New Delhi: Novak Djokovic eased into the third round of Wimbledon with a straights sets victory over local hope Daniel Evans on Thursday.
With his 6-3, 6-2, 6-0 win over Evans, Djokovic overtook Swiss legend Roger Federer for most third-round appearances (19) in men’s singles at the grass-court Grand Slam in the Open Era.
The record 24-time Grand Slam champion has now 99 wins and 12 defeats on the lawns of the All England Club. He will next face fellow Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic in the thord round.
Ranked 49th in the ATP rankings, Kecmanovic defeated Jesper de Jong 1-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 in his second round match.
The 38-year-old Djokovic was beaten by Evans in straight sets at the Monte-Carlo Masters in 2021. Facing him for the first time since that match, seven-time Wimbledon champion Djokovic produced a dominant display to win after an hour and 47 minutes.
“I think everyone knew that it was going to be a special atmosphere today on the court,” Djokovic said after his win.
“Obviously a Brit in Britain is never easy to face. ‘Tricky’ is maybe not a great word, but he’s a good quality player who possesses a lot of talent, a lot of touch, and for the grass, where the ball stays very low with his slice, he can be causing a lot of trouble to you if you are not on top of your game, which I think I was, to be honest, from the very beginning.”
Asked to comment on going past Federer, Djokovic said: “It means that I’ve been playing quite a long time. Nineteen times. That’s a great stat. It’s probably almost as much as Sinner and Alcaraz have as years in their life, but I still enjoy it.
“This sport has given me so much… Wimbledon remains the most special tournament in my heart, the one that I always dreamed of winning when I was a kid, so any history made here is obviously extra special for me.
“It’s the beginning of the tournament, so while I’m aware of the history on the line and am privileged position to do that, at the same time I am thinking about the big things I can do at this tournament.”