After defeating Rune, Djokovic calls the supporters “disrespectful.”

9/7/2024,

After defeating Holger Rune of Denmark to get to his 15th Wimbledon quarterfinal, Novak Djokovic accused the crowd of being disrespectful.

On a boisterous Centre Court, Djokovic defeated the 15th seed 6-3 6-4 6-2, despite seemingly struggling with a gastrointestinal ailment.

Many in the crowd supported Rune, yelling his name loudly and again, which Djokovic furiously believed to be jeers.

Djokovic remarked, “They were [disrespecting me].”

“I reject it. They may have been supporting Rune, but that doesn’t give them the right to boo as well. I’ve been on the tour for over 20 years, so you can trust that I understand all the nuances and how it operates. I’m safe from your touch, folks.

The 37-year-old is aiming for a record 25th Grand Slam overall and an eighth Wimbledon championship.
Next up for him is Alex de Minaur, who defeated Arthur Fils of France 6-2 6-4 4-6 6-3 to secure his place in the quarterfinals.

In the men’s singles, American Taylor Fritz’s incredible comeback victory over fourth seed Alexander Zverev after trailing two sets to one was the true drama of the day.

Before the decisive match on Monday at Centre Court, Djokovic predicted “fireworks” between himself and Rune.

The Dane had already triumphed over Djokovic twice, victories that contributed to his rise to prominence in the sport.

But on this occasion, he barely troubled the second seed, failing to capitalise on only two break points.

After surgery in June, Djokovic’s right leg is still supported by a knee brace. He started the match quickly, winning the opening 12 games to take a 3-0 lead.

Early in the second set, Djokovic appeared to have a stomach ailment as he clutched his stomach and inhaled deeply in between points.

After a little more than two hours, he was able to maintain control for the duration of the contest and win easily.

Fritz returns for a “dream” victory over Zverev

Before Djokovic’s evening encounter, Fritz, the 13th seed, defeated Zverev, his German opponent, 4-6 6-7 (4-7) 6-4 7-6 (7-3) 6-3.

Zverev, who was hoping to make it to the Wimbledon quarterfinals for the first time, won the first two sets without facing a break point.

However, in the third set, Fritz, 26, became the first player in this tournament to break the Zverev serve. He then won the fourth set to send the match to a decider.

After tripping during his third-round victory over Britain’s Cameron Norrie, Zverev was wearing a support on his left knee. Fritz won a critical break during Zverev’s decline in the fourth game of the final set.

Fritz is looking forward to making his second appearance in the Wimbledon final eight, having fallen to Rafael Nadal in a thrilling five-set match two years prior. He has failed to advance further to this point, making it his fourth Grand Slam quarterfinal overall.

Zverev was two games from winning the third set, but he has now lost three times at Wimbledon’s last-16 stage, having already suffered the same fate in 2017 and 2021.

“Playing two sets down in front of this crowd on Centre Court was an incredible experience.” Fritz, who came back from two sets down to win just his third match overall, exclaimed, “It’s a dream.”

“Even though I was behind two sets, I thought I was playing extremely well. I was just thinking that losing in straight sets when playing this well was terrible.”It’s my second time in the quarterfinals, but this time I feel like I’ve earned it, so I’m thrilled about the opportunity.”

Musetti ends his stellar run as the lucky loser.

Lorenzo Musetti, who advanced to his first Slam quarterfinal by easily defeating fortuitous loser Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard earlier in the day, will be Fritz’s next opponent.

Musetti, the 25th seed from Italy, had a difficult first set against his French opponent, who served heavily, but he changed his strategy and won 4-6 6-3 6-3 6-2.

Mpetshi Perricard was trying to become the first lucky loser—male or female—to make it to the Grand Slam singles quarterfinals, and the defeat put an end to her stellar run.

Following his triumph, an overcome Musetti remarked, “It is a phenomenal day for me.”
Mpetshi Perricard, who was playing on his 21st birthday, first delighted the court two audiences with trick shots and massive serves.

After losing in the last qualifying round and receiving a reprieve due to withdrawals from the main draw, he made impressive progress until Musetti proved to be too much for him.

Musetti, 22, stated: “Since I was a young child, I have been dreaming of this day. My family has always been incredibly lovely and has always encouraged me.”

Musetti’s victory extends his outstanding run of grass-court results; at Queen’s Club last month, he finished second to Tommy Paul.

De Minaur, the ninth-seeded Australian, defeated Fils convincingly on Court One to secure his first-ever quarterfinal spot.

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