Wimbledon, Jul 5: Two-time defending champion Novak Djokovic held every service game Monday and reached his 50th Grand Slam quarterfinal by beating No. 17-seeded Cristian Garin at Wimbledon, 6-2, 6-4, 6-2.

Djokovic earned his 12th quarterfinal berth at Wimbledon, which ties him with Arthur Gore for third place on the men's all-time list, behind Roger Federer's 18 and Jimmy Connors' 14.

Three men became first-time Wimbledon quarterfinalists, including No. 25 Karen Khachanov of Russia, who won a bizarre fifth set to beat American Sebastian Korda on his 21st birthday, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3, 5-7, 10-8. With both players battling fatigue and nerves, there were 13 services breaks in the final set.

For Korda, it was a disappointing end to an otherwise impressive Wimbledon debut.

Khachanov will next face No. 10 Denis Shapovalov, who hit 15 aces and beat No. 8 Roberto Bautista Agut 6-1, 6-3, 7-5.

Khachanov and Shapovalov joined Wimbledon's final eight for the first time, as did No. 7 Matteo Berrettini, who became the first Italian man in 23 years to reach the quarterfinals by ousting Ilya Ivashka 6-4, 6-3, 6-1.

Top-ranked Ash Barty also became a first-time Wimbledon quarterfinalist when she beat French Open champion Barbora Krejc kov 7-5, 6-3. Barty was troubled again by a shaky serve but saved eight of 10 break points and did manage an ace on match point to end Krejc kov 's 15-match win streak.

Barty has yet to play her best in the tournament but is the favorite to claim her second Grand Slam title. The Australian won the 2019 French Open and was the Wimbledon girls singles champion in 2011.

I love coming out here and test myself against the best in the world, Barty told the crowd.

And there's certainly no place I'd rather be at the moment.

Ons Jabeur of Tunisia became the first Arab woman to reach the Wimbledon quarterfinals by rallying past 2020 French Open champion Iga Swiatek 5-7, 6-1, 6-1. Jabeur, seeded 21st, converted all seven-break point chances.

No. 2-seeded Aryna Sabalenka reached her first Grand Slam quarterfinal by defeating Elena Rybakina 6-3, 4-6, 6-3. No. 8 Karol na Pl kov hit 10 aces and eliminated Liudmila Samsonova 6-2, 6-3.

All 16 fourth-round matches for men and women were on the schedule to start the tournament's second week.

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Dubai: The Kannadigas Helpline team organised a virtual meeting to review the current situation in the UAE and gather information about stranded Kannadigas to share with the Karnataka government.

The meeting was led by non-resident businessman and advocate for non-resident Kannadigas (NRKs), Dr. Ronald Colaco. Addressing participants, Dr. Colaco said the UAE remains safe and expressed confidence that normalcy would return soon. He urged Kannadigas to follow guidelines issued by UAE authorities and cooperate with local officials.

Dr. Colaco also announced his readiness to bear the expenses required to maintain an emergency support system for tourists facing distress. He appealed to the Karnataka government to announce an emergency relief grant to assist affected individuals.

Legislative Council member S.L. Bojegowda, who is currently in Dubai, said clarity on the evolving situation is expected shortly. He stated that Minister Krishna Byre Gowda has been requested to sanction an emergency relief fund of Rs 2 crore to support distressed Kannadigas. According to him, the Minister has assured that the matter would be discussed with the Chief Minister.

Dr. Aarthi Krishna, Vice President of the Non-Resident Indian Committee and MLC, said she remains in constant contact with Gulf embassies and non-resident Kannadigas in the region. She added that updates are being regularly shared with the Karnataka government and that she is extending full cooperation to the Kannadigas Helpline team.

Karnataka NRI Forum President Praveen Shetty said non-resident Kannadigas in the UAE are safe and that local authorities have implemented necessary safety measures. He urged people not to panic or circulate unverified information on social media.

Hidayat Addur, Coordinator of the Kannadigas Helpline and BCCI UAE President, said the team is working round-the-clock to assist stranded individuals, including facilitating access to medical services when required.

Karnataka Sangha Dubai President Shashidhar Nagarajappa assured that helpline volunteers are available across Dubai, Sharjah, Abu Dhabi and Ajman to support Kannadigas in need.

Several community leaders and representatives participated in the meeting, including Daya Kirodian, Chandru Lingadalli, Mallikarjuna Gowda, Imran Khan, Shweta Jadhav, Manohar Hegde, Nagaraja Rao, Samad Birali, Salim Moodubidire, Samshuddin Piligudu, Rock Karnataka Sangh President Ramesh Rangappa and Kannada Pathashale Dubai representative Girish Worate.