In a fierce battle during Saturday’s Wimbledon competition, Novak Djokovic, a seven-time champion, overcame a sluggish commencement to triumph over the unranked Australian, Alexei Popyrin, with scores of 4-6 6-3 6-4 7-6(3), earning his spot in the fourth round.
Serbia’s Djokovic, bidding for an unparalleled 25th Grand Slam title, had a scare when his Australian opponent secured a 4-3 lead, with a powerful forehand across the court, and won the first set with a second-serve ace.
Djokovic acknowledged the tight match, stating he anticipated nothing less from Alexei, referencing their similarly challenging match at the Australian Open earlier this year. Djokovic recognised Popyrin’s serve and formidable forehand as major threats on all grounds.
Despite the initial challenges, Djokovic soon regained control and studied form. The energised atmosphere heightened on Centre Court when it was learnt that England had made it to the Euro 2024 semi-finals, beating Switzerland. Djokovic humourously mimicked a football penalty kick to celebrate, much to the crowd’s enjoyment.
Although Djokovic dominated the second and third sets, the fourth, on the other hand, witnessed a sturdy resistance from Popyrin who was on a pursuit for his inaugural victory in the pair’s trilogy. In the 11th game, he saved three break points to secure his hold.
As a tiebreak was set in motion, Djokovic fired up to claim the win, concluding with a fierce serve that Popyrin could only return into the net.
Reflecting on the match, Djokovic noted the strong service from Popyrin and the mental resilience required, with particular focus on the need to maintain a high level of concentration, highlighting the tiebreak as one of his best performances in recent times.
Having undergone a right knee surgery following his injury at the French Open, Djokovic arrived at Wimbledon. His performance saw an improvement with every subsequent match. Reflecting on his progress, he particularly noted an enhancement in his movement and confidence, especially dealing with extreme balls, reaching and sliding. He also mentioned that his game was much improved in his latest match compared to the previous one against the British player, Jacob Fearnley. This previous match saw him losing a set. Looking ahead, he expresses optimism, hopeful that the positive trend will continue to progress. His next competitor is the 15th seed, Holger Rune. Rune earned his place in the match against Djokovic after a gruelling five-set showdown with Quentin Halys.
(c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2024