Opener far from a walk in the park
In world No 33 Kohlschreiber, Djokovic will face a feisty opponent as Wimbledon kicks off
LONDON: Novak Djokovic will not have long to wait to discover whether his risky pre-Wimbledon schedule was foolhardy or the perfect way to arrive fresh for the defence of his title.
As tradition demands the Serb will open play on Centre Court on Monday as defending men’s champion but rather than a gentle loosener the 28-year-old faces a real danger in the form of Germany’s Philipp Kohlschreiber, the world number 33.
It will be his first competitive match since his French Open final defeat by Stanislas Wawrinka — a loss that left him mentally frazzled after a punishing year in which he has already bagged the Australian Open and four Masters 1000 titles.
Lleyton Hewitt, in 2003, was the last defending champion to lose in the first round, and Djokovic knows that if he is half-cooked after skipping the grasscourt warm-up events, Kohlschreiber could cause a huge first-day shock. “We l l , if you see Kohlschreiber in the first round, I think you have to stay where it is, take one match at a time,” Djokovic told reporters when asked if he had looked at his possible route to the latter stages.
“Considering the fact I haven’t played any official grass court matches, I don’t allow myself to look more than that.
“Right now I think I’m 100 per cent prepared. Hopefully tomorrow when I get on the court I’ll be able to perform my best because that’s something that is going to be very much needed in order to win against Kohlschreiber.
SERENA’S BID
Women’s top seed Serena Williams also opens her account on Monday on Court One against Russia’s Margarita Gasparyan.
The American is bidding for a sixth Wimbledon title which would put her three quarters of the way to a rare calendar slam, something Djokovic had been tipped to achieve before falling to Wawrinka in the French Open final this month.
Serena insists she will have no problems with the extra attention and expectation because her mental toughness is a bigger strength than even her booming serve and over-powering ground-strokes.
“Personally it doesn’t make it feel any different, which I think is a good thing because I don’t feel any pressure to win all four,” Williams said.
“I really don’t feel that pressure. Maybe if I would happen to win here, then maybe I might start feeling it after that.
“But for me being mentally tough is probably my biggest strength. Being the youngest of five children really made me have to scrap and be tougher.
“It’s great to have a big serve, too. Ultimately you could be the best player in the world, but you still get down and you have to be able to come back.”