Djokovic eases into last eight

Six-time champion Novak Djokovic overcame a mid-match blip to defeat Dutch wild card Tim van Rijthoven and reach his 13th Wimbledon quarter-final on Sunday.

Top seed Djokovic, looking to equal Pete Sampras as a seven-time champion at the All England Club, downed his 104th-ranked opponent 6-2, 4-6, 6-1, 6-2.

The Serb will face 10th seeded Jannik Sinner for a place in the semi-finals after the Italian knocked out Spanish teenager Carlos Alcaraz.

Djokovic cruised through the opening set under the Centre Court roof with breaks in the second and eighth games.

However, Van Rijthoven stunned the 20-time Grand Slam title winner by leveling the contest, pocketing the second set with his 13th ace of the tie.

Normal service was resumed, however, in a 30-minute third set on the back of a double break for the champion.

Two further breaks against the wilting Dutchman, who ended the contest with 53 unforced errors, proved enough for Djokovic in the fourth set.

Earlier on Sunday, 20-time major winner Djokovic had seen fifth seed Carlos Alcaraz, his scheduled last-eight opponent, beaten by Jannik Sinner.

The 20-year-old Italian clinched a 6-1, 6-4, 6-7 (8/10), 6-3 win to set up a meeting with the top seed instead.

Sinner, who had never won a grass court match before this Wimbledon, is the youngest man in the last-eight since Nick Kyrgios in 2014.

“Carlos is a very tough opponent and a nice person. It’s always a huge pleasure to play him,” said Sinner after making the quarter-finals of a Slam for the third time.

Sinner needed six match points to seal the deal while Alcaraz was left to regret failing to convert any of his seven break points.

For the first time, play took place on middle Sunday.

It has traditionally been a rest day with the exception of a handful of occasions when rain in the opening week forced a quick planning reset.

The action on Centre Court was preceded by a parade of champions to mark the 100th anniversary of the stadium.