Reigning Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic needs just one more set to reach the Wimbledon quarter-finals, after his match with Hubert Hurkacz was suspended last night due to curfew.
Djokovic leads 7-6, 7-6 and is yet to lose a set at this year’s Championships, but the Pole could not have pushed him closer, and even had a 6-3 lead in the first set tie-break before the Serbian powered back to take it 8-6.
The second set tie-break was won by the same score, so even if Djokovic does manage to polish off the 17th seed in straight sets on Monday it will have been anything but a walk in the park.
Djokovic has won Wimbledon seven times and is aiming to equal Roger Federer’s record of eight men’s singles titles.
Federer’s final match at Wimbledon actually came against Hurkacz – a defeat in the quarter-finals in 2021.
What time will Djokovic vs Hurkacz resume?
Djokovic and Hurkacz will be second on Centre Court today, with the resumption of their game following the women’s fourth round match between reigning champion Elena Rybakina and Brazilian 13th seed Beatriz Haddad Maia, which starts at 1.30pm.
The match between Djokovic and Hurkacz cannot resume until 2.30pm at the earliest.
Their game only started at 8.49pm on Sunday due to a five-set thriller preceding it on Centre Court. Russia’s Andrey Rublev took down Alexander Bublik 7-5, 6-3, 6-7, 6-7, 6-4, with a stunning diving forehand winner that send the crowd wild setting up the final point of the day.
“It was the most lucky shot ever,” said Rublev after the match. “It was luck, nothing else. I don’t think I can do it one more time.”
After Djokovic and Hurkacz complete their match they will be followed on Centre by Ons Jabeur and Petra Kvitova in what promises to be one of the day’s most intriguing contests, before world No 1 Carlos Alcaraz takes on Matteo Berrettini.
How can I watch live?
As always, the BBC will show every match played at Wimbledon over the course of the next fortnight. The tournament runs from Monday 3 July to Sunday 16 July and play will start at 11am most days, with coverage on BBC One, BBC Two and BBC iPlayer. Djokovic vs Hurkacz will be shown on BBC One today.
Multi-court coverage is also available to stream via BBC iPlayer, the red button, the BBC Sport website and app. Highlights can be found every evening on BBC Two and all of the above platforms from 8.30pm onwards.
What time does play stop at Wimbledon?
The Centre Court roof allows for play to go on late into the evening, but there is a curfew that means play must stop at 11pm.
The curfew is in place for two main reasons: for the good of the local residents; and because transport away from the All England Club is more difficult for supporters late at night.
“The 11pm curfew is a Planning Condition applied to balance the consideration of the local residents with the scale of an international tennis event that takes place in a residential area,” the All England Club explained in a statement from 2018.
“The challenge of transport connectivity and getting visitors home safely is also a key consideration. The curfew was introduced for the opening of the Centre Court roof in 2009.”
