![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2023\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/skysports-novak-djokovic-tennis_6212044-696x392.jpg\" "\\"skysports-novak-djokovic-tennis_6212044\\"\/")
<\/div>\nReigning champion Novak Djokovic defeated old rival Stan Wawrinka to reach the last 16 and move closer to an eighth men\u2019s singles Wimbledon title.<\/p>\n
Djokovic won 6-3 6-1 7-6 (7-5) in a match that finished 14 minutes before the 23:00 BST cut-off on Friday night.<\/p>\n
Earlier on day five, world number one\u00a0Carlos Alcaraz<\/strong>\u00a0gained his first Centre Court win as he beat France\u2019s Alexandre Muller to move into the third round.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Alcaraz and Djokovic are the top seeds and could meet in the final on 16 July.<\/p>\n Wawrinka, 38, is a three-time Grand Slam winner, beating Djokovic in two of those finals \u2013 the 2015 French Open and 2016 US Open \u2013 but had said he had zero hopes of winning the tournament and\u00a0\u201cno chance\u201d of beating 36-year-old Djokovic.<\/p>\n The Serb dominated the opening two sets, winning them in a total of 67 minutes, dropping only four games while doing so, but Warwrinka produced a better performance in the third set.<\/p>\n On Thursday the match between Andy Murray and Stefanos Tsitsipas could not be completed in time, with Tsitsipas coming from two sets to one down to win on Friday.<\/p>\n But Djokovic, who is aiming to equal Roger Federer\u2019s men\u2019s record of eight titles, ensured his match would not go into extra time as he fought back from 5-3 down in the tie-break to advance into the last 16.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are two old guys fighting with the young guns,\u201d said Djokovic. \u201cWe have had some amazing battles on the biggest courts. I respect him as a player and he is a really nice guy so I wish him all the best for the rest of the season.<\/p>\n \u201cHe was only two points away from extending the match to another day. One of us had to win in straight sets [for it to end on Friday] and it looked very good in the first two sets.<\/p>\n \u201cHe then raised his level and I dropped mine, the crowd got involved and it was a good atmosphere.<\/p>\n \u201cI know I have a couple of gears that I can go to as the tournament progresses.\u201d<\/p>\n I\u2019m playing at a great level \u2013 Alcaraz<\/strong><\/p>\n Earlier on Friday, Alcaraz, 20, won 6-4 7-6 (7-2) 6-3 against world number 84 Muller.<\/p>\n This is Alcaraz\u2019s third year of playing at Wimbledon and in 2021 he won on court six, before losing on Court One. His three wins in 2022 included two victories on Court One and another success on court two ahead before losing to Jannik Sinner in the last 16 on Centre Court.<\/p>\n He won his opener this year on Court One on Tuesday, with this win over Muller surely the first of many on the sport\u2019s most famous stage.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s something I wanted to enjoy every single second of and I did,\u201d said Alcaraz. \u201cI\u2019m playing at a great level, getting more experience and getting better each match.\u201d<\/p>\n Alcaraz struggled early on, repeatedly sending forehands from the baseline long and that gave Muller three break points early on, but he was unable to convert them.<\/p>\n The Spaniard \u2013 showing superb touch, technique and pace of shot \u2013 gained the vital break in the seventh game.<\/p>\n Alcaraz won the tie-break and was untroubled in the third set to set up a meeting with 25th seed Nicolas Jarry of Chile in round three.<\/p>\n Medvedev not at home on grass, but \u2018at the door\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n Daniil Medvedev beat France\u2019s Adrian Mannarino 6-3 6-3 7-6 (7-5) in round two after the match had been stopped at 4-4 in the third set on Thursday because of bad light.<\/p>\n Earlier this week, Medvedev, who has never gone past the last 16 at Wimbledon, said he \u201cdidn\u2019t feel at home\u201d on grass, and now said: \u201cI\u2019m getting there. Maybe at the door. Not inside, but at the door.\u201d<\/p>\n Matteo Berrettini, runner-up in 2021, beat 15th seed Alex de Minaur and was delighted with the win having missed the 2022 event after testing positive for Covid just before the tournament started.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat happened [the withdrawal] is something that hasn\u2019t healed yet [mentally],\u201d said Berrettini after his 6-3 6-4 6-4 second-round win, with Germany\u2019s 19th seed Alexander Zverev set to be his third-round opponent.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a really sharp pain, if I think about it,\u201d said Berrettini. \u201cI probably was in the best shape in my career, feeling great on grass and wanted to enjoy the tournament, such a special tournament.<\/p>\n \u201cNot being able to play was something that, even when I was better physically, was really tough mentally to overcome.\u201d<\/p>\n Berrettini\u2019s compatriot\u00a0Jannik Sinner,<\/strong>\u00a0seeded eighth, has moved into the last 16 after coming from a set down to beat France\u2019s Quentin Halys 3-6 6-2 6-3 6-4.<\/p>\n Elsewhere, sixth seed\u00a0Holger Rune<\/strong>\u00a0defeated Spain\u2019s Roberto Caballes Baena in round two, while there were third-round victories for Russia\u2019s seventh seed\u00a0Andrey Rublev,<\/strong>\u00a0Polish 17th seed\u00a0Hubert Hurkacz<\/strong>\u00a0and 23rd seed\u00a0Alexander Bublik<\/strong>\u00a0of Kazakhstan.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n