Novak Djokovic has sent an ominous warning to his Wimbledon title rivals with an all-too-familiar performance against gallant Australian Jordan Thompson to march into the third round.
Thompson conceded that sharing the All England Club’s centre court with the seven-time champion could be a dream or a nightmare – but he acquitted himself marvellously despite the 6-3, 7-6 (7-4), 7-5 defeat on one of tennis’ biggest stages.
Novak Djokovic in action during his second round match against Australia’s Jordan Thompson.Credit: Reuters
The problem was Djokovic was his indestructible self, going a set up without committing an unforced error and absorbing Thompson’s excellent serving display to win a 30th consecutive match at the grass-court grand slam.
He is trying to win a fifth Wimbledon title in a row and eighth overall, which would match Roger Federer’s tournament record and swell his men’s tour-leading grand slam haul to 24. Djokovic is the world No.2 in ranking only, with even Spanish top seed Carlos Alcaraz conceding the Serbian is the man to beat.
Thompson, coached by ex-player Marinko Matosevic, will rue the volley he dumped in the net in the fourth game of the second set, when he had the opportunity to bring up a rare break point on the Serbian legend’s serve.
That proved the 70th-ranked Sydneysider’s best, but not only, opportunity as he twice more went within two points of breaking Djokovic in the all-important second set, after staving off break points of his own in separate games.
Jordan Thompson plays a return to Novak Djokovic during the men’s singles match on day three of the Wimbledon tennis championships.Credit: PA via AP
He attacked the net with vigour – venturing there almost twice as often as Djokovic – and volleyed superbly, knowing that was his greatest chance to be competitive with his incomparable rival.
But Djokovic wriggled out of an entertaining second set in a tie-break, with Thompson’s first double fault, on the fourth point, the difference, after which he pointed to his head to accentuate his famed mental strength.
Even so, Djokovic displayed outward signs of frustration towards his team in the third set as Thompson continued to hang around as an appreciative crowd urged the Aussie underdog to snatch at least one set. It was not to be, with Djokovic sealing his passage to the round of 32 when Thompson netted one last volley.
It was still arguably Thompson’s finest hour, going toe-to-toe with one of the sport’s all-time greats in an effort Djokovic warmly acknowledged at the net afterwards.
Novak Djokovic shakes hands with Jordan Thompson after the match.Credit: Getty Images
Thompson followed fellow Australians Alexei Popyrin and Daria Saville in exiting the tournament, but could hardly be disappointed after digging himself out of a two-set hole in the first round just to book the marquee Djokovic match-up.
Popyrin lost a five-set heart-breaker against rising Swiss Dominic Stricker, going down 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, 4-6, 7-5 across more than three hours as he fell at the opening hurdle at Wimbledon for the third year in a row.
The big-striking 23-year-old sent down 25 aces and led 4-1 in the final set of the rain-interrupted clash but could not hang on.
Saville – playing her first grand slam match since last year’s US Open after recovering from a second ACL setback – fell 7-6 (7-4), 6-2 to British wildcard Katie Boulter in a match that started a day earlier.
Boulter is the long-time girlfriend of Alex de Minaur, one of seven Australians scheduled to play on Wednesday, including Aleks Vukic, who is bidding to reach the third round, Chris O’Connell and Jason Kubler.
Fifteenth-seeded de Minaur lost the opening set in a tie-break to Belgian qualifier Kimmer Coppejans in a shock start to his Wimbledon opener but fought back to level the match at a set-all.
