Djokovic near flawless in statement of Wimbledon intent

Yahoo

03-07-2025

Novak Djokovic reacts after winning a point against Daniel Evans as he progressed to the third round of Wimbledon - a tournament he has won on seven occasions (Reuters via Beat Media Group subscription)
By James Toney at Wimbledon
For a decade, Novak Djokovic ran his own protection racket at Wimbledon — the unbeaten, unbeatable guv'nor of his Centre Court manor.
Carlos Alcaraz ended all that in the past two years, but on the evidence of Djokovic's second-round demolition of Dan Evans, do not assume that creeping towards 40 has dulled the Serb's ruthless edge.
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Evans had beaten Djokovic in their only previous meeting, on clay four years ago, but while this is home soil for the Briton, there is nowhere Djokovic feels more at home.
Unfortunately for the British No 5, this was a flashback to a Novak masterclass from years past. The 38-year-old wrapped up a 6-3, 6-2, 6-0 victory — an ominous statement of intent.
Evans has always been tenacious, scampering across the baseline to stay in rallies and frustrating opponents with his trademark slice. But he was under siege from the opening ace. Djokovic allowed him only two fleeting chances to break, while Evans clung on to his own service games.
The Serb spurned nine break points before finally converting one, after which the floodgates opened in a match that lasted less than two hours.
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Evans could only shrug and shake his head at the message delivered. This was Djokovic's 99th singles win at Wimbledon; only Roger Federer has more.
'If I play like I did today, I feel I have a very good chance against anyone — especially on Centre Court, where I feel so comfortable,' said Djokovic, who last year played through the early rounds while recovering from knee surgery.
'I want to keep playing this way. My aspirations and objectives are very high.
'That was almost flawless tennis. It's a great joy to feel that way on court. I didn't give him a chance to play well — I was just so sharp.
'I kept pressuring him, and I served really well and accurately. Everything worked; I never allowed the momentum to shift.
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'Last year, in the early rounds, I was doubting whether the knee would hold up. This year, that's not on my mind — my body is in very good shape.'
Evans is a scrappy and tenacious player, but even he looked a little punch-drunk as winner after winner flew past him, the post-match statistics underlining what a mismatch this was.
'You have to believe you can win, but it's pretty obvious why he's as good as he is on that Centre Court,' Evans said. 'He showed why he's still a contender for this championship.
'I felt I could win, but Novak is such a hard task. I felt like I was always on the back foot — he's just so good. Every serve hit the spot he wanted, and his return game just puts you under so much pressure.'
Djokovic will take on fellow Serb Miomir Kecmanovic in the next round, a player he beat in straight sets here three years ago. Beyond that could lurk Alex de Minaur, the Australian 11th seed who came from a set down to beat France's Arthur Cazaux.
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De Minaur reached the quarter-finals at Wimbledon for the first time last summer, with only a hip injury denying him the chance to take on an ailing Djokovic for a place in the last four. Everything about his game is honed for grass, from his effortless movement to his hard, fast groundstrokes, which repeatedly left Cazaux flat-footed.
He reached the boys' singles final in 2016, and in 2018 advanced to the third round at a major for the first time.
Normally a consistent performer at the pre-Wimbledon events, the former Eastbourne winner crashed out in the first round at Queen's, admitting the unrelenting schedule had left him mentally spent and physically drained.