Novak Djokovic is on the verge of reaching the Wimbledon quarter-finals, but will need to return to the court Monday to complete the job against 17th seed Hubert Hurkacz.

Djokovic has been unable the crack the service game of Hurkacz, who has still not lost serve in the tournament (58 service games). However, the second seed rallied from down a late mini-break in each of the two tie-breaks, saving three set points in the first set for a 7-6(6), 7-6(6) lead.

Tournament referee Gerry Armstrong suspended play after the end of the second set, at 10:35 p.m. local time, given it was very unlikely the match would be played to a conclusion before the 11 p.m. curfew.

[Suspense builds up…]@DjokerNole and @HubertHurkacz will come back tomorrow 💪Wimbledon?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@Wimbledon | Wimbledon?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/MxAHr3s4kr

— ATP Tour (@atptour) July 9, 2023

Hurkacz delivered a jaw-dropping display with his first serve throughout the first two sets, hitting 23 aces and winning 81 per cent of his first-serve points. Every time he was in any trouble, the 2021 Nitto ATP Finals competitor delivered a booming serve of more than 130mph.

However, Hurkacz struggled on return, winning just 18 per cent of his receiving points, which kept him from capitalising on his impressive serving. Djokovic’s first serve was not as visually impressive, but he won 88 per cent of those points.

Djokovic held onto his two service points from 3/6 in the first-set tie-break to save two set points and put pressure on his opponent. That paid dividends.

The 26-year-old Hurkacz crushed a 130mph first serve into the box on his third opportunity, but missed his placement too far from the T, allowing Djokovic to block it back. Hurkacz then rolled a forehand into the net to let slip his opportunity. The 17th seed made groundstroke errors in three consecutive points to lose the set. 

Hurkacz did well to continue holding onto his serve, despite Djokovic increasingly earning opportunities. At 3-4 0/40 in the second set, the Pole dug out of trouble with three consecutive serves of at least 134 mph. The ATP Tour’s clear 2023 leader in aces according to Infosys ATP Stats, Hurkacz delivered under service pressure and saved all five break points in the first two sets. He even hit a backhand drop volley with so much backspin, Djokovic crashed into the net.

Novak Djokovic” style=”width: 100%;” />^{Photo: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images}
But Djokovic once again found a way to claim the tie-break despite trailing by a late mini-break. Hurkacz made a forehand unforced error to fall behind by two sets and is now one set from trailing the seven-time Wimbledon champion 0-6 in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series.

Djokovic is now 20-4 in tie-breaks this season and has won 14 in a row at the majors, dating back to when he lost a tie-break to Enzo Couacaud in the second round of the Australian Open. If the 36-year-old advances, he will reach his 14th Wimbledon quarter-final, tying Jimmy Connors for second most men’s singles quarter-finals in tournament history behind only Roger Federer (18).

The winner between Djokovic and Hurkacz will play seventh seed Andrey Rublev, who defeated Alexander Bublik in five sets earlier in the day.

Did You Know?
This is the first time Djokovic has won the first two sets in tie-breaks at Wimbledon since the 2007 quarter-finals, in which he defeated Marcos Baghdatis 7-6(4), 7-6(9), 6-7(3), 6-4, 7-5.

Simplicity is working wonders for Grigor Dimitrov at Wimbledon this year.

The 32-year-old Bulgarian is adhering to a back-to-basics game plan devised by coaches Dani Vallverdu and Jamie Delgado. And he’s following the same daily routine at his team’s rented house in Wimbledon Village. That combination has kept Dimitrov focussed and calm amid the match scheduling chaos of week one brought on by frequent rain.

Here’s a typical day at the Dimitrov digs: Wake up at 7:30/8:00. Head to breakfast. Arrive at the club by 9:30/10:00. Practise. Play the match, head home to watch some of the other matches on TV.

“We go down to the cinema room, put the tennis on the big screen and everybody’s relaxing,” says Vallverdu. “Luckily this week we have a chef at home, so dinner is on the table at 7:30. Around 9:30 everyone’s in their own room. Every day looks the same. We’re trying to keep things as quiet and consistent as possible.”

Consistency – and clarity – has been even more important on the court. And it’s working!

Dimitrov has dropped more than three games in a set just twice in nine sets this week. On Sunday, he put the finishing touches on a 6-2, 6-3, 6-2 win over 10th-seeded American Frances Tiafoe in a match that resumed early in the third set after being postponed due to rain on Saturday evening.

When Vallverdu reunited with Dimitrov this season, player and coach agreed to get on the same page with the game plan: Take control of points with his serve and forehand and use more slice on the backhand. And most important: Stick to the plan in good times and bad.

“There’s been an agreement within the whole team on what the game style should be to win or to lose, regardless whether he’s playing better on that day or worse, or what the other guy is doing,” Vallverdu said.

“It’s just sticking to it every single day and there was an agreement six months ago on what the game plan is. Jamie Delgado and myself have stuck with it and have made sure that Grigor is buying into it.

“With the clarity of the game plan he is slowly finding the game that he was playing in the past. Over the past few years, maybe he wasn’t as clear on what his game plan should be, to not only win matches more easily, but actually to have a better chance to beat the top guys.”

Dimitrov, who has not won a title since lifting the 2017 Nitto ATP Finals trophy and finishing the year No. 3 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, faces a generational test Monday against 20-year-old sixth seed Holger Rune for a place in the quarter-finals.

Dani Vallverdu and Grigor Dimitrov at Queen’s last month.

While Vallverdu and Delgado may have some specific guidance for the first-time meeting, Vallverdu says not to expect the underlying game plan to change.

“Ninety per cent is reinforcing what he has to do on his side of the court. With other players it is different, but with Grigor most of it is about his game and sticking to the basics of his game,” he said.

“He has two clear strengths, which are his serve and his forehand, so he should be utilising that as much as possible. We’ve been working on service accuracy and first-serve efficiency quite a lot over the last few months and also recognising the shots when he should take charge of the rally with his forehand.

“Thirdly is the variety on the backhand side. Using his slice gives him the variety that you don’t see so much these days and can make guys feel uncomfortable. If he focuses on those three things, then I think the game plan is pretty simple.”

At 32, Dimitrov is committed to doing whatever it takes to get the most out of his prodigious talent and hopefully an elusive Grand Slam trophy. That’s why he’s trusting the process, and trusting Vallverdu.

“I have always wanted to give my best every single time, but I felt I was at a point in my career where I really wanted to do something bigger,” Dimitrov said.

“Putting the whole team all together was very exciting to me. With Jamie, with Dani and everyone else helping in the best possible way, I think it’s the right fit and it’s very good and comfortable for the whole team.

“Even when I was navigating through the period without Dani we always kept in contact, we’re also close friends… So we kind of picked it up where we left off, so in a way it was a very smooth transition for all of us.”

Did You Know?
Dani Vallverdu is the coach representative on the ATP Player Advisory Council.

Jamie Murray and Michael Venus’ grass-court resurgence continued Sunday at Wimbledon, where the 13th-seeded pair rallied to a 6-7(5), 7-6(3), 6-3 second-round triumph against Alexander Erler and Lucas Miedler.

The British-Kiwi duo arrived at Wimbledon with an 0-2 record on grass this year but battled to a second consecutive three-set triumph at SW19 by saving both break points they faced against Erler and Miedler. Murray and Venus, who have lifted three ATP 250 titles together since first teaming at the start of 2023, will take on fourth seeds Hugo Nys/Jan Zielinski or Alejandro Davidovich Fokina/Adrian Mannarino next in London.

Their fellow seeds Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos also advanced to the last 16. The Spanish-Argentine duo, which reached the Wimbledon championship match in 2021, ended the run of French #NextGenATP stars Arthur Fils and Luca Van Assche.

Fils and Van Assche had earlier completed a 6-7(3), 6-4, 6-2 first-round win against Petros Tsitsipas and Stefanos Tsitsipas, in a match that had been suspended due to bad light on Friday evening at the All England Club. They were unable to overcome the experience of Granollers and Zeballos upon returning to court, however, as the 15th seeds prevailed 7-6(1), 6-7(6), 6-4.

Nathaniel Lammons and Jackson Withrow managed to complete a Sunday upset at Wimbledon. The American pair took down seventh seeds Marcelo Arevalo and Jean-Julien Rojer 6-3, 7-6(5) to book their third-round spot. Also victorious on Sunday in south-west London were Roland Garros finalists Sander Gille and Joran Vliegen, who beat Laslo Djere and Christopher O’Connell in a first-round encounter.

“We’re seeing the 2021 Matteo here at Wimbledon — confident and with huge desire.”

Ramón Punzano, a member of Matteo Berrettini’s team, is delighted to see that the Italian is feeling competitive again on a tennis court, after a return to the second week of a major.

Berrettini has his smile back and, as you would expect, so does his team. In London they have found a harmony that they have been lacking for too long for a player of his calibre.

“It happens in many cases and you don’t know when – or often how – things will pan out,” the Spanish physio Punzano explained of his charge’s renewed form. “We’re coming off the back of a few months that were difficult to manage, looking for solutions to Matteo’s injury problems, and his mind is focussed on competing and on tennis.”

The Italian had started the season optimistically, and his results backed up his positivity, with two wins over Top 10 players in No. 3 Casper Ruud and No. 10 Hubert Hurkacz at te United Cup. However, the fitness problems came back to haunt him when he had to withdraw in Acapulco (during QF vs Rune) and at the ATP Masters 1000 in Monte-Carlo (before R16 vs Rune).”

Before arriving at the All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club, the 27-year-old Italian returned to competition on the grass swing in Stuttgart, but he suffered a 1-6, 2-6 defeat to his countryman Lorenzo Sonego. It was his first match since April.

Destiny would have it, the draw at Wimbledon matched him with Sonego again in the first round. 

“After a period that was hard to endure, we got to London at a difficult time,” Punzano said. “We were faced with a first match against one of his best friends on Tour and there is still a lot of emotion in our team knowing that two weeks back Matteo suffered a painful defeat to Lorenzo.”

Getting To Know Berrettini:

However, Berrettini was quick to snuff out any feelings of uncertainty. 

“You know that that moment has to come, but you don’t know when or how it will happen,” Punzano said. “Thanks to everyone’s hard work – that of Matteo first and foremost, of course – he is playing a level of tennis where, as I said to him the other day, we’re seeing the 2021 Matteo here at Wimbledon — confident and with huge desire.”

Berrettini, who was a finalist two seasons ago at the gras-court major, started this year’s event with a comeback against Sonego, 6-7(5), 6-3, 7-6(7), 6-3. He toppled 15th seed Alex de Miñaur in the second round 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 and was back to his best in the third round, in which he saw off 19th seed Alexander Zverev 6-3, 7-6(4), 7-6(5).

“Matteo started to feel better, to fancy himself and believe he had a chance”, the physio said. “He started to show more confidence on court, with a very good attitude and enough optimism to be competitive. We know that there is sometimes a fine line between winning or losing, but the positive thing for us is seeing that Matteo is producing his best level in competition.”

That spark that Berrettini was looking for came at Wimbledon, where he has reached the second week in each of his last three visits (2019, 2021, 2023). “That fact helped,” explained Punzano. “We’re in the cathedral of world tennis, a formal tournament where everything is ceremonial. It’s a tournament that consumes you and transports you through the history of this sport and I think that helped motivate him and, of course, it’s a surface Matteo normally feels comfortable on and he likes it.”

The wins are just the tip of the iceberg, under which lie many hours of hard work, frustration, determination and disappointment. Feelings are on the line, when the results don’t match the expectations of a player who reached World No. 6 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings last year.

“Matteo has been through difficult moments this month. Fitness issues, not serious but significant enough to rob him of continuity in his game and that is something all players need to be able to produce their best tennis on court,” Punzano said.

This is where Punzano and the rest of the team play a fundamental role in supporting their man. “Mentally, the player needs to be serene and calm, and to feel that the team is close to them, and that we’re doing everything to be able to turn around an uncertain situation like this,” Punzano explained.

“We try to show sympathy and make sure the player feels that he’s not alone in that process, with the whole team being very self-critical and checking what we can improve on or where we’re not doing as well as we would like. Although I have to say that it is Matteo who is very much on the front line, he takes it in and tries to learn and grow to make sure the situation is sustainable at all times. We try to ensure the player has the environment that is most conducive to that.”

That has happened in London and now Berrettini is faced with one of the biggest challenges of the year when he faces World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz on Monday for a place in the quarter-finals of Wimbledon.

“It’s special, for me too as it’s against a Spaniard, who is also currently the No. 1 in the world,” Punzano said. “I think Matteo feels really good and is confident in his tennis, that this is a place where he feels good and where he has already done big things. So he has the confidence required to compete with anyone and believe that he could have a good result.”

Although Alcaraz leads their Lexus ATP Head2Head 2-1, Berrettini’s win came in their only previous encounter at a major (2022 Australian Open).

“Of course, the match will be very difficult, but I’m sure both players think that,” Punzano said. “Also, it will be the first match with a day of rest in between, which is really good for us to recover physically. I think Matteo will be confident of playing the match in peak condition.”

As if that weren’t enough, he is playing on a stage that is very special to him, where he came so close to glory. “Here in 2021, we were in the final. It was an incredible week, with many intense experiences and even though it’s just subconscious, it does remind you of that and those moments he had,” Punzano said. “Therefore I think it’s a special tournament for him and for many of us. And, of course, this creates a hotbed for interesting things to happen.”

Finally, in this environment of optimism, before facing his biggest encounter of the season, the question is inevitable. How is Berrettini physically? For the first time in 2023, the Italian has managed to string three five-set wins together at a major.

“Matteo is feeling pretty good,” responds Punzano emphatically. “It has been complicated playing every day and not having days to rest like at any Grand Slam, but the rain has meant he played from Tuesday to Saturday.” To which he adds: “His fitness seems to be what you need for the level of demand we see on tour and we’re happy that he is continuing in that way and that, little by little, he is feeling good and firing on all cylinders.”

Whatever happens on Monday, Berrettini has already achieved a lot more than just a few wins at Wimbledon.