Djokovic wary of Evans threat, Krejcikova worships at ‘temple of tennis'

Malay Mail

a day ago

LONDON, July 3 — Novak Djokovic goes into his Wimbledon second-round match against Dan Evans on Thursday with an unlikely losing record against the British wildcard... even though they have met only once before.
The seven-time champion will likely be unfazed by his defeat against Evans on the clay of Monte Carlo in 2021 as he tries to take the next step towards a record 25th Grand Slam title.
Elsewhere on day four at the All England Club, defending women's champion Barbora Krejcikova will hope to stay in the groove and British fourth seed Jack Draper takes on former finalist Marin Cilic.
AFP Sport picks out three matches to watch at the All England Club.
Djokovic wary of crowd-fuelled Evans
Novak Djokovic will hope he is back in top physical shape as he prepares to take on fellow veteran Dan Evans on Thursday.
The Serb struggled with stomach issues in his four-set win in the first round against Frenchman Alexandre Muller before recovering strongly, praising 'miracle pills'.
Realistically, he is unlikely to lose sleep over the match-up with the 154th-ranked Briton, who, at 35, is three years younger than him, but he is wary of his opponent's experience on grass and the home support.
'It's a good test for both of us,' said Djokovic. 'I think he's been picking his form up, as well. I think his rankings are not doing him justice at the moment. He deserves to be ranked higher.
'He's been a really tough player to face on any surface, particularly the grass and quicker ones. I know that because that's always the talk of the locker room. He's one of the guys that you don't want to face on grass.'
Evans, for his part, knows he has to have the right mindset against the sixth seed.
'He's done pretty much everything in the game,' he said. 'But it's also my chance to win the match. I have to be competitive, I have to play my game, I have to be myself. I can't go into my shell and have too much respect.'
Krejcikova relishing 'temple of tennis'
Defending women's champion Barbora Krejcikova looked in deep trouble in her opening match before cutting out the errors and finding another gear to see off Alexandra Eala of the Philippines in three sets.
The Czech 17th seed next takes on US player Caroline Dolehide, whom she has faced just once, beating her on clay in the United States in 2019.
Krejcikova has had a miserable time with injuries this year and arrived at Wimbledon with just six matches under her belt in 2025.
But the two-time Grand Slam champion is relishing being back on the hallowed turf of the All England Club, describing walking onto Centre Court for her first-round match as a 'very beautiful and just very joyful experience'.
'It's just great to be back,' she said. 'It's just great to be playing in the temple of tennis. It's just a very, very special place.'
Draper comfortable as leader of Brit pack
Jack Draper is the new figurehead of British tennis, taking on a role filled for a generation by the now-retired Andy Murray.
The fourth seed, who meets former finalist Marin Cilic in the second round, appears comfortable with his new status.
'I kind of play every match like my life depends on it anyway,' said the 23-year-old.
'Having the British support is massive. We're always playing with pressure. There's a little bit more here and stuff.
'But honestly, I haven't thought about it. I feel like I can handle things that come my way. I've been through a lot of things in my life so far.'
Cilic, 36, has an impressive record at Wimbledon, finishing as runner-up in 2017, when he lost in the final against Roger Federer.
But the Croatian former world number three has not played at the All England Club since 2021 and has slipped to 83rd in the rankings. — AFP