London, July 5 -- A code violation for an audible obscenity, a dropped set, and an inspired opponent could not derail Novak Djokovic as the seven-time Wimbledon champion battled past Russian qualifier Roman Safiullin 7-6(6), 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 to storm into the quarterfinals in a dramatic fourth-round clash on Sunday.
The 39-year-old Serbian, chasing a record 25th Grand Slam singles title, found himself under sustained pressure from the fearless Safiullin, who matched him from the baseline and threatened one of the biggest upsets of the tournament by claiming the third set. But Djokovic's trademark resilience, coupled with his clinical serving under pressure, saw him emerge victorious after three-and-a-half hours of absorbing tennis.
Djokovic ...