"A phenomenal effort from Tim Van Rijthoven," "Djokovic playing magnificently is a joy to watch" - Tennis fans react to Novak Djokovic's 4th-round Wimbledon win

Novak Djokovic beat Tim van Rijthoven in four sets in the fourth round.
Novak Djokovic beat Tim van Rijthoven in four sets in the fourth round.

A man on a mission, Novak Djokovic has gone from strength to strength at the ongoing 2022 Wimbledon Championships. The Serb has now reached the quarterfinals as he continues his quest for his seventh title at the grasscourt Major.

Chasing his 21st Grand Slam title, the top seed defeated wildcard entrant Tim van Rijthoven of the Netherlands 6-2, 4-6, 6-1, 6-2 in two hours and 37 minutes on Sunday. Although Djokovic significantly stepped up his game in the last two sets, World No. 104 Rijthoven managed to trouble him earlier in the match and even stole a set from the six-time Wimbledon champion.

Last month, the 25-year-old Dutchman caught the attention of the tennis world by winning the Libema Open in the Netherlands. On his way to glory, Rijthoven defeated the likes of Taylor Fritz, Felix Auger-Aliassime and World No. 1 Daniil Medvedev, which got him to enter Wimbledon as a wildcard.

Tennis fans on Twitter were impressed by Rijthoven's fighting spirit against the top seed on Sunday. They also hailed the 35-year-old Djokovic for taking his game to another level after losing a set.

Here are some of the reactions:

"Beating Novak Djokovic at a Grand Slam is one of the toughest things to do in the sporting world. A phenomenal effort from Tim Van Rijthoven to take a set against an unbelievably tough opponent. Djokovic playing magnificently is a joy to watch as always," a fan wrote.
"He is so humble, modest and such a talented good player. #Djokovic continues to dominate with his fair-play as he does every time. Next round, idemo," another user said.
"Its a pity Tim Van Rijthoven had to come up against Novak Djokovic in the 4th round as I suspect he could defeat every other player in the Wimbledon field this year on this form," another fan tweeted.
"As always, Djokovic demonstrates why he's often told to be the greatest returner of serve ever. Great performance by him. What I'm more impressed with is Van Rijthoven's positive attitude as a player and person. Staying back to sign merchandise from fans despite a tough loss," another user wrote.

Novak Djokovic sets up quarterfinal clash with Jannik Sinner

Novak Djokovic leads the head-to-head against Jannik Sinner 1-0.
Novak Djokovic leads the head-to-head against Jannik Sinner 1-0.

Having dropped just two sets in his first four matches, World No. 3 Novak Djokovic seems unbeatable in the tournament where he hasn't lost since 2017. Even in 2017, he had to retire mid-match due to an injury. The last time he lost a completed match at SW19 was in 2016 against American Sam Querrey.

Djokovic's opponent in the quarterfinals this time will be Italy's Jannik Sinner. Although the 20-year-old isn't as experienced as Djokovic and hasn't reached a Grand Slam semifinal yet, he is in great form to make things difficult for the 20-time Major winner.

In his fourth-round match against Carlos Alcaraz, the 10th seed played at an unbelievable level to eliminate the Spaniard 6-1, 6-4, 6-7(8), 6-3 en route to his first Slam showdown with Djokovic. Sinner and Djokovic have so far faced each other just once in Monte Carlo last year, where the Serb won in straight sets.

How did Novak Djokovic meet Jelena Ristic? All about the most admired couples in tennis