A HUGE manic Monday at Wimbledon was always set to be a cracker, and with a couple of intriguing upsets in tow the fourth round of men’s action did not disappoint. Whilst the last matchup of the day between Daniil Medvedev and Hubert Hurkacz was suspended midway through the fourth set due to rainfall, the remaining seven results were remarkably mixed.

Two of the day’s upsets involved five sets, as 20-year-old Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime and Hungarian Marton Fucsovics both reigned supreme over higher ranked opposition. Auger-Aliassime created a huge upset with a topsy-turvy 6-4 7-6(6) 3-6 3-6 6-4 victory over fourth seed German Alexander Zverev, coming from 2-4 down in both the first and second sets – as well as battling a brief rain delay – to claim the huge four hour clash.

“It’s a dream come true, I’m just a normal guy from Canada,” Auger-Aliassime said. “It’s the biggest victory of my life, under a closed roof the atmosphere was amazing and I’m living this win with you.”

“It was super difficult, knowing I have never beaten him, let alone won a set against Alex,” he said. “When he started to come back I really needed to dig deep and without the fans it would have been a lot tougher.”

Auger-Aliassime hit a whopping 54 winners – including 17 aces – utilising his impressive forehand on his way to the fifth top 10 win of his career, and ultimately the biggest so far.

Meanwhile, 48th ranked Fucsovics came from behind to topple fifth seed Andrey Rublev, 6-3 4-6 4-6 6-0 6-3, well and truly earning his maiden grand slam quarter final appearance. The unseeded Hungarian is the first from his nation to make the Wimbledon quarter finals since 1948, and the first to make an overall grand slam quarter since the 1981 Roland Garros.

“From the beginning, I had a very good feeling on the court,” Fucsovics said post-match. “I was serving well. I was moving very well. I hit the ball very well. I hit a lot of winners, so I was very confident.”

“In the second and third sets, I had some unlucky service games where Andrey made very good returns, but then I took a toilet break and I calmed down a little bit,” Fucsovics said. “When I stepped on the court again, I was very relaxed. I started to serve unbelievable. Big serves, aces. Then I felt that when I broke him [in the fourth set] that I had a good chance to turn this around.”

Despite a shaky history against Rublev, which included the Russian winning the duo’s past five matches throughout 2020/21, Fucsovics turned the tables this time on the grass and “took [his] chances”.

“I was not thinking about the previous matches. This one was a different match,” Fucsovics said. “We played on grass. I really like the surface. I think my game fits the surface very well. I think Andrey’s game is not the best on grass, so I just was focusing on the next points. I took my chances. I didn’t give up. Then that was the key.”

Also coming away with an upset was 10th seed Denis Shapovalov, who joined compatriot Auger-Aliassime in the quarters following a two hour and seven-minute clash with eighth seed Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut, 6-1 6-3 7-5. While not quite as big an upset with just two ranks separating the competitors, it was hugely significant in a different way – the first time multiple Canadian men have reached the quarter-finals at a Grand Slam.

“I played some really high-level tennis today,” Shapovalov said. “I got a little bit nervous in the third set, but that is totally normal, and I dealt with that really well. I played flawlessly and I am super happy with myself.”

“To beat a player like [Roberto] Bautista Agut in straight sets backs up my level from my match against Andy [Andy Murray]. I am happy, I feel like I am improving every single match. I knew it was going to be a process on this surface, to really develop my game on it. I have always loved playing on it [grass], it is just about getting comfortable.”

Meanwhile, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer both came away victorious in straight sets, as the world number one overcame Cristian Garin 6-2 6-4 6-2 in one hour and 49 minutes, while the Swiss Maestro proved too good for Italian Lorenzo Sonego, coming away with the 7-5 6-4 6-2 victory. Matteo Berrettini claimed the quickest win honours with a 6-4 6-3 6-1 sweep of unseeded Belarusian Ilya Ivashka, requiring two minutes less than Djokovic to cement his spot in the quarter finals, while Karen Khachanov could very well be the last Russian standing if Medvedev cannot retain his marginal lead, as the 25th seed disposed of unseeded American Sebastian Korda in five, 3-6 6-4 6-3 5-7 10-8.

WIMBLEDON ROUND OF 16 RESULTS:

[1] Novak Djokovic (SRB) defeated [17] Cristian Garin (CHI) 6-2 6-4 6-2
[16] Felix Auger-Aliassime (CAN) defeated [4] Alexander Zverev (GER) 6-4 7-6 3-6 3-6 6-4
Marton Fucsovics (HUN) defeated [5] Andrey Rublev (RUS) 6-3 4-6 4-6 6-0 6-3
[6] Roger Federer (SUI) defeated [23] Lorenzo Sonego (ITA) 7-5 6-4 6-2
[7] Matteo Berrettini (ITA) defeated Ilya Ivashka (BLR) 6-4 6-3 6-1
[10] Denis Shapovalov (CAN) defeated [8] Roberto Bautista Agut (ESP) 6-1 6-3 7-5
[25] Karen Khachanov (RUS) defeated Sebastian Korda (USA) 3-6 6-4 6-3 5-7 10-8

[2] Daniil Medvedev (RUS) leads [14] Hubert Hurkacz (POL) 6-2 6-7 6-3 3-4

Picture credit: Mike Hewitt/Getty Images