With Roger Federer, an eight-time Wimbledon winner, sitting in the front row of the Royal Box, so little went right at the outset for the 38-year-old Djokovic on the grass below during a breezy afternoon with the temperature in the 60s Fahrenheit (teens Celsius), a week after matches were contested in record-breaking heat.

The match started with one of the poorest sets the Serbian star has ever played and turned into an absorbing war of attrition as the Australian went “toe-to-toe with one of the greats”.

Novak Djokovic overcame a shaky start and apparent discomfort to defeat Alex de Minaur in four sets, securing his 16th Wimbledon quarterfinal appearance. After losing the first set decisively, Djokovic rallied,