SKIppINg WIMbleDON lOgICal: WIlaNDeR

PARIS — They may have been the words of a hurting champion too soon after a crushing defeat but if Novak Djokovic does decide to skip Wimbledon it might be wise, according to Mats Wilander.

Minutes after Djokovic was bundled out of the French Open quarterfinals by inspired Italian Marco Cecchinato, the 31-year-old 12-times Grand Slam winner said he might not play the approaching grasscourt swing.

“Well I guess he’s not ready physically,” Wilander, presenting Eurosport’s flagship Game, Schett and Mats programme told Reuters when hearing of three-times Wimbledon champion Djokovic’s comments.

“Maybe he is further away physically than... or maybe it’s a different approach, maybe he needs to not go on grass because grass is the ultimate confidence killer.”

“Even if you play well on grass the bounce is bad, it’s hard to find good practice courts, you can’t really move properly because you slip and slide and if you are really, really keen to get back to your best, which for him is the hardcourt season, logically you would not want to play on the grass.”

Wilander, who won every Grand Slam title apart from Wimbledon, said he was surprised that former world number one Djokovic had made the comments so soon after his match.

The Swede said that the good news for Djokovic fans is that he appeared to have the old fire back, especially in an epic fourth-set tiebreak in which he threw everything at Cecchinato. —