Wimbledon 2023: Iga Swiatek, Novak Djokovic play for spots in quarterfinals

WIMBLEDON, England (AP) — Iga Swiatek has never reached the quarterfinals at Wimbledon. She can get there on Sunday.

The top-ranked Swiatek will face 14th-seeded Belinda Bencic on Centre Court.

The four-time Grand Slam champion was ousted in the third round last year at the All England Club, but she says she's playing with no pressure this time around.

“I feel confident and I feel like I can play with more intuition, play my game a little bit more,” she said.

On the men's side, Novak Djokovic takes his Wimbledon winning streak — 31 matches and counting — into the fourth round.

The seven-time champion faces 17th-seeded Hubert Hurkacz, who is 0-5 against Djokovic. They'll play on Centre Court, where Djokovic hasn't lost since July 7, 2013, in the final to Andy Murray.

Hurkacz, from Poland, is on a bit of a roll. He hasn't dropped his serve in three wins at this year's tournament, all in straight sets.

They've met once before at the All England Club, in the third round in 2019. Djokovic won in four sets.

The 23-time Grand Slam champion, who is the No. 2 seed and is trying to tie Roger Federer's record of eight men's titles at Wimbledon, expects a fight.

“He’s very comfortable playing on grass,” the 36-year-old Serb said. “He beat Federer here some years ago. He’s a player that doesn’t mind playing on a big stadium.”

Another fourth-round match pits 19th-seeded Victoria Azarenka of Belarus against Elina Svitolina of Ukraine. Svitolina apparently surprised herself by getting this far because she was offering up her tickets to a Harry Styles concert in Vienna.

WHEN ARE SATURDAY'S MATCHES?

First on Centre Court is seventh-seeded Andrey Rublev against Alexander Bublik at 1:30 p.m. local time, which is 8:30 a.m. EDT. The Swiatek-Bencic match is next at the main stadium. Djokovic-Hurkacz is the last match on Centre Court and could begin around 7 p.m. local time, 2 p.m. EDT. On Court No. 1, fourth-seeded Jessica Pegula faces Lesia Tsurenko in a fourth-round match that starts at 1 p.m. local time, 8 a.m. EDT.

WHAT WERE FRIDAY'S OTHER RESULTS?

No. 5 Stefanos Tsitsipas beat Laslo Djere 6-4, 7-6 (5), 6-4 in the Greek player's fifth consecutive day of competition. Tsitsipas next faces unseeded American Chris Eubanks, who defeated Christopher O’Connell 7-6 (5), 7-6 (3), 7-6 (2). Beatriz Haddad Maia, the women's 13th seed, reached the fourth round for the first time with a 6-2, 6-2 win over Sorana Cirstea.

HOW TO WATCH WIMBLEDON ON TV

— In the U.S.: ESPN, Tennis Channel

— Other countries listed here.

BETTING GUIDE

As has been the case since before the start of the tournament, Swiatek (plus-145) and Djokovic (minus-195) remain the favorites to win the singles trophies, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. On Sunday, Swiatek is listed at minus-720 against Bencic (plus-500), while Djokovic (minus-1,600) is a big favorite to beat Hurkacz (plus-860).

GET CAUGHT UP AT THE ALL ENGLAND CLUB

What you need to know about Wimbledon, the year’s third Grand Slam tennis tournament:

— Tennis appears headed for Saudi Arabia. Is it about sportswashing, women's rights or both?

— The All England Club is trying to balance tradition and evolution

— Novak Djokovic is pursuing more history, and his self-belief is a big part of his success

— Iga Swiatek succeeds everywhere else. Can she win Wimbledon?

— Players from Russia and Belarus are back at the All England Club after a one-year ban

— Aryna Sabalenka no longer wants to talk about the war in Ukraine

— Women's tennis is working toward equal pay at more tournaments

— Frances Tiafoe is the first African-American man in the top 10 in nearly 15 years

— Facts and figures about Wimbledon, including a look back at 2022

TAKE A TENNIS QUIZ

Try your hand at the AP’s Wimbledon quiz.

THE NUMBER TO KNOW

7 — Years since the defending women’s champion at Wimbledon reached the fourth round. Elena Rybakina made it that far by winning Saturday; Serena Williams did so in 2016 en route to claiming another title at the All England Club.

THE QUOTE TO KNOW

“I spent many days in my bed crying about not being able to play, so five days in a row is nothing.” — Matteo Berrettini, who has dealt with injuries, on being on court five straight days.

UPCOMING SINGLES SCHEDULE

— Sunday and Monday: Fourth Round (Women and Men)

— Tuesday and Wednesday: Quarterfinals (Women and Men)

— Thursday: Women’s Semifinals

— Friday: Men’s Semifinals

— July 15: Women’s Final

— July 16: Men’s Final

___

AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports