Novak Djokovic overcame an uncharacteristically unsteady start to avoid what would have been his earliest exit at Wimbledon since 2016, coming through for a 1-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 victory over 11th-seeded Alex de Minaur in the fourth round Monday.
With Roger Federer, an eight-time Wimbledon winner, sitting in the front row of the Royal Box, very little went right at the outset for the 38-year-old Djokovic on the grass below during a breezy afternoon with the temperature in the 60s Fahrenheit (teens Celsius), a week after matches were contested in record-breaking heat.
But Djokovic turned things around enough to grab the middle two sets and then really surged at the end after trailing 4-1 in the fourth. He took the last five games and 14 of the final 15 points.
His bid for an eighth Wimbledon title and 25th Grand Slam singles trophy overall will continue against No. 22 Flavio Cobolli of Italy. Cobolli reached his first major quarterfinal with a 6-4, 6-4, 6-7 (4), 7-6 (3) victory over 2014 U.S. Open champion and two-time major runner-up Marin Cilic.
Djokovic will be appearing in his 63rd Slam quarterfinal.
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AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis
