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Djokovic eyes sweet 16 at Wimbledon as Swiatek takes on gangster

Published : Sunday, 7 July, 2024 at 12:00 AM  Count : 224
LONDON, JULY 6: Novak Djokovic will look to reach the Wimbledon fourth round for the 16th time on Saturday as Iga Swiatek faces an opponent who once described herself as a "gangster" when shes playing but an "angel off court".

Seven-time champion Djokovic is chasing Roger Federers record of eight titles at the All England Club and his 25th Grand Slam title in total.

He barely broke sweat in his opening match this week but was pushed to four sets in his second encounter by British rookie Jacob Fearnley, who was still playing college tennis in the United States last month.

Just weeks after a right knee operation, Djokovic feels he is not fully up to speed yet.

"Its not yet there where I want it to be," he said after his win in the second round. "Kind of late on the balls that Im normally not late on.

"Thats the part which I guess comes with matches. So the longer I stay in the tournament, I think the better the chances that my movement will improve."

On Saturday, he tackles Alexei Popyrin, whom he beat in four sets at the Australian Open earlier this year.

With defending champion Carlos Alcaraz and top-ranked Jannik Sinner on the other side of the draw, and safely into the fourth round, Djokovic can see a clear path to a sixth straight final at the All England Club.

Popyrin, the world number 47, has never made the second week of a Slam.

Djokovics scheduled semi-final opponent Alexander Zverev opens play on Centre Court against Cameron Norrie, the last British man in the singles tournament.

Zverev has dropped just 15 games in two rounds and boasts a 5-0 winning record over Norrie.

Frances Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, who only made the main draw as a lucky loser from qualifying, has become the player nobody wants to face.

The 2.03 metre (6 feet 8 inches) world number 58 leads the ace count at Wimbledon with 78.

On top of that, the 20-year-old has saved all 13 break points he has faced and is bidding to become the first lucky loser into the last 16 since Dick Norman in 1995.

"Im happy to have this serve which helps me enormously," said Mpetshi Perricard, who faces Finlands Emil Ruusuvuori.

Mpetshi Perricard is one of six Frenchmen to have reached the third round.

In the womens draw, Iga Swiatek has seen off all-comers during an impressive 21-match winning run.

On Saturday, she faces Yulia Putintseva, the diminutive Russian-born Kazakh who rankled the world number one earlier this year with her antics at Indian Wells.    —AFP



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