Wimbledon: Djokovic breaks Federer’s wins record with gritty victory over Safiullin

London, July 5 (IANS) Novak Djokovic added another remarkable chapter to his glittering career on Sunday, overcoming a determined challenge from qualifier Roman Safiullin to reach the Wimbledon quarter-finals and become the most successful men’s singles player in the tournament’s history.

The seven-time champion defeated Safiullin 7-6(6), 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 in a thrilling fourth-round match on Centre Court that lasted three hours and 26 minutes. This victory marked Djokovic’s 106th singles win at the All England Club. It also surpassed Roger Federer’s record of 105 Wimbledon men’s singles victories, with only Martina Navratilova (120) having won more singles matches at the Championships.

This win sent Djokovic to his ninth consecutive Wimbledon quarter-final and the 17th of his impressive career.

“Another hard-fought win,” Djokovic said after the match. “Roman started very well, very aggressively. I didn’t feel so comfortable from the back of the court. I knew staying in the rallies with him would be a challenge. He’s a very solid player… He should be proud of his performance today.”

Safiullin came to Wimbledon without a tour-level win in 2026 after returning from an injury that ended his 2025 season following the US Open. He showed little sign of rust. The former World No. 36 matched Djokovic from the baseline and took a 5-2 lead in the opening set. He even had two set points before Djokovic made one of his classic comebacks.

Djokovic erased those chances and won the tie-break after Safiullin failed to convert two more opportunities at 6-6. A costly drop-shot attempt went wide, giving Djokovic the crucial edge.

The second set remained tightly contested until Djokovic finally broke the deadlock in a marathon 10-minute game at 3-2, converting his fourth break point with a blend of strong defense and precise shot-making.

“I don’t feel inferior from the back of the court against too many players,” Djokovic admitted. “Today was one of those days when I didn’t want to stay in the rally too long, so I mixed things up. Sometimes it worked, and sometimes it didn’t. In the end, the accuracy and precision of my first serve got me out of trouble.”

Safiullin would not go down easily, even after taking a medical timeout for a hip issue at 3-2 in the third set. The Russian won three of the next four games to force a fourth set and briefly raised hopes for an upset.

However, Djokovic responded by upping his intensity and attacking with more purpose to regain control. Determined not to repeat his recent collapse after losing a two-set lead to João Fonseca at Roland Garros just five weeks earlier, the 24-time Grand Slam champion closed out the match to keep his title quest alive.

Djokovic will next face either Felix Auger-Aliassime or Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the quarter-finals, with a potential blockbuster semi-final against world No. 1 and defending champion Jannik Sinner on the horizon.

–IANS

hs/