- Novak Djokovic beat Alexei Popyrin 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 on Centre Court
- The runners-up was in action as England beat Switzerland on penalties at Euro 2024
Novak Djokovic was awarded a penalty during the match and then the tiebreak master won the tennis equivalent of a shootout to survive the second week of Wimbledon.
The second-placed player was locked in a tense battle with Australian Alexei Popyrin when, towards the end of the second set, news filtered through the crowd that England had beaten Switzerland on penalties.
Djokovic, ever the showman, mimed kicking a soccer ball and Popyrin pretended to deflect the shot off the lines.
“Did England win in the end?” Djokovic asked after the match. “That’s why they stayed! Yes, congratulations.”
“Congratulations to England. I tried to take a penalty, I’m left-footed, but Alexei defended it well.”
Novak Djokovic celebrates after reaching the last 16 at Wimbledon with victory on Saturday
The No. 2 seed came back from a set down to triumph 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 on Centre Court.
The Serbian faced the 1.96m Australian Alexei Popyrin, who has a perfect game on grass.
It was all fun and games in the end, but it was far from a comfortable night for the 24-time Grand Slam champion.
Popyrin is 1.96m tall and with his great serve, slice backhand and precise volleys he has a game perfect for grass.
He took the first set and was competitive throughout the match, but Djokovic rallied and once the fourth set went to a tiebreak, he was never in doubt.
“One of the best tie-breaks I’ve played this year, that’s for sure,” Djokovic said after the 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 victory.
‘It was another tough match. I expected nothing less from Alexei than what we experienced on the court today.
‘I knew he was going into the match with confidence, with a lot of faith in himself. With that serve and that powerful forehand, he’s dangerous on any surface.
‘I knew he was in form and that he was going to come out believing that he could win. He was the better player in the first set. I think I played well in the second and third and the fourth was a match that anyone could participate in. He was serving very well. It was very difficult to read his serve.
“It was a very demanding match, both mentally and physically. They don’t allow me to have long lapses in concentration. I think I did well in that aspect.”
In the fourth round, Djokovic will face Dane Holger Rune, who came back from two sets down to beat French qualifier Quentin Halys.
Rune has beaten Djokovic twice in the past, so this should be the first serious test of the fortnight for the 37-year-old Serb.
