 | « Back to article | Print this article |
Wimbledon PHOTOS: Djokovic through to last 16
Despite looking a little tentative, he showed no obvious signs of discomfort and finished the job with a smash.
The shaken 27-year-old, who had slipped several times during a match featuring some long baseline exchanges, looked relieved at the finish and said he hoped a there would be no ill effects from his spectacular slip.
"It was a sharp pain when I fell, an awkward fall," the six-times grand slam champion said after walking off court.
"I was just hoping there is nothing going on with the joint, luckily there is no damage and I could play."
Djokovic has not lost before the quarter-finals at Wimbledon since 2008 and while not hitting top gear so far this year, he appears to have plenty in reserve.
He seemed content to trade shots from the baseline with the nimble Simon in the opening set, the two players apparently having the tennis equivalent of a staring contest.
Simon blinked first, dropping serve to trail 4-2 but Djokovic then lost his own in the next game when his touch let him down with an attempted half-volley dropshot.
Simon held serve after eight deuces in a brutal eighth game but the effort he put in to restore parity told a couple of games later when Djokovic broke again to take the opener.
The match then looked like a foregone conclusion until the late drama in the third set.
Djokovic, following his 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 will now get the weekend to recover from his fall before playing 14th seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France in the fourth round.
- Please click NEXT for more...
Czech-mate for Li Na
Li Na's hopes of improving on three previous quarter-final appearances ended on Friday when she whipped a forehand long on match point to become the highest seed to fall so far at this year's championships.
Czech Republic's Barbora Zahlavova Strycova raised her arms in triumph as she finally reached the second week of a grand slam at her 33rd attempt and after more than a decade of trying.
The 28-year-old will play former world number one Caroline Wozniacki for a place in the quarter-finals.
- Please click NEXT for more...
Li Na is the highest seed to fall so far
There was no end in sight to Li Na's unhappy association with Wimbledon as the world number two suffered a shock third round exit, going down 7-6(5), 7-6(5) to the Czech.
Li was champion on red clay at Roland Garros in 2011 and on the hard courts of the Australian Open in January but grass has proved to be tougher surface to conquer for the popular Chinese player.
- Please click NEXT for more...
Halep survives Tsurenko challenge
French Open runner-up Simona Halep survived a real test against lowly-ranked Ukrainian Lesia Tsurenko to reach the Wimbledon third round for the first time on Friday.
The third seed eventually won 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 on a blustery Court Two but struggled to shine against the world No.170.
After taking the first set and establishing a healthy lead in the second she seemed set for routine progress, if a day late after Thursday's rain, but she went off the boil.
Muttering and glancing at her support team, Halep briefly looked as though she might be in trouble but she recovered to forge ahead in a tense deciding set.
She blew two match points at 5-2 but overcame the jitters to claim victory two games later.
Halep has raced up the rankings over the last year, improving with each grand slam since reaching the fourth round of the U.S. Open in 2013. She exited Wimbledon at the second round stage last year.
The Romanian will face Swiss 17-year-old Belinda Bencic, last year's junior champion, next.
- Please click NEXT for more...
Wozniacki continues bid to reach the quarter-finals
Caroline Wozniacki kept her composure to end the spirited run of 16-year-old Croat Ana Konjuh 6-3, 6-0 in the third round of Wimbledon on Friday.
Wimbledon debutante Konjuh, the youngest player to reach the last 32 at the All England Club since 2005, forced Wozniacki on the backfoot for much of the first set, combining punchy hitting with deft touches at the net.
The world No.189 hit 19 winners compared to the Dane's nine, but Wozniacki broke Konjuh's spirit by winning nine games on the trot from 3-3 to seal a place in the second week of the grasscourt major for the fourth time.
The 16th seed will play Czech Barbora Zahlavova Strycova on Monday she bids to reach the quarter-finals for first time.