Impressive Djokovic has it covered
Impressive Djokovic has it covered
Novak Djokovic's bid to retain his Wimbledon title is
swiftly turning into a campaign to win the first ever indoor version of
the grasscourt grand slam.
With grizzly grey skies encircling the All England
Club, the Serb brushed aside compatriot Viktor Troicki 6-3 6-1 6-3 in
his third consecutive match under the cover of the Centre Court roof.
Since its introduction in 2009, the structure has been
used sparingly until this year when it has been hauled across come rain
or shine both to block out the weather and ensure timely finishes for
late-evening matches.
Djokovic has played all but his opening match with the
giant mechanical lid in place and is now starting to get into the swing
of things under cover.
"I have kind of got used to it," he told reporters.
"I find it a bit easier to return the serve. Obviously
when you're playing on grass against a big server like Viktor, under
these conditions you can neutralise the serve and get more into the
rallies, so that was good for me...
"For somebody that plays all tournament outdoors and
comes to the Centre Court for the first time and plays indoor in totally
different conditions, it's quite a change. So you need time to adjust."
TENNIS ARTISTRY
It was more than simple familiarity with the conditions
that divided Djokovic from his countryman in what turned into a
ruthless exhibition of shot-making and tennis artistry.
Djokovic came into the encounter on the back of an
11-match winning streak against his opponent and never looked like
relinquishing the psychological edge as he broke decisively in the sixth
game of the first set before closing it out.
The world number one was in no mood for hanging about
in the second, breaking for the third time with a forehand volley to
secure the set in just 24 minutes.
The screw had been firmly turned at this point and when
Troicki sliced a backhand into the net to hand Djokovic a break in the
third it was as good as over.
When Troicki passed up the opportunity of three break
back points at 4-2 it was mere minutes before Djokovic was celebrating
with a two-handed salute to the crowd.
As well as being Davis Cup partners, the two Serbs are
good friends off court. The world number one, however, is not in the
business of letting emotion cloud his on-court judgement.
"It's hard to express the emotions, you know, to celebrate or to be angry," he said.
"It's kind of difficult (to know) what to do and how to
behave on the court when you're playing one of your best friends... So
all these things are playing around with your emotions a little bit...
"But in the end we are professionals. (It) doesn't matter who is across the net, you want to win."
Djokovic will now be able to enjoy a rest day before
facing a quarter-final against either Richard Gasquet or Florian Mayer
who were still locked in battle when the rain brought an early end to
all play away from Centre Court and its roof.
