Novak Djokovic etched his name deeper into Wimbledon history on Sunday, defeating Russian qualifier Roman Safiullin 7-6(6) 6-3 3-6 6-3 to record his 106th match win at the All England Club — more than any other man in the tournament’s history.
The milestone puts the 39-year-old Serb ahead of retired tennis legend Roger Federer on the all-time men’s match wins list at the prestigious grass court Grand Slam. Now seeded seventh, Djokovic is also closing in on Federer’s record of eight Wimbledon championship titles.
Sunday’s victory was anything but comfortable for Djokovic, who struggled under the bright sun on Centre Court. He dropped his serve twice on uncharacteristic errors and found himself in trouble trailing 2-5 in the first set, before saving two set points and eventually claiming the tiebreak.
Safiullin, ranked 132nd in the world and returning from months away with a hip injury, gave Djokovic plenty to think about. The Russian’s run came to a halt when he put a backhand into the net while down 2-4 in the second set, allowing Djokovic to take control with sharp serve-and-volley play.
However, Safiullin rallied to break Djokovic’s serve and take the third set, keeping his run alive. Djokovic regrouped in the fourth set, relying on a precise first serve to see him through.
“Another hard-fought win,” Djokovic said after the match. “Roman started very well and very aggressively. I didn’t feel as comfortable from back on the court. I knew it was going to be a challenge, staying in the rally with him, particularly from the end where you played against the wind pretty much the whole match. He’s just a very solid player and I respect him a lot.”
Djokovic also reflected on having to change his approach throughout the contest. “I haven’t felt inferior from back of the court with too many players, to be honest, throughout my career. Today, it was one of those days where I didn’t want to stay in the rally for too long. I had to mix things up and it worked in some moments and didn’t in some. But in the end, I found the accuracy really and precision with the first serve. That really got me out of trouble in the fourth set.”
Djokovic has now dropped sets in three of his first four matches at this year’s tournament, but appears to be building momentum heading into the quarter-finals. He will face either third seed Felix Auger-Aliassime or Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the next round.
Summing up his first week, Djokovic kept it simple: “Survive to thrive. That’s how I feel. Hopefully the thriving part is coming.”
