Novak Djokovic booked his place in the fourth round of Wimbledon after defeating Arthur Rinderknech 7-5, 6-4, 1-6, 7-6(4) on Friday, July 3. The result also saw the Serbian equal legendary Roger Federer’s record of 105 men’s singles match wins at the All England Club. Now, with the win, the seven-time champion also remains in the hunt for a record-extending 25th Grand Slam singles title and will next face Roman Safiullin in the Round of 16.
After the game, Djokovic marked the latest milestone with humour, suggesting Federer should come out of retirement for a one-off match to determine who deserves sole possession of the record.
โI propose a match between me and Roger, whoever wins gets it. Letโs stop it here and call Roger to come. Iโm sure heโd like to take up that challenge,โ Djokovic said at the on-court interview.
The victory leaves only Martina Navratilova ahead of Djokovic and Federer on Wimbledonโs all-time list with 120 match wins. While acknowledging the significance of adding another landmark at the tournament, Djokovic said Wimbledon has always held a special place in his career.
โIโm sure thereโs going to be someone else after 120. Obviously, to be able to make history in this sport is a huge honour and privilege, particularly here. Iโve said it many times that this has always been a dream tournament for me since childhood,โ Djokovic said.
How the match progress?
Rinderknech tested the Serbian after dropping the opening two sets, using aggressive serving and attacking groundstrokes to force his way back into the contest. Djokovic, however, regained control in the fourth-set tie-break to avoid a deciding set and secure his place in the second week of the tournament.
After the game, the 39-year-old also added that his attention remains on winning matches rather than chasing records, admitting he felt under pressure during Friday’s contest.
โIโm not really thinking about whether it will be 105 or 106. Iโm just focused on trying to win the match on any given day. Today I was quite stressed, more tense than usual. I knew it was going to be a very challenging match, which it turned out to be. Iโm just happy to have overcome it,โ Djokovic added.
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