Djokovic battles past Thompson for 350th Grand Slam win
Novak Djokovic weathered a stern test from Australia’s Jordan Thompson to reach the third round.
Djokovic 2023 Wimbledon Action Plus / Panoramic
Where to start? When it comes to the achievements of 23-time major champion Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon’s All England Club, the milestones fall out of the sky as if they were week one raindrops.
On Centre Court on Wednesday, the clouds parted as Djokovic continued his hit parade at SW19, notching a 6-3, 7-6(4), 7-5 victory over Australia’s Jordan Thompson in two hours and 28 minutes.
Djokovic wins his 30th consecutive match at Wimbledon – he has not lost since 2017 at the All England Club – and stretches his Centre Court winning streak to 41. The 36-year-old advances his bid for what would be a record-tying eighth Wimbledon men’s singles final and a 24th Grand Slam singles title – he will face either Tomas Martin Etcheverry or Stan Wawrinka (who play on Thursday) in the third round.
Congrats to him
Djokovic was pushed by Thompson, who is far from a household name but nevertheless a talented, disruptive player, particularly on the grass.
“I don’t really know if I wanted to meet him this early in the tournament,” Djokovic said with a smile. “Congratulations to him for a great performance today.”
Djokovic broke open the match by claiming a second-set tiebreak after coming through a tight second set.
“He was a bit unlucky in the second set,” the Serbian said. “He had some chances. He played a great match.”
Djokovic finished the contest with 40 winners against 13 unforced errors; Thompson, impressively, struck 43 winners against 20 unforced, but he could not make a dent in Djokovic’s serve, as the No 2 seed never faced a break point and dropped only 22 of his 94 service points.
Djokovic: 'We have a very romantic and special relationship, this court and I'
— Bastien Fachan (@BastienFachan) July 5, 2023
When he walks onto the Wimbledon Centre Court on Friday, it will be exactly *10 years* since he last lost on it pic.twitter.com/r4AUXKeRrp
Love affair with Centre Court continues
Remarkably, Djokovic has not lost a match on Centre Court in nearly a decade, Since his loss in the 2013 Wimbledod final to Andy Murray. He improves to 88-10 lifetime at Wimbledon and 350-47 lifetime at the majors.
Grand Slam singles wins, all-time:
- Federer, 369
- Serena Williams, 365
- Djokovic, 350
“Centre Court at Wimbledon has been the most special court, without a doubt, for our tennis history,” he said. “We know the tradition, we know how long Wimbledon dates back. I know I’ve said this before and it sounds like a cliche, but I really try to marvel and enjoy every moment that I spend on the court. It is a huge privilege, especially at this age and this stage of my career.
“We have a very romantic and special relationship, this court and I.”
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