Novak Djokovic has progressed through to the Wimbledon quarter-finals after he defeated Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in straight sets.
The number one seed coasted through the opening two sets, before Tsonga responded in the third with some ruthless hitting from the back of the court.
However, Djokovic withstood everything that the Frenchman had to offer to record a 6-3 6-4 7-6 victory to move through to a last-eight tie with Marin Cilic.
Read below to see how the match unfolded on Centre Court.
Hello, and welcome to Sports Mole's live coverage of the match between Novak Djokovic and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the fourth round at Wimbledon.
Anyone for a bit of late-night tennis under the roof? You're going to get your wish tonight. After a couple of breaks for rain during the day, the third and final match on Centre Court today will get underway in just under 10 minutes, and what a cracker it should be!
This will be the 17th meeting between Djokovic and Tsonga, with Djokovic winning 12 of those matches. Tsonga's last victory over the number one seed came nearly four-and-a-half years ago. Still, that run has got to end at some point, right? It will be Djokovic to serve first.
Djokovic holds comfortably to love, which includes a booming forehand from corner to corner. Sign of things to come?
Tsonga responds with a hold to love of his own. Neither men are showing any kind of nerves.
Tsonga explodes into life from the baseline with a forehand winner, but Djokovic records four points in a row to take the game. Not many rallies to speak of so far.
It's another confident hold from the Frenchman, He gets the better of the number one seed in the first lengthy exchange of the match before forcing the mistake out of Djokovic from the back of the court.
Tsonga thinks he has 0-30, but Djokovic makes a successful challenge and the point is replayed. That changes the momentum of the game and Djokovic takes four points in a row. Five games have flown by in the opening 12 minutes.
BREAK! A poor volley sees Tsonga fall 0-15 behind before Djokovic comes out on top in two rallies to earn three break points. The first two are saved, but Tsonga goes long on the third and the Serbian has the opening break of the match.
Djokovic has started this match at such a high level, but Tsonga takes two points in a row to get back to 30-30. The number seed comes through easily enough, though, as two first serves find the mark.
Three huge serves quickly take Tsonga to 40-0, and a love service-hold is completed when Djokovic sends a return wide.
SET! Does Djokovic have somewhere that he needs to be? More aggression from the baseline sees him take the first point, before an ace and an unreturned first serve bring up three set points. Tsonga saves the first two, but a blistering ace out wide seals the first set for Djokovic in 25 minutes.
Tsonga needs an immediate reply given the manner in which he lost that first set, and he provides one. Djokovic shows the he is on his A-game with another superb winner, but Tsonga holds to 15.
Tsonga has an opening at 0-15, but Djokovic puts four quick points together to level the score at the start of the set.
The Frenchman is beginning to find his range when he becomes embroiled in rallies against Djokovic, but the odd glaring mistake is still present in his game. The number one seed pulls the scores back to 30-30, but Tsonga takes two points to hold serve.
Two aces in a row take Djokovic to 40-0, but Tsonga gets on the board with a simple passing shot. Tsonga successfully challenges an out-call, but Djokovic delivers a third ace on the re-played point.
There is little subtly in Tsonga's play but that's perhaps what he needs to do to combat Djokovic's shots from the baseline. The Frenchman holds to love to edge back ahead.
I should probably start to think about using copy and paste. As with a few previous games, Djokovic storms into a 40-0 advantage, and although he nets on the next, he holds to 15.
BREAK! At 30-15, Tsonga looks in control of the game, but a solid return of serve from Djokovic forces the mistake. The next point sees the two battle it out in the longest rally of the match, but Tsonga nets to give the break point to his opponent, who takes full advantage when the Frenchman goes long. That could be a crucial moment in the match.
This has been a sensational serving display from Djokovic. He sends down an eighth ace and a glorious backhand winner on the way to holding to love.
Two more winners from the back of the court see Djokovic earn three set points, but Tsonga comes roaring back with three routine points on serve. Djokovic should have a fourth set point, but he misses an easy volley, and Tsonga holds when a first serve is sent into the net by the Serbian.
SET! Brutal. Djokovic backs up two serves by putting away the second shot into the corners before three set points are created when Tsonga goes wide. The second set is taken when Tsonga sends a forehand wide and in under an hour, Djokovic moves one away from the last eight.
What has Tsonga got left? If that game is anything to go by, then he has plenty! A hold to love with a couple of aces gets the Frenchman the early advantage in the third.
Tsonga has a look in at 15-15, but two dominating points from Djokovic sees him move to 40-15. Tsonga responds with a thunderous return of serve to remain in the game, but Djokovic prevails with a simple volley at the net.
Tsonga hooks a forehand wide on the first point, but he regains his composure with an ace and a forehand winner to move to 40-15 before taking the game when Djokovic nets a return. We've had a total of 21 games in 68 minutes!
In little more than a minute, Djokovic breezes through another service game to love. It's going to take some effort from Tsonga to break serve.
At 15-15, Tsonga goes wide when in a position to hit a winner before Djokovic forces a mistake out of his opponent to bring up two break points. However, they are both saved by the Frenchman, the second with an ace, and he gets through the game when Djokovic dumps an easy forehand into the net.
An unsuccessful challenge from Tsonga results in him falling 30-15 behind, but a forehand winner opens up possibilities at 30-30. He can't get to break point on this occasion, but he has deuce when Djokovic goes long. He manages to keep Djokovic in the game for a couple more deuces, but he can't get over the line. Encouraging signs, though.
Well, maybe not so encouraging. A double fault from Tsonga helps Djokovic get to 0-30, but the Frenchman shows a fine touch at the net on the way to getting back to 30-30. Tsonga has the momentum and a crunching forehand winner sees him hold serve. A HUGE hold of serve at that.
The Centre Court crowd are fully behind Tsonga - they want to see some more tennis! He should have 0-30 too, but he goes wide with an attempted forehand winner. But Djokovic is beginning to wilt a little - not much, but enough to make two errors to give Tsonga 15-40. The Frenchman needs to strike here, but he can't convert! Djokovic plays two excellent points, first hitting an ace before forcing Tsonga to lob long. The Serbian eventually comes through when Tsonga can't handle a first serve. That was a big hold, and Tsonga will have to dig deep to hold here.
Or, maybe not! One ferocious smash is followed by three aces for a hold to love and Djokovic must serve to remain in this set.
The power in some of these shots is incredible! Despite conceding a couple of points to the Frenchman, Djokovic remains in control of the game to hold to 30. He's not having it all his own way now - if Tsonga wins this set, it could get very interesting.
It's all or nothing as far as Tsonga is concerned right now, and the chances that he is taking with his shots from the baseline are paying off. He allows Djokovic back into the game at 40-30, but a body serve helps him convert the second game point.
An ace out wide gets Djokovic off to a positive start before Tsonga fails to make the most of a weak second serve. Djokovic looks more focused in this game, and a flat forehand into the open court see him earn the tie-break.
The pair trade aces on the first two points before Djokovic edges ahead with a serve out wide. Tsonga replies with a second successive ace before benefiting from a net cord to deny Djokovic the mini-break and the Serbian grimaces, holding the shoulder that he hurt against Gilles Simon on Friday. It doesn't deny him levelling the tie-break at the change of ends.
MATCH! Djokovic regains the lead with another serve out wide, but Tsonga responds with another power serve down the middle. HUGE from Tsonga, who blasts down another ace to the same place. That registered 133mph. What a response from Djokovic, though, who fires a drive volley into the open court. Will it be set point to Tsonga or match point to Djokovic? It's MATCH point to Djokovic after a return from Tsonga goes long. Djokovic makes a blistering return and thinks he has won the match, but it's called out. Djokovic challenges, and wins the challenge! What drama. Djokovic is through to the quarter-finals.
It may have lasted short of two hours but what a standard of tennis match we have just witnessed. It was almost perfection from Djokovic, who displayed why he has won six major titles. Tsonga was equally impressive in the third, but he didn't have enough to take the match into a fourth set.
Djokovic will now play Marin Cilic in the last four.
That will be all from Sports Mole for this match. We hope to see you again tomorrow when the likes of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal will be on court. Goodbye for now.
Written by
Darren Plant
Darren Plant
