2 things that stood out in Novak Djokovic's quarterfinal win over Andrey Rublev at Wimbledon
Second seed Novak Djokovic of Serbia beat seventh seed Andrey Rublev of Russia 4-6 6-1 6-4 6-3 in the quarterfinals of Wimbledon on Tuesday, July 11. The match lasted almost three hours, as the 36-year-old Serb went a step closer to winning his eighth Wimbledon title.
Djokovic also extended his winning run on Centre Court to 44 matches; he has not lost on the hallowed turf since 2013. The 23-time Grand Slam champion will face Jannik Sinner of Italy in the semifinals on Friday, July 14.
On that note, here's a look at two things that stood out in the match:
#1 Djokovic volleyed very well in the match
Djokovic has improved his net skills a great deal over the last few years, and they were on display extensively in Tuesday’s encounter. The Serb kept moving to the net to finish points with consummate drop volleys.
This was coupled with quality drop shots that gave Rublev no respite. The World No. 2 finished the match with an expertly timed drop volley. The Russian, meanwhile, tried to contend with the Serb from the baseline only.
#2 Djokovic played the angles well
Going up to the net was not the only thing Djokovic did well on the day. He played the angles perfectly to keep moving Rublev from side to side. On several occasions, he served with a sharp angle and followed it up with a down-the-line shot to win the point.
Moreover, Djokovic troubled Rublev with his down-the-line backhand as the match progressed. The Russian moved around his backhand on occasion to hit inside-out forehands, but the shots did not have enough power and allowed the Serb to hit winners with his down-the-line backhand.
Rublev tried to dominate with his forehand, but Djokovic was simply superb while defending along the baseline, especially on his backhand side.
Still, it was Rublev who won the first set, breaking Djokovic in the ninth game. However, the Serb then broke the seventh seed five times across the next three sets to ease to victory. Rublev was able to win only 46% of the points on his second serve, while the Serb managed 67%. That proved to be decisive in the end.