Novak Djokovic did manage to script a straight-set win against Jannik Sinner, who had taken two sets off him in their previous encounter on Centre Court in 2022 quarterfinals, to reach his ninth Wimbledon final on Friday, but it wasn’t all a smooth ride. In the second set, Djokovic received not one, but a double violation which left him frustrated and fuming. Post the win, he saw the funny side to it as he made a “nervous” revelation on a first-of-its-kind incident in his career.
In the fourth game of the second set, when Djokovic sprinted from the centre of the baseline to his left corner, slid and powered through a backhand down the line return, he let out a grunt, probably for the immense effort he put behind the run and then the shot. But umpire immediately made a hindrance call leaving the Serb fuming who straightaway headed towards the him to have a discussion.
In that same game, Djokovic was also given a time violation which left hi, disgruntled, but unlike the previous time he did not engage in making a case for himself against the umpire. He walked back from the baseline, took his time and then served.
After the match, during his on-court interview, Djokovic was asked about the importance of mental strength in scripting such wins, but with the presenter using the word “hindrance”, the 36-year-old spoked about that incident with the umpire revealing that it had left him “nervous”.
“The hindrance call earlier on today in the match could have changed the course of the match. I felt really nervous out there after that call but I managed to regroup and it was probably the first time in my career that this happened to me, it doesn’t normally happen the extended grunt,” he said.
“Maybe it was an echo from the roof, I didn’t think I was hindering my opponent but OK he made the call and I respect it… what was the question again because I can’t remember, I just heard hindrance?”
Djokovic vs Alcaraz!
When the draw was out, it was the one match that world tennis waited for with baited breathe. Arguably the two best players on ATP tour, the two top-ranked players and the two best grass-court players presently in the circuit – the Centre Court couldn’t have asked for a better final for Sunday.
While Djokovic beat Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz avenged his 2019 Wimbledon loss to beat Daniil Medvedev in the clash of the US Open champions on Centre Court to reach his maiden final on SW19 and second Grand Slam final in his career. The Sunday clash will give a chance for Alcaraz to script a revenge against Djokovic, who defeated him in their Roland Garros meeting last month where the Spaniard suffered from cramps before going down in four sets.
