WIMBLEDON, England - It is, to be sure, the stuff of movies: An oft-injured player ranked outside the top 100 in the world in men's tennis, making his Grand Slam debut thanks to a wild card, knocks out two seeded players on his way to a fourth-round matchup at Wimbledon against none other than No. 1 seed Novak Djokovic, the three-time reigning champion.
We can guess what Hollywood might do with that script. Tim van Rijthoven, a 25-year-old from the Netherlands, earned the chance to see what will happen in real life across the net from Djokovic after both men won in straight sets Friday at the All England Club.
"Before the tournament started, it was a dream for me to play him, basically. So to be able to have that chance, and to maybe even play on Centre Court or Court 1, is beautiful and magical," van Rijthoven said after beating No. 22 Nikoloz Basilashvili 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 on Court 12, with its capacity of 1,736, to become the first wild-card entry since 2015 to get to the round of 16 at the grass court major tournament.
"I go into every match thinking I can win the match," added van Rijthoven, whose baseline-based style eliminated No. 15 Reilly Opelka earlier in the week. "Also, against Djokovic, I'll go into that match thinking I can win that match."
Actually, until June, the Dutchman who sports a backward ballcap on court never had won a match on the ATP Tour. Since then he hasn't lost one, going 8-0, including a victory over top-ranked Daniil Medvedev to win the trophy at a grass-court event in van Rijthoven's own country.
"It's been a long one. I've had my ups and downs, injuries here and there. Also struggled mentally," said van Rijthoven, whose health challenges included wrist surgery, a procedure on a vein in his right arm because of thrombosis and nine months healing from "golfer's elbow" that, he noted with a smile, he incurred from playing tennis.
"I'm just happy to be in the place I am right now," he said. "I hope to be there for a couple more years - or a lot more years, actually."
If he's an unknown to most, he is not to Djokovic, who grabbed the initial seven games and then six of seven in a strong stretch later on during a 6-0, 6-3, 6-4 victory over No. 22 Miomir Kecmanovic at nearly 15,000-seat Centre Court.
That's in part because Djokovic is pals with van Rijthoven's coach, Igor Sijsling. And in part because he's been keeping an eye on the guy. So Djokovic offered a bit of a scouting report.
"His game, from what I've seen, is quite suitable to this surface. His big serve, one-handed backhand. Uses the slice well. He's an all-around player. He can play fast, he can also stay in the rally and come to the net," said Djokovic, who seemed to enjoy the sunny, breezy conditions in the afternoon, compiling a 36-13 edge in winners against Kecmanovic, his Serbian Davis Cup teammate.
And finally this on van Rijthoven: "I'm sure he's excited to play on a big stage. He doesn't have much to lose. He's on his dream run. He's a young player that is just starting, so I'm sure his career will be very good."
AP photo by Alastair Grant / Top-seeded Novak Djokovic, the three-time reigning men's singles champion at Wimbledon, is moving on to the fourth round.Other men's fourth-round matchups set up for the middle Sunday - traditionally an off day, that is now a scheduled day of play for the first time in the tournament's 145-year history - are No. 5 Carlos Alcaraz vs. No. 10 Jannik Sinner, David Goffin vs. No. 23 Frances Tiafoe, and No. 30 Tommy Paul vs. No. 9 Cam Norrie.
Djokovic is eyeing a seventh career title at Wimbledon and 21st major championship overall. Goffin is the only other player on the top half of the bracket who has ever been to the fourth round at the All England Club.
And Djokovic is the only man still around who reached last year's quarterfinals.
"I've been playing better and better as the tournament progresses," Djokovic said. "I always expect the highest of myself."
Women's fourth-rounders Sunday are No. 3 Ons Jabeur vs. No. 24 Elise Mertens, Tatjana Maria vs. No. 12 Jelena Ostapenko, Marie Bouzkova vs. Caroline Garcia, and Julie Niemeier vs. Heather Watson. One of those players will reach the title match; the only one who's ever participated in a Grand Slam singles final previously is 2017 French Open champion Ostapenko.
Watson, a 30-year-old British player, made her Grand Slam debut in 2010, and this is her 43rd appearance at a major. It is the first time she has reached the fourth round; the same is true for Niemeier, whose only previous major ended with a first-round exit at this year's French Open.
"Yeah, I was just sort of waiting for it to happen," Watson said. "I waited long enough, I think."