Novak Djokovic: "Andrey Rublev's looking for his first semifinal in a Slam, hopefully that's not going to happen"

Novak Djokovic is set to face Andrey Rublev in the 2023 Wimbledon quarterfinals and has lightheartedly claimed that Rublev won't make it past their confrontation on Tuesday, July 11.

The Serb needed an extra day in the rain-hit fourth-round match against Hubert Huckacz but eventually got the job done.

Djokovic won the first two sets in tiebreakers on Sunday before the match was stopped due to the tournament's 11 pm curfew. The Serb returned to the Center Court nearly 16 hours later to seal a 7-6(6), 7-6(6), 5-7, 6-4 victory over the Poland professional and book a place in the quarterfinal.

With the win, the second seed extended his winning streak at SW19 to 32. Moreover, the Serb's chances of leveling Roger Federer's record of eight Wimbledon crowns and Margaret Court's 24 Grand Slam titles have increased.

He will be challenged by Andrey Rublev in the quarterfinals. Although the Russian is a formidable opponent, the 36-year-old seems confident enough to break through the seventh seed's tricky test.

In a post-match on-court interview, Djokovic was asked to comment on his upcoming match against Rublev. The World No. 2 acknowledged the Russian's "powerful" groundstrokes, adding that Rublev liked to dominate on the court. He also jokingly apologized for not openly discussing his next opponent's tactics.

"He's got a very powerful, very quick groundstrokes," he said. "He stays close to line, obviously, one of the best forehands in the game, wants to dictate. I'm not going to talk too much about tactics, sorry (laughs), probably try to keep it for myself."

"Yeah, obviously I have to be ready that the matches are only going to get harder. Tough to say its going to get harder than what I have experienced yesterday and today but you know, I have to be ready for that," he added.

The Serb also realized that the Russian was looking to make his maiden semifinal appearance in a Grand Slam tournament. However, the legendary player joked that the 25-year-old will have to wait a little longer.

"He's looking for his first semifinal in a Grand Slam... hopefully that's not going to happen," he said.

Djokovic and Rublev will clash on the grass for the first time. The duo have previously faced each other four times, with the Serb winning on three occasions.

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Novak Djokovic feels lucky to have had a relatively injury-free career

Previews: The Championships - Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon 2023

Novak Djokovic feels gratified that his career has been relatively injury-free, which has helped him to stay atop his game since he turned pro in 2003.

His two biggest rivals, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, haven't experienced the same fate. The Serb is the sole member of the Big 3 who suffered only one injury in his long and prestigious career, resulting in him skipping the 2017 Australian Open.

At a Wimbledon press conference, he addressed his injury-free career and admitted that fewer injuries aided him to stay zealous despite the advancing competitive years.

"Luckily for me, I've had only one significant injury that kept me out of the circuit for almost a year on and off with the surgery of the elbow. Other than that, there was some muscle tears and injuries, but generally I've kept healthy, considering the intensity of my career and the amount of matches I've played in the last 20 years," Djokovic spoke.