Novak Djokovic surpasses Roger Federer’s Wimbledon win total to reach last eight with four-set victory over Roman Safiullin on Centre Court

Novak Djokovic broke the record for most Wimbledon match-wins in men's singles as he moved into the quarter finals with a four-set victory over Roman Safiullin.

The 39-year-old Serb edged beyond Roger Federer with his 106th success in SW19 courtesy of a 7-6 6-3 3-6 6-3 triumph on Centre Court.

The seven-time champion will now meet Felix Auger-Aliassime or Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the last eight.

It was world number 132, Safiullin who took charge of a hard-fought opener as he built upon Djokovic’s struggles with the sun to rampage into a 5-2 lead.

The Russian failed to convert two set points on the Serb’s serve and it proved key as the seventh seed broke back to level and force a tie-break.

Safiullin again did the early running but could not build upon a 3-1 advantage and Djokovic eventually clinched the breaker 8-6 to claim a one-hour and two-minute set.

The seven-time champion was more consistent in the second and broke in the sixth game before a pair of serve-volley routines helped him ease his way into a two-set advantage.

The third stanza was far more unpredictable with Djokovic disgruntled and distracted as his opponent twice earned a break advantage.

There was more than a hint of déjà vu with the Russian qualifier taking a 5-2 lead again after a medical-time for treatment on his hip, but this time the 28-year-old held his nerve to serve out the set.

It would prove to be a false dawn as Djokovic broke early in the fourth and didn’t look back, serving out to love with a delicious volley to complete victory in three hours and 26 minutes.

Novak Djokovic has claimed his 106th Men’s Singles match win at Wimbledon, surpassing Roger Federer (105) for the outright-most of any player in the Open Era.

The seven-time champion marches on!

The 39-year-old nails his 10th ace of the day and two more unreturnables to tee up triple match point before a sweet, angled volley sees him serve out to love.

Djokovic makes the most of a sensational crosscourt return to fizz away a super backhand winner and press at 15-30 after Safiullin had double faulted at 15-0.

The Russian unleashes a deep backhand down the line and slaps down a body serve to steady the ship before Djokovic makes deuce with a a brilliant, cross-court forehand.

However, the world number 132 clatters away a bounce smash and lashes an ace down the T to duck out of dodge and give himself one last shot at a plot twist.

Djokovic shows more frustration as he fires a forehand long at 15-0 after having to adjust to another net cord.

This time the seven-time champion resets quickly and a smash at the net concludes a game to 15 that moves him to within one of victory.

Safiullin punches away a crisp volley and follows it with a more deft touch at the net as he shrugs off a scorching return winner from his opponent to stay in touch with a hold to 15.

Djokovic drags a tired backhand up the line and into the alley following a lung-bursting rally, but reasserts his authority at 30-15 with more intelligent use of the serve and volley.

The Serbinator throws his hands into the air in a strange celebration as Roman blinks first in another energy-sapping exchange, but is venting frustration again as a behind-the-back improvised effort hits the net after the Russian had clawed back an overhead.

Safiullin can’t finde the island searching for depth in the ensuing point and Djoker edges through to 30 to stay on course for the finish line.

Safiullin is too casual with a volley as he dumps Nole’s rocket pass into the net.

However, the Serb is disappointed as he lashes a make-able return into the net at Pulp and the Russian zaps away a plus-one crosscourt forehand to stop the rot and get back on the board.

Novak blots his copybook with a Hollywood jump volley at the net at 40-0 and the game becomes awkward when he shunts a forehand into the net.

Safiullin can’t keep the heat on as he loops a forehand long and allows the seventh seed to consolidate without further stress.

Djokovic gives a signal that he put the distractions to one side with a devilishly deep return that forces a short ball for him to hammer away a crosscourt forehand.

Safiullin struggles to gain traction in the game and shanks an awful overhead long to cough up triple break point.

Djokovic just needs the one as he flashes away another forehand to break to love and seize control.

Safiullin’s deep return position has been punished time and time again by Nole today and it pays dividends here as the 39-year-old works his way back from 0-30.

A delicious, floaty backhand down the line proves too good for Novak to claw a volley over the net, but the Russian shanks a forehand way off the island to blow the break point.

Roman makes life easy for the seventh seed from there as the 24-time Major winner ducks out of danger to open the fourth stanza with a resilient hold.

The qualifier bits back from 0-15 as he feathers a tricky volley onto the tape and over on his way to notching up two set points.

Djokovic fires a backhand on the first of them and the Russian is back in business!

Djokovic finally re-focuses with an efficient hold to 15.

Roman will now try to serve out the set – and will hope to do a better job than he did in the opener…

Djokovic is clearly very distracted now and internally fuming.

The seventh seed barely finds the island as Safiullin races through to consolidate via a clean hold.

Safiullin returns to court following some extensive massaging of his hip to unleash a wrong-footing forehand down the line.

Djokovic appears irritable and frustrated by something and a stray forehand wide gifts the world number 132 triple break point.

The Serb saves one and then conjures up a special crosscourt forehand pass to beat Safiullin’s dominant position at the net and erase a second.

The seven-time champion hauls himself to deuce with a bold second serve but lashes a forehand long to offer up a fourth chance.

The 39-year-old wipes that out with another intelligent use of the serve and volley but he goes to that well once too often and Roman notches up a fifth opportunity with a return winner down the line.

One of the rallies of the match ensues with Safiullin angling an acrobatic backhand overhead just wide after Nole had lifted up a desperate lob from a delightful re-drop.

The Russian refuses to go away and finally converts on a SIXTH when he fizzes a forehand through Novak to punish a weak drop volley.

It’s too much for the Serb, who hammers away a ball in frustration.

‘Nole, Nole, Nole, Nole,’ is the chant from a clutch of super-Djoker fans as he reads a forecourt forehand and turns the rally around to pose a threat with a sweet dropper from 40-15 down.

The Serb’s hefty strike down the line lures an error long to make deuce, but Safiullin resets with a thumping serve and then paints the baseline to force a riposte long.

It’s a gutsy hold from the Russian, who will now see the trainer at the sit-down and get treatment on his left hip area (the same problem that has seen him miss a lengthy period on tour).

Djokovic consolidates the break back with a ruthless love hold.

The Serb’s son Stefan was clearly not concerned by the early dip in the third, as he has been absorbed by a card game in his father’s box since seeing him move two sets to the good.

It’s an unusual way of saying ‘ You’ve got this, Dad,’…

Safiullin fluffs his lines with a trio of unforced errors spewing off his forehand to gift-wrap triple break back point.

Djokovic sizzles a backhand long in the first but lands a beauty of a lob on the second to bite straight back.

Djokovic is evidently suffering a lull following the lengthy spell between sets.

The Serb lands a timely first serve to hit back from 15-30 but rifles an awkward backhand wide before dumping a tame forehand into the net.