LONDON — Six-time champion
Novak Djokovic
targets an 11th Wimbledon semi-final on Tuesday as Ons Jabeur, the last top-15
women’s seed standing, eyes an Arab landmark performance.
اضافة اعلان
Top seed Djokovic will reach his 43rd Slam
semi-final if he can defeat Jannik Sinner.
The odds are stacked in the Serb’s favor, with the
Italian 20-year-old yet to get past the quarter-finals of a major.
“I kind of see a little bit of myself in his game
from the back of the court, playing flat backhand, constantly staying on the
back of the line, trying to put pressure on opponents,” said Djokovic.
The 20-time Grand Slam champion easily won the
pair’s only previous meeting in straight sets on clay in
Monte Carlo last year.
But beanpole Sinner impressively dismissed Spanish
teenager Carlos Alcaraz in the last 16 on Sunday, saving all seven break points
he faced.
Before this Wimbledon, he had never won a grass
court match while physical frailties are never far away.
He had to retire from his fourth-round match against
Andrey Rublev at the French Open in May with a knee injury.
In Miami, foot blisters forced a pull-out when
facing
Francisco Cerundolo while illness in Indian Wells meant he handed a
walkover to Nick Kyrgios.
By making the last eight at Wimbledon, Sinner
follows in the footsteps of
Matteo Berrettini, who was runner-up to Djokovic
last year.
Kyrgios charge
Berrettini was the first
Italian man to reach the quarter-finals since Davide Sanguinetti in 1998.
In Tuesday’s other quarter-final, British ninth seed
Cameron Norrie tackles Belgian David Goffin.
Both men are
attempting to make the semis of a Slam for the first time.
Goffin defeated
Frances Tiafoe of the US in the
longest match at this year’s Wimbledon — four hours and 36 minutes — to reach
the quarter-finals for the second time.
Goffin missed Wimbledon in 2021 after suffering an
ankle injury before a knee problem forced him to shut down his season after the
US Open.
Before this year, his most recent match at Wimbledon
was a sobering 2019 quarter-final defeat to Djokovic, who allowed him just six
games.
The remaining quarter-finals take place on
Wednesday.
Rafael Nadal faces Taylor Fritz of the US while
fiery
Nick Kyrgios takes on Chile’s Cristian Garin.
Never far from controversy, it was reported Tuesday
that the 27-year-old Kyrgios will face court in Canberra in August charged with
assault.
His lawyer, Jason Moffett, told the Canberra Times
that his client was aware of the charge.
“It’s in the context of a domestic relationship,” he
was quoted as saying.
“The nature of the allegation is serious, and Mr
Kyrgios takes the allegation very seriously.”
World number two Jabeur is the last of the top 15
women’s seeds standing.
The Tunisian player made the last-eight in 2021 and
is now looking to reach a first
Grand Slam semi-final.
The 27-year-old coasted through the first three
rounds before digging deep to save five set points in the opening set of her
last-16 clash against Elise Mertens.
Now she hopes her progress at the All England Club
will inspire other Arab and African players.
“I want them to believe more in themselves and
believe they can be here,” said Jabeur.
“I don’t come from a rich family so you have to stop
finding excuses and just go for it, enjoy it.”
She faces
Marie Bouzkova, the world number 66 from
the Czech Republic, who had never previously progressed beyond the second round
of a major.
But after knocking out seventh seed Danielle Collins
in the first round, she has coasted through the draw.
“I don’t know how I got here,” admitted Bouzkova.
Tuesday’s other quarter-final is an all-German tie
between Tatjana Maria and Jule Niemeier who have a combined world ranking of
200.
Mother-of-two Maria only returned from a second
spell of maternity leave less than a year ago and is in the last-eight of a
Slam for the first time.
Before Wimbledon, Niemeier had played just one Grand Slam
main draw match, a first-round loss at the French Open earlier this year.
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