Novak Djokovic claimed his 106th singles win at Wimbledon on Sunday, surpassing Roger Federer for the most men's singles victories in the tournament's history. The Serbian icon defeated qualifier Roman Safiullin 7-6(6), 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 on Centre Court to advance to the quarter-finals for the 17th time at the All England Club.
Djokovic surpasses Federer's record
The 39-year-old Djokovic now holds the record for the most men's singles wins at Wimbledon, moving past Federer's 105 victories. Only Martina Navratilova, with 120 singles wins, has more Wimbledon victories overall. Djokovic's win also marked his ninth consecutive quarter-final appearance at the tournament.
A hard-fought battle
Djokovic admitted he was not at his best against the Russian qualifier. "Another hard-fought win. Roman started very well, very aggressively. I didn't feel so comfortable from the back of the court. I knew it was going to be a challenge staying in the rallies with him. He's a very solid player... He should be proud of the performance today," Djokovic said, according to the ATP Tour website.
The seven-time Wimbledon champion struggled to find his rhythm from the baseline. "I don't get to feel inferior from the back of the court with too many players. Today was one of those days where I didn't want to stay in the rally for too long, so I mixed things up. In some moments, it worked. In some moments, it didn't. In the end, the accuracy and precision with the first serve was what got me out of trouble," he added.
Path to the semi-finals
Djokovic now stands one victory away from a potential blockbuster meeting with World No. 1 and defending champion Jannik Sinner, who defeated him in last year's semi-finals. First, Djokovic will face either third seed Felix Auger-Aliassime or 22nd seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the last eight.
The Serbian's victory extends his remarkable run at Wimbledon, where he has won seven titles. His 106 singles wins place him second on the all-time list behind Navratilova, with Federer now third at 105.
