Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal battle for a place in the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/serena-williams-to-face-simona-halep-in-wimbledon-final-235136">Wimbledon final</a> on Friday, 11 years after they mesmerised Centre Court in a Grand Slam championship match widely regarded as the greatest ever played.

Nadal emerged triumphant that day, winning in five sets in a four-hour 48-minute epic of fluctuating fortunes that stretched out over seven hours because of constant, momentum-shifting rain interruptions.

The Spaniard won 6-4, 6-4, 6-7 (5/7), 6-7 (8/10), 9-7 as the clock ticked past 9 pm and with the famous stadium in near-darkness.

Over a decade later, the sport's two most successful players now have 38 Grand Slam titles between them and more than $100 million in prize money each.

Nadal, the 2008 and 2010 champion at Wimbledon, has the edge overall, leading his great rival and friend 24-15 and 10-3 at the Slams.

However, it is eight-time champion Federer who just edges their Wimbledon head-to-head 2-1 after winning the 2006 and 2007 finals before Nadal famously broke the spell in 2008.

Nadal, who demolished Federer in straight sets in the semi-finals at Roland Garros last month on his way to the 12th title in Paris, admits his game has developed since 2008.

Mostly, that's due to his age as well as the desperate need to protect his creaking knees which so often conspired against him on the low-bouncing lawns of the All England Club.

"I am running less so I need to serve better. I probably cannot play 20 weeks a year any more,''&nbsp;said 33-year-old Nadal.

"I am serving better. I am hitting the backhand better. Maybe volleying better, slicing better," he added.

In terms of the bare statistics, there is little to choose between them.

Nadal has served up 47 aces so far and been broken just four times; Federer has 42 aces, dropping serve on only three occasions.

The Spanish third seed has yet to face a seeded player and has only been truly tested once, in his four-set second-round victory over Nick Kyrgios in what was comfortably the tournament's most bad-tempered match.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/roger-federer-wins-100th-wimbledon-match-sets-up-clash-with-rafael-nadal-in-semi-final-234850">Federer</a>, 37, is the oldest man in the semi-finals of a Slam since 39-year-old Jimmy Connors at the 1991 US Open.

He is in his 13th semi-final at the tournament and 45th at the majors.

In a career illuminated by landmarks, he became the first man to register 100 match wins at a single Slam when he came back from a set down to beat Kei Nishikori in the quarter-finals.

'Rafa can hurt you' 
 
Federer is wary of the dangers presented by Nadal.

His loss in Paris, which took place in what he described as "insane" windy conditions, was his heaviest at the Slams in 11 years.

"<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/wimbledon-rafael-nadal-keen-for-semi-final-duel-against-roger-federer-234859">Rafa </a>really can hurt anybody on any surface," said Federer.

"He's serving way different. I remember back in the day how he used to serve, and now how much bigger he's serving, how much faster he finishes points," he added.

The eager anticipation of their 40th clash has relegated defending champion Novak Djokovic's push for a fifth title to second billing.

The top seed and world number one reached the semi-finals for the ninth time, racking up his 70th career win at the All England Club by sweeping past David Goffin in straight sets, reeling off 15 of the last 17 games.

In his 36th Grand Slam semi-final, the 15-time major winner faces Spain's Roberto Bautista Agut who is in his maiden last-four at the majors at the 27th attempt.

Djokovic leads the 31-year-old 7-3 in career meetings, including 3-0 at the majors.

However, the unheralded Spaniard, who had to cancel plans for his stag party in Ibiza as a consequence of his run to the semi-finals, has defeated Djokovic twice in 2019, in Doha and Miami.

Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal battle for a place in the Wimbledon final on Friday, 11 years after they mesmerised Centre Court in a Grand Slam championship match widely regarded as the greatest ever played.

Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal battle for a place in the Wimbledon final on Friday, 11 years after they mesmerised Centre Court in a Grand Slam championship match widely regarded as the greatest ever played. Nadal emerged triumphant that day, winning in five sets in a four-hour 48-minute epic of fluctuating fortunes that stretched out over seven hours because of constant, momentum-shifting rain interruptions. The Spaniard won 6-4, 6-4, 6-7 (5/7), 6-7 (8/10), 9-7 as the clock ticked past 9 pm and with the famous stadium in near-darkness. Over a decade later, the sport's two most successful players now have 38 Grand Slam titles between them and more than $100 million in prize money each. Nadal, the 2008 and 2010 champion at Wimbledon, has the edge overall, leading his great rival and friend 24-15 and 10-3 at the Slams. However, it is eight-time champion Federer who just edges their Wimbledon head-to-head 2-1 after winning the 2006 and 2007 finals before Nadal famously broke the spell in 2008. Nadal, who demolished Federer in straight sets in the semi-finals at Roland Garros last month on his way to the 12th title in Paris, admits his game has developed since 2008. Mostly, that's due to his age as well as the desperate need to protect his creaking knees which so often conspired against him on the low-bouncing lawns of the All England Club. "I am running less so I need to serve better. I probably cannot play 20 weeks a year any more,'' said 33-year-old Nadal. "I am serving better. I am hitting the backhand better. Maybe volleying better, slicing better," he added. In terms of the bare statistics, there is little to choose between them. Nadal has served up 47 aces so far and been broken just four times; Federer has 42 aces, dropping serve on only three occasions. The Spanish third seed has yet to face a seeded player and has only been truly tested once, in his four-set second-round victory over Nick Kyrgios in what was comfortably the tournament's most bad-tempered match. Federer, 37, is the oldest man in the semi-finals of a Slam since 39-year-old Jimmy Connors at the 1991 US Open. He is in his 13th semi-final at the tournament and 45th at the majors. In a career illuminated by landmarks, he became the first man to register 100 match wins at a single Slam when he came back from a set down to beat Kei Nishikori in the quarter-finals. 'Rafa can hurt you' Federer is wary of the dangers presented by Nadal. His loss in Paris, which took place in what he described as "insane" windy conditions, was his heaviest at the Slams in 11 years. "Rafa really can hurt anybody on any surface," said Federer. "He's serving way different. I remember back in the day how he used to serve, and now how much bigger he's serving, how much faster he finishes points," he added. The eager anticipation of their 40th clash has relegated defending champion Novak Djokovic's push for a fifth title to second billing. The top seed and world number one reached the semi-finals for the ninth time, racking up his 70th career win at the All England Club by sweeping past David Goffin in straight sets, reeling off 15 of the last 17 games. In his 36th Grand Slam semi-final, the 15-time major winner faces Spain's Roberto Bautista Agut who is in his maiden last-four at the majors at the 27th attempt. Djokovic leads the 31-year-old 7-3 in career meetings, including 3-0 at the majors. However, the unheralded Spaniard, who had to cancel plans for his stag party in Ibiza as a consequence of his run to the semi-finals, has defeated Djokovic twice in 2019, in Doha and Miami.

Wimbledon: Rafael Nadal can really hurt on any court, says Roger Federer ahead of semi-final battle

Rafael Nadal looked ahead Wednesday to the latest chapter in his "unique" rivalry with Roger Federer at <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/andy-murray-and-serena-williams-wimbledon-dream-over-234769">Wimbledon </a>but regretted that the two heavyweights may never slug it out at the US Open.

Nadal and Federer will meet for the 40th time on Friday in the semi-finals at Wimbledon, in what will be the pair's fourth meeting at the All England Club.

Federer won the 2006 and 2007 finals before Nadal claimed the 2008 title in a five-set epic.

At Roland Garros, the pair have clashed six times while they have met on four occasions at the Australian Open.

But when it comes to the season's final Grand Slam in New York, the two have never managed to face off on the 24,000-capacity Arthur Ashe Stadium, the sport's largest arena.

That's despite Federer having five titles at the US Open while Nadal has three.

The 32-year-old Spaniard said that as much as he has enjoyed their rivalry at Wimbledon, the New York gap in their head-to-head record was a source of regret.

"We played a lot of good matches. Here in this tournament, we played two great finals, 2007 and 2008. Have been two emotional matches.''

"Personally, 2008 was a little bit more emotional for me. But I appreciate the fact that I was part of 2007, too.''

"Then we played a lot of matches all around the world. Only in New York, we didn't play. That's the only bad news," Nadal said.

Two-time Wimbledon champion Nadal was written off as a grass court force when he failed to get beyond the fourth round at the tournament between 2012 and 2017.

However, he came agonisingly close to the final in 2018 when he lost to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/novak-djokovic-destroys-david-goffin-to-reach-semis-234792">Novak Djokovic</a> in a five-hour, 16-minute semi-final.

"To play against Roger always is a unique situation. Excited to be back on this court against him after 11 years," added Nadal.

"Always I say the same -- the opportunities to play against each other every time are less, but we are still here. After tomorrow we going to have another chance," said Nadal.

Rafael Nadal looked ahead Wednesday to the latest chapter in his "unique" rivalry with Roger Federer at Wimbledon but regretted that the two heavyweights may never slug it out at the US Open.

Rafael Nadal looked ahead Wednesday to the latest chapter in his "unique" rivalry with Roger Federer at Wimbledon but regretted that the two heavyweights may never slug it out at the US Open. Nadal and Federer will meet for the 40th time on Friday in the semi-finals at Wimbledon, in what will be the pair's fourth meeting at the All England Club. Federer won the 2006 and 2007 finals before Nadal claimed the 2008 title in a five-set epic. At Roland Garros, the pair have clashed six times while they have met on four occasions at the Australian Open. But when it comes to the season's final Grand Slam in New York, the two have never managed to face off on the 24,000-capacity Arthur Ashe Stadium, the sport's largest arena. That's despite Federer having five titles at the US Open while Nadal has three. The 32-year-old Spaniard said that as much as he has enjoyed their rivalry at Wimbledon, the New York gap in their head-to-head record was a source of regret. "We played a lot of good matches. Here in this tournament, we played two great finals, 2007 and 2008. Have been two emotional matches.'' "Personally, 2008 was a little bit more emotional for me. But I appreciate the fact that I was part of 2007, too.'' "Then we played a lot of matches all around the world. Only in New York, we didn't play. That's the only bad news," Nadal said. Two-time Wimbledon champion Nadal was written off as a grass court force when he failed to get beyond the fourth round at the tournament between 2012 and 2017. However, he came agonisingly close to the final in 2018 when he lost to Novak Djokovic in a five-hour, 16-minute semi-final. "To play against Roger always is a unique situation. Excited to be back on this court against him after 11 years," added Nadal. "Always I say the same -- the opportunities to play against each other every time are less, but we are still here. After tomorrow we going to have another chance," said Nadal.

Wimbledon: Rafael Nadal keen for semi-final duel against Roger Federer

Top seed Novak Djokovic recovered from an edgy start to deliver a devastating display that crushed the spirit of 21st-seeded Belgian David Goffin in straight sets on Wednesday and sent the defending champion surging into the Wimbledon semi-finals.

Goffin will wonder just what happened after he looked the better player in the early stages and broke for a 4-3 lead in the first set. Half an hour later he had lost 10 games in a row and the match was effectively over as Djokovic went on to triumph 6-4, 6-0, 6-2.

The 32-year-old Serb was at his clinical best as he soaked up the early punches without panic then imposed himself in every aspect of the contest to such an extent that Goffin, 28, was left flailing on Centre Court.

Djokovic, who has lost only once at a Grand Slam in the last 12 months, is into his ninth Wimbledon semi-final – only Jimmy Connors and Roger Federer have been in more – where he will face Spanish world number 22 Roberto Bautista Agut.

Djokovic has reached the semis having dropped one set and been broken only five times in five matches and was delighted with how Wednesday's match eventually unfolded.

"He started well and was dictating the play from the baseline," he said. "Things could have gone a different way - who knows what the match would have looked like if I had lost the first set?

"I think it was the turning point, it was a huge relief for me mentally. I started relaxing, going through the ball a bit more and I felt like I managed to dismantle his game and find the right shots."

Look Dangerous

It is not an uncommon pattern for the outsider to come out swinging and look dangerous, only to fall away, but the contrast was particularly extreme on Wednesday.

The Belgian was clearly the better player for much of the first set and though Djokovic saved break points in early games he could not prevent Goffin cashing in on more in the seventh as, showing great court speed, he broke for 4-3.

The crowd settled down for what they thought might be a classic battle but it proved to be the high water mark for Goffin as Djokovic started to find his return range, broke back immediately, held without trouble and broke again to bag the set.

Goffin, from dominating the rallies, was suddenly having to work desperately hard to stay in them, usually failing.

As Djokovic’s accuracy improved, particularly his service returns, his opponent’s slipped dramatically and he played a horror game to lose serve again to love and slide to 4-0 down, and then quickly 6-0 as he conceded the second set.

Goffin then received what all pros must hate – the Centre Court sympathy clap – when he finally held serve for 1-1 in the third set.

But he was barely going through the motions after that as the Serb cruised through to finish off the match in less than two hours.

"As soon as he was a break down he started to play a little bit - everything was a little bit deeper, he served a little bit better and it was tough after that," Goffin said.

"Even if you play well, it's not enough because he continues to play deep, deep, close from the line, left, right. Amazing backhand down the line, as well. He was everywhere."

Top seed Novak Djokovic recovered from an edgy start to deliver a devastating display that crushed the spirit of 21st-seeded Belgian David Goffin in straight sets on Wednesday and sent the defending champion surging into the Wimbledon semi-finals.

Top seed Novak Djokovic recovered from an edgy start to deliver a devastating display that crushed the spirit of 21st-seeded Belgian David Goffin in straight sets on Wednesday and sent the defending champion surging into the Wimbledon semi-finals. Goffin will wonder just what happened after he looked the better player in the early stages and broke for a 4-3 lead in the first set. Half an hour later he had lost 10 games in a row and the match was effectively over as Djokovic went on to triumph 6-4, 6-0, 6-2. The 32-year-old Serb was at his clinical best as he soaked up the early punches without panic then imposed himself in every aspect of the contest to such an extent that Goffin, 28, was left flailing on Centre Court. Djokovic, who has lost only once at a Grand Slam in the last 12 months, is into his ninth Wimbledon semi-final – only Jimmy Connors and Roger Federer have been in more – where he will face Spanish world number 22 Roberto Bautista Agut. Djokovic has reached the semis having dropped one set and been broken only five times in five matches and was delighted with how Wednesday's match eventually unfolded. "He started well and was dictating the play from the baseline," he said. "Things could have gone a different way - who knows what the match would have looked like if I had lost the first set? "I think it was the turning point, it was a huge relief for me mentally. I started relaxing, going through the ball a bit more and I felt like I managed to dismantle his game and find the right shots." Look Dangerous It is not an uncommon pattern for the outsider to come out swinging and look dangerous, only to fall away, but the contrast was particularly extreme on Wednesday. The Belgian was clearly the better player for much of the first set and though Djokovic saved break points in early games he could not prevent Goffin cashing in on more in the seventh as, showing great court speed, he broke for 4-3. The crowd settled down for what they thought might be a classic battle but it proved to be the high water mark for Goffin as Djokovic started to find his return range, broke back immediately, held without trouble and broke again to bag the set. Goffin, from dominating the rallies, was suddenly having to work desperately hard to stay in them, usually failing. As Djokovic’s accuracy improved, particularly his service returns, his opponent’s slipped dramatically and he played a horror game to lose serve again to love and slide to 4-0 down, and then quickly 6-0 as he conceded the second set. Goffin then received what all pros must hate – the Centre Court sympathy clap – when he finally held serve for 1-1 in the third set. But he was barely going through the motions after that as the Serb cruised through to finish off the match in less than two hours. "As soon as he was a break down he started to play a little bit - everything was a little bit deeper, he served a little bit better and it was tough after that," Goffin said. "Even if you play well, it's not enough because he continues to play deep, deep, close from the line, left, right. Amazing backhand down the line, as well. He was everywhere."

Novak Djokovic destroys David Goffin to reach semis

Four-time champion Novak Djokovic reached the Wimbledon semi-finals for the ninth time on Wednesday, racking up his 70th career win at the All England Club in the process.

The top seed and world number one hit back from a break down in the first set to carve out a commanding 6-4, 6-0, 6-2 win over 21st seed David Goffin of Belgium.

In a ruthless display, the defending champion reeled off 15 of the last 17 games to secure a place in the semi-finals of the majors for the 36th time.

Next up is Spanish 23rd seed Roberto Bautista Agut, who made his first Grand Slam semi-final with a 7-5, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 over Argentina's Guido Pella.

"He started well and was dictating play from the baseline," 32-year-old Djokovic said of Goffin.

"Things could have gone a different way if I had lost the first set but I was very pleased with the second and third.

He added: "I had a tough match in the third round (against Hubert Hurkacz). Other than that, I've won in straight sets and played really well throughout the tournament.

"It's exactly what I wanted and hopefully I can go in the right direction in the semis as well."

Goffin was on top in the early stages as he sensed the opportunity to become the first Belgian man to make the semi-finals at a Slam since Xavier Malisse at Wimbledon in 2002.

The 28-year-old broke for a 4-3 lead but 16-time Slam winner Djokovic then reeled off the next nine games, taking the first set, and the second in which he allowed the Belgian just four points on his serve.

Federer v Nadal in semis?

The contest was over by the time Djokovic broke for a 3-1 lead in the third set.

Bautista Agut, 31, booked his first appearance in a Slam last-four at the 27th attempt by seeing off Pella, who had never previously reached a quarter-final at the majors.

"Novak is the number one in the world and he's playing really well on grass," said Bautista Agut, who has a 3-7 record against the Serb.

However, two of those wins came this year in Doha and Miami.

Roger Federer can rack up his 100th win at Wimbledon later Wednesday and set-up a blockbuster semi-final against Rafael Nadal.

If it does happen, it will be their first match at the All England Club since 2008 when Nadal triumphed in what is widely regarded as the greatest-ever Wimbledon final.

However, before they reach that stage, eight-time champion Federer has to get past Kei Nishikori while Nadal, a two-time winner, tackles big-hitting Sam Querrey.

At 37, Federer is the oldest quarter-finalist since Jimmy Connors in 1991.

He reached his 17th quarter-final at the All England Club -- and 55th at the majors -- with a 74-minute demolition of Italy's Matteo Berrettini, dropping just five games.

Federer will take a 7-3 record over seventh-seeded Nishikori into his quarter-final.

Nishikori, playing in his second successive Wimbledon quarter-final, defeated the Swiss great in the ATP Finals last year, ending a drought which had stretched to almost five years.

He is bidding to become the first Japanese man since Jiro Satoh in 1933 to make the semi-finals.

Nadal, playing in his seventh Wimbledon quarter-final, faces Querrey backed up by a 4-1 record over the 65th-ranked American.

Querrey made the semi-finals in 2017, beating then world number one Andy Murray in the last-eight before falling to Marin Cilic.

The American has pounded down 100 aces so far at the tournament, dropped serve just once and accounted for fifth seed Dominic Thiem in the first round.

"When he plays well, he can be very, very dangerous on all surfaces," said Nadal, whose recent 12th French Open title took him to 18 majors, just two back from Federer's record.

Querrey hopes to be the first unseeded player in the semi-finals since Marat Safin and Rainer Schuettler both made it in 2008.

Four-time champion Novak Djokovic reached the Wimbledon semi-finals for the ninth time on Wednesday, racking up his 70th career win at the All England Club in the process.

Four-time champion Novak Djokovic reached the Wimbledon semi-finals for the ninth time on Wednesday, racking up his 70th career win at the All England Club in the process. The top seed and world number one hit back from a break down in the first set to carve out a commanding 6-4, 6-0, 6-2 win over 21st seed David Goffin of Belgium. In a ruthless display, the defending champion reeled off 15 of the last 17 games to secure a place in the semi-finals of the majors for the 36th time. Next up is Spanish 23rd seed Roberto Bautista Agut, who made his first Grand Slam semi-final with a 7-5, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 over Argentina's Guido Pella. "He started well and was dictating play from the baseline," 32-year-old Djokovic said of Goffin. "Things could have gone a different way if I had lost the first set but I was very pleased with the second and third. He added: "I had a tough match in the third round (against Hubert Hurkacz). Other than that, I've won in straight sets and played really well throughout the tournament. "It's exactly what I wanted and hopefully I can go in the right direction in the semis as well." Goffin was on top in the early stages as he sensed the opportunity to become the first Belgian man to make the semi-finals at a Slam since Xavier Malisse at Wimbledon in 2002. The 28-year-old broke for a 4-3 lead but 16-time Slam winner Djokovic then reeled off the next nine games, taking the first set, and the second in which he allowed the Belgian just four points on his serve. Federer v Nadal in semis? The contest was over by the time Djokovic broke for a 3-1 lead in the third set. Bautista Agut, 31, booked his first appearance in a Slam last-four at the 27th attempt by seeing off Pella, who had never previously reached a quarter-final at the majors. "Novak is the number one in the world and he's playing really well on grass," said Bautista Agut, who has a 3-7 record against the Serb. However, two of those wins came this year in Doha and Miami. Roger Federer can rack up his 100th win at Wimbledon later Wednesday and set-up a blockbuster semi-final against Rafael Nadal. If it does happen, it will be their first match at the All England Club since 2008 when Nadal triumphed in what is widely regarded as the greatest-ever Wimbledon final. However, before they reach that stage, eight-time champion Federer has to get past Kei Nishikori while Nadal, a two-time winner, tackles big-hitting Sam Querrey. At 37, Federer is the oldest quarter-finalist since Jimmy Connors in 1991. He reached his 17th quarter-final at the All England Club -- and 55th at the majors -- with a 74-minute demolition of Italy's Matteo Berrettini, dropping just five games. Federer will take a 7-3 record over seventh-seeded Nishikori into his quarter-final. Nishikori, playing in his second successive Wimbledon quarter-final, defeated the Swiss great in the ATP Finals last year, ending a drought which had stretched to almost five years. He is bidding to become the first Japanese man since Jiro Satoh in 1933 to make the semi-finals. Nadal, playing in his seventh Wimbledon quarter-final, faces Querrey backed up by a 4-1 record over the 65th-ranked American. Querrey made the semi-finals in 2017, beating then world number one Andy Murray in the last-eight before falling to Marin Cilic. The American has pounded down 100 aces so far at the tournament, dropped serve just once and accounted for fifth seed Dominic Thiem in the first round. "When he plays well, he can be very, very dangerous on all surfaces," said Nadal, whose recent 12th French Open title took him to 18 majors, just two back from Federer's record. Querrey hopes to be the first unseeded player in the semi-finals since Marat Safin and Rainer Schuettler both made it in 2008.

Novak Djokovic into ninth Wimbledon semi as Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal eye match-up

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/wimbledon-roger-federer-bags-more-records-as-he-downs-lucas-pouille-to-reach-last-16-233734">Roger Federer</a>, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/novak-djokovic-says-bernard-tomics-ps45000-wimbledon-penalty-unfair-233515">Novak Djokovic</a>, and <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/wimbledon-rafael-nadals-to-battle-tough-tsonga-in-third-round-233484">Rafael Nadal</a> eased into the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/serena-williams-fined-10000-for-damaging-wimbledon-court-234198">Wimbledon</a> quarter-finals on Monday as the sport's Grand Slam heavyweights continued to deliver blow after blow to their wilting lightweight rivals.

Federer became the oldest man to reach a Grand Slam quarter-final in 28 years when he booked his place in the last-eight for the 17th time.

The eight-time champion breezed past Italy's Matteo Berrettini 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 in just 74 minutes to make sure of a spot in his 55th quarter-final at the Slams.

It was also his 99th win at the All England Club.

At 37, he is the oldest man to reach the last eight at the majors since 39-year-old Jimmy Connors at the 1991 US Open.

Federer, who hit 24 winners and just five unforced errors, will face Japan's Kei Nishikori for a place in the semi-finals.

Defending champion and world number one Djokovic reached his 11th Wimbledon quarter-final and 45th at the majors with a 6-3, 6-2, 6-3 win over France's Ugo Humbert.

Third seed Nadal, the 2008 and 2010 champion, swept to an easy 6-2, 6-2, 6-2 win over outclassed Joao Sousa of Portugal to book his place in a seventh quarter-final at the All England Club.

Between them, the 'Big Three' faced just one break point on Monday and dropped a combined 19 games.

"I'm really getting into a good groove now, today I was able to read his serve, get the returns back in play and hit well from the baseline," said Federer who could face Nadal in a blockbuster semi-final.

"I'm still getting used to the conditions also but on the performance, it was a really good match for me."

Japanese eighth seed Nishikori defeated Mikhail Kukushkin of Kazakhstan 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 to reach the last eight for the second successive year.

The 29-year-old trails Federer 3-7 in career meetings although he won their most recent clash at the ATP Finals in London at the end of last season.

Four-time champion and top seed Djokovic will face Belgium's David Goffin for a place in the semi-finals.

Djokovic, 32, has a 5-1 career record over 21st seed Goffin who will be playing in his first Wimbledon quarter-final.

Humbert, the world number 66, had never played a match on grass before this season and was defeated in just one hour and 42 minutes.

"My plan always is to reach the final stages at Grand Slams," said Djokovic who converted five of nine break points on Monday.

"Wimbledon has been a special tournament that has motivated me throughout my life."

Nadal next plays Sam Querrey, against whom he holds a 4-1 record.

- 'Body holding well' - 
The 33-year-old Spaniard is chasing his 19th title at the majors, which would put him just one behind the record of 20 held by Federer.

"A lot of positive things out there. To be back in the quarter-finals is great news for me," said Nadal who took just three minutes more than Djokovic to complete his day's work.

Goffin matched his best-ever performance at the majors by reaching his first Wimbledon quarter-final.

The Belgian beat Spain's Fernando Verdasco 7-6 (11/9), 2-6, 6-3, 6-4.

"It's so tough to beat Novak in the best of five and especially here on the grass," admitted 28-year-old Goffin.

"Even for Roger, it will probably be the toughest challenge."

Also joining Nadal in the last-eight was his compatriot Roberto Bautista Agut who reached his first Wimbledon quarter-final and second at the majors this year when he defeated France's Benoit Paire 6-3, 7-5, 6-2.

The 31-year-old world number 22 will face either 2016 runner-up Milos Raonic of Canada or Argentina's Guido Pella for a place in the semi-finals.

Paire said he was seriously under-par.

"I have a tear in my abdominal, so I try to serve, like, 60%, 70%, but it's tough," said the Frenchman.

Bautista Agut, who has now defeated Paire seven times in seven meetings, also made the quarter-finals at the Australian Open in January.

With Federer, Djokovic, Nadal, Querrey and Bautista Agut all winning, there will be five 30-somethings in the last eight.

Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, and Rafael Nadal eased into the Wimbledon quarter-finals on Monday as the sport's Grand Slam heavyweights continued to deliver blow after blow to their wilting lightweight rivals.

Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, and Rafael Nadal eased into the Wimbledon quarter-finals on Monday as the sport's Grand Slam heavyweights continued to deliver blow after blow to their wilting lightweight rivals. Federer became the oldest man to reach a Grand Slam quarter-final in 28 years when he booked his place in the last-eight for the 17th time. The eight-time champion breezed past Italy's Matteo Berrettini 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 in just 74 minutes to make sure of a spot in his 55th quarter-final at the Slams. It was also his 99th win at the All England Club. At 37, he is the oldest man to reach the last eight at the majors since 39-year-old Jimmy Connors at the 1991 US Open. Federer, who hit 24 winners and just five unforced errors, will face Japan's Kei Nishikori for a place in the semi-finals. Defending champion and world number one Djokovic reached his 11th Wimbledon quarter-final and 45th at the majors with a 6-3, 6-2, 6-3 win over France's Ugo Humbert. Third seed Nadal, the 2008 and 2010 champion, swept to an easy 6-2, 6-2, 6-2 win over outclassed Joao Sousa of Portugal to book his place in a seventh quarter-final at the All England Club. Between them, the 'Big Three' faced just one break point on Monday and dropped a combined 19 games. "I'm really getting into a good groove now, today I was able to read his serve, get the returns back in play and hit well from the baseline," said Federer who could face Nadal in a blockbuster semi-final. "I'm still getting used to the conditions also but on the performance, it was a really good match for me." Japanese eighth seed Nishikori defeated Mikhail Kukushkin of Kazakhstan 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 to reach the last eight for the second successive year. The 29-year-old trails Federer 3-7 in career meetings although he won their most recent clash at the ATP Finals in London at the end of last season. Four-time champion and top seed Djokovic will face Belgium's David Goffin for a place in the semi-finals. Djokovic, 32, has a 5-1 career record over 21st seed Goffin who will be playing in his first Wimbledon quarter-final. Humbert, the world number 66, had never played a match on grass before this season and was defeated in just one hour and 42 minutes. "My plan always is to reach the final stages at Grand Slams," said Djokovic who converted five of nine break points on Monday. "Wimbledon has been a special tournament that has motivated me throughout my life." Nadal next plays Sam Querrey, against whom he holds a 4-1 record. - 'Body holding well' - The 33-year-old Spaniard is chasing his 19th title at the majors, which would put him just one behind the record of 20 held by Federer. "A lot of positive things out there. To be back in the quarter-finals is great news for me," said Nadal who took just three minutes more than Djokovic to complete his day's work. Goffin matched his best-ever performance at the majors by reaching his first Wimbledon quarter-final. The Belgian beat Spain's Fernando Verdasco 7-6 (11/9), 2-6, 6-3, 6-4. "It's so tough to beat Novak in the best of five and especially here on the grass," admitted 28-year-old Goffin. "Even for Roger, it will probably be the toughest challenge." Also joining Nadal in the last-eight was his compatriot Roberto Bautista Agut who reached his first Wimbledon quarter-final and second at the majors this year when he defeated France's Benoit Paire 6-3, 7-5, 6-2. The 31-year-old world number 22 will face either 2016 runner-up Milos Raonic of Canada or Argentina's Guido Pella for a place in the semi-finals. Paire said he was seriously under-par. "I have a tear in my abdominal, so I try to serve, like, 60%, 70%, but it's tough," said the Frenchman. Bautista Agut, who has now defeated Paire seven times in seven meetings, also made the quarter-finals at the Australian Open in January. With Federer, Djokovic, Nadal, Querrey and Bautista Agut all winning, there will be five 30-somethings in the last eight.

Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal untroubled at Wimbledon as Monday proves not so manic

After Rafa Nadal won a thrilling four-set encounter with <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/sports/wimbledon-nick-kyrgios-admits-deliberately-hitting-ball-at-rafael-nadal-233181&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwi4va_bzJ_jAhXFuY8KHc1vB2gQFjADegQIEBAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw1nAolcIxGE4iVBp1vad-84">Nick Kyrgios</a>, the Spaniard repeated his lament that he had got a tough draw at the All England Club, ahead of his third-round clash against Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga on Saturday.

Although Nadal is ranked second in the world, his absence from numerous grasscourt tournaments ultimately gave him the third seeding at Wimbledon, prompting him to complain before the tournament got underway.

"It's true that I have been (handed) a tough draw, a tough opponent for a second round," Nadal said after his victory over Kyrgios. "You want to face less in a second-round like this, especially here.

"Now I have another tough opponent in Tsonga. Every match is tough, my draw is (a) tough one," <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/sports/rafael-nadal-says-wimbledons-seedings-system-not-a-good-thing-230352&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwi4va_bzJ_jAhXFuY8KHc1vB2gQFjAAegQIBBAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw2HPzidhwrP5f7RPWx9xoPz">Nadal </a>said.

While Nadal had to dig deep against Kyrgios, Tsonga has yet to drop a set.

The 34-year-old said he had been shown a lack of respect after his first-round opponent Bernard Tomic was fined for playing below standards in a match that lasted only 58 minutes - the shortest Wimbledon men's match for 15 years.

"In the third set he played and it was tight," Tsonga said. "And I played well to win this set. So I don't know."

Tsonga's frustration at his victory being questioned stems from his own struggles to claw his way back up the rankings after falling out of the top 100.

He played only 12 matches in 2018, missing three Grand Slams with a knee injury, which led to his singles ranking plummeting from 15 to 262.

A title win in Montpellier in February helped him to recover some measure of consistency and move up to 72nd, 70 places below Nadal.

Tsonga has an uncanny ability to get results against top players and he has beaten the Spaniard four times in his career, winning their last meeting in 2015.

The pair will have to wait for their Centre Court match-up though after women's top seed Ash Barty plays British wildcard, Harriet Dart.

<a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/sports/wimbledon-roger-federer-crushes-jay-clarke-eases-into-third-round-233168&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjJjOvxzJ_jAhXKso8KHQNkD3IQFjAEegQIAxAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw2r0bzXcSl5Euj3LbovNbb4">Roger Federer</a> is also in action on Centre Court later on Saturday when he takes on Frenchman Lucas Pouille.

American Serena Williams plays Germany's Julia Goerges on Court One while Czech sixth seed Petra Kvitova takes on Poland's Magda Linette on Court Two.

After Rafa Nadal won a thrilling four-set encounter with Nick Kyrgios, the Spaniard repeated his lament that he had got a tough draw at the All England Club, ahead of his third-round clash against Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga on Saturday.

After Rafa Nadal won a thrilling four-set encounter with Nick Kyrgios, the Spaniard repeated his lament that he had got a tough draw at the All England Club, ahead of his third-round clash against Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga on Saturday. Although Nadal is ranked second in the world, his absence from numerous grasscourt tournaments ultimately gave him the third seeding at Wimbledon, prompting him to complain before the tournament got underway. "It's true that I have been (handed) a tough draw, a tough opponent for a second round," Nadal said after his victory over Kyrgios. "You want to face less in a second-round like this, especially here. "Now I have another tough opponent in Tsonga. Every match is tough, my draw is (a) tough one," Nadal said. While Nadal had to dig deep against Kyrgios, Tsonga has yet to drop a set. The 34-year-old said he had been shown a lack of respect after his first-round opponent Bernard Tomic was fined for playing below standards in a match that lasted only 58 minutes - the shortest Wimbledon men's match for 15 years. "In the third set he played and it was tight," Tsonga said. "And I played well to win this set. So I don't know." Tsonga's frustration at his victory being questioned stems from his own struggles to claw his way back up the rankings after falling out of the top 100. He played only 12 matches in 2018, missing three Grand Slams with a knee injury, which led to his singles ranking plummeting from 15 to 262. A title win in Montpellier in February helped him to recover some measure of consistency and move up to 72nd, 70 places below Nadal. Tsonga has an uncanny ability to get results against top players and he has beaten the Spaniard four times in his career, winning their last meeting in 2015. The pair will have to wait for their Centre Court match-up though after women's top seed Ash Barty plays British wildcard, Harriet Dart. Roger Federer is also in action on Centre Court later on Saturday when he takes on Frenchman Lucas Pouille. American Serena Williams plays Germany's Julia Goerges on Court One while Czech sixth seed Petra Kvitova takes on Poland's Magda Linette on Court Two.

Wimbledon: Rafael Nadal to battle tough Tsonga in third round

When Novak Djokovic stood with a hand on hip midway through the second-set tiebreak, glaring down at young Polish upstart Hubert Hurkacz, he could scarcely believe the drama unfolding before his eyes in his third-round Wimbledon showdown on Friday.

The world number one was caught up by hurricane Hurkacz as he came off second best in all the razzle-dazzle shots the 22-year-old could throw at him and he was also banned from wearing his baseball cap by the umpire as it fell foul of Wimbledon's all-white rules.

However, <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/sports/wimbledon-novak-djokovic-sweeps-through-under-keen-gaze-of-ivanisevic-232118&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwib7ovX05_jAhUX3o8KHWcPDYoQFjABegQIDhAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw3dxM2SsmoLG8cdNSxORtkg">Djokovic </a>is not known as Mr Consistency for nothing and he survived all the hullabaloo to reach the last 16 for the 12th time at the grasscourt major with a 7-5, 6-7(5), 6-1, 6-4 win.

"For the opposition, he is sickeningly consistent," summed up American great John McEnroe.

"He isn't flashy, he doesn't play with the same intensity point in point out as (Rafa) Nadal does, his shots are not as beautiful as (Roger) Federer's - but rock-solid is an understatement. He is so efficient," McEnroe said.

That efficiency has earned Djokovic 74 titles, including 15 majors, and more than $130 million in prize money.

Hurkacz, on the other hand, can only dream of such riches or records as his trophy cabinet lies empty while his bank balance would be considered loose change in Djokovic's pocket.

Playing the Serbian for the second time at a major in five weeks, the world number 48 was expected to roll over in straight sets, just as he had done at Roland Garros.

But when the top seed was told by umpire Carlos Bernardes to remove his baseball cap midway through the first set, for a while it looked like he had been shorn of his super-powers as he missed three break points in the sixth game.

"The last match on Centre Court, I played with the hat. The same hat I took out now, I was not able to play with it," <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/sports/wimbledon-defending-champion-novak-djokovic-eases-into-third-round-232930&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwib7ovX05_jAhUX3o8KHWcPDYoQFjADegQIEBAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw3-89AoIJ7KeDX8dxT3JQM2">Djokovic</a>, the only top-10 seed left in the top half of the draw, said with a shrug.

AUDACIOUS SHOTS

The four-times champion eventually broke for a 6-5 lead but not before Hurkacz had offered a glimpse of what was to come in the second set as he acrobatically fell to his stomach and his racket went flying while chasing down a Djokovic drop shot.

Hurkacz raised his fist to the roaring Court One crowd when he gave Djokovic the run-around during a delightful, 29-shot exchange that culminated with a sliced forehand winner in the third game of the second.

The hollering fans were on their feet again when he earned a set point at 6-5 up on Djokovic's serve with a brilliant diving winner that would have made <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/photos/boris-becker-auctions-trophies-to-pay-off-debts-229944&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwj6w_n_05_jAhVinI8KHZj9DbwQFjABegQIEBAB&amp;usg=AOvVaw2Y6wVinTytae78kZ-VbYP3">Boris Becker</a> proud.

The crowd groaned when he fluffed the next point but the thrills kept on coming in the tiebreak as he finished off a 30-stroke rally by punching away a volley as he fell into the splits.

Djokovic simply could not believe the audacious shots that kept flying his way and he would have been even less pleased when Hurkacz levelled the match on this third set point with a blazing crosscourt winner.

But, as the Pole found out to his dismay in double quick time, winning even one set against one of tennis's Big Three sucks up an enormous amount of energy.

To win three is nigh on impossible during the first week of a major and so it proved. Hurkacz's challenge fizzled out in the next two sets as he discovered that while the heart was willing, the tiring legs could not keep up.

"Djokovic sets the bar so high. You have to play the match of your life just to stay in it. Hurkacz played exceptionally well, he just didn't have enough in the tank," added McEnroe.

After dropping his first set at this year's championships, the Serb will be looking to do better when he meets France's Ugo Humbert on Monday.

When Novak Djokovic stood with a hand on hip midway through the second-set tiebreak, glaring down at young Polish upstart Hubert Hurkacz, he could scarcely believe the drama unfolding before his eyes in his third-round Wimbledon showdown on Friday.

When Novak Djokovic stood with a hand on hip midway through the second-set tiebreak, glaring down at young Polish upstart Hubert Hurkacz, he could scarcely believe the drama unfolding before his eyes in his third-round Wimbledon showdown on Friday. The world number one was caught up by hurricane Hurkacz as he came off second best in all the razzle-dazzle shots the 22-year-old could throw at him and he was also banned from wearing his baseball cap by the umpire as it fell foul of Wimbledon's all-white rules. However, Djokovic is not known as Mr Consistency for nothing and he survived all the hullabaloo to reach the last 16 for the 12th time at the grasscourt major with a 7-5, 6-7(5), 6-1, 6-4 win. "For the opposition, he is sickeningly consistent," summed up American great John McEnroe. "He isn't flashy, he doesn't play with the same intensity point in point out as (Rafa) Nadal does, his shots are not as beautiful as (Roger) Federer's - but rock-solid is an understatement. He is so efficient," McEnroe said. That efficiency has earned Djokovic 74 titles, including 15 majors, and more than $130 million in prize money. Hurkacz, on the other hand, can only dream of such riches or records as his trophy cabinet lies empty while his bank balance would be considered loose change in Djokovic's pocket. Playing the Serbian for the second time at a major in five weeks, the world number 48 was expected to roll over in straight sets, just as he had done at Roland Garros. But when the top seed was told by umpire Carlos Bernardes to remove his baseball cap midway through the first set, for a while it looked like he had been shorn of his super-powers as he missed three break points in the sixth game. "The last match on Centre Court, I played with the hat. The same hat I took out now, I was not able to play with it," Djokovic, the only top-10 seed left in the top half of the draw, said with a shrug. AUDACIOUS SHOTS The four-times champion eventually broke for a 6-5 lead but not before Hurkacz had offered a glimpse of what was to come in the second set as he acrobatically fell to his stomach and his racket went flying while chasing down a Djokovic drop shot. Hurkacz raised his fist to the roaring Court One crowd when he gave Djokovic the run-around during a delightful, 29-shot exchange that culminated with a sliced forehand winner in the third game of the second. The hollering fans were on their feet again when he earned a set point at 6-5 up on Djokovic's serve with a brilliant diving winner that would have made Boris Becker proud. The crowd groaned when he fluffed the next point but the thrills kept on coming in the tiebreak as he finished off a 30-stroke rally by punching away a volley as he fell into the splits. Djokovic simply could not believe the audacious shots that kept flying his way and he would have been even less pleased when Hurkacz levelled the match on this third set point with a blazing crosscourt winner. But, as the Pole found out to his dismay in double quick time, winning even one set against one of tennis's Big Three sucks up an enormous amount of energy. To win three is nigh on impossible during the first week of a major and so it proved. Hurkacz's challenge fizzled out in the next two sets as he discovered that while the heart was willing, the tiring legs could not keep up. "Djokovic sets the bar so high. You have to play the match of your life just to stay in it. Hurkacz played exceptionally well, he just didn't have enough in the tank," added McEnroe. After dropping his first set at this year's championships, the Serb will be looking to do better when he meets France's Ugo Humbert on Monday.

Wimbledon: Novak Djokovic survives hurricane Hurkacz to reach last 16

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/wimbledon-novak-djokovic-survives-hurricane-hurkacz-to-reach-last-16-233493">Novak Djokovic</a> blasted the decision to strip Bernard Tomic of his entire £45,000 ($56,000) Wimbledon prize money as "unfair."

The controversial Australian was punished by the All England Club for tanking in his first-round match which was over in just 58 minutes.

The 6-2, 6-1, 6-4 defeat to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga was the shortest men's match at the tournament.

"I don't think it's fair to take all his prize money away," said Djokovic on Friday.

"I have to see obviously his behaviour, movement on the court, how much effort he put in. He deserved his right to be in this tournament. He's a top 100 player.&nbsp;

"He's worked all year to be here. He deserves most of that prize money."

World number one and defending Wimbledon champion Djokovic, who is also the president of the ATP Player Council, believes other factors could have come into play which would have been mitigating.

"It's not nice for the crowd, the other players that maybe would want to be in the position to fight to get to the second round.&nbsp;

"But he played against Tsonga, who is a great player on grass."

Novak Djokovic blasted the decision to strip Bernard Tomic of his entire £45,000 ($56,000) Wimbledon prize money as "unfair." The controversial Australian was punished by the All England Club for tanking in his first-round match which was over in just 58 minutes.

Novak Djokovic blasted the decision to strip Bernard Tomic of his entire £45,000 ($56,000) Wimbledon prize money as "unfair." The controversial Australian was punished by the All England Club for tanking in his first-round match which was over in just 58 minutes. The 6-2, 6-1, 6-4 defeat to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga was the shortest men's match at the tournament. "I don't think it's fair to take all his prize money away," said Djokovic on Friday. "I have to see obviously his behaviour, movement on the court, how much effort he put in. He deserved his right to be in this tournament. He's a top 100 player. "He's worked all year to be here. He deserves most of that prize money." World number one and defending Wimbledon champion Djokovic, who is also the president of the ATP Player Council, believes other factors could have come into play which would have been mitigating. "It's not nice for the crowd, the other players that maybe would want to be in the position to fight to get to the second round. "But he played against Tsonga, who is a great player on grass."

Novak Djokovic says Bernard Tomic's £45,000 Wimbledon penalty 'unfair'

Nick Kyrgios admitted he meant to spear a forehand directly at Rafael Nadal in their <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/sports/wimbledon-nick-kyrgios-and-rafael-nadal-set-to-renew-salty-rivalry-232630&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwiT24W3i53jAhWQ-2EKHWGQD9EQFjAEegQIBBAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw0Bsz_9Q9JegKvRuN92v21N">bad-tempered Wimbledon clash</a> on Thursday.

Nadal triumphed 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (7/5), 7-6 (7/3) in a second-round Centre Court duel which saw the combustible Australian pick up a code violation for unsportsmanlike behaviour and wage a bitter war of words with umpire Damien Dumusois.

He called the official a "disgrace", describing his handling of the explosive tie as "pathetic" for failing to warn the Spaniard over what he claimed was his pedestrian pace of play.

The two players faced down each other in the eighth game of the third set when Nadal had to take evasive action with his racquet to fend off a blistering forehand aimed straight at him by the Australian.

"I was going for him. Yeah, I wanted to hit him square in the chest. Like, he's got decent hands," said 24-year-old Kyrgios.

"Why would I apologise? I mean, the dude has got how many slams, how much money in the bank account?&nbsp;

"I think he can take a ball to the chest, bro. I'm not going to apologise to him at all," Kyrgios said.

Nadal said he was unconcerned for his own safety when the ball came towards him at high speed but feared for others if the ball had gone astray.

"When he hits the ball like this, it is dangerous. It's not dangerous for me, it is dangerous for a line referee, dangerous for the crowd," said the two-time Wimbledon champion.

"I know when you hit this kind of ball, the ball can go anywhere. This time the ball went in, almost hit me, no problem.''

"I am a professional, so I know how to avoid this. But another one, the ball goes straight to the back. That ball hits an eye or something like this, it is a problem," Nadal said.

Kyrgios, who famously announced himself to the tennis world when he defeated Nadal at <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/wimbledon-clarke-dumps-dart-last-minute-to-pair-up-with-cori-gauff-for-mixed-doubles-233018">Wimbledon </a>in 2014 as a wild card ranked at 144, spent the eve of Thursday's match in a local bar.

It was a decision he did not regret.

"You look way too excited to ask that question. You must have a really boring life," he chastised a reporter.

Nadal had suggested that Kyrgios does have the makings of a Grand Slam champion but the Australian doubts he has the work ethic to achieve such a lofty ambition.

"I know what I'm capable of. Just depends. I'm a great tennis player, but I don't do the other stuff.''

"I'm not the most professional guy. I won't train day in, day out. I won't show up every day. So there's a lot of things I need to improve on to get to that level that Rafa brings, Novak (Djokovic), <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/sports/wimbledon-roger-federer-seeded-second-rafael-nadal-drops-to-three-230601&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjE5prMi53jAhVS62EKHTAGALIQFjAAegQIBRAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw18IqpNUoX1HDeIliN5WzYN">Roger </a>(Federer) have been doing for so long.''

"Just depends how bad I want it. But, no, at the moment I don't think I can contend for a Grand Slam," Kyrgios said.

But Nadal insisted that all Kyrgios needs is respect for the sport, something which he accused the Australian of patently lacking when they clashed in Acapulco in February.

"If, if, if. Doesn't exist. There are a lot of important things that you need to do to become a champion,'' Nadal said.

"He has a lot of good ingredients. But, of course, there remains an important one sometimes, and that is the love, the passion for this game. Without really loving this game that much, is difficult to achieve important things," added Nadal.

Nick Kyrgios admitted he meant to spear a forehand directly at Rafael Nadal in their bad-tempered Wimbledon clash on Thursday. Nadal triumphed 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (7/5), 7-6 (7/3) in a second-round Centre Court duel which saw the combustible Australian pick up a code violation for unsportsmanlike behaviour and wage a bitter war of words with umpire Damien Dumusois.

Nick Kyrgios admitted he meant to spear a forehand directly at Rafael Nadal in their bad-tempered Wimbledon clash on Thursday. Nadal triumphed 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (7/5), 7-6 (7/3) in a second-round Centre Court duel which saw the combustible Australian pick up a code violation for unsportsmanlike behaviour and wage a bitter war of words with umpire Damien Dumusois. He called the official a "disgrace", describing his handling of the explosive tie as "pathetic" for failing to warn the Spaniard over what he claimed was his pedestrian pace of play. The two players faced down each other in the eighth game of the third set when Nadal had to take evasive action with his racquet to fend off a blistering forehand aimed straight at him by the Australian. "I was going for him. Yeah, I wanted to hit him square in the chest. Like, he's got decent hands," said 24-year-old Kyrgios. "Why would I apologise? I mean, the dude has got how many slams, how much money in the bank account? "I think he can take a ball to the chest, bro. I'm not going to apologise to him at all," Kyrgios said. Nadal said he was unconcerned for his own safety when the ball came towards him at high speed but feared for others if the ball had gone astray. "When he hits the ball like this, it is dangerous. It's not dangerous for me, it is dangerous for a line referee, dangerous for the crowd," said the two-time Wimbledon champion. "I know when you hit this kind of ball, the ball can go anywhere. This time the ball went in, almost hit me, no problem.'' "I am a professional, so I know how to avoid this. But another one, the ball goes straight to the back. That ball hits an eye or something like this, it is a problem," Nadal said. Kyrgios, who famously announced himself to the tennis world when he defeated Nadal at Wimbledon in 2014 as a wild card ranked at 144, spent the eve of Thursday's match in a local bar. It was a decision he did not regret. "You look way too excited to ask that question. You must have a really boring life," he chastised a reporter. Nadal had suggested that Kyrgios does have the makings of a Grand Slam champion but the Australian doubts he has the work ethic to achieve such a lofty ambition. "I know what I'm capable of. Just depends. I'm a great tennis player, but I don't do the other stuff.'' "I'm not the most professional guy. I won't train day in, day out. I won't show up every day. So there's a lot of things I need to improve on to get to that level that Rafa brings, Novak (Djokovic), Roger (Federer) have been doing for so long.'' "Just depends how bad I want it. But, no, at the moment I don't think I can contend for a Grand Slam," Kyrgios said. But Nadal insisted that all Kyrgios needs is respect for the sport, something which he accused the Australian of patently lacking when they clashed in Acapulco in February. "If, if, if. Doesn't exist. There are a lot of important things that you need to do to become a champion,'' Nadal said. "He has a lot of good ingredients. But, of course, there remains an important one sometimes, and that is the love, the passion for this game. Without really loving this game that much, is difficult to achieve important things," added Nadal.

Wimbledon: Nick Kyrgios admits deliberately hitting ball at Rafael Nadal

Novak Djokovic trails Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal in many of the game's most important metrics, but when it comes to consistently reaching the third round at <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/wimbledon-ashleigh-barty-embraces-number-one-tag-cruises-into-second-round-232654">Wimbledon</a>, which he achieved with dazzling ease on Wednesday, he leaves his rivals in his wake.

The Serb dismantled American Denis Kudla 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 with ruthless efficiency and just enough flamboyance to satisfy the Centre Court crowd.

That put him in the last 32 at the All England Club for the 11th straight year, a professional-era mark only surpassed by American Jimmy Connors -&nbsp;and one more than the game's most decorated player Federer.

Consistency has become the Serb's hallmark. While he may lack the shotmaking brilliance of Federer or the raw power and energy of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/wimbledon-nick-kyrgios-and-rafael-nadal-set-to-renew-salty-rivalry-232630">Nadal</a>, he rarely allows his level to slip below a supremely high watermark.

Which makes slip-ups against those plying their trade at the level of Kudla an exceptionally rare occurrence.

"Consistency was one of the keys and focus points of my Grand Slam career going back 10 years -&nbsp;I always aim to play my best in Grand Slams," he said after a one-hour-and-33-minute stroll that only occasionally flickered into life as a contest.

"I guess the quality of tennis that I produce in the slams is pretty high. That's what allows me to have the results like this," Djokovic said.

The world number one had only once lost to a player lower than the 111th-ranked Kudla in a Grand Slam -&nbsp;to Denis Istomin at the 2017 Australian Open - and there was never any chance of a repeat on Wednesday.

Things had threatened to turn ugly for Kudla when he lost the first five games, but he fought his corner to ensure the score stayed respectable and the match remained competitive.

The holder and four times champion allowed a few match points to go begging before finally wrapping up the victory to set up an encounter with Poland's 48th-ranked Hubert Hurkacz.

At this stage of the tournament, few would bet against Djokovic winning a 16th Grand Slam title next Sunday and the world number one certainly sounds confident.

"Ambitions are high and I've been fortunate in my career to do so well in Slams," he said.

"I have to think only about the next challenge and take things one step at a time," said Djokovic.

Novak Djokovic trails Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal in many of the game's most important metrics, but when it comes to consistently reaching the third round at Wimbledon, which he achieved with dazzling ease on Wednesday, he leaves his rivals in his wake.

Novak Djokovic trails Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal in many of the game's most important metrics, but when it comes to consistently reaching the third round at Wimbledon, which he achieved with dazzling ease on Wednesday, he leaves his rivals in his wake. The Serb dismantled American Denis Kudla 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 with ruthless efficiency and just enough flamboyance to satisfy the Centre Court crowd. That put him in the last 32 at the All England Club for the 11th straight year, a professional-era mark only surpassed by American Jimmy Connors - and one more than the game's most decorated player Federer. Consistency has become the Serb's hallmark. While he may lack the shotmaking brilliance of Federer or the raw power and energy of Nadal, he rarely allows his level to slip below a supremely high watermark. Which makes slip-ups against those plying their trade at the level of Kudla an exceptionally rare occurrence. "Consistency was one of the keys and focus points of my Grand Slam career going back 10 years - I always aim to play my best in Grand Slams," he said after a one-hour-and-33-minute stroll that only occasionally flickered into life as a contest. "I guess the quality of tennis that I produce in the slams is pretty high. That's what allows me to have the results like this," Djokovic said. The world number one had only once lost to a player lower than the 111th-ranked Kudla in a Grand Slam - to Denis Istomin at the 2017 Australian Open - and there was never any chance of a repeat on Wednesday. Things had threatened to turn ugly for Kudla when he lost the first five games, but he fought his corner to ensure the score stayed respectable and the match remained competitive. The holder and four times champion allowed a few match points to go begging before finally wrapping up the victory to set up an encounter with Poland's 48th-ranked Hubert Hurkacz. At this stage of the tournament, few would bet against Djokovic winning a 16th Grand Slam title next Sunday and the world number one certainly sounds confident. "Ambitions are high and I've been fortunate in my career to do so well in Slams," he said. "I have to think only about the next challenge and take things one step at a time," said Djokovic.

Wimbledon: Defending champion Novak Djokovic eases into third round

American 15-year-old Cori Gauff stole the show on the opening day of Wimbledon with a debut victory over five-time champion and her inspiration Venus Williams.

Gauff, the youngest woman ever to survive the qualifying tournament, played like a seasoned performer as she clinically beat the 39-year-old great 6-4, 6-4 to earn a standing ovation from an enchanted Court One crowd.

"I wouldn't say I didn't expect to win the match. I knew that I was going to go out there and play the way I play," Gauff, who claimed victory on her fourth match point, told reporters.

"I wasn't surprised that I won. I mean, I was just overwhelmed at the end," Gauff said.

Her victory put everything else in the shade on an opening day full of shocks in both draws.

World number two and second seed <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/second-seed-naomi-osaka-crashes-out-in-first-round-of-wimbledon-232123">Naomi Osaka</a> lost 7-6(4), 6-2 to dangerous Kazakh Yulia Putintseva who had also got the better of her in their recent match in Birmingham - a defeat that effectively cost Osaka the number one ranking.

US&nbsp;Open and Australian Open champion Osaka appeared close to tears when she spoke to the media later.

"Can I leave? I feel like I'm about to cry," the Japanese 21-year-old said.

French Open runner-up Marketa Vondrousova, the 16th seed, also bowed out but former world number ones Karolina Pliskova, Caroline Wozniacki, Simona Halep and Victoria Azarenka all made it safely through to the second round.

DJOKOVIC UNTROUBLED

Men's defending champion <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/wimbledon-novak-djokovic-sweeps-through-under-keen-gaze-of-ivanisevic-232118">Novak Djokovic</a> was untroubled as he began his quest for a fifth Wimbledon crown that would take him level on the all-time list with Swedish great Bjorn Borg.

The Serb, with former champion Goran Ivanisevic in his box, beat Germany's Philipp Kohlschreiber 6-3, 7-5, 6-3.

It was a bad day for two of the young guns expected to lead the new generation into a brave new era, however.

Sixth seed Alexander Zverev lost 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 7-5 to Czech Jiri Vesely while Greek 20-year-old Stefanos Tsitsipas went down in five sets to Italian journeyman Thomas Fabbiano.

Tsitsipas, in particular, was highly-fancied to have a long run at the All England Club having reached the Australian Open semi-final this year but lost 6-4, 3-6, 6-4, 6-7(8), 6-3.

"He was just better than me today. I think the way I played, it should have been in three, not five. I don't know how I got to five. I guess with my fighting spirit, somehow I managed to win those two sets," he said.

Croatia's 40-year-old Ivo Karlovic, one of 47 men aged 30 or over in the men's singles, became the oldest man to play a first-round match in the Wimbledon singles since Ken Rosewall in 1975.

The giant Croat served 20 aces as he beat Andrea Arnaboldi in straight sets and will meet Fabbiano next.

Last year's runner-up Kevin Anderson cruised through in straight sets against Pierre-Hugues Herbert.

Eight-time champion Roger Federer and women's defending champion Angelique Kerber, as well as 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams, start their campaigns on Tuesday.

American 15-year-old Cori Gauff stole the show on the opening day of Wimbledon with a debut victory over five-time champion and her inspiration Venus Williams. Gauff, the youngest woman ever to survive the qualifying tournament, played like a seasoned performer as she clinically beat the 39-year-old great 6-4, 6-4 to earn a standing ovation from an enchanted Court One crowd.

American 15-year-old Cori Gauff stole the show on the opening day of Wimbledon with a debut victory over five-time champion and her inspiration Venus Williams. Gauff, the youngest woman ever to survive the qualifying tournament, played like a seasoned performer as she clinically beat the 39-year-old great 6-4, 6-4 to earn a standing ovation from an enchanted Court One crowd. "I wouldn't say I didn't expect to win the match. I knew that I was going to go out there and play the way I play," Gauff, who claimed victory on her fourth match point, told reporters. "I wasn't surprised that I won. I mean, I was just overwhelmed at the end," Gauff said. Her victory put everything else in the shade on an opening day full of shocks in both draws. World number two and second seed Naomi Osaka lost 7-6(4), 6-2 to dangerous Kazakh Yulia Putintseva who had also got the better of her in their recent match in Birmingham - a defeat that effectively cost Osaka the number one ranking. US Open and Australian Open champion Osaka appeared close to tears when she spoke to the media later. "Can I leave? I feel like I'm about to cry," the Japanese 21-year-old said. French Open runner-up Marketa Vondrousova, the 16th seed, also bowed out but former world number ones Karolina Pliskova, Caroline Wozniacki, Simona Halep and Victoria Azarenka all made it safely through to the second round. DJOKOVIC UNTROUBLED Men's defending champion Novak Djokovic was untroubled as he began his quest for a fifth Wimbledon crown that would take him level on the all-time list with Swedish great Bjorn Borg. The Serb, with former champion Goran Ivanisevic in his box, beat Germany's Philipp Kohlschreiber 6-3, 7-5, 6-3. It was a bad day for two of the young guns expected to lead the new generation into a brave new era, however. Sixth seed Alexander Zverev lost 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 7-5 to Czech Jiri Vesely while Greek 20-year-old Stefanos Tsitsipas went down in five sets to Italian journeyman Thomas Fabbiano. Tsitsipas, in particular, was highly-fancied to have a long run at the All England Club having reached the Australian Open semi-final this year but lost 6-4, 3-6, 6-4, 6-7(8), 6-3. "He was just better than me today. I think the way I played, it should have been in three, not five. I don't know how I got to five. I guess with my fighting spirit, somehow I managed to win those two sets," he said. Croatia's 40-year-old Ivo Karlovic, one of 47 men aged 30 or over in the men's singles, became the oldest man to play a first-round match in the Wimbledon singles since Ken Rosewall in 1975. The giant Croat served 20 aces as he beat Andrea Arnaboldi in straight sets and will meet Fabbiano next. Last year's runner-up Kevin Anderson cruised through in straight sets against Pierre-Hugues Herbert. Eight-time champion Roger Federer and women's defending champion Angelique Kerber, as well as 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams, start their campaigns on Tuesday.

Wimbledon: 15-year-old Cori Gauff stuns idol Venus Williams to steal day one limelight

Novak Djokovic got the defence of his Wimbledon title off to an impressive start when, serving superbly, he overwhelmed Germany's Philipp Kohlschreiber in straight sets in the first match on Centre Court on Monday.

After a few early wobbles Djokovic triumphed 6-3, 7-5, 6-3 as, perhaps already buoyed by the presence of new coach Goran Ivanisevic, he really hit the mark with his serves.

"He's someone I've always looked up to and we've been friends for a long time - though usually on the opposite side of the net," Djokovic said of the 2001 champion who has come on board as part of his coaching team.

"He's coached lots of great players, so it's great to have him on my side. He's going to stay for sure through the first week then we'll see. It's a great pleasure to have such a champion and hopefully, we can have a long collaboration."

Djokovic, 32, came into the tournament having decided not to play a grass-court warm-up event and he must have been a little edgy having lost to Kohlschreiber in straight sets on the hard courts of Indian Wells earlier this year.

For a man not so well known outside tennis circles, 35-year-old Kohlschreiber has a long, if not particularly distinguished, career.

This Wimbledon was his 60th grand slam event - putting him joint-ninth in the open-era on the appearances list. It was also his 15th successive Wimbledon, but Monday's two-hour show marked the ninth time he had failed to get past the first round.

The champion made an inauspicious start, double-faulting his first serve en route to being broken, but quickly found his feet to reel off the next four games and win the first set 6-3.

Kohlschreiber found his length with more consistency in the second and the two traded heavy blows in crowd-pleasing rallies not often seen these days on the grass.

At 4-4 the German saved three break points - the last courtesy of a successful challenge - only to drop his next service game as Djokovic served out for 7-5 and a two-set lead.

The early stages of the third set were also entertainingly well-fought, with both men nailing the baseline with huge power until Djokovic really found his serving rhythm to take command and wrap up the match by taking it 6-3.

"It felt great, it's the sacred court, the cradle of our sport and it has a special place in my heart and my career," Djokovic said.

"Opening round matches are always tricky, he has a lot of experience and beat me this year. I know he can play good quality tennis, he takes the ball early, so it was a great test for me and all three sets were pretty close."

Novak Djokovic got the defence of his Wimbledon title off to an impressive start when, serving superbly, he overwhelmed Germany's Philipp Kohlschreiber in straight sets in the first match on Centre Court on Monday.

Novak Djokovic got the defence of his Wimbledon title off to an impressive start when, serving superbly, he overwhelmed Germany's Philipp Kohlschreiber in straight sets in the first match on Centre Court on Monday. After a few early wobbles Djokovic triumphed 6-3, 7-5, 6-3 as, perhaps already buoyed by the presence of new coach Goran Ivanisevic, he really hit the mark with his serves. "He's someone I've always looked up to and we've been friends for a long time - though usually on the opposite side of the net," Djokovic said of the 2001 champion who has come on board as part of his coaching team. "He's coached lots of great players, so it's great to have him on my side. He's going to stay for sure through the first week then we'll see. It's a great pleasure to have such a champion and hopefully, we can have a long collaboration." Djokovic, 32, came into the tournament having decided not to play a grass-court warm-up event and he must have been a little edgy having lost to Kohlschreiber in straight sets on the hard courts of Indian Wells earlier this year. For a man not so well known outside tennis circles, 35-year-old Kohlschreiber has a long, if not particularly distinguished, career. This Wimbledon was his 60th grand slam event - putting him joint-ninth in the open-era on the appearances list. It was also his 15th successive Wimbledon, but Monday's two-hour show marked the ninth time he had failed to get past the first round. The champion made an inauspicious start, double-faulting his first serve en route to being broken, but quickly found his feet to reel off the next four games and win the first set 6-3. Kohlschreiber found his length with more consistency in the second and the two traded heavy blows in crowd-pleasing rallies not often seen these days on the grass. At 4-4 the German saved three break points - the last courtesy of a successful challenge - only to drop his next service game as Djokovic served out for 7-5 and a two-set lead. The early stages of the third set were also entertainingly well-fought, with both men nailing the baseline with huge power until Djokovic really found his serving rhythm to take command and wrap up the match by taking it 6-3. "It felt great, it's the sacred court, the cradle of our sport and it has a special place in my heart and my career," Djokovic said. "Opening round matches are always tricky, he has a lot of experience and beat me this year. I know he can play good quality tennis, he takes the ball early, so it was a great test for me and all three sets were pretty close."

Wimbledon: Novak Djokovic sweeps through under keen gaze of Ivanisevic

Stan Wawrinka was barely mentioned in the Wimbledon build-up with all the focus on the men's "big three" and the young guns hoping to shake things up but the Swiss means business.

Outside of eight-time champion Roger Federer, twice winner Rafael Nadal and defending champion Novak Djokovic, Wawrinka is the only other multiple Grand Slam champion in the draw.

With the weapons at his disposal, a beefy serve and a sublime backhand and a big match mentality, Wawrinka should at least part of the conversation when it comes to discussing contenders to make a deep run this fortnight.

The 34-year-old needs a Wimbledon title to complete his career Grand Slam and while, for whatever reason, he has never thrived on the All England Club lawns, he looked razor sharp as he began his 15th successive appearance.

On a sunny Court Two against Belgian qualifier Ruben Bemelmans he belted 26 winners in a 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 victory that took less than an hour and a half.

Admittedly left-hander Bemelmans, ranked 171, was having a decidedly ordinary day with his forehand misfiring completely but it was a powerful statement by Wawrinka nonetheless.

A year ago Wawrinka arrived at Wimbledon ranked outside the top 200 having had knee surgery after the 2017 Championships.

On that occasion he beat Grigor Dimitrov in the opening round but then lost to qualifier Tomas Fabbiano.

Surprisingly for a player of his class Wawrinka has only reached two quarter-finals at Wimbledon, in 2014 when he lost to Roger Federer and in 2015 when beaten by Richard Gasquet.

It is his worst Grand Slam, with his win over Bemelmans improving his career record there to 20-14, compared to 42-14 at Roland Garros, 40-12 at the US&nbsp;Open and 38-13 in Australia.

He has not been into the third round since 2015 and to end that sequence he will have a stern test next against giant American Reilly Opelka.

Stan Wawrinka was barely mentioned in the Wimbledon build-up with all the focus on the men's "big three" and the young guns hoping to shake things up but the Swiss means business.

Stan Wawrinka was barely mentioned in the Wimbledon build-up with all the focus on the men's "big three" and the young guns hoping to shake things up but the Swiss means business. Outside of eight-time champion Roger Federer, twice winner Rafael Nadal and defending champion Novak Djokovic, Wawrinka is the only other multiple Grand Slam champion in the draw. With the weapons at his disposal, a beefy serve and a sublime backhand and a big match mentality, Wawrinka should at least part of the conversation when it comes to discussing contenders to make a deep run this fortnight. The 34-year-old needs a Wimbledon title to complete his career Grand Slam and while, for whatever reason, he has never thrived on the All England Club lawns, he looked razor sharp as he began his 15th successive appearance. On a sunny Court Two against Belgian qualifier Ruben Bemelmans he belted 26 winners in a 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 victory that took less than an hour and a half. Admittedly left-hander Bemelmans, ranked 171, was having a decidedly ordinary day with his forehand misfiring completely but it was a powerful statement by Wawrinka nonetheless. A year ago Wawrinka arrived at Wimbledon ranked outside the top 200 having had knee surgery after the 2017 Championships. On that occasion he beat Grigor Dimitrov in the opening round but then lost to qualifier Tomas Fabbiano. Surprisingly for a player of his class Wawrinka has only reached two quarter-finals at Wimbledon, in 2014 when he lost to Roger Federer and in 2015 when beaten by Richard Gasquet. It is his worst Grand Slam, with his win over Bemelmans improving his career record there to 20-14, compared to 42-14 at Roland Garros, 40-12 at the US Open and 38-13 in Australia. He has not been into the third round since 2015 and to end that sequence he will have a stern test next against giant American Reilly Opelka.

Wimbledon: Stan Wawrinka means business as he opens with easy victory

Lack of grass courts in Serbia will not be detrimental to Novak Djokovic's bid to defend his Wimbledon title, the world number one said in the early stages of his training for the July 1-14 tournament at the All England Club.

"Find me a grass court in Belgrade and I will practice there," Djokovic joked when asked last week by reporters why he chose a hardcourt complex in the Serbian capital's centre to start his preparations.

"We don't have any in Serbia, do we? I am really hopeful that we will build some grass courts soon enough, but these hard courts will do for the time being.

"The reason I am training here at the moment is because it's the most similar surface to grass in terms of ball speed and player movement," he said.

<a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/sports/novak-djokovic-kyrgios-good-guy-even-if-he-has-no-respect-for-me-228880&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjyiM6zvIbjAhXLMY8KHT8lDyAQFjACegQIDhAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw1UdgOV7XULNLDtBqrG38A3">Djokovic</a>, who is aiming for a fifth Wimbledon title and his 16th Grand Slam crown, plans to play only one or two exhibition matches in the build-up to the grasscourt major.

Asked why he changed the routine and skipped this year's Queen's tournament in London, Djokovic pointed out that whereas he needed as much action as he could get ahead of last year's tournament, he opted for a different approach in 2019.

"The situation is a bit different this time because I played very few matches prior to last year’s Wimbledon due to my injury and the elbow surgery," he said.

"I plummeted down to 22nd on the ATP Tour but the extensive layoff gave me enough time to prepare for Wimbledon by entering the Queen's tournament as a warm-up. This year, the exertions of a lengthy claycourt season prompted me to skip Queen's and go straight to Wimbledon," Djokovic said.

Djokovic was exchanging stinging baseline shots with compatriot Viktor Troicki, a close friend and also a member of Serbia's 2010 Davis Cup-winning team, in hot and humid conditions which he said would play into his hands.

"I can't really complain because I chose to come to Belgrade this time to see my family en route from the French Open to London," he said.

"The weather could actually be a blessing in disguise because it will probably be much cooler in London so training in this searing heat might increase my fitness levels. That aside, the grass is the rarest surface we play on and it requires a very specific routine and style of play. It requires a different approach and adaption time," Djokovic said.

Having missed a chance to win four grand slam tournaments in row for the second time in his career when he lost to <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/sports/french-open-thiem-leads-djokovic-in-trouble-as-rain-stops-play-at-semi-final-225374&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjyiM6zvIbjAhXLMY8KHT8lDyAQFjAHegQIARAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw3BH511Zma_-eH5dygAd61M">Dominic Thiem</a> in last month's French Open semi-finals, Djokovic said he was heading to Wimbledon almost devoid of pressure.

"I put a lot of pressure on myself before the French Open to make it four grand slams in a row again but having failed this time, I am going to Wimbledon with less weight on my shoulders as it's the start of a new cycle," he said.

"I always have the highest ambitions and this year is no different. I am top of the rankings and defending my Wimbledon title, hence I am hoping to go all the way again.

"However, reality can be very different. Apart from the usual suspects, there is a bunch of other players who are strong contenders at Wimbledon.

"Federer and Nadal are always among the top candidates of course and the three of us should be the favourites to win the title. It will be a tough tournament and I will have to take it one step at a time, match by match," added Djokovic.

Lack of grass courts in Serbia will not be detrimental to Novak Djokovic's bid to defend his Wimbledon title, the world number one said in the early stages of his training for the July 1-14 tournament at the All England Club.

Lack of grass courts in Serbia will not be detrimental to Novak Djokovic's bid to defend his Wimbledon title, the world number one said in the early stages of his training for the July 1-14 tournament at the All England Club. "Find me a grass court in Belgrade and I will practice there," Djokovic joked when asked last week by reporters why he chose a hardcourt complex in the Serbian capital's centre to start his preparations. "We don't have any in Serbia, do we? I am really hopeful that we will build some grass courts soon enough, but these hard courts will do for the time being. "The reason I am training here at the moment is because it's the most similar surface to grass in terms of ball speed and player movement," he said. Djokovic, who is aiming for a fifth Wimbledon title and his 16th Grand Slam crown, plans to play only one or two exhibition matches in the build-up to the grasscourt major. Asked why he changed the routine and skipped this year's Queen's tournament in London, Djokovic pointed out that whereas he needed as much action as he could get ahead of last year's tournament, he opted for a different approach in 2019. "The situation is a bit different this time because I played very few matches prior to last year’s Wimbledon due to my injury and the elbow surgery," he said. "I plummeted down to 22nd on the ATP Tour but the extensive layoff gave me enough time to prepare for Wimbledon by entering the Queen's tournament as a warm-up. This year, the exertions of a lengthy claycourt season prompted me to skip Queen's and go straight to Wimbledon," Djokovic said. Djokovic was exchanging stinging baseline shots with compatriot Viktor Troicki, a close friend and also a member of Serbia's 2010 Davis Cup-winning team, in hot and humid conditions which he said would play into his hands. "I can't really complain because I chose to come to Belgrade this time to see my family en route from the French Open to London," he said. "The weather could actually be a blessing in disguise because it will probably be much cooler in London so training in this searing heat might increase my fitness levels. That aside, the grass is the rarest surface we play on and it requires a very specific routine and style of play. It requires a different approach and adaption time," Djokovic said. Having missed a chance to win four grand slam tournaments in row for the second time in his career when he lost to Dominic Thiem in last month's French Open semi-finals, Djokovic said he was heading to Wimbledon almost devoid of pressure. "I put a lot of pressure on myself before the French Open to make it four grand slams in a row again but having failed this time, I am going to Wimbledon with less weight on my shoulders as it's the start of a new cycle," he said. "I always have the highest ambitions and this year is no different. I am top of the rankings and defending my Wimbledon title, hence I am hoping to go all the way again. "However, reality can be very different. Apart from the usual suspects, there is a bunch of other players who are strong contenders at Wimbledon. "Federer and Nadal are always among the top candidates of course and the three of us should be the favourites to win the title. It will be a tough tournament and I will have to take it one step at a time, match by match," added Djokovic.

No grass courts? No problem, says Novak Djokovic as he starts Wimbledon preparation

Roger Federer has been seeded second ahead of great rival Rafael Nadal for Wimbledon despite trailing the Spaniard in the world rankings.

Nadal complained earlier this week that Wimbledon's unique formula for seeding that combines ranking points with form in grass-court competitions was disrespectful.

World number one and defending champion <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/novak-djokovic-supports-rafael-nadal-over-wimbledon-seedings-criticism-230554">Novak Djokovic</a> is the top seed.

Eighteen-time Grand Slam winner Nadal, ranked number two in the world, is therefore guaranteed to be in the same half of the draw as either Federer or Djokovic.

"Obviously it would be better to be two than three but if they think I have to be three I will accept three and fight to win the matches I have to win," Nadal told Spanish television channel Movistar on Monday.

"The only thing that doesn't seem right about this issue is that it is only Wimbledon that does it. If they all did it, it would seem more correct. It's not only about my particular case. There have been many occasions when players have played well all year on all surfaces but <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/rafael-nadal-says-wimbledons-seedings-system-not-a-good-thing-230352">Wimbledon </a>does not respect the ranking they have earned," Nadal said.

South Africa's Kevin Anderson is seeded fourth, well ahead of his ranking of eight, after reaching the final for the first time last year, with Dominic Thiem, Alexander Zverev and Stefanos Tsitsipas all bumped down one position.

The women's seedings do mirror the rankings with French Open champion Ashleigh Barty top of the pile for the first time at a grand slam ahead of Naomi Osaka.

Defending champion Angelique Kerber is seeded fifth with seven-time Wimbledon champion Serena Williams down in 11th.

Roger Federer has been seeded second ahead of great rival Rafael Nadal for Wimbledon despite trailing the Spaniard in the world rankings. Nadal complained earlier this week that Wimbledon's unique formula for seeding that combines ranking points with form in grass-court competitions was disrespectful.

Roger Federer has been seeded second ahead of great rival Rafael Nadal for Wimbledon despite trailing the Spaniard in the world rankings. Nadal complained earlier this week that Wimbledon's unique formula for seeding that combines ranking points with form in grass-court competitions was disrespectful. World number one and defending champion Novak Djokovic is the top seed. Eighteen-time Grand Slam winner Nadal, ranked number two in the world, is therefore guaranteed to be in the same half of the draw as either Federer or Djokovic. "Obviously it would be better to be two than three but if they think I have to be three I will accept three and fight to win the matches I have to win," Nadal told Spanish television channel Movistar on Monday. "The only thing that doesn't seem right about this issue is that it is only Wimbledon that does it. If they all did it, it would seem more correct. It's not only about my particular case. There have been many occasions when players have played well all year on all surfaces but Wimbledon does not respect the ranking they have earned," Nadal said. South Africa's Kevin Anderson is seeded fourth, well ahead of his ranking of eight, after reaching the final for the first time last year, with Dominic Thiem, Alexander Zverev and Stefanos Tsitsipas all bumped down one position. The women's seedings do mirror the rankings with French Open champion Ashleigh Barty top of the pile for the first time at a grand slam ahead of Naomi Osaka. Defending champion Angelique Kerber is seeded fifth with seven-time Wimbledon champion Serena Williams down in 11th.

Wimbledon: Roger Federer seeded second, Rafael Nadal drops to three

Spaniard Rafael Nadal received support from Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic on Tuesday after criticising the unique seedings formula used by the grasscourt Grand Slam which gets underway at the All England Club on Monday.

Nadal looks set to fall victim to the formula which tweaks the seedings based on the previous form on grass, with the 33-year-old expected to be seeded third behind <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/sports/french-open-winner-rafael-nadal-still-lagging-novak-djokovic-in-rankings-226068&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwiWxoKy1IbjAhUJQo8KHQMtC4IQFjABegQIDhAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw1AvBmH7ndws7GEpTYjzuTh">top-ranked Djokovic</a> and Roger Federer despite being world number two.

Wimbledon, which will announce the seedings on Wednesday, is the only one of the four Grand Slam tournaments not to stick rigidly to the ATP and WTA rankings.

With Nadal, seeking a first Wimbledon title for nine years, seeded three it would mean he would most probably have to beat eight-time champion Roger Federer and four-time winner Djokovic to get his hands on the trophy for a third time.

"Wimbledon is the only tournament of the year that doesn't follow the ranking," the 33-year-old Nadal told Spanish TV station #Vamos on Tuesday.

"It's their choice. Either way, being second or third seed, I have to play at the best level to aspire to the things I aspire to. It is better to be second than third, but if they consider that I have to be third I will accept. I don't think it's a good thing that Wimbledon is the only one with its own seeding formula," Nadal siad.

Nadal lost a semi-final epic to Djokovic last year but in his previous five appearances, he never got past round four.

SEEDING SURPRISE

Wimbledon top seed Djokovic said he could understand <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/sports/rafael-nadal-says-wimbledons-seedings-system-not-a-good-thing-230352&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwiWxoKy1IbjAhUJQo8KHQMtC4IQFjAAegQIBRAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw0INPU-ffhy0_7cu7bmBYTR">Nadal's frustration</a>.

"It's their rules and you have to respect it although it's a little bit surprising to be honest," the Serb told Reuters after playing at the Boodles exhibition event on Tuesday.

"Roger is the greatest of all time and has won the most Wimbledon titles of any player in history and if any player deserves it it's him. But at the same time it's Nadal that he is taking over (from as) the second seed so it's surprising to be honest," Djokovic said.

The top 32 players on the ATP ranking list, who are present at Wimbledon, will take the seeded places, but a formula using results on grass for the past 24 months can change the order.

"The only thing that doesn't seem right to me is that it's just Wimbledon that does it. If everyone did it, I think it would be appropriate or correct," Nadal told #Vamos.

The women's seedings follow the WTA ranking list but can be tweaked to produce "a balanced draw".

Serena Williams was ranked 183rd ahead of last year's tournament but was handed a seeding of 25.

Spaniard Rafael Nadal received support from Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic on Tuesday after criticising the unique seedings formula used by the grasscourt Grand Slam which gets underway at the All England Club on Monday.

Spaniard Rafael Nadal received support from Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic on Tuesday after criticising the unique seedings formula used by the grasscourt Grand Slam which gets underway at the All England Club on Monday. Nadal looks set to fall victim to the formula which tweaks the seedings based on the previous form on grass, with the 33-year-old expected to be seeded third behind top-ranked Djokovic and Roger Federer despite being world number two. Wimbledon, which will announce the seedings on Wednesday, is the only one of the four Grand Slam tournaments not to stick rigidly to the ATP and WTA rankings. With Nadal, seeking a first Wimbledon title for nine years, seeded three it would mean he would most probably have to beat eight-time champion Roger Federer and four-time winner Djokovic to get his hands on the trophy for a third time. "Wimbledon is the only tournament of the year that doesn't follow the ranking," the 33-year-old Nadal told Spanish TV station #Vamos on Tuesday. "It's their choice. Either way, being second or third seed, I have to play at the best level to aspire to the things I aspire to. It is better to be second than third, but if they consider that I have to be third I will accept. I don't think it's a good thing that Wimbledon is the only one with its own seeding formula," Nadal siad. Nadal lost a semi-final epic to Djokovic last year but in his previous five appearances, he never got past round four. SEEDING SURPRISE Wimbledon top seed Djokovic said he could understand Nadal's frustration. "It's their rules and you have to respect it although it's a little bit surprising to be honest," the Serb told Reuters after playing at the Boodles exhibition event on Tuesday. "Roger is the greatest of all time and has won the most Wimbledon titles of any player in history and if any player deserves it it's him. But at the same time it's Nadal that he is taking over (from as) the second seed so it's surprising to be honest," Djokovic said. The top 32 players on the ATP ranking list, who are present at Wimbledon, will take the seeded places, but a formula using results on grass for the past 24 months can change the order. "The only thing that doesn't seem right to me is that it's just Wimbledon that does it. If everyone did it, I think it would be appropriate or correct," Nadal told #Vamos. The women's seedings follow the WTA ranking list but can be tweaked to produce "a balanced draw". Serena Williams was ranked 183rd ahead of last year's tournament but was handed a seeding of 25.

Novak Djokovic supports Rafael Nadal over Wimbledon seedings criticism

Novak Djokovic on Wednesday shrugged off Nick Kyrgios's characterisation of him as <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/sports/nick-kyrgios-calls-novak-djokovic-cringeworthy-and-rafael-nadal-salty-in-unfiltered-podcast-219103&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjTt_6_svfiAhWFFogKHUN2BMgQFjAEegQIABAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw1jPqekymlTHhfypDDXH9vn">"cringeworthy"</a> and "having an obsession with wanting to be liked" by insisting the firebrand Australian is a "good guy".

Kyrgios, more often in the headlines for what he says off the court than what he achieves on it, described world number one Djokovic as desperate to be held in the same high esteem as Roger Federer.

"I feel he wants to be liked so much that I just can't stand him. This celebration thing (Djokovic's 'cup of love' gesture to the crowd) is so cringeworthy," Kyrgios told NCR Tennis Podcast.

"No matter how many Grand Slams he wins, he will never be the greatest to me.&nbsp;For me, Federer will always be the greatest of all time,"&nbsp;Kyrgios said.

Djokovic, however, said <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/sports/australian-nick-kyrgios-pulls-out-of-french-open-organisers-221393&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjTt_6_svfiAhWFFogKHUN2BMgQFjAAegQIBhAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw17a_kgjHp4fKJfsa1MIm5k">Kyrgios's </a>remarks "don't keep him awake at night".

"I think that basically he is a good guy. I don't know why he said all those things. Does he want to attract attention, does he want to be different?," Djokovic told reporters in Belgrade ahead of defending his Wimbledon title next month.

"He wants apparently to be true, open, transparent, that is part of his character. I respect him. Does he show me the respect to the extent that others do? No, he does not. That's just his way of communicating," Djokovic said.

Djokovic admitted that he had offered to help <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/sports/kyrgios-kicks-water-bottle-throws-chair-gets-disqualified-from-italian-open-219215&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjTt_6_svfiAhWFFogKHUN2BMgQFjAFegQIARAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw0Z58cGoi1aSlwH0JvQixUr">Kyrgios </a>deal with fame and its various pitfalls.

"Five years ago I even offered him sort of help, in the sense that he could come to me if he needs anything since at the beginning of my career I also experienced criticism against me.&nbsp;I was trying to respect everyone in life. I really don't understand his reasons, but I respect him," Djokovic added.

Four-time Wimbledon champion Djokovic hasn't played since a controversial <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/sports/dominic-thiem-stuns-novak-djokovic-faces-rafael-nadal-in-roland-garros-final-225511&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjT-a7dsvfiAhXFro8KHUOgA9kQFjACegQIDRAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw1QYHHNKklNjBRX_TFE6g4o">five-set loss to Dominic Thiem</a> in the semi-finals at Roland Garros.

"Because of the very long clay-court season I decided to take a break before Wimbledon," the 15-time Grand Slam winner said after his practice session on Wednesday.

"I'm going to need to get used to the grass, and I have a couple of exhibition games lined up. Just two or three sets each so I can test my tactics and technique,"&nbsp;Djokovic said.

Djokovic, 32, was training with his friend and compatriot Viktor Troicki at an academy owned by former player Janko Tipsarevic and where Djokovic's five-year-old son Stefan was also knocking a tennis ball around.

Novak Djokovic on Wednesday shrugged off Nick Kyrgios's characterisation of him as "cringeworthy" and "having an obsession with wanting to be liked" by insisting the firebrand Australian is a "good guy".

Novak Djokovic on Wednesday shrugged off Nick Kyrgios's characterisation of him as "cringeworthy" and "having an obsession with wanting to be liked" by insisting the firebrand Australian is a "good guy". Kyrgios, more often in the headlines for what he says off the court than what he achieves on it, described world number one Djokovic as desperate to be held in the same high esteem as Roger Federer. "I feel he wants to be liked so much that I just can't stand him. This celebration thing (Djokovic's 'cup of love' gesture to the crowd) is so cringeworthy," Kyrgios told NCR Tennis Podcast. "No matter how many Grand Slams he wins, he will never be the greatest to me. For me, Federer will always be the greatest of all time," Kyrgios said. Djokovic, however, said Kyrgios's remarks "don't keep him awake at night". "I think that basically he is a good guy. I don't know why he said all those things. Does he want to attract attention, does he want to be different?," Djokovic told reporters in Belgrade ahead of defending his Wimbledon title next month. "He wants apparently to be true, open, transparent, that is part of his character. I respect him. Does he show me the respect to the extent that others do? No, he does not. That's just his way of communicating," Djokovic said. Djokovic admitted that he had offered to help Kyrgios deal with fame and its various pitfalls. "Five years ago I even offered him sort of help, in the sense that he could come to me if he needs anything since at the beginning of my career I also experienced criticism against me. I was trying to respect everyone in life. I really don't understand his reasons, but I respect him," Djokovic added. Four-time Wimbledon champion Djokovic hasn't played since a controversial five-set loss to Dominic Thiem in the semi-finals at Roland Garros. "Because of the very long clay-court season I decided to take a break before Wimbledon," the 15-time Grand Slam winner said after his practice session on Wednesday. "I'm going to need to get used to the grass, and I have a couple of exhibition games lined up. Just two or three sets each so I can test my tactics and technique," Djokovic said. Djokovic, 32, was training with his friend and compatriot Viktor Troicki at an academy owned by former player Janko Tipsarevic and where Djokovic's five-year-old son Stefan was also knocking a tennis ball around.

Novak Djokovic: 'Kyrgios good guy even if he has no respect for me'

Rafael Nadal might have <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/rafael-nadal-win-french-open-title-225750">won a 12th Roland Garros title</a> on the weekend, but he remains well behind Novak Djokovic, a semi-finalist in Paris, in ATP rankings released Monday.

Austrian Dominic Thiem, whom Nadal beat in Sunday's final, keeps his fourth place behind Switzerland's Roger Federer, who went down to the Spaniard in the last-four on his first appearance in Paris since 2015.

Russian Karen Khachanov jumped two spots into a personal best of ninth thanks to his achievement in reaching the French Open quarter-finals.

Italy's Fabio Fognini, also a quarter-finalist at Roland Garros and winner in Monte-Carlo in April, also moved up two places to 10th.

The biggest mover in the top 20 was Switzerland's Stan Wawrinka, whose quarter-final defeat by Federer in Paris was enough to see him go up nine places into 19th.

Watch&nbsp;Rafael Nadal's all winning moments at French Open:

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ATP ranking as of June 10, 2019

1. Novak Djokovic (SRB) 12,715 pts

2. Rafael Nadal (ESP) 7,945

3. Roger Federer (SUI) 6,670

4. Dominic Thiem (AUT) 4,685

5. Alexander Zverev (GER) 4,360

6. Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE) 4,215

7. Kei Nishikori (JPN) 4,040

8. Kevin Anderson (RSA) 3,565

9. Karen Khachanov (RUS) 2,980 (+2)

10. Fabio Fognini (ITA) 2,785 (+2)

11. John Isner (USA) 2,715 (-1)

12. Juan Martin Del Potro (ARG) 2,695 (-3)

13. Daniil Medvedev (RUS) 2,625 (+1)

14. Borna Coric (CRO) 2,525 (+1)

15. Marin Cilic (CRO) 2,395 (-2)

16. Gael Monfils (FRA) 2,055 (+1)

17. Nikoloz Basilashvili (GEO) 1,970 (-1)

18. Milos Raonic (CAN) 1,960

19. Stan Wawrinka (SUI) 1,715 (+9)

20 Roberto Bautista Agut (ESP) 1,690 (+1)

Rafael Nadal might have won a 12th Roland Garros title on the weekend, but he remains well behind Novak Djokovic, a semi-finalist in Paris, in ATP rankings released Monday.

Rafael Nadal might have won a 12th Roland Garros title on the weekend, but he remains well behind Novak Djokovic, a semi-finalist in Paris, in ATP rankings released Monday. Austrian Dominic Thiem, whom Nadal beat in Sunday's final, keeps his fourth place behind Switzerland's Roger Federer, who went down to the Spaniard in the last-four on his first appearance in Paris since 2015. Russian Karen Khachanov jumped two spots into a personal best of ninth thanks to his achievement in reaching the French Open quarter-finals. Italy's Fabio Fognini, also a quarter-finalist at Roland Garros and winner in Monte-Carlo in April, also moved up two places to 10th. The biggest mover in the top 20 was Switzerland's Stan Wawrinka, whose quarter-final defeat by Federer in Paris was enough to see him go up nine places into 19th. Watch Rafael Nadal's all winning moments at French Open: × ATP ranking as of June 10, 2019 1. Novak Djokovic (SRB) 12,715 pts 2. Rafael Nadal (ESP) 7,945 3. Roger Federer (SUI) 6,670 4. Dominic Thiem (AUT) 4,685 5. Alexander Zverev (GER) 4,360 6. Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE) 4,215 7. Kei Nishikori (JPN) 4,040 8. Kevin Anderson (RSA) 3,565 9. Karen Khachanov (RUS) 2,980 (+2) 10. Fabio Fognini (ITA) 2,785 (+2) 11. John Isner (USA) 2,715 (-1) 12. Juan Martin Del Potro (ARG) 2,695 (-3) 13. Daniil Medvedev (RUS) 2,625 (+1) 14. Borna Coric (CRO) 2,525 (+1) 15. Marin Cilic (CRO) 2,395 (-2) 16. Gael Monfils (FRA) 2,055 (+1) 17. Nikoloz Basilashvili (GEO) 1,970 (-1) 18. Milos Raonic (CAN) 1,960 19. Stan Wawrinka (SUI) 1,715 (+9) 20 Roberto Bautista Agut (ESP) 1,690 (+1)

French Open winner Rafael Nadal still lagging Novak Djokovic in rankings

Novak Djokovic's hope of winning a fourth straight Grand Slam title was in jeopardy at the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/french-open-rafael-nadal-beats-roger-federer-to-reach-12th-final-225296">French Open</a> on Friday when rain interrupted his semi-final against Austrian Dominic Thiem.

The 32-year-old Serb will return to court at midday on Saturday trailing 6-2, 3-6, 3-1 and with plenty of work to do if he is to get a crack at Rafael Nadal in the final.

Top seed Djokovic is bidding to become the first man in the professional era to twice hold the four big prizes in tennis simultaneously, having also done so in 2016.

In gusty winds, Thiem's powerful groundstrokes helped him dominate the first set and Djokovic was in trouble early in the second when he fended off a break point.

He got the crucial break in the eighth game of the second set, however, when a Thiem forehand kissed the net cord and flew long and Djokovic levelled the match.

With dark clouds closing in Thiem broke serve with a huge forehand early in the third, shortly before the rain started again.

Play was eventually cancelled for the day about 50 minutes later despite no rain falling -- leading to criticism from former <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/french-open-ashleigh-barty-marketa-vondrousova-shrug-off-sexism-row-to-reach-their-maiden-final-225269">French Open</a> champion and pundit Jim Courier.

"This is going to sting. These conditions are very difficult for Novak, these are very advantageous for Dominic Thiem," the American, commentating for ITV, said.

"(Rafael) Nadal and (Roger) Federer came ready to accept the conditions and so did Thiem. But Novak came ready to not like them. The happiest person right now would be Novak on his way back home,"&nbsp;Courier said.

Tournament director Guy Forget denied suggestions that Djokovic had left the grounds before play was postponed.

"I do not know who left first, but the two players were told exactly at the same time. They looked at each other and said 'OK',"&nbsp;Forget said.

The semi-final will resume at 1200 local time (1000GMT) on Saturday, organisers said.

With 11-times champion Nadal safely through, organisers said they still hope for a Sunday finish.

Nadal beat Roger Federer in straight sets in the first semi when strong winds also hampered the players.

Novak Djokovic's hope of winning a fourth straight Grand Slam title was in jeopardy at the French Open on Friday when rain interrupted his semi-final against Austrian Dominic Thiem.

Novak Djokovic's hope of winning a fourth straight Grand Slam title was in jeopardy at the French Open on Friday when rain interrupted his semi-final against Austrian Dominic Thiem. The 32-year-old Serb will return to court at midday on Saturday trailing 6-2, 3-6, 3-1 and with plenty of work to do if he is to get a crack at Rafael Nadal in the final. Top seed Djokovic is bidding to become the first man in the professional era to twice hold the four big prizes in tennis simultaneously, having also done so in 2016. In gusty winds, Thiem's powerful groundstrokes helped him dominate the first set and Djokovic was in trouble early in the second when he fended off a break point. He got the crucial break in the eighth game of the second set, however, when a Thiem forehand kissed the net cord and flew long and Djokovic levelled the match. With dark clouds closing in Thiem broke serve with a huge forehand early in the third, shortly before the rain started again. Play was eventually cancelled for the day about 50 minutes later despite no rain falling -- leading to criticism from former French Open champion and pundit Jim Courier. "This is going to sting. These conditions are very difficult for Novak, these are very advantageous for Dominic Thiem," the American, commentating for ITV, said. "(Rafael) Nadal and (Roger) Federer came ready to accept the conditions and so did Thiem. But Novak came ready to not like them. The happiest person right now would be Novak on his way back home," Courier said. Tournament director Guy Forget denied suggestions that Djokovic had left the grounds before play was postponed. "I do not know who left first, but the two players were told exactly at the same time. They looked at each other and said 'OK'," Forget said. The semi-final will resume at 1200 local time (1000GMT) on Saturday, organisers said. With 11-times champion Nadal safely through, organisers said they still hope for a Sunday finish. Nadal beat Roger Federer in straight sets in the first semi when strong winds also hampered the players.

French Open: Thiem leads, Djokovic in trouble as rain stops play at semi-final

The<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/novak-djokovic-to-face-dominic-thiem-in-his-ninth-roland-garros-semi-final-225086"> French Open</a> was plunged into a sexism row on Thursday after the decision to move the women's semi-finals away from the tournament's showpiece court was blasted as "unfair, inappropriate" and "shameful".

After torrential rain washed out all of Wednesday's play, the last two women's quarter-finals were played Thursday with the semi-finals pushed back a day until Friday.

However, the semi-final between <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/french-open-australias-ashleigh-barty-outplays-madison-keys-reaches-her-first-semi-finals-225046">Ashleigh Barty</a> and&nbsp;Amanda Anisimova will be played on Court Suzanne Lenglen while Johanna Konta's match with Marketa Vondrousova has been shifted to the smaller 5,000-seater Court Simonne-Mathieu.

The men's semis between Roger Federer against Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic taking on Dominic Thiem will be played on the main, 15,000-seat Court Philippe Chatrier as planned.

"We are extremely disappointed by the scheduling of both women's semi-finals on outside courts," said WTA chief executive Steve Simon.

"The four women who have played so well and made it this far have earned their right to play on the biggest stage. We believe other solutions were possible which would have been to the benefit of fans as well as all players," Simon said.

Both women's semi-finals were originally scheduled for Thursday on the rebuilt Chatrier Court with the final on Saturday.

Men's semi-finals day is Friday and Sunday is the traditional day for their championship match.

But Wednesday's washout, which also saw two men's quarter-finals played a day late on Thursday, caused havoc with the schedule.

Complicating the picture further is the threat of more rain on Friday, raising the prospect of the women's final being moved to Sunday and the men's to Monday.

'Lack of respect'

Tournament director Guy Forget had admitted that moving the women's semi-finals to smaller courts could be seen as controversial.

"You're afraid that some players might feel that it's a lack of respect or we are just trying to diminish it -- no," he said.

"Ideally, when you see historically what has happened in the tournament, we try to be fair to everyone," Forget added.

However, France's former world number one and two-time major winner Amelie Mauresmo blasted the decision to shift the women's semi-finals.

"It is shameful for our tournament," tweeted the 49-year-old.

"Everyone agrees that the match of the day is Federer/Nadal.&nbsp;But what message are we sending by taking the decision to put the two women's semi-finals on at 11 a.m. on the second and third courts? No match on the centre court?"&nbsp;

Mauresmo believes that the men's and women's semi-finals should be split between Chatrier and the 10,000-capacity Lenglen.

"It's simple to open Lenglen and Chatrier and have the two women's matches at 1 p.m. followed by the two men's,"&nbsp;Mauresmo said.

Anisimova, just 17, and the youngest player to reach a Grand Slam semi-final since Nicole Vaidisova at the 2007 Australian Open said she had no objections to playing on a smaller court.

"Neither of them on Chatrier? I didn't know that," said the teenager when first told that she would not be playing on the main court.

"Actually, I'm really happy that I get to play tomorrow," added the American, who is the first player born in the 2000s to get to the last four of a major.

"I don't have to wait a whole day, because I get really eager to want to go on the court, so I'm happy I get to play tomorrow. They are all beautiful courts,"&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/french-open-defending-champion-simona-haleps-run-ended-by-teenager-anisimova-224981">Anisimova </a>said.

Barty, the highest seed left in the tournament at number eight, said it was a shame that her maiden Slam semi-final had been shifted to Lenglen.

"Obviously we would love to play on Chatrier," said the 23-year-old.

"For me, personally, I'm excited to be in a semi-final. It doesn't really matter which court I play on.&nbsp; Yes, of course, we would have loved to play on Chatrier. It's a beautiful court. But in saying that, all four of us will be ready and prepared and go out there and enjoy it,"&nbsp;Barty said.

The French Open was plunged into a sexism row on Thursday after the decision to move the women's semi-finals away from the tournament's showpiece court was blasted as "unfair, inappropriate" and "shameful".

The French Open was plunged into a sexism row on Thursday after the decision to move the women's semi-finals away from the tournament's showpiece court was blasted as "unfair, inappropriate" and "shameful". After torrential rain washed out all of Wednesday's play, the last two women's quarter-finals were played Thursday with the semi-finals pushed back a day until Friday. However, the semi-final between Ashleigh Barty and Amanda Anisimova will be played on Court Suzanne Lenglen while Johanna Konta's match with Marketa Vondrousova has been shifted to the smaller 5,000-seater Court Simonne-Mathieu. The men's semis between Roger Federer against Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic taking on Dominic Thiem will be played on the main, 15,000-seat Court Philippe Chatrier as planned. "We are extremely disappointed by the scheduling of both women's semi-finals on outside courts," said WTA chief executive Steve Simon. "The four women who have played so well and made it this far have earned their right to play on the biggest stage. We believe other solutions were possible which would have been to the benefit of fans as well as all players," Simon said. Both women's semi-finals were originally scheduled for Thursday on the rebuilt Chatrier Court with the final on Saturday. Men's semi-finals day is Friday and Sunday is the traditional day for their championship match. But Wednesday's washout, which also saw two men's quarter-finals played a day late on Thursday, caused havoc with the schedule. Complicating the picture further is the threat of more rain on Friday, raising the prospect of the women's final being moved to Sunday and the men's to Monday. 'Lack of respect' Tournament director Guy Forget had admitted that moving the women's semi-finals to smaller courts could be seen as controversial. "You're afraid that some players might feel that it's a lack of respect or we are just trying to diminish it -- no," he said. "Ideally, when you see historically what has happened in the tournament, we try to be fair to everyone," Forget added. However, France's former world number one and two-time major winner Amelie Mauresmo blasted the decision to shift the women's semi-finals. "It is shameful for our tournament," tweeted the 49-year-old. "Everyone agrees that the match of the day is Federer/Nadal. But what message are we sending by taking the decision to put the two women's semi-finals on at 11 a.m. on the second and third courts? No match on the centre court?" Mauresmo believes that the men's and women's semi-finals should be split between Chatrier and the 10,000-capacity Lenglen. "It's simple to open Lenglen and Chatrier and have the two women's matches at 1 p.m. followed by the two men's," Mauresmo said. Anisimova, just 17, and the youngest player to reach a Grand Slam semi-final since Nicole Vaidisova at the 2007 Australian Open said she had no objections to playing on a smaller court. "Neither of them on Chatrier? I didn't know that," said the teenager when first told that she would not be playing on the main court. "Actually, I'm really happy that I get to play tomorrow," added the American, who is the first player born in the 2000s to get to the last four of a major. "I don't have to wait a whole day, because I get really eager to want to go on the court, so I'm happy I get to play tomorrow. They are all beautiful courts," Anisimova said. Barty, the highest seed left in the tournament at number eight, said it was a shame that her maiden Slam semi-final had been shifted to Lenglen. "Obviously we would love to play on Chatrier," said the 23-year-old. "For me, personally, I'm excited to be in a semi-final. It doesn't really matter which court I play on. Yes, of course, we would have loved to play on Chatrier. It's a beautiful court. But in saying that, all four of us will be ready and prepared and go out there and enjoy it," Barty said.

French Open sinks in 'sexism row' over women's semi-finals switch from show court

French Open sexism row: 'Unfair', 'shameful' shift of women's semi-finals

Defending champion Rafael Nadal powered past Roger Federer in the French Open semi-finals on Friday, claiming his first win over his old rival in five years to move within one victory of a record-extending 12th Roland Garros title.

The 33-year-old produced a masterful performance to get past Federer 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 in the last four on Court Philippe Chatrier and set up a final clash with either world number one Novak Djokovic or Austrian fourth seed Dominic Thiem on Sunday.

Federer had won the last five meetings in their 38-match rivalry, but Nadal got the better of him in the semi-final.

In their five previous meetings at Roland Garros, including four finals, Federer had never managed more than one set.

Nadal will face the winner from the second semi-final between Novak Djokovic and Dominic Thiem in the final on Sunday.

Defending champion Rafael Nadal powered past Roger Federer in the French Open semi-finals on Friday, claiming his first win over his old rival in five years to move within one victory of a record-extending 12th Roland Garros title.

Defending champion Rafael Nadal powered past Roger Federer in the French Open semi-finals on Friday, claiming his first win over his old rival in five years to move within one victory of a record-extending 12th Roland Garros title. The 33-year-old produced a masterful performance to get past Federer 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 in the last four on Court Philippe Chatrier and set up a final clash with either world number one Novak Djokovic or Austrian fourth seed Dominic Thiem on Sunday. Federer had won the last five meetings in their 38-match rivalry, but Nadal got the better of him in the semi-final. In their five previous meetings at Roland Garros, including four finals, Federer had never managed more than one set. Nadal will face the winner from the second semi-final between Novak Djokovic and Dominic Thiem in the final on Sunday.

French Open: Rafael Nadal beats Roger Federer to reach 12th final

Novak Djokovic reached his ninth Roland Garros semi-final Thursday, sweeping past Alexander Zverev to keep his bid to become just the second man to hold all four Slams at the same time twice firmly on track.

Top seed and world number one Djokovic won 7-5, 6-2, 6-2 and will face Austrian fourth seed Dominic Thiem on Friday in what will be his 35th Grand Slam semi-final.

Thiem reached the semi-finals for a fourth successive year with a 6-2, 6-4, 6-2 victory against Russian 10th seed Karen Khachanov.

"It was a big challenge for me today but I was hitting the ball more cleanly," said 32-year-old Djokovic.

"It's a great joy to be in the semi-finals again."

The problem for Djokovic now in his pursuit of a second title in Paris and 16th major is the weather.

Heavy rain is forecast to hit Paris again on Friday after Wednesday's washout.

"I just have to keep my concentration and stay in the moment. I hope to continue like this," said the Serb.

Friday's other semi-final will see Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer resume their great rivalry, meaning this is the first time the top four seeds have all reached the last four at a Grand Slam since the 2013 Australian Open.

The last time Djokovic made the semi-finals was 2016 when he went on to win the title.

He has a 6-2 career lead over Thiem and beat the Austrian in the Rome semi-finals in the run-up to Paris.

However, Thiem came out on top in the Roland Garros quarter-finals in straight sets in 2017.

Fifth seed Zverev, bidding to reach a maiden Slam semi-final and become the first German in the last-four in Paris since Michael Stich in 1996, made the stronger start.

The 22-year-old had break points in the third and fifth games of the opening set and finally broke through for a 5-4 lead.

But top seed Djokovic levelled immediately before claiming the set on a Zverev double fault.

Djokovic dominated the second set as breaks in the second and eighth games were enough to tighten his grip.

The world number one saved two more break points in the opening game of the third set and again made the German pay with a break for 4-2.

Zverev's 40th and last unforced error proved to be the final point of the one-sided quarter-final.

"I had chances in the first set but he broke back and was in control," said the German.

"When he's in control, he's tough to beat. He's number one for a reason.

"I expected more from this tournament but once the first set slipped away, it was difficult."

The world number five finished with eight double faults while converting just one of eight break points.

Thiem was utterly dominant on Court Suzanne Lenglen, hammering 29 winners, as his erratic opponent contrived to tally 37 unforced errors and only 17 winners.

"The key was to control the points. I'll be ready to maybe come back here tomorrow. This is one of my favourite courts in the world," said the 25-year-old, who is chasing a maiden Grand Slam title.

Khachanov had impressed in a fourth-round victory over Juan Martin del Potro, but was never in with a chance in the quarter-final, which was delayed from Wednesday due to rain, dropping serve twice in the opening set.

He managed to get to 4-4 in the second, only to see Thiem reel off eight of the next 10 games and seal a last-four spot without even facing a break point in the match.

Novak Djokovic reached his ninth Roland Garros semi-final Thursday, sweeping past Alexander Zverev to keep his bid to become just the second man to hold all four Slams at the same time twice firmly on track.

Novak Djokovic reached his ninth Roland Garros semi-final Thursday, sweeping past Alexander Zverev to keep his bid to become just the second man to hold all four Slams at the same time twice firmly on track. Top seed and world number one Djokovic won 7-5, 6-2, 6-2 and will face Austrian fourth seed Dominic Thiem on Friday in what will be his 35th Grand Slam semi-final. Thiem reached the semi-finals for a fourth successive year with a 6-2, 6-4, 6-2 victory against Russian 10th seed Karen Khachanov. "It was a big challenge for me today but I was hitting the ball more cleanly," said 32-year-old Djokovic. "It's a great joy to be in the semi-finals again." The problem for Djokovic now in his pursuit of a second title in Paris and 16th major is the weather. Heavy rain is forecast to hit Paris again on Friday after Wednesday's washout. "I just have to keep my concentration and stay in the moment. I hope to continue like this," said the Serb. Friday's other semi-final will see Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer resume their great rivalry, meaning this is the first time the top four seeds have all reached the last four at a Grand Slam since the 2013 Australian Open. The last time Djokovic made the semi-finals was 2016 when he went on to win the title. He has a 6-2 career lead over Thiem and beat the Austrian in the Rome semi-finals in the run-up to Paris. However, Thiem came out on top in the Roland Garros quarter-finals in straight sets in 2017. Fifth seed Zverev, bidding to reach a maiden Slam semi-final and become the first German in the last-four in Paris since Michael Stich in 1996, made the stronger start. The 22-year-old had break points in the third and fifth games of the opening set and finally broke through for a 5-4 lead. But top seed Djokovic levelled immediately before claiming the set on a Zverev double fault. Djokovic dominated the second set as breaks in the second and eighth games were enough to tighten his grip. The world number one saved two more break points in the opening game of the third set and again made the German pay with a break for 4-2. Zverev's 40th and last unforced error proved to be the final point of the one-sided quarter-final. "I had chances in the first set but he broke back and was in control," said the German. "When he's in control, he's tough to beat. He's number one for a reason. "I expected more from this tournament but once the first set slipped away, it was difficult." The world number five finished with eight double faults while converting just one of eight break points. Thiem was utterly dominant on Court Suzanne Lenglen, hammering 29 winners, as his erratic opponent contrived to tally 37 unforced errors and only 17 winners. "The key was to control the points. I'll be ready to maybe come back here tomorrow. This is one of my favourite courts in the world," said the 25-year-old, who is chasing a maiden Grand Slam title. Khachanov had impressed in a fourth-round victory over Juan Martin del Potro, but was never in with a chance in the quarter-final, which was delayed from Wednesday due to rain, dropping serve twice in the opening set. He managed to get to 4-4 in the second, only to see Thiem reel off eight of the next 10 games and seal a last-four spot without even facing a break point in the match.

Novak Djokovic to face Dominic Thiem in his ninth Roland Garros semi-final

Facing two teenagers in as many rounds in the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/roger-federer-rafael-nadal-to-meet-in-french-open-semi-finals-224365">French Open</a> has left Simona Halep feeling "old", but the 27-year-old said the experience of being a Grand Slam winner can help her tackle youthful rivals, who show no fear.

Having dismantled 18-year-old Iga Swiatek of Poland 6-1, 6-0 in the last round, defending champion Halep faces a potentially tricky encounter against American Amanda Anisimova in the quarter-finals at Roland Garros on Wednesday.

While she may not like to be reminded of the 10-year age gap between Anisimova and herself, Halep is confident she can handle whatever the world number 51 throws at her.

"I feel old... very old. To play against someone 10 years younger than me, that's not easy... they're young, they have nothing to lose so every match is tough," Halep said.

"When you face someone that is higher ranked than you, you don't have, you know, fear. You just go and want to show your best tennis. So I feel like they have this feeling all the time when they play with someone better ranked. But also, I take my advantage and I say that I'm experienced. So we'll see," added Halep.

Anisimova announced herself on the big stage in January by reaching the fourth round of the Australian Open and won her maiden WTA title in Bogota in April.

She has moved into the last eight in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/johanna-konta-first-british-woman-in-roland-garros-semis-in-36-years-224347">Paris </a>without dropping a set, scoring a comprehensive 6-3, 6-0 win over Aliona Bolsova in the fourth round to set up a dream meeting with Halep.

"I can't describe how excited I am. It's amazing playing her. She won it the previous year. So honestly, I couldn't ask for a better match," Anisimova said.

"I'm just extremely happy and excited for the next round... I'm just gonna go out there... I have no pressure. Hopefully, I can bring my best game," added Anisimova.

In the other quarter-final, American Madison Keys squares off against Ashleigh Barty.

In the men's draw, top seed Novak Djokovic continues his quest to become the first man in the professional era to twice hold all four major titles simultaneously when he takes on Alexander Zverev.

Austrian fourth seed Dominic Thiem faces Russia's Karen Khachanov. 
&nbsp;

Facing two teenagers in as many rounds in the French Open has left Simona Halep feeling "old", but the 27-year-old said the experience of being a Grand Slam winner can help her tackle youthful rivals, who show no fear.

Facing two teenagers in as many rounds in the French Open has left Simona Halep feeling "old", but the 27-year-old said the experience of being a Grand Slam winner can help her tackle youthful rivals, who show no fear. Having dismantled 18-year-old Iga Swiatek of Poland 6-1, 6-0 in the last round, defending champion Halep faces a potentially tricky encounter against American Amanda Anisimova in the quarter-finals at Roland Garros on Wednesday. While she may not like to be reminded of the 10-year age gap between Anisimova and herself, Halep is confident she can handle whatever the world number 51 throws at her. "I feel old... very old. To play against someone 10 years younger than me, that's not easy... they're young, they have nothing to lose so every match is tough," Halep said. "When you face someone that is higher ranked than you, you don't have, you know, fear. You just go and want to show your best tennis. So I feel like they have this feeling all the time when they play with someone better ranked. But also, I take my advantage and I say that I'm experienced. So we'll see," added Halep. Anisimova announced herself on the big stage in January by reaching the fourth round of the Australian Open and won her maiden WTA title in Bogota in April. She has moved into the last eight in Paris without dropping a set, scoring a comprehensive 6-3, 6-0 win over Aliona Bolsova in the fourth round to set up a dream meeting with Halep. "I can't describe how excited I am. It's amazing playing her. She won it the previous year. So honestly, I couldn't ask for a better match," Anisimova said. "I'm just extremely happy and excited for the next round... I'm just gonna go out there... I have no pressure. Hopefully, I can bring my best game," added Anisimova. In the other quarter-final, American Madison Keys squares off against Ashleigh Barty. In the men's draw, top seed Novak Djokovic continues his quest to become the first man in the professional era to twice hold all four major titles simultaneously when he takes on Alexander Zverev. Austrian fourth seed Dominic Thiem faces Russia's Karen Khachanov.

French Open: Simona Halep counting on experience to tame teenager Anisimova to reach semis

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