LONDON — Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Ons Jabeur and Iga Swiatek were in cruise control at Wimbledon.
Serbian Djokovic made the Wimbledon fourth round for the 15th time, beating old rival Stan Wawrinka and a night-time curfew as Andy Murray hinted his All England Club days may be over.
Djokovic, chasing a record-equalling eighth Wimbledon title and 24th career Grand Slam crown, came through 6-3, 6-1, 7-6 (7/5) against the 38-year-old Wawrinka.
The win was Djokovic’s 21st in 27 meetings with Wawrinka, a three-time major champion who famously defeated the Serb in the 2015 French Open and 2016 US Open finals.
Tunisian Jabeur needed only 45 minutes to notch her second-round victory, while Petra Kvitova extended her winning streak to seven after dropping just four games against Aliaksandra Sasnovich at Wimbledon.
No.6 seed Ons Jabeur, last year’s Wimbledon runner-up, sped past qualifier Bai Zhuoxuan 6-1, 6-1 on No.1 Court. In their first meeting, Jabeur took just 45 minutes to collect the win.
And No.9 seed Petra Kvitova, Wimbledon champion in 2011 and 2014, made her way into the third round of the event for the ninth time with a 6-2, 6-2 defeat of Aliaksandra Sasnovich in 74 minutes.
If Jabeur and Kvitova both win their third-round matches on Saturday, they would face off in a star-studded Round of 16 clash.
In the final second-round match of the day, Jabeur was dominant against 191st-ranked Bai, who was playing in her first Grand Slam main draw. Jabeur won 87 percent of her first-serve points, and hit 15 winners (including six aces) to Bai’s three.
“I think it was a good match for me,” Jabeur said in her post-match press conference. “I tried to stick to the plan.”
two-time champion Kvitova exacted a measure of revenge with the result against Sasnovich.
Five years ago, Kvitova had come into Wimbledon 2018 with a grass-court title in Birmingham under her belt. But as one of the favorites to lift the Venus Rosewater Dish that year, the Czech crashed out to Sasnovich 6-4, 4-6, 6-0 in the first round.
Swiatek of Poland kept her Wimbledon campaign on track with a 6-2 7-5 defeat of Croatia’s Petra Martic as she reached the fourth round without dropping a set.
The four-time Grand Slam champion was made to work harder than the scoreline suggests but was still relatively untroubled as she matched her best run at the championships.
Spain’s Alcaraz provided the entertainment during his maiden victory on Wimbledon’s Centre Court but it was the end of the road for local hope Andy Murray, who lifted two titles on the hallowed turf, on a day of gloom for British tennis.
Spanish top seed Alcaraz mixed power hitting, fearsome returning and delicate drop shots to beat Frenchman Alexandre Muller 6-4 7-6(2) 6-3 before declaring he belonged on the “really beautiful court” and hoped for a final with Novak Djokovic.
“I feel like I’m ready to play more matches, to play more great matches on that court,” US Open champion Alcaraz said after reaching the third round.
“It would be amazing to play a final here in Wimbledon. Even better if is against Novak obviously.”
Shortly after the 20-year-old’s victory, Murray – a man 16 years his senior – fell short in his bid for another age-defying victory as Tsitsipas prevailed 7-6(3) 6-7(2) 4-6 7-6(3) 6-4 to silence a partisan Centre Court crowd.
Tsitsipas fought off Andy Murray to silence a partisan Centre Court crowd with a superb five-set victory in a gripping Wimbledon second-round match.
The 24-year-old Greek trailed by two sets to one after twice Wimbledon champion Murray edged ahead in three tight sets before Wimbledon’s curfew halted play mid-battle.
But when the match resumed in sparkling sunshine, Tsitsipas was locked in from the first point and gradually wore down his 36-year-old opponent to carve out a 7-6(3) 6-7(2) 4-6 7-6(3) 6-4 victory.
Murray had looked favourite on Thursday night with the lights on under the closed roof as chanting fans whipped up a soccer-like atmosphere.
