Djokovic beats curfew to secure place in Wimbledon quarters

Facing an unexpectedly tough opponent and a pending curfew, Novak Djokovic put his game into another gear to beat both.

The six-time champion reached his 13th Wimbledon quarterfinal by beating Dutch wild-card entry Tim van Rijthoven 6-2, 4-6, 6-1, 6-2 on Centre Court.

When Van Rijthoven, ranked 104th, surprisingly won a 50-minute second set, it looked like the match might not finish before Wimbledon’s 11 p.m. curfew. But Djokovic sped through the next two sets to wrap up the win with about 20 minutes to spare and ensure he gets a full rest day on Monday.

Djokovic is the three-time defending champion at the All England Club and took his Wimbledon winning streak to 25 matches. He will face Jannik Sinner in the quarters.

Van Rijthoven was playing his first Grand Slam tournament.