Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Stan Wawrinka and Andy Murray remain on course for the Wimbledon semifinals ahead of ‘manic Monday’ when the round-of-16 is scheduled.
Murray came through Saturday’s four-set tussle with Andreas Seppi in a tale of two timeouts. For almost three sets of Murray’s 6-2, 6-2, 1-6, 6-1 victory, the third seed was utterly dominant, but the momentum of the encounter swung violently following two opportune visits to the court by the trainer.
After Murray raced through the opening two sets and trailed 2-1 in the third, 25th seed Seppi called for medical assistance to work on a leg injury.
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What happened next made the on-court physio look like a miracle worker as Seppi took the next five games to claim the third set and break the 2013 champion in the opening game of the fourth.
But Murray decided his own ailing body needed some work and the trainer returned to vigorously massage the Briton’s right shoulder.
The effect of that intervention was equally immediate. Murray won the next six games to see out the clash, walloping down an ace on match-point as if to highlight just what a good job had been done on his stiffening joint.
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“The shoulder is fine now,” Murray said.
Six of the top-10 seeds are safely into the business end of the tournament after a first week which saw seventh seed Milos Raonic and 10th-seeded Rafael Nadal defeated on court. Fifth seed Kei Nishikori withdrew before the second round with a calf injury while eighth-seeded David Ferrer pulled out before the first round.
Defending Djokovic will face South African 14th seed Kevin Anderson in the fourth round. “It will be a match of very small margins that will be decided by a few points. So I need to be able to get as many returns back in play,” said Djokovic.
Federer faces 20th seed Roberto Bautista Agut, who was voted the most improved player of 2014. However, he has lost both of his matches against Federer without winning a set.
Murray takes a 5-0 career lead as he tackles 36-year-old Ivo Karlovic, the oldest man to make the fourth round since Niki Pilic in 1976. “He’s served very well, so the returns will have to be on if I want to get through that one,” said Murray.
Fourth seed and French Open champion Wawrinka faces Belgian 16th seed David Goffin.
The women’s draw, meanwhile, has only four of the top-10 — Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova, Caroline Wozniacki and Lucie Safarova — still standing.