Novak Djokovic began his title defense and his quest for record-equaling 20th Major against British teenager Jack Draper at Wimbledon on Monday. Surprisingly, the Serb dropped his opening set. But bounced back dominantly on Centre Court to win 4-6 6-1 6-2 6-2 in exactly two hours.
Wimbledon Round 2 Preview
Immaculate serving was the feature of 34-year-old Serb’s game against Draper as he amassed 25 aces and was broken just once. Interestingly, the 19-time Major Champion now meets the 2018 Wimbledon runner-up, Kevin Anderson, in his 2nd Round contest on Wednesday.
In his tournament opener, Anderson beat Marcelo Tomas Barrios Vera 6-7(4) 6-4 6-4 7-6(4) to record just his seventh win of the 2021 season. The victory likely gave the tall South African a great sense of relief, as he was sent packing in the openers at the French Open and Australian Open this year. The 35-year-old can draw positives from the match, though, as he prepares to take on the defending champion. He was not broken even once in his opener, and he served whooping 40 aces.
Novak Djokovic vs Kevin Anderson
Djokovic leads Anderson 9-2 in their head-head record so far on the ATP Tour. The Serb also leads the South African 3-0 in their encounters on grass. In their last meeting on this surface, in the 2018 final, Djokovic comprehensively beat Anderson 6-2 6-2 7-6(3) to lift his 4th crown at the All-England Club.
The South African is well-known on the tour for his huge serving, but he will be up against the best returner in Djokovic. Just as he has done throughout his career, Anderson will resort to his mighty serving against Djokovic and hope that he has one of the best serving days at the office.
On the other hand, Djokovic appears to be in his invincible mode. He is on a 12-match winning streak that began at Belgrade before the French Open. The Serb is also on a 15-match winning streak at the Championships after he won the event twice in a row (2018 and 2019). He last lost a match at SW 19 in 2017, when he had to retire with injury against Tomas Berdych in the quarterfinal.
Anderson’s style of play is suited for grass. The South African can draw motivation from his run to the final in 2018, where he defeated Roger Federer and John Isner. If Anderson can maintain his consistency, especially in his service games, to push the sets into the tie-breaks, that might just open some opportunities for the South African to make inroads.
Even though Djokovic starts as a firm favorite, he cannot afford to be complacent against Anderson. Djokovic would like to put pressure on his opponent’s serve from the get-go to unsettle the big South African.
The Matchup
Anderson has been inconsistent for much of his career and this year has been no different. However, the South African certainly has the potential and all the right tools to pull off an upset, just as he did when he shocked Federer three years ago after being two sets to love down. Anderson’s unpredictability spices up the contest for sure.
Can Anderson,punch above his weight to dethrone the two-time defending champion? Or will Djokovic cruise to a routine victory to march another step closer towards his 6th Wimbledon title?
An intriguing battle between the two long-timers on the tour awaits us at Wimbledon on Wednesday.
Main Photo from Getty.
