Novak Djokovic aimed a brutal swing at the Wimbledon crowd after slamming "disrespect" from Centre Court spectators towards him during his victory over Holger Rune. (More Tennis News)
The 24-time grand slam champion breezed past Rune in straight sets on Monday, reaching his 15th quarter-final at the grass-court major, a tally only bettered by Roger Federer (18).
Denmark's Rune struggled throughout a humbling 6-3 6-4 6-2 defeat, though enjoyed the majority support at Wimbledon's top attraction, with Djokovic shushing the crowd at one point during the second set.
The seven-time Wimbledon winner noted that interaction in his on-court interview, hitting back at those who were against him.
"To all the fans that have had respect and stayed here tonight, I thank you from the bottom of my heart and I appreciate it," a visibly frustrated Djokovic said.
"And to all those people that have chosen to disrespect the player, in this case, me, have a good night!"
When Rishi Persad, master of ceremonies on Centre Court, suggested the support was purely for Rune and not to disrespect, Djokovic doubled down on his assessment.
"They were. They were. I am not accepting it. No, no, no, I know they were cheering for Rune but that's an excuse to also boo," the 37-year-old responded.
"Listen, I have been on the tour for more than 20 years. I know all the tricks. I focus on the respectful people that pay for the ticket, and love tennis and appreciate the players.
"I have played in much more hostile environments, trust me – you guys can't touch me."
Rune failed to break Djokovic's service throughout a one-sided clash as the latter set up a quarter-final meeting with ninth seed Alex de Minaur.
"I don't think he has played anywhere close to his best to be honest," Djokovic said of his 15th-seed opponent. "It was a tough start for him. He lost the first 12 points and I think that got to him mentally.
"Waiting all day to come out on the court is never easy. The tension is building up and [you are] stressed to get out on the court.
"On my end I think I've done things at the important moments. Things could have looked different if I lost those services games but very solid at the end and I'm very happy to get through in straight sets."
Djokovic appeared a doubt for this tournament, having pulled out of the French Open midway through at Roland-Garros before undergoing surgery for a troublesome knee issue.
"I'm feeling great on the court and let's take it day by day," Djokovic assured.
"There's always something to work on in the off days. I'll speak with my team tomorrow and analyse this match and get ready for the next one."
