Djokovic-Hurkacz match suspended for curfew
London, Jul 9 (EFE).- Sunday’s marquee contest in the men’s draw at Wimbledon, pitting Novak Djokovic against Hubert Hurkacz in the round of 16, was suspended after two sets due to the 11:00 pm curfew.
The second-ranked Serb was leading 7-6, 7-6, when tournament officials concluded that the match could not be concluded in the time allowed, giving Poland’s Hurkacz a chance to regroup overnight.
On the women’s side, world No. 1 Iga Swiatek had to save two match points to pull out a 6-7, 7-6, 6-3 victory over Belinda Bencic of Switzerland and book her spot in the quarterfinals.
Swiatek squandered multiple chances on the way to losing the first set on a tie-breaker.
The Pole broke her opponent early in the second set, but Bencic rebounded and had successive match points in the 12th game, only for Swiatek to save both and force another tie-breaker.
Bencic led 2-1 early before Swiatek won six consecutive points to level the match at a set each before rolling 6-3 in the final set.
Her adversary in the quarterfinal will be Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina, who got past 19th-ranked Victoria Azarenka of Belarus 2-6, 6-4, 7-6.
World No. 4 Jessica Pegula of the United States had a relatively easy time Sunday against Ukraine’s Lesia Tsurenko, winning 6-1, 6-3 to set up a quarterfinal clash with Marketa Vondrousova of the Czech Republic, a 2-6, 6-4, 6-3 winner over compatriot Marie Bouzkova.
In a delayed third-round match, 16-year-old Mirra Andreeva defeated Russian countrywoman Anastasia Potapova 6-2, 7-5, and will face 25-ranked Madison Keys of the US in the round of 16.
Among the men, Russian world No. 7 Andrey Rublev was pushed to five sets by Alexander Bublik of Kazakhstan, but managed to prevail 7-5, 6-3, 6-7, 6-7, 6-4.
He will have to wait for the conclusion of the Djokovic-Hurkacz duel to find out his opponent in the quarterfinals.
Eight-ranked Jannik Sinner of Italy defeated Colombia’s Daniel Elahi Galan 7-6, 6-4, 6-3 and can begin preparing for Russia’s Roman Safiullin, who triumphed 3-6, 6-3, 6-1, 6-3 over Canadian Denis Shapovalov.
EFE /dr
