Top seed Novak Djokovic survives scare at Wimbledon
WIMBLEDON, England – Once again at a Grand Slam, Novak Djokovic will have to play three consecutive days should he want to win the title.
The world No. 1 played back-to-back-to-back days in the latter stages of the French Open last month and will do so again at Wimbledon, held over Monday evening at two sets apiece against South Africa's Kevin Anderson in a fourth-round match.
The Serbian prevailed on Tuesday in a tense fifth set, and now will return to the court tomorrow to play his quarterfinal.
Here's what went down.
Scoreline: [1] Novak Djokovic (SRB) def. [14] Kevin Anderson (RSA) 6-7(6), 6-7(6), 6-1, 6-4, 7-5
Djokovic battled from two sets to love down for just the fourth time in his career, breaking Anderson in the penultimate game when he sliced a forehand reply that the No. 14 seed couldn't pick up on a half volley. It was the first time that Djokovic came back from the brink since he trailed by two sets against Andreas Seppi in the fourth round of the French Open in 2012.
What it means: Djokovic now faces Marin Cilic, the reigning US Open champion, in the quarterfinals, a rematch of their five-set quarterfinal from a year ago. Djokovic trailed in that match by two sets to one before winning in five.
The men's quarterfinals are now complete, with the winner of Djokovic and Cilic taking on either Stan Wawrinka, the French Open champion, or Richard Gasquet.
On the bottom half of the draw, Andy Murray faces Vasek Pospisil while Roger Federer takes on Gilles Simon.
Three for three: Djokovic said his three-day-in-a-row task in Paris ended up hurting him in the end, though it came much later in the tournament. With light fading, his semifinal against Murray was called at the same stage of the Anderson match. He would go on to beat Murray, but the next day fell victim to a firing Wawrinka, who stunned him in the final in four sets, the Swiss player hitting 60 winners against a sometimes tired looking Djokovic.
"In some important moments I didn't feel I had that explosiveness in the legs, but, look, in the end of the day he was just a better player," Djokovic said after the final in Paris. "There was no reason to find some excuses why this happened."
How it happened: Anderson won the first two sets behind his massive serves, both in tiebreaks. Djokovic looked uncharacteristically tight at times, including with a double fault late in the first-set tie-break.
But as evening turned here on Monday, Djokovic turned the tables on Anderson, taking the third and fourth sets more comfortably and sending the match into the fifth set – and into Tuesday. As it was announced that the two would resume play a day later, a chorus of boos rang out on No.1 Court before giving way to a standing ovation for the players as they exited the court.
Djokovic and Anderson played even for much of the fifth set, little between them. But after Djokovic saved break points at 2-3 down, it was Anderson who fell behind 15-40 at 5-all serving and couldn't deliver in the moment, dumping his half volley into the net and giving the break to Djokovic. On his first match point Djokovic watched an Anderson ball float long, raising his arms in triumph. He makes his 33rd consecutive Grand Slam quarterfinal, and seventh in a row at Wimbledon.
Key stat: Forty (40!) aces couldn't push Anderson over the line against the game's best returner, Djokovic hitting 43 overall winners to 71 for his opponent. Djokovic won five of eight break points he had, while Anderson broke just a single time in eight opportunities of his own.
What he said: "I think Kevin served exceptionally well," Djokovic said on the BBC after the win. "I found it was one of the more difficult matches that I played at Wimbledon in my career. I was really struggling with my serve and I was trying to use my opportunities on the second serve when I had them – I didn't have many."
"To come back and win in five after being two sets down gives me great satisfaction and confidence. I managed to go through and that's what matters."
Asked about having to play over two days, Djokovic added: "It's not something we commonly experience on a daily basis, but it is what it is."
