Novak Djokovic passes Hubert Hurkacz test to take another step towards history

James Richardson 10 Jul 2023 4:43 PM

Novak Djokovic celebrates victory

Novak Djokovic battled past Hubert Hurkacz in four sets, and he now needs just three more victories to tie Roger Federer’s record for most Wimbledon titles.

Hurkacz presented a difficult challenge for the Serbian, as his powerful and precise serve kept him in the fourth-round match that was split over two days in SW19.

However, Djokovic ultimately prevailed 7-6(6) 7-6(6) 5-7 6-4, and he will now play Andrey Rublev for a spot in the semifinals.

Djokovic admitted after the contest that the Pole’s massive serve made his life a misery on Centre Court a place where he is used to holding sway.

“Big credit for Hubert for playing an amazing match. He put up a great performance,” Djokovic told the BBC.

“Honestly I don’t recall the last time I felt this miserable on returning games. He has one of the best serves in the world and it’s difficult to read it on one of the quickest surfaces in the sport. It was not enjoyable for me.

“In the important moments I was fortunate to win that first set. This match could have gone a different way but I held my nerves when it mattered.”

Prior to the players having to leave the court at 23:00 on Sunday night due to the curfew, the 22-time major champion had established a two-set lead when Hurkacz’s serve proved to be unbreakable even by a returner of Djokovic’s skill.

However, when they resurfaced on Monday, Hurkacz broke Djokovic at 6-5 up to win the third set without having to serve it out and clawed his way back into contention.

Djokovic was frustrated at that moment, but the set he took wasn’t any more than the Pole had deserved for his excellent performance in a great match up to that point.

Djokovic ultimately broke in game seven of the fourth set, but there was danger as he did not sustain his typical consistency as he approached the finish line to secure his triumph.

The Serbian wouldn’t talk tactics when it came to his quarter-final opponent, world No 7 Andrey Rublev.

“He’s a different player to Hurkacz for sure. Very powerful, very quick ground strokes, loves to dictate,” Djokovic said when asked about his Wimbledon last eight foe.

“I’m not going to talk to much about tactics – I will to keep that to myself.

“The matches are going to get harder, and I have to get ready for that.”