A tricky first Monday shouldn’t overly concern Novak Djokovic, as he will doubtless recall how he dropped a set in his opening round last summer, against British wild card Jack Draper, and still went on win the title.
Victory put Djokovic one seventh of the way to snaffling what would be a fourth consecutive title at Wimbledon, and to equalling his boyhood idol Pete Sampras’s achievement of seven Wimbledon titles, which would leave him one short of Roger Federer’s record eight.
In beating Kwon, Novak Djokovic set a record of his own, becoming the first player, man or woman, to win 80 matches at each of the Grand Slams.
The quest for title number seven is off to a successful start for @DjokerNole#Wimbledon | #CentreCourt100 pic.twitter.com/CC92zySTbX
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) June 27, 2022
Novak Djokovic began his quest for a 7th Wimbledon title with a hard-fought first-round win against Kwon Soon Woo of South Korea.
Top seed Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic overcame a dogged challenge from 81st-ranked Korean Kwon Soon-woo and his own grasscourt rustiness to reach the Wimbledon second round with a 6-4 3-6 6-3 6-4 victory on Monday.
“Credit to Kwon for playing some really high quality tennis – he deserves some applause. If he had broken me in the third set, this match could have gone a different way,” said Novak Djokovic.
"Let's get to 100!"
A buoyant @DjokerNole reacts to his latest #Wimbledon victory #CentreCourt100 pic.twitter.com/JwfjRhmvAc
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) June 27, 2022
Novak Djokovic reacts to his latest Wimbledon victory and set a record of his own, becoming the first player, man or woman, to win 80 matches at each of the Grand Slams,he said ,”Let’s get to 100!”
With the apocalyptic rain hammering down on Centre Court’s closed roof for a good while, adding to the sense of jeopardy beneath, Novak Djokovic came through an awkward opening round against a drop-shotting, free-swinging Korean, Soonwoo Kwon.
This is Djokovic’s “childhood dream tournament”. But this was a long way from being a dreamy start to the Fortnight for the No 1 seed and defending champion as he dropped the second set against the wonderfully irreverent world No.81, and was later a point from going a break down in the third set.
But, in the end, the Serbian figured out how to handle Kwon, progressing 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, at which point sunshine, blue skies and some kind of normal service had returned to Wimbledon.
Unvaccinated against COVID-19, Djokovic wasn’t able to compete at this year’s Australian Open, and there is considerable doubt whether he will be allowed to compete at the US Open at the end of the summer, which puts extra emphasis on the Grand Slams he can play as he chases Rafael Nadal, who is now two Slams ahead on 22.
After Wimbledon, it’s possible he might not play another Grand Slam until Roland-Garros.
It’s one of the Wimbledon traditions that the gentlemen’s singles defending champion opens the Centre Court programme on the first Monday.
And, as the players walked on, many in the crowd might have been thinking that it had also become a tradition that Novak Djokovic wins his opening match here, as he has never lost in the first round.
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