Rain played spoilsport on Day 1 of the Wimbledon and things couldn’t have been more frustrating for the viewers. The weather experts predicted that it may rain and they got it right for sure. That is what happened during the First Round of the Wimbledon game between Casper Ruud and Albert Ramos-Vinolas. However, the game went fluently after the resumption and it was one of the most riveting games you’d see. Kwon soon-woo took Djokovic to the task but Novak’s win looked imminent after a point. Djokovic won the game in four sets, winning 6:3, 3:6, 6:3, 6:4 in the end.
Djokovic was tired and was tested
Novak Djokovic suffered an early setback in the first set as Known came to play with a lot of energy. It looked as if Novak was bound for a first-set but the Djokovic showed his slick game and pulled through. But there is no doubt that Kwon gave his all and came up with the energy required to fight against such an elite team. Djokovic took some time to gather himself but his experience enabled him to fend off a feisty Kwon.
Interesting battle from the first to last set
Novak looked a bit slow in the first set and Kwon made sure to take advantage of his sluggishness. But it was business-as-usual for Serb, see off the initial volleys and then make sure to wear down the opponent. That is how he induced errors and forced some net shots from Djokovic.
Then it was a great turnaround from Kwon in the second set, he completely dominated Novak and dominated the serve and at one point, won three games in a row and 8 points in a row. Then in the third set, Djokovic forced two break points and eked out a 6-3 third set win, and Kwon was unable to pull through against Djokovic's imposing forehand.
Then Kwon gave a tight battle to Djokovic in the last set and took him to task in big ways. Kwon did a great job of spacing up a four-five game but Djokovic pulled through in the fourth set, winning six-four in the end. After being tested by Kwon big-time, Djokovic showed why he is one of the best to do it. The 81-ranked player earned a lot of respect from this showing and there is no doubt that he put Djokovic in jeopardy a couple of times.
Will Djokovic be able to make a deep run?
Kwon really tested the guts of Djokovic and he was looking a bit out-of-sync at the beginning of the game. But Djokovic’s hand-eye coordination has been built through more than a decade of playing at a high level. Kwon entered the game with the highly unfavorable odds of 13 but showed that he has a lot left in the rank. How will this impact Novak? Will he be stalled in the next round?
Credit to Kwon for playing some really high-quality tennis. He deserves applause, definitely. I didn’t have any lead-up, or preparation for tournaments or matches. You’re going to feel a bit less comfortable than usual. It was really difficult to go ‘through’ him so I had to find a way, tactically, to get in control of the point. I had to put a lot of variety in the game. At this level, one or two points decide the game. I want to thank you for coming out and supporting both players today. I owe a lot to this sport. I’m as dedicated as anybody out there. The love, and flame for this sport still burns in me. I try to deliver the best tennis on these most significant courts.
Novak Djokovic