Wimbledon 2022 Day 5: Djokovic, Alcaraz speed through

Blink and you miss it

Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz were in a hurry on Friday to make the second week at Wimbledon, as they each claimed straight-sets victories over their respective opponents in under two hours.

Defending champion Djokovic posted a 24th consecutive win at the All England Club with a 6-0, 6-3, 6-4 result against fellow Serb, the No.25 seed Miomir Kecmanovic, to book a last-16 clash with Dutch wildcard Tim van Rijthoven.

Djokovic has now equalled Rod Laver in third place on the Open Era list for the longest grass-court winning streak by a male player.

The 20-time Grand Slam champion hit an impressive 36 winners and just 19 unforced errors against Kecmanovic. He dropped a mere four points behind his first serve and saved three of the four break points he faced.

Over on No.1 Court, No.5 seed Alcaraz was in cruise control against German No.32 seed Oscar Otte and advanced with a 6-3, 6-1, 6-2 scoreline.

Contesting just his second Wimbledon, Alcaraz has now made the fourth round or better in three of his last four Grand Slam appearances.

The 19-year-old Spaniard next takes on another young talent in the form of No.10 seed Jannik Sinner, who passed a tricky test against No.20 seed John Isner in straight sets.

“I played unbelievable today. This was my best performance so far. So I'm really happy with the level, and I will try to keep this level into the next round,” said Alcaraz, who astonishingly hit just eight unforced errors throughout the entire match, along with 37 winners.

Tenacious Tim

He just keeps on rolling!

This grass court season’s break-out star Tim van Rijthoven backed him his surprise title run in s-Hertogenbosch by blasting into the Wimbledon fourth round on his Grand Slam main draw debut.

After ousting No.15 seed Reilly Opelka in the second round, the Dutch wildcard took out No.22 seed Nikoloz Basilashvili 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 on Friday to set up a showdown with Djokovic, who has already done his homework on the 25-year-old up-and-comer.

“I've watched him play here couple of matches and also in Netherlands where he won his ATP tournament. Of course, he's one of the talks of the tournament here,” said Djokovic of Van Rijthoven.

“Generally on the grass court season he still hasn't lost a match. It's quite impressive for somebody that hasn't been ranked that high, hasn't won an ATP match before that 's-Hertogenbosch tournament. It's quite impressive the way he has won. Also against Medvedev in the finals quite comfortably.”

Speech of the day

World No.103 and mother of two Tatjana Maria upset No.5 seed Maria Sakkari in the third round and gave a heart-warming and emotional speech on court.

The 34-year-old is the oldest German woman in the Open Era to reach the fourth of a Grand Slam and was in tears as she spoke to the crowd about what it meant to her to be back at Wimbledon for the first time since having her second child.

“It’s hard to find words because I came here with my two kids for the first time,” said Maria, who had her second daughter Cecilia in April last year.

“I was already so happy to be in the main draw and I love to play on grass.

“It’s such a special place here for me. Even one year, my first pregnancy, I played pregnant, so I mean I love to play Wimbledon and to see and make this happen with my family, there are no words for this. It’s only joy, only happy.”

Through to the Wimbledon fourth round for the first time, Maria next takes on former Roland-Garros champion Jelena Ostapenko.

“I try to be a role model for my daughter because she will be the next champion, so I try to show her the best possible,” Maria said.

“To travel with my family, to be the first time in the last 16, there are really no words for this feeling. Now I can’t wait to get to the creche and see my kids.”

A long time coming

Great Britain’s Heather Watson reached the fourth round of a Grand Slam for the first time of her career on her 43rd appearance, thanks to a straight-sets win over Kaja Juvan.

At age 30, the world No.121 says she never lost faith she would make the second week at a major.

“No chance. I wouldn't still be playing if I thought that ship had sailed,” she told reporters on Friday. “I've been in the third round quite a few times here at Wimbledon and Australian Open. So, yeah, I was just sort of waiting for it to happen. I waited long enough, I think, and did it in dramatic fashion. Really happy to be into the second week of a Grand Slam for singles finally.”

Stat of the day

With her straight-sets win over Zhang Shuai on Friday, Caroline Garcia is the first French woman to win eight or more matches in a row on grass since Marion Bartoli in 2013.

Garcia won the title in Bad Homburg on the eve of Wimbledon and will look to make it nine wins in a row when she takes on Marie Bouzkova on Sunday.

Wild match of the day

Kazakhstan's Alexander Bublik did everything possible to try and confuse - an infuriate - Frances Tiafoe in the fourth set of their third round clash on Friday.

The creative Bublik took us all on a wild ride as he hit six underarm serves in one game, fired a 134 mph (215 kmph) second serve ace, and managed to interrupt Tiafoe's momentum before the American survived the madness to advance in four sets.

Asked how he kept his concentration throughout that fourth set, Tiafoe said: "I don't even know, man. I don't even know because I was fuming at one point. I was trying to keep it in."

Back to second week

No.3 seed Ons Jabeur put on a show on Centre Court, hitting a string of hot shots against talented French teen Diane Parry en route to a 6-2, 6-3 victory.

Jabeur won the last 14 consecutive points of the match to return to the Wimbledon fourth round for a second straight year.

The Tunisian world No.2 faces Belgium's Elise Mertens for a place in the quarter-finals.