Novak Djokovic is happy he has been undefeated on center court at Wimbledon for ten years. The Serb beat Stan Wawrinka on Friday just before the curfew went into effect, but admitted he had to fight to win.
“We are two old guys competing against young players,” the 36-year-old Djokovic said of his opponent, who is two years older. The two have often played against each other, including in the finals of Roland Garros (2015) and the US Open (2016). Wawrinka won twice.
“We have fought great tennis matches in the past on the highest stage. He is a great player and a good guy,” said Djokovic, who beat Wawrinka in a tiebreak at 22:45 local time: 6-3, 6-1 and 7- 6(5).
Djokovic’s last defeat on Wimbledon’s main court came on July 7, 2013. He lost the final to Andy Murray, who was knocked out in five sets by Stéfanos Tsitsipás on Friday.
Djokovic impressed with Hurkacz
For a moment, Wawrinka seemed to be returning the tension against Djokovic in the third set. He led 3-5 in the tiebreak, but then the 23-time Grand Slam winner reeled off four points in a row.
“He was just two points away from overtime. We knew that one of us had to win in three sets to finish the match on Friday. He raised his level, while I played less. But I know for myself that I can speed up and go the extra mile when necessary.”
In the next round, Djokovic will face Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz, who eliminated Roger Federer in the Wimbledon quarter-finals two years ago. “It will be the most difficult match,” Djokovic said. “He plays very strong on grass. Like me, he hasn’t dropped a set yet. It’s going to be a great battle.”
Ontvang meldingen bij belangrijke ontwikkelingen rondom Wimbledon
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