Novak Djokovic did not play one of his best matches, but still reached the third round of Wimbledon by beating wild card Jacob Fearnley 6-3, 6-4, 5-7, 7-5. The Serbian struggled a lot to find the right rhythm - perhaps also because of the strong wind - on the ball and performed every step carefully and cautiously.
The impression is that the knee injury suffered at Roland Garros and the subsequent operation are still affecting his performance. Djokovic reiterated at the press conference that he did not feel pain but confirmed that he is not yet able to play freely and with the usual mobility.
Novak Djokovic is not happy
Former World No.1 Novak Djokovic suffered a lot on the Centre Court. "I want to congratulate Jacob on playing a great game. He struggled to the end and continued to believe in it despite the two sets and the break at a disadvantage.
My performance dropped, I should have done better in the third to end the game in three sets. The conditions today were very challenging: there was a lot of wind and it was not easy to find the right pace. I had a bit of luck and managed to escape the dangers in the end.
I hope to raise my level in the next rounds," explained Djokovic. "Knee? I didnt feel any pain, which is great. In the first game I felt a little pain in a couple of situations, but today it didnt happen.
My knee responded great even on the day of rest. Its all part of the journey, its logical that you have to accept everything in the first few games. Muscles need to work harder, maybe thats why I can still play with that speed and dynamism that I need.
But I want to continue building the shape and I trust in my path. Im not where I want to be yet. The injury is having an impact on my mobility and also my speed. I arrive late on the ball sometimes.
The more I stay in the tournament, the better my condition will be. I wouldnt be here if I didnt think I was ready to compete at these levels".
