Novak Djokovic needed almost three and a half hours, and had to fight through an early eye problem, a warning for an audible obscenity and a flash of pure frustration, before beating qualifier Roman Safiullin in four sets to reach the Wimbledon quarter-finals. The win also handed the Serb the outright record for the most men's singles match victories in the tournament's history.
A new benchmark at the All England Club
Djokovic's victory over Safiullin pushed his career tally of Wimbledon men's singles wins past every other man to have played at the tournament, making him the outright record holder. The only player, man or woman, still ahead of him on the all-time list is nine-time women's champion Martina Navratilova, who finished her career with 120 match wins at the All England Club. Djokovic is also chasing two other pieces of history this fortnight: Roger Federer's men's record of eight Wimbledon titles, and an outright record 25th Grand Slam title of his own.
Frustration, a warning and a near miss
Djokovic was the overwhelming favourite going into the contest, but the match was anything but straightforward. He appeared to have an issue with his eyes early in the contest, and later in the match he was handed a warning for an audible obscenity. He was fortunate to avoid a code violation of a more serious kind after firing a ball into the back of the opposite side of the court in a moment of anger when he lost serve in the third set, an incident that drew boos from the crowd on Centre Court. Djokovic landed only 57 percent of his first serves through the contest, a modest number that reflected how uncomfortable Safiullin made things for him.
Safiullin's remarkable fortnight
Safiullin, a former Wimbledon quarter-finalist, arrived at this contest in tears, having produced a stunning third-round victory over rising star Joao Fonseca just days earlier. That win came only six months after Safiullin had feared he might never fully recover from an injury. The free-hitting 28-year-old Russian had also knocked out 12th seed Andrey Rublev on his way to the fourth round, and to reach Djokovic he had to come through three consecutive five-set matches dating back to the final round of qualifying, a physical toll that showed when he needed a medical timeout for a left-leg problem during the third set against Djokovic. Despite that, Safiullin managed to take his first set in four tour-level meetings with the former world number one, stretching the contest well beyond the three-hour mark.
How the four sets played out
Safiullin looked full of belief from the start, hitting back after Djokovic's immediate break of serve by winning five of the next six games. He could not convert that promising position into the first set, however, faltering while serving for it at 5-3 and eventually losing the tie-break. The Russian, despite a 125-place gap in the rankings, continued to be a nuisance through the second set until he handed Djokovic an opening in the sixth game and conceded a fourth break point to fall two sets down. Safiullin's medical timeout came in the third set, but he fought through the issue to finally get on the scoreboard, converting a sixth break point for a 4-2 lead in that set, the same passage of play that triggered Djokovic's angry strike of the ball. Djokovic reset quickly after that outburst and produced a decisive response in the fourth set, breaking to love in only the second game as Safiullin's challenge visibly faded. Djokovic eventually lifted over a closing drop shot to serve out the match to love, then embraced Safiullin at the net, with the crowd applauding warmly for the spirited run of the qualifier as it came to an end.
Djokovic's apology and the road ahead
Reflecting on his run through the first week, Djokovic said, "Survive to thrive, that's how I feel. Hopefully the thriving part is coming!" He also addressed his on-court behaviour directly, saying, "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." It was the third time in four matches at this year's championship that Djokovic has been taken to four sets, following an earlier four-set contest against Arthur Rinderknech, where he similarly needed the fourth set to close things out. This is Djokovic's 17th Wimbledon quarter-final, and he now moves on to face either Canadian third seed Felix Auger-Aliassime or Spain's Alejandro Davidovich Fokina for a place in the last four, still firmly in the hunt for the pieces of history he is chasing this fortnight.
