LONDON — Novak Djokovic continued his pursuit of another Wimbledon title on Friday by defeating Arthur Rinderknech 7-5, 6-4, 1-6, 7-6 (4) to advance to the fourth round after a hard-fought three-hour, 12-minute contest.
The seventh-seeded Serbian reached the Wimbledon Round of 16 for the 18th time in his career while recording his 407th Grand Slam singles victory. The win also saw Djokovic equal Roger Federer’s record of 105 men’s singles match victories at the All England Club.
Djokovic was forced to work throughout the match by the 25th-seeded Frenchman, who matched him for long stretches with aggressive serving and powerful baseline play.
The opening set remained on serve until late in the contest. Djokovic broke for a 2-2 lead before immediately surrendering his advantage, but the Serbian struck again at 5-5 and served out the set.
He seized control early in the second set with another break of serve and maintained that advantage despite Rinderknech producing a disciplined performance with few unforced errors.
The momentum shifted dramatically in the third set as Djokovic’s level dipped and Rinderknech capitalized, dominating the rallies to claim the set 6-1 and force the match back into contention.
Neither player managed to create separation in the fourth set, sending the contest into a tiebreak. Djokovic produced his best tennis at the crucial moment, relying on his serve before sealing victory with a superb rally on match point.
Although Rinderknech fell short, the Frenchman delivered one of the strongest performances of his career. He finished with 67 winners, landed 82% of his first serves, struck 21 aces and won 117 points compared with Djokovic’s 108.
The defeat ended French interest in the men’s singles draw at Wimbledon, while Djokovic moved another step closer to an eighth Wimbledon title as he continues his bid for another Grand Slam crown.
