“A really high-quality performance, I'm quite pleased with the way I raised the level of tennis in two days” - Novak Djokovic on straight-sets win over Thanasi Kokkinakis in 2R at Wimbledon
Top seed Novak Djokovic swept aside Australian Thanasi Kokkinakis in straight sets on Wednesday to progress to the third round of the 2022 Wimbledon Championships. The Serb needed just less than two hours to beat Kokkinakis 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 on Centre Court.
Djokovic broke his opponent's serve early in each of the three sets, winning 82 percent of his first serve points and five breaks in the match. He dominated rallies with his groundstrokes and stepped forward at every opportunity, winning 30 of 38 points at the net.
It was his 23rd straight victory at the grasscourt Major and Djokovic was pleased with his performance.
“I'm very happy with my performance today. I thought I started off very well, very solid from the back of the court, made him work for every point that I managed to get his serve back in play. I tried to work him around the court by bringing a lot of variety in the game,” Novak Djokovic said.
Djokovic was especially happy with the win as on-court conditions were supposedly not the best during the contest.
“It was not easy to serve because of the wind, it was very swirly today on the court, so tough to toss the ball. But I think from my side overall, a really high-quality performance and I'm very pleased,” Djokovic said.
Third round bound 🇷🇸
@DjokerNole defeats Thanasi Kokkinakis 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 in two hours on Centre Court
#Wimbledon | #CentreCourt100 https://t.co/o31o0XUvKq
While he seemed rusty in his opening-round win against Soonwoo Kwon, the 35-year-old looked in much better rhythm against Kokkinakis.
“I must say that I'm quite pleased with the way that I raised the level of tennis in two days. Hopefully, I can keep that trajectory, keep getting better as the tournament progresses. I'm obviously just thinking about the next challenge and hopefully, things will get better and better,” Djokovic said.
Novak Djokovic will next face compatriot Miomir Kecmanovic, who beat Chile's Alejandro Tabilo in four sets in his second-round match.
Painting the Centre Court lines, @DjokerNole 🎨
#Wimbledon | #CentreCourt100 https://t.co/RJfA3wQSlg
For Novak Djokovic, tennis is more than numbers and records
Novak Djokovic is aiming for his 21st Major win at Wimbledon, and his third SW19 title in a row. The two-time defending champion is considered the favorite to win the grasscourt Slam and cut Rafael Nadal’s lead in the all-time Grand Slam titles race.
On Wednesday, he registered his 34th win on Centre Court, where he remains unbeaten since the 2013 final against Andy Murray.
Speaking in his post-match on-court interview, Djokovic expressed his love for tennis and said that the sport is more than just numbers and records for him.
“Of course, it is [more than just numbers and records]. You don't think about numbers when you start playing tennis. I mean, 99% of children when they grab a tennis racquet, they have dreams, they have love and passion for the game. That's the most important thing,” Novak Djokovic said.
“That's the driving force whenever the going gets tough, whenever you're down yourself or things are not as smooth and easy as you would like them to be, going back to that inner child you know and remembering why you start playing this sport. Of course, anything else that you manage to achieve and live your dreams is a bonus, so I'm really blessed to be here now,” he added.