Novak Djokovic dominates Holger Rune to reach Wimbledon Quarterfinals for 15th time

Novak Djokovic (No. 2) crushed Holger Rune (No. 15) in straight sets to advance to the quarterfinals of Wimbledon for the 15th time in his career. The Serbian also reached the Last 8 of a Grand Slam for the 60th time in his career and will face Alex De Minaur, aiming to return to the semifinals.

Djokovic's irregular year seems to be fading away at the All England Club. The 24-time Grand Slam champion recently left the French Open with an injury and underwent knee surgery, appearing to be at the lowest point of his career in several years.

The 37-year-old gave a masterclass performance today, overpowering the young star to extend their head-to-head to 5-2. The start of the match forecasted a tough day for Rune, who lost the first 12 points consecutively and was quickly down 0-3 against the seven-time champion.

Djokovic maintained his level throughout the set, having another break point on Rune's serve but not converting it. Nonetheless, he dominated the set, conceding only three points on his serve and approaching the net with high effectiveness (9/9). Rune's shaky start seemed to diminish him mentally, as Djokovic took the set convincingly 6-3 in just 30 minutes.

In the second set, Rune still didn't look entirely comfortable on the court but kept up with Djokovic's pace for several minutes. The score remained tied until 3-3 when Djokovic secured a couple of break opportunities that Rune couldn't save.

Djokovic advanced to 5-3 and put Rune on the ropes, earning six set points on the Dane's serve. Although Djokovic couldn't convert them at that moment, he saved a break point in the following game and then closed out the set 6-4, showcasing a dominant performance so far.

The third set began as a continuation of Rune's nightmare. Within just two minutes, Djokovic had a break in his favor and quickly took the lead, moving towards another victory. There was no room for Rune's comeback, as he always seemed a step below Djokovic, who finished the match 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 in just 2 hours and five minutes.

In the quarterfinals, Djokovic will face the 9th seed Alex De Minaur, who recently defeated the Frenchman Arthur Fils in the Round of 16. Currently, Djokovic leads their head-to-head 2-1.