Fifth seed Juan Martin del Potro overcame service troubles and Benoit Paire’s fine serve-and-volley game to beat the Frenchman 6-4 7-6(4) 6-3 on Court Two and reach the Wimbledon fourth round for the fourth time.
The big Argentine world No.4, who has yet to drop a set, looked on for a routine win before meeting sterner resistance in the second set from Paire, who delighted the crowd with his drop shots and a break of serve to go 4-2 up on Saturday.
Del Potro, a semi-finalist in 2013, immediately broke back after a slip by Paire and fears he might have hurt his heavily bandaged knee, but the Frenchman resumed and saw the set through to the tiebreak, but lost it 7-4.
The 47th-ranked Paire, who reached the fourth round last year and won his only previous meeting with Del Potro in Rome in 2013, then had a rant at the umpire after a successful challenge to an out call.
“What are you doing, it was right on the line,” he shouted evidently unimpressed with the umpire’s calls.
Del Potro, looking for a second Grand Slam title after the U.S. Open in 2009, marched into a 3-0 lead in the deciding set only to allow Paire back to 3-3 with a broken service game that included three double faults.
However, the Argentine, who had problems throughout the match serving into the sun at the northern end of the court, broke again and took it in straight sets.
Former runner-up Milos Raonic returned to finish off Austrian qualifier Dennis Novak and also booked his place in the fourth round.
The Canadian had split the first two sets on Friday and was 6-5 ahead when play was suspended because of fading light.
When play resumed on a stifling Court 12, the 13th seed quickly polished off the third set and cruised through the fourth to claim a 7-6(5) 4-6 7-5 6-2 victory.
It was fourth time in five years that Raonic had reached the fourth round.
Raonic, who was runner-up to Andy Murray in 2016, will face American Mackenzie McDonald in the last 16 on Monday.