Novak Djokovic defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 on Centre Court to move into the third round of Wimbledon for the 20th time. The seven-time champion, who was taken to four sets by Wu Yibing in his opening match, controlled the contest from the outset, leaving Tsitsipas no chance to dictate the tempo. It was their encounter on the grass and the Serbian simply proved too hot to handle.
Djokovic maintained control through service games, never dropping serve during the one-hour, 38-minute match. He finished with 33 winners and just seven unforced errors. Tsitsipas, on the other hand, was unable to sustain pressure on return despite brief openings in the second set. He had shown signs of promise earlier in the match when he moved to 0/30 on Djokovicโs serve, but the 24-time Grand Slam winner responded immediately with a run of unreturned serves and aces to escape the situation.
Djokovic escapes second set, dominates third
Later in the second set, Djokovic produced a key hold after absorbing pressure at the net and then broke serve to move 5-4 ahead, a turning point that shifted control firmly in his favour. He went on to win it 6-4. In the third set, Djokovic once again reigned supreme, winning with absolute ease.ย
โYou feel very happy, satisfied and joyful on the court when you are playing this way. Once you get the momentum going… That game when I went 5-2 up was one of the best return games I’ve played in a while. I just went for my shots. I was a bit more relaxed, a little less tension in my head,โ Djokovic said in his on-court interview.
Looking ahead, Djokovic will meet Arthur Rinderknech in the next round after the French player defeated Martin Damm 6-4, 7-6(1), 6-3 to reach the Wimbledon third round for the second consecutive year. He also owns a notable victory over Alexander Zverev on Centre Court last season and arrives with a 0-2 grass-court record this swing after defeats at Queenโs Club and โs-Hertogenbosch. Meanwhile, he has never faced Djokovic before, setting up a first meeting between the two.
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