Reigning Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic needs just one set to reach the quarter-finals after his thrilling match with Hubert Hurkacz could not be completed in time on Sunday night.
Djokovic edged out two fine tie-breaks, despite some powerful Hurkacz serving.
When it resumes on Monday, Djokovic will have a 7-6 (8-6) 7-6 (8-6) lead.
Russia's Andrey Rublev reached his first Wimbledon quarter-final with a five-set victory over Alexander Bublik, making a wonder shot in the final game.
Djokovic battles to lead against big-serving Hurkacz
Djokovic has won Wimbledon seven times and is aiming to equal Roger Federer's record of eight wins in the men's singles.
The 36-year-old Serb is yet to lose a set in this year's championships but had to fight back from 6-3 down in the opening tie-break, winning five points in a row, against the big-serving Pole, who failed to convert three successive set points.
The second set also went the distance as 17th seed Hurkacz, who beat Federer in the 2021 quarter-finals in what proved to be the Swiss legend's last game at Wimbledon, fought hard.
Hurkacz had earlier saved three break points in the seventh game of the second set, reaching speeds of 139mph with his serve and producing 23 aces in the opening two sets, but could not hold off Djokovic who again won the tie-break 8-6.
However, with the curfew of 23:00 BST coming, play was suspended with the match having to be played to a finish on Centre Court on Monday.
Djokovic's match started at 20:49 BST on Sunday following an excellent five-set encounter in the opening match on Centre, which Rublev took with a thrilling 7-5 6-3 6-7 (6-8) 6-7 (5-7) 6-4 win.
Bublik won the fourth and eighth games of the second set with underarm serves and fought back superbly before Rublev triumphed.
In the penultimate point of the match, the seventh seed dived to his right and found a winner that stunned the crowd.
Three-time Wimbledon champion John McEnroe, on commentary for BBC TV, described it as "one of the great shots" of recent years at the Championships, adding that it was "incredible" and "an electric way" to end the match.
Those who were inside a packed Centre Court crowd, treated to one of the matches of the tournament, were on their feet to applaud after the point.
Bublik looked stunned at the diving effort, before applauding from the other end of the court; however, Rublev later said it was a shot he would not be able to repeat.
"It was the most lucky shot ever," said Rublev. "It was luck, nothing else. I don't think I can do it one more time."
Andrey Rublev
Andrey Rublev won the match despite sustained a finger injury that needed a medical time out in the first set. He resumed with a bandaged finger
Rublev, 25, sustained a painful injury to his finger at 4-4 in the opener, signalling he was hurt and needing a medical timeout, but, with his finger bandaged up he was gifted the set thanks to 23rd seed Bublik's double fault when set point down.
But Bublik shocked and entertained the crowd with the underarm serves. The first came at the end of the fourth game in the second set, trailing 2-1, with Rublev just about getting there, but only sending his shot into the net.
The second happened with Bublik 5-2 behind, Rublev reaching the ball on its second bounce. Amusingly, Bublik's service game in between, the sixth of the second set, was the one where he lost his serve while utilising a regular service action.
Rublev was two points away from victory in the third set tie-break, as he fought back from 6-3 behind to 6-6, before Bublik clinched the set with a fine passing shot.
Bublik fought back from 5-3 down to take the fourth set tie-break to force a deciding set.
Russian players were banned at Wimbledon in 2022, following the country's military invasion of Ukraine, but they have returned this year, and Rublev advanced into the last eight after he gained a decisive break in the seventh game of the final set on his Centre Court debut.
Shapovalov out, but Dimitrov and Sinner advance
World number 92 Roman Safiullin had never got past the second round of a slam before this tournament but the Russian is into the quarter-finals after fighting back from a set down to beat Canada's 26th seed Denis Shapovalov.
Safiullin, 25, won 3-6 6-3 6-1 6-3 and will face eighth seed Jannik Sinner after the 21-year-old Italian defeated Colombia's Daniel Elahi Galan 7-6 (7-4) 6-4 6-3.
Bulgaria's Grigor Dimitrov wrapped up victory in the last of the third-round matches, beating American Frances Tiafoe, seeded 10th, in straight sets.
Dimitrov, the 21st seed, was two sets ahead on Saturday when rain forced the match to be suspended, with the 2014 semi-finalist sealing a comfortable 6-2 6-3 6-2 victory on Sunday.
He will face Danish sixth seed Holger Rune in the last 16 on Monday.
Source: BBC
BDST: 1315 HRS, JULY 10, 2023
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