Grand Slam champions Novak Djokovc and Jannik Sinner wrapped up third-rond wns at exactly the same moment on Friday as the elite pair advanced under pressure into the second week at Wimbledon.

Defending champion Sinner held off American Jenson Brooksby 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 while seven-time All England Club winner Djokovic won his 105th match at the event with a 7-5, 6-4, 1-6, 7-6 (4) defeat of Arthur Rinderknech, last Frenchman in the field..

The 39-year-old Djokovic completed his win as Rinderknech hit the grass with a diving volley which the Serb calmly tapped into the open court after three and a quarter hours.

Rinderknech fired 67 winners to 40 for Djokovic, who came within two points in the 18-minute third of losing a set to love on grass for the first time in his career.

But the survivor with 24 Grand Slam titles recovered form in the fourth set, winning it in a tiebreaker to reach the fourth round here for the 18th time.

 “It was a close and tiring match, I was happy to win the tiebreaker,” Djokovic said. “Sometimes you have to find a way to win and I’m happy I did that today.

“There was a lot of slipping and sliding, drop shots, cat and mouse play.

“This has always been a dream tournament of mine, but I’m not thinking about records – I’m just trying to win the match on a given day.”

Djokovc admitted he felt the pressure. “I was stressed out with more tension than usual. It was a challenging match for me.”

Sinner’s win was slightly less dramatic as the world No. 1 earned a straight-sets success on a third match point against No. 81 Brooksby.

“For sure I’m happy with the win,” Sinner said. “I’m trying to improve every day and there are some small things to work on.

“I need to get better if I want to go far here. This surface is very unpredictable… one thing goes slightly wrong and it is tough to win.

“I hope to try to be the best that I can in a couple of days (fourth round).”

Two-time semi-finalist Daniil Medvedev, the eighth seed, was ambushed by Jan Leonard Struff 7-6 (4), 7-6 (5), 7-5.

Medved held an 8-1 lead in their series, with his only defeat to the German coming five years ago on grass in Halle.

Roman Safiullin, a 132nd-ranked qualifier who once cracked the top 40, ended the dream of Brazilian teenager Joao Fonseca with a 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 defeat which no pits him against Djokovic. 

The win in just over two hour was a relief for the winner, whose previous two matches were only decided by fifth set 10-point tiebreakers.

The enormity of the occasion got the best of Safiullin, who had to pause his post-match interview to brush away tears.

“After the US Open I had to stop to treat my injury. That time was super tough,” he said. “Even half a year ago I didn’t know if I’d be able to be back. I didn’t know. I’m super happy to be back here.”

The 19-year-old Fonseca said he missed out on his chances in a “tough match.”

“He was putting a lot of pressure, he’s a guy that likes to control the point. 

“I didn’t play bad. Of course I had some opportunities to let him think a little bit

more and let him play more points. I tried to do my best.

“It was a great run here again I think I’m improving on grass and that motivates me to keep going.”

Another teen hopeful, Spaniard Rafael Jodar, was ousted 1-6, 7-6 (5), 6-4, 6-4 by Japan’s Shintaro Mochizuki.

Doubles specialists are up in arms about ATP plans leaked during Wimbledon that would scale back the doubles event to a mere sideshow.

A controversial initiative revealed that men’s tennis bosses – the outfit is led by former Italian journeyman player Andrea Gaudenzi – intend to almost wipe the team game from tournament lineups in time for the 2028 season.

Andrea Gaudenzi

Under the slash-and-burn scenario, doubles fields at the Masters 1000 level would be cut in half to 16 teams and shrivel to eight only at the lower-tier 500 and 250 levels.

No decent explanation of the plan has yet been provided, with players flailing in the dark over draconian strategy.

The matter could well end up in court in the ATP’s litigious home base in the US.

“Their way to tackle it is to just get rid of all doubles players and have singles guys play doubles, which I don’t think is the right decision,” British 2025 Wimbledon doubles winner Lloyd Glasspool said.

His partner Julien Cash added: “It’s something that all the doubles players are united on.

“We hope it doesn’t go as far as legal action but if it has to then I know that we’re all on board to do so.”

Prize money could also take a big hit, with the current 80/20 split with singles cut to 90/10.

The world No. 1 pair of Harri Heliovaara and Brit Henry Patten – Wimbledon winners in 2024 – were also knocked back by the proposal of doom for doubles 

The said players had not been informed about details of the possible restructuring.

“It’s very difficult because all of those decisions have taken place behind closed doors, even the ATP Council members were unaware of these plans,” Patten said.

“It makes dialogue extremely difficult when those decisions and discussions are happening behind closed doors in the ATP.

“There’s a lot of uncertainty right now about whether it’s going to be viable to be a professional doubles player after 2028.”

The ATP dipped into the corporate-speak grab-bag by way of an explanation.

The sanctioning body did not hide the fact that it was all about the money: less for doubles means more to pay out as singles prize money, ciring the tired old excuse of cost pressures.

“Any potential changes will be developed through close consultation with players, tournaments and the ATP Board with any decisions made in the best long-term interests of the sport and its consumers,” the legalese-heavy ATP statement read.

“Doubles isn’t a carnival sideshow. It is one of the most successful parts of tennis – integral to the amateur game – with the potential to do so much more,” the player statement said.

“Yet the impact of the ATP’s proposals will be to diminish the sporting excellence that is professional doubles and turn off the pipeline of pro doubles players and the entire infrastructure that supports them.

“Doubles is not an afterthought we fell into. It has always been part of this sport’s identity, not a discount version of it.”

They added: “Do the maths on what that means for anyone outside the top 30: it will be impossible to make a living.

“This is not a minor adjustment. It is a plan to end doubles as a viable profession, dressed up as a cost-saving measure.

“It is being pushed through with almost no transparency and almost no consultation with the players whose careers and livelihoods are on the line.”

Main photo:- Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakins winning Australian Open doubles in 2022 by Roger Parker/ISF Ltd

Alexander Zverev intensified his quest for a second straight Grand Slam title, with the Wmbledon second seed rolling over France’s Valentin Royer 6-1, 6-3, 7-6 (3) on Thursday for a third-round spot.

The German earned his first career title at a major last month with victory at Roland Garros as he beat Flavio Cobolli.

The All England Club grass counts as the weakest link for Zverev, who has never passed the fourth round here while making the final at the other three majors.

The second seed dispatched Royer in two hours, overcoming a minor setback in the third set when he was broken for 4-all and had to win in a tiebreaker on his third match point.

“I played almost perfect tennis for two and a half sets, but I lost focus. I’m happy to get through in straights without another set,” he said.

“It’s nice to win easier at the beginning of the event. I’m getting to an age where you need to save energy. That also builds confidence.

“I love Wimbledon but I’m still waiting for a big result here. You have to take every match extremely seriously and play at 100 percent.”

Fifth seed Alex de Minaur spent less than two hours in dismantling Adrian Mannarino, with the Australian advancing to the third round 6-3, 6-2, 6-2.

De Minaur has a best here of a 2024 quarter-final, reaching the second week on three occasions. 

The Aussie ended with seven aces and the same number of double-faults while saving nine of the 11 break points he faced from the veteran Frenchman.

American sixth seed Taykor Fritz came to Wimbledon without his usual security blanket – a title at the run-up event at Eastbourne – but still managed a 6-2, 6-2, 7-5 defeat of compatriot Patrick Kypson in two hours.

Fritz skipped Eastbournre last month to rest and has won the title on the English south coast four times since 2019.

So far, his strategy has paid off with a pair of straight-set wins in his opening Wimbledon matches.

No. 113 Kypson saved three match points before lobbing long on a fourth as Fritz advanced to the third round.

“I’m happy I was able to avoid a tiebreaker, avoid a fourth set and get it done in three,” the winner said.

“All of my best results here – two quarter-finals and a semi one year ago – have come after winning Eastbourne.

“I like the feeling of coming onto court with that confidence and just keep the rhythm going into Wimbledon.”

Fritz added: “I felt a little nervy in the beginning, it’s sometimes tough to trust my shots when it’s so windy,” Fritz said.

“I settled into the match well, did a good job returning his serve. I thought I served really well most of the match, outside of just one game.

“In the end it was just a clean match.” 

Italy’s Lorenzo Sonego had to work for nealry four and a half hours before finally defeating Canadian Gabriel Diallo 7-6 (4), 4-6, 7-6 (4).

French-born Arthur Fery kept British men’s hopes alive as he beat Finnish qualifier Otto Virtanen 5-7, 7-6 (3), 6-3, 6-3 to next play Belgian Zizou Bergs.

Eastbourne champion Bergs is on a roll after winning his seventh consecutive match and 20th of the season.  

Rafael Jodar finished up a match halted by Wednesday darkness, winning an all-Spanish battle with veteran Pablo Carreno Busta 3-6, 6-3, 1-6, 6-3, 6-4 after nearly four hours.