NOVAK’S OVERTURE
On-song champ calls the tune as he marches on
IT’S now 1812 days since Novak Djokovic last lost a singles match at Wimbledon.
To get Tchaikovsky into a tennis piece, it’s quite the overture.
And staying on theme for the man who also composed The Nutcracker, Djokovic discovered second-round opponent Thanasi Kokkinakis anything but a tough nut to crack.
July 2017. It seems a lifetime ago the Serb last tasted defeat at SW19.
We’ve had a global pandemic, Brexit, a term of Donald Trump as president of the United States and Andy Murray fathered three kids.
Kokkinakis never looked like ending Djokovic’s astonishing winning run as he went down 6-1 6-4 6-2 with barely a whimper.
Djokovic may have started this tournament a bit rusty but there wasn’t a hint of a chink in his armour yesterday.
And he admits it all boils down to child’s play when the top seed was asked about his record of consecutive game set and matches at the All England Club.
He said: “You don’t think about numbers when you start playing tennis – 99 per cent of children, when they grab a racket, have dreams and passion for the sport.
“When you get down on yourself, you are going back to that inner child and remembering why you started to play the sport. And anything you achieve is a bonus.
“I’m very happy with my performance. I started very well, solid from the back of the court. I made him work for every point and worked him around the court.
“It was not easy to serve because of the wind but from my side, it was a high-quality performance.
“I am very pleased with the way I’ve raised the level of tennis in the past two days, just thinking about the next challenge and hoping that things will get better as the tournament goes on.”
The six-time Wimbledon champ was a class apart from his superstitious opponent. Kokkinakis played with the same racket that secured a first-round success but his Centre Court debut began with a double fault and a broken string.
It was rushed to the on-site stringers but by the time it was back in hand, the damage was all but done.
Djokovic insists there wasn’t any greater satisfaction from this win over an Aussie after the unvaccinated athlete’s visa was cancelled ahead of the Australian Open back in January.
The Serb may not be allowed to contest another Grand Slam for 11 months due to his vaccination status but he added: “I did not have any extra intensity or desire to win this match just because Thanasi is Australian. I’ve a good relationship with Thanasi. He’s a great guy. We get along very well.
“It is necessary to show respect for the game and each other. I don’t have any grudge over anybody coming from Australia.” Djokovic also revealed he is hosting former coach Boris Becker’s family in his team box after the three-time former Wimbledon winner was jailed for hiding assets to avoid paying debts. The 35-year-old believes it’s a gesture of support to the German, his girlfriend and children. He said: “I’ve been communicating to him through them. I consider Boris really a family member, someone I greatly appreciate, respect and care about. It breaks my heart to see what’s happening to him. “I can only imagine how hard it is for his family, so, this is a little gesture of friendship to invite them. “He knows and they know they can always count on me for whatever support or help I can provide.”