Wimbledon 2023: Novak Djokovic resumes fourth-round clash with Hubert Hurkacz in straight sets on Monday

Novak Djokovic and Hubert Hurkacz resume their fourth-round clash at Wimbledon on Monday, with the 24-time Grand Slam champion needing just a set to advance.

The Pole’s huge serving made life uncomfortable for Djokovic, setting up two semifinals, but the second seed’s quality shone through on both occasions.

That’s why Djokovic is confident of a draw with Andrei Rublev, who beat Alexander Bubliv in a thriller in the last eight.

Hurkacz showed no nerves as he held serve in the opening game with two stylish aces and drop shots as Djokovic responded at love.

Both players were quick in their service games, serving powerful shots and refusing to engage in long rallies. However, Hurkacz had to recover from an 0-30 deficit to secure the ninth game.

So it was no surprise that the opening set was decided by a tiebreak. However, what caught many off guard was Hurkacz earning a mini-break followed by three set points that he was unable to convert. Nerves began to surface as Hurkacz served a forehand and a backhand followed by a long return that eventually allowed Djokovic to secure the first set 8-6.

Normal service continued in the second half. Djokovic earned himself a break point in the fifth game but was unable to break Hurkacz.

In the eighth game, Hurkacz managed to get a rare point on his opponent’s serve, but Djokovic responded in typical fashion with a brilliant backhand followed by a big serve.

With a place in the Wimbledon quarterfinals at stake, the excitement was palpable. Amidst the seriousness, however, both players shared a moment of restlessness. When Djokovic hit the tram lines and tripped the net without missing another chance to break, they hugged and laughed. Hurkacz went back to work with an ace.

Hurkacz hit his 21st and 22nd aces to push the match into the second semifinal, where Djokovic got his first mini-break.

The momentum swung again as Hurkacz responded with a well-executed sliced ​​backhand to level at 3-3 before getting another point to make it 5-4. Yet once again the Pole missed an opportunity to serve and lost the next point before Djokovic brought home a set point of his own.

The crowd was brought to its feet as Hurkacz won a thrilling rally, but the Serb was not to be denied as he closed out the tiebreak 8-6 at around 10:35 p.m.

With only 25 minutes left until the curfew, it was decided to stop the game.

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