"Starting to think Novak Djokovic is the best 1st server the sport has ever seen" - Andy Murray's former coach
Andy Murray's former coach Mark Petchey recently shared his admiration for Novak Djokovic's stellar first serve. Djokovic is currently competing at the 2023 Wimbledon Championships.
On Friday, the four-time defending champion continued his dominant run at SW19 with his third consecutive straight-sets victory. Djokovic defeated Stan Wawrinka 6-3, 6-1, 7-6(5) to advance to the fourth round of the grasscourt Major.
The 23-time Grand Slam champion was clinical in his performance as he converted four break points and fired 38 winners over the course of the two hour and six-minute-long contest. Djokovic put on a strong serving display as well, striking 11 aces and landing 64 percent of his first serves.
Following the match, former player-turned-commentator Mark Petchey expressed his belief that Novak Djokovic ranks as the greatest first server in tennis history.
"Starting to think that inch for inch @DjokerNole is the best 1st server the sport has ever seen," Petchey tweeted.
Starting to think that inch for inch @DjokerNole is the best 1st server the sport has ever seen
Djokovic ranks third in the ATP rankings for serve leaders over the past year. The 23-time Grand Slam champion holds an impressive 65.8 percent success rate for first serves, with 77.8 percent of his first serve points won over the 52-week period.
With a 292.8 serve rating, he only ranks behind Nick Kyrgios (305.7) and Hubert Hurkacz (295.7).
Novak Djokovic set to take on Hubert Hurkacz in the fourth round at Wimbledon 2023
Novak Djokovic will be up against 17th seed Hubert Hurkacz in the fourth round of the 2023 Wimbledon Championships. Looking ahead to the match, Djokovic praised the Pole's court coverage and his skills at the net.
"He covers the court very well. He has very long arms. When he comes to the net, he has a very good feeling at the net. He closes the net very well," he said in his post-match press conference.
Lauding Hurkacz as a complete player, the Serb admitted that the upcoming clash would be his biggest test at the grasscourt Major so far. Djokovic also recalled the Pole's straight-sets win over Roger Federer in the 2021 Wimbledon quarterfinals.
"Just overall very complete player. I don't see too many holes in his game really. So I know that's going to definitely be the toughest challenge for me of the tournament so far. He didn't drop a set so far in the tournament. I saw how he was playing. He's very comfortable playing on grass. He beat Federer here some years ago. He's a player that doesn't mind playing on a big stadium," he added.
Hubert Hurkacz defeated Lorenzo Musetti 7-6(4), 6-4, 6-4 to book his spot against Djokovic. He trails 0-5 in the head-to-head record against the seven-time Wimbledon champion. Djokovic won their most recent encounter, in the 2023 Dubai quarterfinals, in straight sets.