India, July 8 - Novak Djokovic narrowly avoided a scare on Monday when he successfully defended against Alex de Minaur's challenge twice to earn his 101st singles victory at Wimbledon and secure a berth in the quarterfinals. For the third year in a row since his retirement in 2022, Roger Federer was there to watch Djokovic defeat the Australian with a score of 1-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4, as he always does on Centre Court.

Following the game, Djokovic honored the Swiss great with a twist. The Serb, who is currently only four victories away from matching Federer's all-time Wimbledon match win record of 105, made a playful dig during the on-court interview, pointing out that it was the first time he had ever won a match with Federer present.

With Federer's response taking center stage, Djokovic remarked, "It's maybe the first time he's watching me and I've won the match. In the last couple, I lost the match, so it's good to break the curse." He gave Djokovic a nod in agreement, but he was unable to quit grinning.

"It's wonderful to have Roger here, a great champion and someone I really admired and respected." It's wonderful to have him back in his most beloved and successful competition after all these years we've shared the stage, without a doubt.

Only three victories separate Djokovic from matching Federer's eight Wimbledon victories. Carlos Alcaraz defeated him in the championship of the two prior iterations. Additionally, the title win will propel him to his eagerly anticipated record 25th major, surpassing a tie with the long-retired Margaret Court. In addition, he would be the Open era's oldest Grand Slam singles champion.

The 38-year-old was put to the test on Centre Court on Monday when De Minaur stormed through the first set and then took a commanding 4-1 lead in the fourth, with a break point at 5-1.

"It was a very difficult encounter, some very challenging moments for me," Djokovic stated before bringing up Federer in the stands. "Occasionally, I wish I had a serve and volley and a nice touch from the gentleman who is standing right there. He quipped, "That would help."

To get to the Wimbledon quarterfinals for the sixteenth time in his career, Djokovic won the final five games of the fourth set in a row.

Djokovic's opponent in the quarterfinals is Italian Flavio Cobolli, the 22nd seed, who defeated Marin Cilic, a former Wimbledon runner-up, 6-4, 6-4, 6-7 (4/7), 7-6 (7/3).

Please contact the editor at contentservices@htdigital.in HT Digital streams Ltd for any inquiries regarding this article or any other content needs.
Read Also: Karthik Opens Up: ‘Shastri Said I Was Done After Lord’s’
Get the latest Bollywood entertainment news, trending celebrity news, latest celebrity news, new movie reviews, latest entertainment news, latest Bollywood news, and Bollywood celebrity fashion & style updates!