Wimbledon 2019 - Novak Djokovic breezes into quarter-finals with swift dismissal of Ugo Humbert

The world number one goes on to face David Goffin for a place in the last four after beating Humbert 6-3 6-2 6-3.

With the early Wimbledon exits of the game's brightest starlets - Stefanos Tsitsipas, Alexander Zverev, Auger-Aliassime and Denis Shapovalov - the hunt for a worthy successor to Djokovic, Rafa Nadal and Roger Federer seems as futile as ever.

"Wimbledon historically for many players and me included has been a special tournament that has motivated me throughout my life," Djokovic said. "I try not to take things for granted. We keep on going."

This is the first Wimbledon in the professional era when players aged 30 or over outnumbered 20-somethings and teenagers in the men's round of 16.

The nine elder statesmen who reached this stage also equalled the record for the most men in their 30s to reach the fourth round of a Grand Slam.

Significantly, however, that record was set at this year's French Open when once again tennis's old stagers remained stubbornly awkward to beat.

Humbert was not among the most feted of the rising stars and was only ranked 66 in the world, but after dashing the hopes of Auger-Aliassime, he became the youngest player left in the men's draw and a symbol of the future.

Humbert and 23-year-old Matteo Berrettini were the only players in the last 16 who were under the age of 27, another statistic that paints as bleak a picture for the future of men's tennis as Humbert's performance on Court One.

Djokovic flashed a brilliant backhand return to break in the fourth game of the first set, which he took in 32 minutes, and broke again in the third and seventh games of the second set.

You need to be technically solid as stone to trouble Djokovic, but Humbert was occasionally ragged, gifting points to the world number one, who accepted gleefully.

Djokovic, chasing a fifth Wimbledon title, broke serve twice more in the third set, sealing victory when Humbert netted a forehand to set up a last-eight clash with Belgium's David Goffin.

Goffin overcame 35-year-old Spaniard Fernando Verdasco 7-6(9) 2-6 6-3 6-4 to reach the quarter-finals for the first time.