Wimbledon 2023: Teenager Mirra Andreeva sees off Anastasia Potapova to reach last 16; Novak Djokovic enters 100 club

London: Novak Djokovic contests his 100th Wimbledon match on Sunday as he continues his quest for a record-equalling eighth title while the All England Club witnessed the birth of a new star in 16-year-old Mirra Andreeva. Djokovic tackles Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz on Centre Court, where he has not lost in 10 years. However, if he is to continue his bid for a third major of 2023, and match Margaret Court’s all-time record of 24 Slams, he needs to find a way of battering through the seemingly impregnable Hurkacz defence. The Pole has not dropped serve at the tournament, saving all 11 break points he has faced and winning all 46 service games. “I don’t see too many holes in his game,” said Djokovic, who has a 5-0 record against the 18th-ranked Hurkacz, including at Wimbledon in 2019. Hurkacz made the semi-finals in 2021, having become the last man to defeat Roger Federer at Wimbledon in the quarter-finals. Twelve months ago, however, he crashed out in the first round. Fairytale In the women’s draw, Andreeva’s fairytale season continued as the 16-year-old Russian reached the fourth round, defeating 22nd-seeded compatriot Anastasia Potapova 6-2, 7-5. “Even if I wanted to show my emotions I couldn’t because I was out of breath on every point,” said Andreeva, who came through the qualifying tournament and is making her tournament debut.

The Real Deal 💯#Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/HcLWvcUrVy

— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 9, 2023

The teenager had to battle hard in the second set, coming back from 1-4 down before squandering seven break points in the ninth game. But she held her nerve to break Potapova in the 11th game before securing victory when her opponent buried an overhead into the net. It was Potapova’s 45th and final unforced error. Andreeva arrived at Wimbledon having made a run to the third round at the French Open, also out of qualifying. She will rise in the rankings from 102 to the top 65 at least after Wimbledon, her first grass-court event on the main tour. After being banned from Wimbledon in 2022 over the war in Ukraine, seven players from Russia and Belarus have made it to the last 16 in men’s and women’s singles. Russian seventh seed Andrey Rublev kicks off the action on Centre Court, hoping to complete a full set of quarter-finals at all four Slams. The 25-year-old faces Alexander Bublik, born in Russia but representing Kazakhstan. Another Russian, Roman Safiullin, has made the last 16 on his main draw debut. The world number 92, who had never previously got beyond the second round of a Slam, faces 2021 semi-finalist Denis Shapovalov. Ukraine v Belarus Jannik Sinner, the eighth-ranked Italian, takes on unseeded Daniel Elahi Galan of Colombia, hoping to secure a second successive quarter-final. Women’s world number one Iga Swiatek, the reigning US Open and French Open champion, has not dropped a set yet. In her bid to reach the quarter-finals for the first time, she takes on Swiss 14th seed Belinda Bencic. In a last-16 clash tinged with political significance, Victoria Azarenka of Belarus takes on Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina. At the French Open, Svitolina and all Ukraine players refused to shake hands with opponents from Russia and Belarus. “I won’t sell my country out for likes,” said Svitolina after refusing to shake hands with world number two Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus in Paris. Svitolina was even booed by the French crowd for her defiant stance. At last year’s US Open, Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk offered only a tap of the racquets after facing Azarenka. Both Svitolina and Azarenka are former semi-finalists at the tournament. Azarenka, however, enjoys a 5-0 head-to-head record over the Ukraine player. “A lot of Ukrainians will be watching, will be supporting me. I will go out there and put the fighting spirit on and just really fight for every single point,” said Svitolina. A second Ukrainian, Lesia Tsurenko, was knocked out Sunday, losing 6-1, 6-3 to world number three Jessica Pegula.

Welcome to the quarter-finals, @JPegula 🙌

The American gets through Lesia Tsurenko in straight sets 6-1, 6-3 to move on#Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/YXZd0e6ruV

— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 9, 2023

Pegula is in the quarter-finals for the first time, where she will take on Marketa Vondrousova, the 2019 French Open runner-up. In a men’s singles third-round match held over from Saturday, Grigor Dimitrov, a semi-finalist back in 2014, defeated US 10th seed Frances Tiafoe in straight sets. The 32-year-old Dimitrov will face Holger Rune on Monday for a place in the quarter-finals.