Tennis - Djokovic with difficulty in round three at Wimbledon
With effort, Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic reached the third round of Wimbledon just over a month after his knee surgery. In his second appearance of the year, the 37-year-old defeated the 15-year-older British player Jacob Fearnley 6:3, 6:4, 5:7, 7:5.
The record-Grand Slam tournament winner suffered a first set loss two days after his trouble-free entry into the grass classic and appeared vulnerable against the British wildcard holder. In form, it may not have been enough for his eighth Wimbledon title. Fearnley is only the number 277 in the world.
"It was a very windy day, very challenging conditions. He made me work," Djokovic said about his opponent: "I probably had some luck in the fourth set. This match probably deserved to go into a fifth set. But I'm glad it didn't turn out that way. Hopefully I can play better in the next round."
Next, Djokovic plays against Alexei Popyrin from Australia for a place in the quarterfinals. "Physically, I felt okay," Djokovic said. After his withdrawal from the French Open, he had been operated on his knee at the beginning of June. Despite the short rehabilitation time, the second-ranked player decided on a Wimbledon start and is aiming for his 25th Grand Slam title.
Grey knee brace under white clothing regulation
As in the first match after the operation, Djokovic wore a grey bandage against Fearnley, which he had previously checked and was granted permission for. It is tradition and a rule at Wimbledon for participants and players to wear white clothing. He had checked it beforehand and announced that he would look for a white bandage.
- Despite undergoing knee surgery in Germany, Novak Djokovic is still in the title hunt at Wimbledon, having advanced to the third round.
- Following his victory at Wimbledon, Djokovic mentioned that he might have had some luck in the fourth set against French Open's 277th-ranked player, Jacob Fearnley.
- The French Open saw Djokovic withdraw due to knee problems, but just over a month later, he showed strong performance at the International Tennis Tournament in London.
- Novak Djokovic, recovering from knee surgery, will face Alexei Popyrin from Australia in the next round at Wimbledon, with an eye on his 25th Grand Slam title.
- Prioritizing compliance with Wimbledon's white clothing regulation, Djokovic wore a grey knee brace under his white clothing during his second-round match againt Britain's Jacob Fearnley.
