Wimbledon PIX: Djokovic, Barty advance; Jabeur makes history

Images from Day 7 of the 2021 Wimbledon at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, in London, on Monday.

Djokovic rolls into quarters with Garin thrashing

It was business as usual for top seed Novak Djokovic as the Serbian dismantled the challenge of Chile's Cristian Garin with a 6-2, 6-4, 6-2 victory to advance to the last eight of Wimbledon and keep his title defence intact at the grasscourt major.

The world number one, who won the last two men's singles titles on the manicured grass at the All England Club, will play his 50th Grand Slam quarter-final when he next faces either Russian fifth seed Andrey Rublev or Hungary's Marton Fucsovics.

The 25-year-old Garin, seeded 17th, had never played Djokovic on grass before and soon realised he did not have the resources to trouble the Serbian on a sun-baked Centre Court.

Djokovic won the first eight points of the match and never took his foot off the pedal during the one hour 48 minutes, dominating from the baseline and the net against the Chilean.

He lost only 13 points on his own serve and broke his opponent five times to stay on course for a 20th Grand Slam title that would tie him with great rivals Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal for the most major men's titles.

A sixth Wimbledon trophy on Sunday would also move the 34-year-old closer to the Golden Slam, with the Tokyo Olympics and the U.S. Open to be played on his favourite hard courts.

Barty survives Krejcikova test to finally reach quarters

The serve was not at full throttle and the strokes were often rather wayward, but that did not stop Ash Barty from reaching the Wimbledon quarter-finals for the first time with a 7-5 6-3 win over French Open champion Barbora Krejcikova on Monday.

Long tipped as a future Wimbledon champion, the Australian world No. 1 has had to wait nine long years since making her main draw debut in 2012 to finally put herself in the last-eight mix at the grasscourt major.

Facing an opponent who until last Tuesday had never played a main draw singles match on turf, Barty had been expected to easily make her greater grasscourt pedigree count.

Yet she was the one who came unstuck first with Krejcikova threatening to win her 16th match on the trot after seizing the early initiative when she broke for a 2-1 lead in the first set.

But in the battle of the world No. 1's, with Krejcikova sitting on top of the women's doubles standings, Barty bided her time before finally drawing level at 4-4 when the Czech netted a backhand.

Barty struck a huge blow in Krejcikova's hopes of becoming the first woman since Serena Williams in 2015 to chalk up the Roland Garros-Wimbledon double in the same year when she broke the Czech to love to take the first set.

A flurry of breaks midway through the second set failed to fluster Barty too much and after sealing victory with a thumping ace, she puffed out her cheeks before breaking into a smile - the relief at finally climbing over that fourth round hurdle clear for all to see.

She will next face either British wildcard Emma Raducanu or fellow Australian Ajla Tomljanovic for a place in the semi-finals.

Kerber wins generation game against Gauff

Teenager Coco Gauff's Wimbledon hopes were dashed by Germany's former champion Angelique Kerber as she went down 6-4, 6-4 in a Centre Court battle of the generations on Monday.

The 33-year-old Kerber showed all of her vast experience to keep Gauff at bay as she reached her first Grand Slam quarter-final since winning the title here in 2018.

Gauff had not lost a set in matching her run to the fourth round on a startling debut in 2019, but the American was given a lesson in clinical efficiency by the left-hander.

While there were flashes of brilliance from the 20th seed, she could not sustain her level as the forehand that can be her Achilles heel broke down all to regularly.

"I have to say Coco is such a great talented player," three-time Grand Slam champion Kerber said on court.

"She has such a great future in front of her. She will play here so many times and maybe one time she will get the title."

A gusty wind made it difficult for both players early on as the first five games all went against serve.

But it was 25th seed Kerber who settled earlier, restoring order to move 4-2 ahead and she remained rock-solid with her accurate baseline game to take the opening set.

Kerber, who won her first title in three years last week in Bad Homburg, established an early break of serve in the second set as Gauff double-faulted and was uber-focused on her own service games as she edged towards victory.

Gauff tried to increase the aggression levels but Kerber showed great scrambling skills to maintain her lead and the German finished off her young opponent with just her second ace. She will next play Czech 19th seed Karolina Muchova on Tuesday.

'Flawless' Shapovalov books maiden Wimbledon quarter-final spot

Canadian Denis Shapovalov put in a near flawless show to defeat eighth seed Roberto Bautista Agut of Spain 6-1, 6-3, 7-5 on Monday to book a maiden Wimbledon quarter-final spot.

Shapovalov, seeded 10th, had lost to Ricardas Berankis in the first round in his last appearance at the All England Club in 2019 but has shown remarkable form on grass this season.

After reaching the semi-finals at the Queen's warm-up event, the 22-year-old has now matched his best performance at a major after reaching the last eight at the U.S. Open in 2020.

In his first meeting with Bautista Agut, the Canadian got a flying start with a 4-0 lead and broke his 33-year-old opponent a third time to race through the first set, carrying on the form he showed to beat Andy Murray in straight sets in his last match.

A single break of serve in the eighth game was enough for a two-set lead for Shapovalov.

Both players lost their serve twice at the beginning of the third set before the left-hander surged ahead with a break in the 11th game and then consolidated his advantage to complete the win on his first match point.

"I played some really high level tennis today," Shapovalov told reporters. "It's really, really tough to pick on many things.

"Obviously, I got a little bit nervous in the third set. I think it's completely normal. I dealt with that really, really well. Other than that, I played really, really flawless. Super happy with myself."

Next up for the Canadian will be Russian 25th seed Karen Khachanov, who outlasted Wimbledon debutant Sebastian Korda in five sets.

"I'm very happy with my game. Obviously Roberto is a very, very tough player to play against. To beat him in straight sets at a tournament like this, it backs up my level from Andy's match," Shapovalov added.

"I'm just happy that I feel like I'm improving every single match. Honestly, it's been really, really fun out there. I feel like everything's kind of working for me.

"Obviously it's not a guarantee that it's going to continue like this. But I'm super, super happy with the way I've been able to play the last two matches."

Khachanov downs Korda to lead Russian last-16 assault

Karen Khachanov spearheaded a Russian assault in the fourth round at Wimbledon on Monday as he beat last-standing American Sebastian Korda in a five-set dog fight to reach the quarter-finals for the first time.

The 25th seed needed four attempts to finish Korda off in a titanic final set, three times failing to hold serve to win the match but eventually coming through 3-6, 6-4, 6-3, 5-7, 10-8.

Khachanov could be joined in the last eight by Andrey Rublev and world number two Daniil Medvedev.

It is the first time three Russian men have made it to the last 16 of Wimbledon in the professional era.

Wimbledon debutant Korda, celebrating his 21st birthday, showed great resistance in the deciding set, saving a match point at 5-4 down with a reflex volley from a ball drilled with searing pace by Khachanov.

Three times the American - son of former Australian Open champion Petr Korda and sister of Nelly who is the LPGA's number one golfer - broke the Russian's serve to stay in the match despite showing signs of cramp.

But when he lost his serve again at 8-8 it proved decisive as Khachanov finished off a near four-hour tussle to set up a quarter-final against either Canadian Denis Shapovalov or Spain's Roberto Bautista Agut.

Sabalenka sees off Rybakina

Second seed Aryna Sabalenka battled past a determined Elena Rybakina 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 in the Wimbledon fourth round on Monday to reach the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam for the first time in her career.

Belarusian Sabalenka grew in confidence as the contest on Court Three wore on, sending down two straight aces to go up 4-2 before clinching the first set when world number 20 Rybakina double-faulted.

Sabalenka needed three sets to overcome Rybakina during her title runs at Abu Dhabi this year and Wuhan in 2019 and the Belarusian trailed 3-1 in the second set before battling back to draw level but then lost her momentum.

Having made it one set apiece with her ninth ace, Rybakina held firm until 3-3 in the deciding set before dropping serve, as Sabalenka raised her level to run away with the match.

Up next for the 23-year-old world number four is Tunisian 21st seed Ons Jabeur who upset former French Open champion Iga Swiatek 5-7 6-1 6-1.

Berrettini keeps flourishing on grass to reach quarters

Matteo Berrettini stepped up his bid to join a select band of players to complete the Queen's Club-Wimbledon double in the same year with a fluent 6-4, 6-3, 6-1 fourth round win over All England Club debutant Ilya Ivashka on Monday.

The roll call of players who have completed the London double includes John McEnroe, Boris Becker, Pete Sampras, Rafa Nadal and Andy Murray and, after becoming the first Italian man in 23 years to reach the Wimbledon quarter-finals, Berrettini looks confident in his attempt to join that illustrious group.

The seventh seed broke early in each of the sets and, although Ivashka produced a mini recovery to claw back from 5-1 down in the second, the result never seemed to be in doubt on a sun-soaked Court 12.

A sanguine drop shot from Berrettini ended the 79th-ranked Belarusian's challenge, leaving the Italian to look forward to a last-eight meeting with either German fourth seed Alexander Zverev or Canadian 16th seed Felix Auger-Aliassime.

Jabeur first Arab woman to reach Wimbledon quarters

Tunisian trailblazer Ons Jabeur became the first Arab woman to reach the Wimbledon quarter-finals with a dazzling 5-7, 6-1, 6-1 victory over seventh seed Iga Swiatek on Monday.

Jabeur lost four games in a row from a position of strength to concede the opening set on Court Two but responded in sensational fashion to outplay last year's French Open champion.

The 26-year-old has now beaten three Grand Slam champions so far here, taking out five-time Wimbledon winner Venus Williams and Spain's Garbine Muguruza during her impressive run.

When Swiatek struck a majestic backhand winner down the line to take the opening set it seemed that the Pole was beginning to take charge of a match in which she started nervously.

But Jabeur started the second set like a woman on a mission, breaking to love in the opening game then holding her own serve with a trademark dropshot that had Swiatek slamming her racket into the net tape in frustration.

It was a sign of things to come as Jabeur broke serve again in the next game with a belting forehand winner at the end of a long baseline exchange.

Jabeur then saved three break points, one with an ace, to lead 4-0. Swiatek's serve begun to look vulnerable and on set point down she rolled in a 66 mph delivery that Jabeur nonchalantly dinked over for a winning dropshot.

There was no stopping 21st seed Jabeur in the decider after a Swiatek double fault gifted her a 3-1 lead.

Serving for the match at 5-1 she showed no nerves, sealing a win with an ace and receiving a warm ovation from the crowd who thoroughly enjoyed watching her multi-dimensional game.

Jabeur, who became the first Arab woman to win a WTA title on the Birmingham grass in the build-up to Wimbledon, faces Belarusian second seed Aryna Sabalenka on Tuesday.

The Tunisian will be looking to post her best Grand Slam run, having reached the Australian Open quarter-finals in 2020.