Reigning Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic has come from two sets down to beat Kevin Anderson over two days and reach the quarter-finals of this year's tournament at the All England Club.
Anderson won two tie-breaks on Monday to open up a two-set lead, but Djokovic roared back by levelling the match at 2-2 before bad light stopped play last night. Upon the resumption today, it was Djokovic who edged a tight fifth set to reach his 25th consecutive Grand Slam quarter-final.
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Both players found their rhythm early on No.1 Court yesterday as they exchanged numerous rallies from the baseline, but neither could force a break in the first set, leading to a tie-breaker.
The South African upped the ante as he put Djokovic's serve under duress and managed to clinch the tie-breaker 8-6 to take the lead in the match.
Anderson took the momentum from the first set into the second as he broke the world number one to race into a 3-1 lead, but Djokovic rallied to take the set into the second tie-breaker of the match.
The Serbian raced into a 4-0 lead, but this time it was the turn of the number 14 seed to show resilience as he hit back to earn a set point before clinching it 8-6 with a volley at the net.
Djokovic's response was emphatic as he broke the South African in the second game of the third, and was in complete control of his own serve before earning a second break to get back into the match with a 6-1 win.
The world number one displayed his battling qualities again by breaking Anderson in the third match of the fourth, capitalising on mistakes by the South African.
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The break proved to be vital as Djokovic fended off the best attempts of the 14th seed to wrestle back the initiative to level the match at two sets apiece before bad light stopped play on Monday night.
Tuesday's action didn't get off to the best of starts as play was delayed by around half-an-hour because of a brief rain shower that arrived above the All England Club just as the players walked out onto court.
Once the match got back underway, both men looked confident on serve until the fourth game of the day when Djokovic fell 15-40 down on his own serve. The Serb showed his mettle by saving both break points and securing the hold.
Anderson has never reached the last eight of a Grand Slam, but he was showing no nerves on his own serve. That changed in the 11th game when he double-faulted twice to gift Djokovic the vital break, with the Serb going on to serve out the match in almost four hours.
Djokovic, who reaches the last eight at Wimbledon for the seventh year in a row, next faces US Open champion Marin Cilic tomorrow after the Croat came past Denis Kudla yesterday.
Simon Sinclair
