Dan Evans swept aside as Novak Djokovic reaches 99 not out at Wimbledon
Djokovic, the seven-time champion, is now just one short of a century of match wins in SW19 after a 6-3 6-2 6-0 win of ominous efficiency.
Evans was tasked with being this year's plucky Brit to face the Serbian on Centre Court, reprising a role previously played by Jacob Fearnley, Jack Draper, Kyle Edmund and James Ward.
Novak Djokovic cruises into his 19th #Wimbledon third round 🫡 pic.twitter.com/rdzNxFATvK — Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 3, 2025
It was by no means a flaky performance from the 35-year-old, but he still went the same way as all the others.
'I knew it was going to be a special atmosphere on the court today, a Brit in Britain is never easy to face,' said Djokovic.
'He's a good quality player that possesses a lot of talent. Sometimes you have these kind of days where everything goes your way.'
Evans had won their only previous career meeting, in Monte Carlo four years ago.
This time he was playing with house money, having arrived at Wimbledon as a wild card with a ranking now down at 154.
But Djokovic quickly upped the ante, with Evans having to save nine break points in the first set before succumbing to the 10th to trail 5-3.
It was a tough afternoon for Dan Evans (John Walton/PA)
It was relentless from the 38-year-old, who held to love with an ace to clinch a first set in which he dropped just three points on his own serve.
If that set was impressive, the second was almost impeccable. Djokovic hit 12 winners, made just one unforced error, won every point on his first serve and gave Evans only two on his second.
Djokovic, who openly admits this year's Championships is his best chance of winning a record 25th grand slam title, would not take his foot off Evans' throat, completing victory in just an hour and 47 minutes.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Irish Sun
5 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
George Russell claims he's set for Mercedes deal as he reveals what he'll do if Max Verstappen becomes his F1 team-mate
GEORGE RUSSELL claims he is all set to sign a new Mercedes deal, silencing speculation he could be dumped for Max Verstappen. The Brit, 27, is out of contract next year and his boss Advertisement 2 George Russell has rubbished speculation that he could be replaced at Mercedes by Max Verstappen Credit: Shutterstock Editorial 2 Verstappen has held talks with Mercedes boss Toto Wolff about a move Credit: Getty But SunSport understands a new offer will be presented to Russell before next month's Belgium Grand Prix. Russell believes that team-mate Kimi Antonelli would be the driver to make way for Verstappen in the unlikely event that the Dutchman is to leave Red Bull for Mercedes. Ahead of Sunday's British GP at Silverstone, Russell said: 'I want to continue with Mercedes into the future. Toto has never let me down, has always given me his word. 'He's also got to do what's right for his team, which includes me and the thousands of people who work for Mercedes. Advertisement READ MORE F1 NEWS 'For me it's nothing to worry about, as I don't think I'll be going anywhere, and whoever my team-mate is doesn't concern me either, so I'll just focus on the driving. 'It'll happen when the time is right. I expect in the next couple of weeks. But we'll need to wait and see. 'There hasn't been a lack of interest, let's say. But I've been focused on my side, I am loyal to Mercedes. 'The likelihood I'm not at Mercedes next year is exceptionally low.' Advertisement Most read in Motorsport Exclusive CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS There had been talk of Verstappen taking a year out from F1, as well as being linked with Mercedes and Aston Martin. He became a new dad in May and has been dipping his toes in other areas of motorsport like GT3. Max Verstappen OUT of Austrian Grand Prix following pile-up on second lap and Sainz's car catching fire But Verstappen, 27, who denied he would take an F1 sabbatical, said: 'I'll race F1 for sure and I'll try, in the future, to combine it with any kind of other racing that is possible, that I can prepare for. Advertisement 'I do want to explore a bit out of F1 which I'm already doing with testing, but eventually also racing.'
The Irish Sun
6 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Brit Wimbledon star Neal Skupski, 35, finds out his grandmother has died just minutes after leaving court
NEAL SKUPSKI found out his beloved grandmother died minutes after his opening Wimbledon win. Britain's leading doubles star, 35, and partner Joe Salisbury fought hard to beat fellow Brits Joshua Paris and Charles Broom 6-3 5-7 6-4 in round one of the men's doubles competition. Advertisement 3 Neal Skupski won at Wimbledon on Thursday before finding out about his grandmother's passing Credit: Getty Once he stepped off Court 8, the bad news was relayed to him by close family members that his 98-year-old granny Mary – who had been ill for a while and was in hospital – had passed away. It had already been a difficult day for Skupski, a big Liverpool fan, given the Skupski, 2023 Wimbledon men's doubles champion, said: 'I have just found out that my nan passed today. So, it has been a very tough day. 'I found out once I came off court. About 30 minutes ago. She was 98. She was a fighter. Had been ill for a little bit of time. Advertisement READ MORE ON WIMBLEDON 'She didn't die out of the blue. I have been able to come to terms with it. She was coming to the end. It's part of life. It will be a tough few days for my family. 'We had known it was a matter of time for a few days now. It was tough to find out when I'd come off court. But I will be okay. 'She would want me to be here. She would be proud of what happened and how we fought. 'Maybe my mood has changed a bit coming up to these Championships. I'm probably quite bubbly on the practice courts, with good energy. Advertisement Most read in Tennis Live Blog 'Maybe the team had thought and seen I was not myself. People like my brother and coach, he spoke to some of the coaches, he maybe told them the situation. It's Wimbledon now, it's my job. 'She would have wanted me to have fought. We are here and want to win the whole thing. Being on the court will take my mind off it. Jack Draper out of Wimbledon as No4 seed is stunned by veteran former finalist Marin Cilic, 36, in shock early exit 'My nan was a massive supporter of me. I spent the most time growing up with her. She was the closest grandparent I had.' On Thursday, the All England Club announced it would Advertisement Skupski – who had been to the The three-time Wimbledon doubles champion said: 'It's been a tough day for Liverpool fans. I found out this morning that Jota had passed away. 'A bit strange this morning. You're on Twitter and see a headline about Jota in Spanish. But it's along the lines of 'accident' and it's in black-and-white. 'Has he actually died? You think your heroes or sportsmen or people you look up to, they're invincible. Advertisement 3 Wimbledon 2025 LIVE - 'It shows everyone's human. Things come at you. You don't know what is around the corner. 'It was really tough to take. Him and his brother. A tough one for his whole family. He got Advertisement 'My condolences go out to his family. It must be 'When I was at Liverpool, I met the whole team. Diogo was there. I spoke to some people today who are connected to Liverpool and they say, not only was he an 'A great finisher. But also someone who kept the whole dressing room together, making it run so smoothly. 'It will be a big loss for Liverpool. I am sure they will do something in their memory.' Advertisement 3 Liverpool fan Skupski also paid tribute to Diogo Jota Credit: Alamy
Irish Examiner
6 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Sinner thrashes Vukic as Djokovic delivers ruthless lesson to Evans
World number one Jannik Sinner demolished Australia's Aleksandar Vukic 6-1 6-1 6-3 in a Centre Court masterclass to move ominously into the third round of Wimbledon on Thursday. The Italian was streets ahead of the 93rd-ranked Vukic who barely laid a glove on the top seed in the opening two sets before saving face with some third-set resistance. Sinner, bidding to win the title for the first time, never loosened his grip on a one-sided contest although he did need six match points to finish off Vukic in a prolonged final game. There was never any chance of a repeat of last month's French Open final when he squandered three match points in a spellbinding clash with Carlos Alcaraz though, and he duly slammed down his 12th ace as the light began to fade. "I struggled a bit to close it out. I'm very happy, Centre Court is such a special occasion," Sinner said. "Yes, I enjoyed (the last game) because I won the game! If not, I don't know. The match can change very, very quickly. If he breaks me there it can go long distance." Apart from a defeat by Alexander Bublik in Halle in the build-up to Wimbledon, Sinner has shown few ill-effects from the heartache of losing to Alcaraz in Paris. He parted ways with his trainer and physiotherapist, Marco Panichi and Ulises Badio, days before Wimbledon, but even that strange timing does not seem to have ruffled his feathers. With so many seeds having fallen by the wayside already, his path through to the latter stages looks clear. Dismantled 6-3 6-2 6-0 by Novak Djokovic on Centre Court on Thursday, Britain's Dan Evans found solace in what could be his final bow on tennis's most famous stage. "When you're 35, you've got more perspective than when you're 21," he said. "I wanted to win the match. I believed I could win the match. I felt confident going into the match. It's just such a hard task at hand, and that's it. "I'm not going to say I enjoyed it or didn't enjoy it. I understand the occasion and what a moment it was for myself to go out there and experience everything today." The veteran Briton, who beat Djokovic in the pair's only other meeting but is now ranked outside the top 150 in the world, acknowledged that he had been outclassed from the opening game. "I felt like I was always on the back foot," he said. "I'd say, if I had to sum it up, it felt the tennis balls were back in my pocket very quickly and never stayed in there a long time." Despite the lopsided scoreline, Evans embraced the magnitude of the occasion, particularly in the closing stages. "The last probably four or five games, I really soaked it up, and I did enjoy it, yeah," he reflected. Evans praised Djokovic's tactical brilliance, noting how the seven-times Wimbledon champion served "like a big server" despite his modest 1.85-metre frame. "Today he served spots. I don't think he got over 130 (mph), but every serve was a spot," Evans observed. With his ranking having slipped and his body feeling the toll of professional tennis, Evans faces an uncertain future. "Waking up after playing matches is hard now," he admitted with characteristic honesty. "It's just not as easy as it used to be - without sounding Andy Murray-esque dramatic." Jaume Munar would have found it almost impossible to forgive himself if he had not reached the third round of Wimbledon on Thursday after the unseeded Spaniard wasted 10 matchpoints before finally seeing off Fabian Marozsan. The 28-year-old, who toppled tournament dark horse Alexander Bublik in the opening round, beat Hungarian Marozsan 6-2 6-3 7-6(9) after a dramatic third set where things threatened to spiral out of his control when victory was in his grasp. There were high hopes that Jack Draper would rescue what had been a lousy day for the home nation at Wimbledon when he emerged for his second-round showdown against a rival who was ranked outside the world's Top 1000 just 10 months ago. Add in the fact that his 36-year-old opponent had been hobbled by injuries in recent years, had won back-to-back matches on the main tour only once in the last nine months and had never beaten a Top-5 player on grass in his entire career - and a younger and fitter Draper seemed a shoo-in for victory. Unfortunately for the 23-year-old Briton the opponent he ran into was called Marin Cilic, a man with a proven Grand Slam pedigree who had won the U.S. Open in 2014 and finished runner-up at the All England Club in 2017. Despite now plying his trade mostly on the second-tier Challenger circuit after his ranking went into freefall following knee surgery in 2023, the Croatian felt right at home in front of a packed Court One and produced an inspired performance to topple fourth seed Draper 6-4 6-3 1-6 6-4. Iga Swiatek may not love the grass but relishes a battle whatever the surface and showed all that fight and bullish determination as she recovered to beat American Caty McNally 5-7 6-2 6-1 and reach the Wimbledon third round on Thursday.
