The Albany Gazette - Osaka eyes Sabalenka revenge in Wimbledon last 16

Title rivals Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner aim to stay on track for a blockbuster semi-final showdown.

AFP Sport looks at three matches to watch on the seventh day of the tournament (x denotes seeding):

Aryna Sabalenka (BLR x1) v Naomi Osaka (JPN x14)

Sabalenka leads head to head 3-1

-- Osaka hopes to reach the Wimbledon quarter-finals for the first time by avenging a 7-5, 6-3 defeat against Sabalenka in the French Open last 16 in June.

The pair are both four-time Grand Slam champions who have never triumphed at Wimbledon.

They have already collided three times in 2026, with Sabalenka winning on the hard courts of Indian Wells, before clay clashes in Madrid and Roland Garros.

Having taking six out of the seven sets between them this year, Sabalenka is relishing their latest encounter.

"Yeah, it's been a great rivalry. Every time it's a battle. Every time it's high-level matches. Super excited to play her," she said.

Osaka, seeded 14th, is finally finding her groove on grass, helping by the eye-catching outfits she arrives on court wearing.

The 28-year-old believes all the talk about fashion has taken the pressure of her tennis.

"In some ways I feel like I'm a lot more equipped to talk about my clothes than about my tennis," Osaka said.

"She's the number one player in the world. If there is someone I had to lose to, I would pick that ranking position. If anything, I would say I learnt from all of those matches."

Jannik Sinner (ITA x1) v Shintaro Mochizuki (JPN)

First meeting

-- Sinner's bid for a second successive Wimbledon crown will get an unusual test from Japanese qualifier Mochizuki.

While Sinner's thunderous serve and blistering ground-strokes make him a formidable opponent on Wimbledon's fast grass-courts, Mochizuki hopes to unsettle the world number one by taking the opposite approach.

The 23-year-old enjoyed one of the best wins of his career when he shocked Spanish rising star Rafael Jodar in the third round.

It was the world number 151's sixth win since he arrived at Wimbledon in dismal form ahead of the qualifying stages last week.

"I was not winning much before coming here, and I don't know how I have been winning matches here," he said.

Asked if he would be intimidated to face Sinner, Mochizuki revealed his unorthodox game-plan.

"I think he's just a celebrity for me. It feels strange to play against him. But I'm sure he's gonna play very quick and try to destroy me," he said.

"I want to do whatever I can to, let's say, distract him, because just by hitting tennis balls, I don't think I can beat him.

"I want to do something else to make him uncomfortable. Like hitting balls low, coming into the net. I don't think he's used to these kind of players."

Novak Djokovic (SRB x7) v Roman Safiullin (RUS)

Djokovic leads head to head 3-0

-- Chasing a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam title, Djokovic is building momentum as he progresses towards his ninth successive Wimbledon quarter-final.

The 39-year-old hasn't missed out on the last eight at the All England Club since 2016.

It would be a monumental shock if Safiullin ends that streak in his first grass-court meeting with seven-time Wimbledon champion Djokovic.

But Djokovic can't afford to underestimate the Russian world number 132, who defeated Brazil's Joao Fonseca in the third round -- a feat the Serb couldn't manage when he was beaten by the teenager in the recent French Open.

Injury-plagued Safiullin, who hadn't won a single tour-level match this year before Wimbledon, came through qualifying to make the main draw.

The 2023 Wimbledon quarter-finalist wept tears of joy after beating Fonseca.

"Even half a year ago, I didn't know whether I would be able to come back. I'm super happy to be here," he said.

(E.Taylor--TAG)