but he has proven so many times that he can be one of the contenders for the biggest titles in the sport.”
In their head-to-head, Djokovic leads Nishikori 13-2.
