Federer, Djokovic advance as Jabeur makes history

Switzerland’s Roger Federer returns against Italy’s Lorenzo Sonego during their fourth round match at Wimbledon yesterday.

• Federer, who will be 40 shortly, eased past Italy’s Lorenzo Sonego 7-5, 6-4, 6-2 to make the last-eight Roger Federer yesterday became the oldest man to reach the Wimbledon quarter-finals since the dawn of the Open Era in 1968. Federer, who will be 40 in just under five weeks’ time, eased past Italy’s Lorenzo Sonego 7-5, 6-4, 6-2 to make the last-eight at the All England Club for the 18th time. In what will be his 58th Grand Slam quarter-final, eight-time Wimbledon champion Federer will face either second seed Daniil Medvedev or Hubert Hurkacz, the 14th seed, for a place in the semi-finals. Medvedev was leading Hurkacz 6-2, 6-7 (2/7), 6-3, 3-4 when play was halted for the night due to rain. Earlier, Novak Djokovic marched effortlessly into his 50th Grand Slam quarter-final as Ons Jabeur became the first Tunisian player to make the last-eight at the All England Club. World number one Djokovic, chasing a sixth Wimbledon and record-equalling 20th major, eased into the last-eight at the tournament for the 12th time with a 6-2, 6-4, 6-2 win over Chile’s Cristian Garin. He will next face Hungary’s Marton Fucsovics, one of a host of players booking last-eight spots at the tournament for the first time. The list includes women’s top seed Ashleigh Barty, second seed Aryna Sabalenka, Karolina Pliskova, Viktorija Golubic as well as Matteo Berrettini, Denis Shapovalov and Karen Khachanov in the men’s draw. Djokovic is halfway to a calendar Grand Slam. Only two men have swept all four majors in the same year with Rod Laver the most recent back in 1969. “Confidence levels are very high after winning the French Open,” said Djokovic. Barty reached the quarter-finals for the first time, beating French Open champion Barbora Krejcikova of the Czech Republic 7-5, 6-3. Jabeur’s historic campaign saw her reach the quarter-finals for the first time, beating Poland’s 2020 French Open champion Iga Swiatek 5-7, 6-1, 6-1. The 26-year-old is the first Tunisian woman to reach the last eight and will face Belarus second seed Aryna Sabalenka who defeated Elena Rybakina 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 Former world number one Pliskova reached her first Wimbledon quarter-final with a 6-2, 6-3 win over Russian wildcard Liudmila Samsonova. Men’s seventh seed Berrettini became only the fifth Italian man to make the last eight with a quickfire 6-4, 6-3, 6-1 win over Ilya Ivashka of Belarus. The Queen’s Club champion, the first Italian man in the quarter-finals since 1998, will face Felix Auger-Aliassime of Canada who beat Alexander Zverev for a semi-final spot.  Khachanov also reached a maiden quarter-final with a five-set win over Sebastian Korda who was celebrating his 21st birthday. Russian 25th seed Khachanov triumphed over his American rival 3-6, 6-4, 6-3, 5-7, 10-8 and will face Canadian 10th seed Denis Shapovalov. A marathon 81-minute final set on Court 18 featured 13 breaks of serve before Khachanov steadied himself to take the victory. Shapovalov, who knocked out two-time champion Andy Murray in the last round, dismissed Spain’s 2019 semi-finalist and eighth seed Roberto Bautista Agut 6-1, 6-3, 7-5. Viktorija Golubic, ranked 66, defeated Madison Keys 7-6 (7/3), 6-3 as she also broke through to the last eight for the first time where she’ll face Pliskova. Meanwhile, Angelique Kerber, the 2018 Wimbledon champion, produced a superb display to beat American teenager Coco Gauff 6-4, 6-4 in 1 hour and 16 minutes to reach the quarter-finals. Borg back at Wimbledon London: Forty-five years after Bjorn Borg won the first of his five Wimbledon titles, his teenage son Leo kept the family flag flying in the boys tournament yesterday. Leo, 18, reached the second round with a 6-3, 6-7 (2/7), 6-0 win over 17-year-old Marko Topo of Serbia. Borg fired six aces and 34 winners in his win out on Court Nine. Bjorn Borg won the boys tournament at Wimbledon in 1972 before winning five successive men’s titles from 1976-1980. Only one father and son have previously won the boys title at Wimbledon — India’s Ramanathan Krishnan in 1954 triumphed as did his son Ramesh Krishnan in 1979. Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur celebrates her win over Poland’s Iga Swiatek in the fourth round match at Wimbledon yesterday.