Big Three Cruise Into Wimbledon Quarterfinals

July 8, 2019 | By New York Tennis Magazine Staff
Rafael_Nadal_Credit_USTA_Brad_Penner_CROP
Photo courtesy of USTA/Brad Penner

 

Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer cruised into the Wimbledon quarterfinals as all three won their respective fourth-round matches in straight sets on Monday.

Nadal was up first and had no problem dispatching Joao Sousa of Portugal, needing just one hour and 45 minutes to win 6-2, 6-2, 6-2 and reach the final eight in London for the eighth time.

He moves on to play Sam Querrey, who defeated fellow American Tennys Sandgren 6-4, 6-7(7), 7-6(3), 7-6(5) in his match on Thursday to reach the Wimbledon quarterfinals for the third time in four years.

Defending champion Novak Djokovic committed just 14 unforced errors in a 6-3, 6-2, 6-3 drubbing of young Frenchman Ugo Humbert to reach the 45th major quarterfinal of his career.

“That’s always the aim: to reach the final stages of Grand Slams,” said Djokovic. “These are the biggest events in our sport so I always try to set my form so that I can play my best at these tournaments. I try not to take things for granted—to get to the final eight is a great result but we keep on going.”

Djokovic moves on to play Belgium’s David Goffin. The 21st seed moved past Spaniard Fernando Verdasco 7-6(9), 2-6, 6-3, 6-4.

“I knew that it’s my favorite tournament, and I knew that I had the game to play well on grass,” said Goffin. “To reach the quarterfinals for the first time, it means a lot.”

Looking to secure a spot in the quarterfinals for the 17th time in London, Federer was relentless on Monday as he downed 23-year-old Italian Matteo Berrettini 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 in only one hour and 13 minutes.

Federer committed just five unforced errors over the three sets, and converted on six of the seven break points he set up to move through.

He takes on eighth-seed Kei Nishikori, who defeated Mikhail Kukushkin 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 in his fourth-round match on Monday.

Argentine Guido Pella continued his run at Wimbledon, reaching his first major quarterfinal with a 3-6, 4-6, 6-3, 7-6(3), 8-6 comeback win over former finalist and 15th seed Milos Raonic. Pella will take on 23rd seed Roberto Bautista-Agut of Spain next, after Bautista-Agut knocked off France’s Benoit Paire 6-3, 7-5, 6-2.

 

 

 


New York Tennis Magazine Staff
Centercourt
USTA NTC

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