Tennis Wimbledon Wimbledon Men's Singles -

Watch remarkable match point as Novak Djokovic AND opponent Arthur Rinderknech both left lying on Wimbledon grass as Roger Federer record equalled

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Novak Djokovic and his opponent, Arthur Rinderknech, played out a memorable match point at Wimbledon on Friday as the seven-time champion sealed victory in an exhilarating manner to reach the fourth round in style.

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Video credit: SNTV

Djokovic was not given an easy ride by the 25th seed as he battled through 7-5 6-4 1-6 7-6(4) to continue his progression at the All England Club, overcoming a wretched near-bagel in the third set.

The 39-year-old, who is seeded seventh at the tournament, has looked in very fine form on the grass so far, and that continued despite his mid-match wobble against the dangerous Frenchman.

Nothing summed up the highly competitive clash more than the match point, which brought the fans inside Centre Court to their feet. First, Rinderknech tumbled over as he desperately lunged forward for a drop volley, ending up flat on his face, lying sprawled across the hallowed turf.

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Not to be outdone in terms of theatrics and athleticism, Djokovic then defied his years by diving low to his left to scoop a very tricky low volley into the open court.

It was a thrilling way to clinch the victory, and with both players left lying on the grass, the crowd gave a huge ovation to show their delight at what they had just witnessed.

You can watch the dramatic point in the post below...

"I saw him slip and fall down, and I was just like 'please stay down!'" Djokovic explained when asked about the moment after the match.

"There was a lot of slipping and sliding, drop shots and cat-and-mouse play.

"He has that variety, the big powerful shots, comes into the net, changing the pace. He was taking me out of my comfort zone, and he did really well."

In reaching the fourth round at SW19 yet again, Djokovic drew level with fellow legend and former 'Big Three' rival, Roger Federer, for the most wins by a men's singles player at Wimbledon on 105. Martina Navratilova won a remarkable 120 times on the women's side.

What Djokovic said about Federer record

It was a fitting way for Djokovic to emulate Federer, and he duly paid tribute to the Swiss superstar in his post-match interview.

"I propose a match-up between me and Roger for 106," he said as the fans cheered with the mention of Federer.

"Let's just stop it here, and call Roger to come!

"To be able to make history on this court is a huge honour and privilege, particularly here. It's always been a dream childhood tournament of mine.

"I'm just really trying to win the match on a given day. Today, I was quite stressed out, more tension than usual. I knew it would be a challenging match, which it turned out to be.

"At this age and stage of my career, every day brings something new and unpredictable for me. I'm hoping that in a few days' time, I'll come out at my best."

Highlights: Djokovic and Sinner survive first-round scares as Sabalenka breezes through

Video credit: SNTV

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