Djokovic and Sinner march into the second week as the Serb draws level with Federer

Novak Djokovic matched one of the sport’s most storied records on Friday, the Serbian seventh seed edging French seed No 25 Arthur Rinderknech 7-5, 6-4, 1-6, 7-6 (4) to reach the fourth round of Wimbledon and claim a 105th career singles win at the All England Club, equalling Roger Federer for the most by any man in the Open era.

It was not the smoothest of afternoons for the 39-year-old, who took the opening two sets before Rinderknech, ranked No 28, hit back to claim the third for the loss of a single game. Djokovic steadied himself in a fourth-set tie-break to close it out and avoid a decider, and in doing so drew level with the great rival alongside whom he defined a generation.

Chasing a record-extending 25th major and an eighth Wimbledon title, he moved to within one win of standing alone on the tournament’s all-time list. Djokovic had reached the third round with a vintage dismissal of Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas (6-3, 6-4, 6-2) and a four-set win over Chinese qualifier Yibing Wu (6-4, 5-7, 6-4, 6-4). He will next face Russian Roman Safiullin, the qualifier whose own run has been among the stories of the week.

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Sinner’s methodical march

Defending champion Jannik Sinner, almost at the same exact minute, continued his methodical march through the draw, the Italian top seed beating American Jenson Brooksby 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 to reach the fourth round for a fifth consecutive year. It extended his winning streak at the tournament to 10 matches and continued a season of remarkable consistency in which he has won 33 of his last 34.

Having arrived at Wimbledon without a grass-court match to his name after his Roland-Garros campaign, Sinner has risen with each round, and the win carried two further records: he became the youngest man to reach the second week in five or more straight seasons since Pete Sampras between 1992 and 1996, and improved to 20-0 in Grand Slam third rounds, the best such record in the Open era.

The reward for Sinner is a first meeting with an unlikely last-16 débutant. Japanese qualifier Shintaro Mochizuki reached the fourth round of a Grand Slam for the first time on Friday, the world No 151 recovering from a set down to beat Spanish seed No 23 Rafael Jodar 1-6, 7-6 (5), 6-4, 6-4 in the week of his life.

Mochizuki upsets Jodar!

Mochizuki, who came through qualifying, followed his defeat of American Ethan Quinn (6-2, 7-6 (6), 7-5) with another assured performance, having earlier dismantled Englishman Max Basing (6-3, 6-0, 6-0). Jodar, ranked No 26, had beaten Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta (3-6, 6-3, 1-6, 6-3, 6-4) and Englishman Felix Gill (6-3, 6-3, 7-5) to reach the third round, but could not hold off the qualifier once the match turned on a second-set tie-break.

For Mochizuki, a meeting with the world No 1 awaits; for Sinner, a chance to extend a title defence that looks more assured by the round.