The Peninsula Times - Djokovic, Sinner aim to book Wimbledon blockbuster

In the women's event, Japan's Naomi Osaka hopes to move a step closer to a maiden Wimbledon crown.

AFP Sport looks at the quarter-final action on the ninth day of the tournament (x denotes seeding):

Novak Djokovic (SRB x7) v Felix Auger-Aliassime (CAN x3)

Head to head level at 1-1

-- At an age when most of his contemporaries have long since retired, Djokovic remains at the cutting edge in his quest for success.

Amassing 24 Grand Slam titles and countless other prizes across the world hasn't sated the 39-year-old's thirst for more silverware.

Djokovic hopes to equal Roger Federer's record of eight Wimbledon singles titles by winning a record 25th major.

That would make him the oldest man to win a Grand Slam in the Open era.

But the path to tennis immortality won't be easy, with Canadian rising star Auger-Aliassime -- aiming to make his first Wimbledon semi-final -- lying in wait before a potential heavyweight encounter against defending champion Sinner.

No wonder Djokovic is turning to technology to keep his body in peak condition.

"I think the amount of time I spend recovering nowadays is more than I have ever done. It's just the demands of the body nowadays - more wear and tear," he said.

"Throughout my career, I always try to look what can give me an edge. What's the best recovery, wellness technology out there.

"From hyperbaric chambers, to cryo chambers, to cold immersions, to red light therapy to pulse electromagnetic therapies, to... There's a lot of things that I have used."

Naomi Osaka (JPN x14) v Karolina Muchova (CZE x10)

Head to head level at 3-3

-- Five years after she last won a Grand Slam, Japanese star Osaka is finally making waves at Wimbledon.

The 28-year-old has twice won Grand Slams in both Melbourne and New York, but success in London had been hard to come by until her superb fourth-round win over world number one Aryna Sabalenka.

Having dazzled Wimbledon fans with her eye-catching walk-on outfits, Osaka wants make a statement with her tennis as she competes in the last eight at the All England Club for the first time.

Former French Open finalist Muchova, 29, is also hoping to make the Wimbledon semi-finals for the first time.

Jannik Sinner (ITA x1) v Jan-Lennard Struff (GER)

Sinner leads head to head 3-0

-- With Wimbledon basking in sweltering temperatures this week, Sinner has to answer some uncomfortable questions about his ability to withstand the heat.

The 24-year-old Italian wilted in the recent French Open when the mercury reached boiling point, sparking a stunning second-round defeat against Juan Manuel Cerundolo, who battled back from two sets and 5-1 down to beat Sinner.

Bidding to win Wimbledon for the second successive year, the four-time Grand Slam champion is adamant he can cope with the London heatwave when he faces Jan-Lennard Struff -- at 36 the oldest man to become a first-time quarter-finalist at the majors in the Open era.

"I feel I'm well-prepared. We did a good preparation. Whatever happened in the past, it's gone already. Now we see if we found a solution," Sinner said.

"But in any case, quarter-final of a Grand Slam, the feelings are different. There is definitely more tension. In the same time, I'm very happy where I am at the moment. Then we see how it goes."

Jessica Pegula (USA x4) v Coco Gauff (USA x7)

Pegula leads head to head 5-3

-- The all-American encounter on Centre Court pits two players aiming to reach the Wimbledon semi-finals for the first time.

Pegula, 32, is in her second Wimbledon quarter-final and has never won a Grand Slam.

Gauff -- a two-time major champion -- is appearing in the last eight at the All England Club for the first time.

(Z.Nkosi--TPT)