Djoker is not amused

London, July 12
Three-time champion Novak Djokovic overcame an injury scare to reach the Wimbledon quarterfinals for the ninth time on Tuesday and then lashed out at the Centre Court, claiming a hole has opened up on the famous surface.
The second seed needed treatment on his long-standing right shoulder injury during his 6-2 7-6(5) 6-4 win over France’s Adrian Mannarino.
But as well as worrying about the state of his shoulder, the 30-year-old slammed the poor quality of the All England Club courts.
“I told the chair umpire that there was a hole in the middle of the court on the service line. I showed him and he was not very pleased about it,” said Djokovic. “The courts are not great this year and many of the players feel the same. I am sure the groundsmen are the best in the world, but grass is the most complex surface to maintain. I have played on better courts.”
Treatment
Djokovic needed treatment on his right shoulder after the fifth game of the third set and a medical timeout at 4-3 to treat the same problem.
He had already summoned the doctor after just three games of the opening set.
“We’ll see on the shoulder. It is something which I have been dragging back and forth for a while but I am still managing to play,” he added.
Djokovic will face the Czech Republic’s Tomas Berdych on Wednesday for a semifinal spot, boasting a 25-2 career record over the 2010 Wimbledon runner-up.
Berdych will have had a day more to rest up for the match as Djokovic and Mannarino were scheduled to have played their last-16 match on Monday. However, their tie was pushed back to Tuesday after Gilles Muller and Rafael Nadal played out a marathon fourth round match which lasted a shade under five hours.
Djokovic and Mannarino were first up under the Centre Court roof as rain fell on the courts. “It was a long day yesterday for both of us waiting for an entire day,” said Djokovic. “I’m glad it’s all done and looking forward to the next one. I haven’t dropped a set yet on grass this season either here or in Eastbourne. I have been feeling really good. I am motivated to go as far as I can.”
Berdych hasn’t defeated Djokovic since 2013 but he did triumph over the Serb at Wimbledon in the semifinals seven years ago.