Sam Querrey beats Djokovic 7-6(6) 6-1 3-6 7-6 5) ending his 30-match winning streak at Grand Slams
LONDON: World number one and defending champion Novak Djokovic was facing Wimbledon humiliation on Friday before rain saved him from his worst defeat at the tournament since 2008. The three-time champion, who is already halfway to the first calendar Grand Slam in 47 years, dropped the first two sets of his third round clash against American 28th seed Sam Querrey 7-6 (8/6), 6-1. But after just 73 minutes of action, rain sent them running for cover off Court One, giving 12-time major winner Djokovic welcome sanctuary before play was called off for the day on the outside courts. By that stage, only 17 of the scheduled 32 ties had been completed. Djokovic, who has an 8- 1 record over Querrey, has made at least the quarterfinals on his last seven visits to Wimbledon since losing to Marat Safin in the second round eight years ago. He has also made the last eight of each of the last 28 Grand Slams since losing to Philipp Kohlschreiber in the third round of the 2009 French Open. In another match, third seed Roger Federer racked up his 150th tour-level win on grass as the world number three crushed Britain’s Daniel Evans 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 in the Wimbledon third round on Friday. Third seed Federer, bidding for a record eighth Wimbledon title, will face Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov or Steve Johnson of the United States for a place in the quarter-finals. The 17-time Grand Slam champion is yet to drop a set in this year’s tournament and he is comfortably through to the second week. Federer, beaten in the last two Wimbledon finals by Djokovic, has been aided by a generous draw that pitted him against two lowly Brits in world number 772 Marcus Willis and then world number 91 Evans. Young gun Zverev fires way into third round Germany’s Zverev, 19, the youngest player in the top 50, won 6-4, 3-6, 6-0, 4- 6, 6-2 in three hours and 19 minutes on Court 8 in a match that was halted for a final time due to rain on Friday with Zverev 2-1 up in the final set. (Agencies)