Wimbledon 2023: Novak Djokovic wants high noon rather than late show

Novak Djokovic wants an end to Wimbledon’s late, late shows so he does not have to play the same match over two days in radically different conditions. The defending champion made his 14th quarter-final at the tournament with a four-set win over big-serving Hubert Hurkacz in a match that started Sunday evening but finished on Monday afternoon. The All England Club has a locally agreed 11:00 pm curfew as the grounds sit in a residential area in leafy south-west London. Djokovic believes the 1:30 pm start time on Centre Court is too late and suggested a noon start instead. “The curfew is probably something that is much more difficult to change because of the community and the residential area we are in,” said Djokovic. “So I think the matches could be pushed at least to start at 12:00. I think it would make a difference.” When his clash with Hurkacz was suspended on Sunday, he was two sets ahead with the match having started under the Centre Court roof. When it resumed, the roof was open and Hurkacz grabbed the third set before Djokovic went on to claim a 7-6 (8/6), 7-6 (8/6), 5-7, 6-4 win. His third-round win over Stan Wawrinka on Friday ended just 15 minutes before the curfew kicked in. On Thursday, Andy Murray was two sets to one ahead of world number five Stefanos Tsitsipas when their second-round match was halted. On the Friday resumption, Tsitsipas claimed the next two sets and victory. “Two different matches,” said Djokovic of his match-up against Hurkacz. “Last night and today. Completely different conditions. Playing under the roof more humid, more slippery. Obviously no wind. ‘Not enjoyable’ “A bit slower from the back of the court, more rallies. Today, completely different. Very, very windy. Difficult to get the rhythm and tempo on the toss.” Wimbledon chief executive Sally Bolton said the start times will “be part of our review as we get into the end of the championships”. She added: “A whole range of things go into the decision to start when we do on those courts.” Djokovic kept up his push for a record-equalling eighth Wimbledon title and 24th Grand Slam with a 90th win from 100 matches at the tournament. In the fourth set, he broke for a crucial 4-3 lead, ending Hurkacz’s perfect run of 67 service games at the tournament this year. “Honestly I don’t recall the last time I felt this miserable on returning games,” said Djokovic. “He has one of the best serves in the world and it’s difficult to read it on one of the quickest surfaces in the sport. It was not enjoyable for me.” Djokovic will face Andrey Rublev for a place in the semi-finals on Tuesday. He defeated the Russian in straight sets at the same stage of the Australian Open in January. That match will take place on Centre Court, where Djokovic has not lost since 2013. “I feel a great connection with this court. Every match that I win, every time I step on the court I feel more confident to play the match and hopefully the love affair continues for a long time,” he said.