Returning Hubert Hurkacz’s serve remains one of the most difficult aspects of the grass-court game, inside or out.
Hurkacz delivered 33 aces, but was unable to stop the seven-time winner in a match that got underway on Sunday night in London. Novak Djokovic nonetheless managed to dull the Pole’s powerful delivery and secure fourth-round victory on Monday at Wimbledon.
“[It was] kind of two different matches: last night and today,” Djokovic remarked after defeating Hurkacz 7-6(6), 7-6(6), 5-7, 6-4. Djokovic had led Hurkacz by two sets to love overnight. “Totally different circumstances. Playing beneath the canopy made the ground more slick and damp. No wind, of course. a little simpler for the serve’s rhythm. From the back of the court, it was a little slower at the same time.Totally different today. really windy. Getting the rhythm and pace for the throw is challenging. He didn’t seem to be much affected.I reasoned that maybe now was my moment to start reading his serve a little bit more clearly. That wasn’t the situation. He was doing a great job of serving. To be honest, I don’t remember feeling so powerless throughout the return games. I knew he was a great player overall and a huge server, but I didn’t anticipate him to serve this consistently and properly. Praise be to him.
After losing the third set at this year’s Wimbledon to a rival who had not yet broken serve, Djokovic was clearly upset. The World No. 2 recovered his calm on Centre Court and served out the match in the seventh game of the fourth set after eventually breaking through against Hurkacz’s delivery.
When questioned about his internal struggle as Hurkacz threatened a comeback, Djokovic said, “I go through my periods. “I believe that in matches like this, where you don’t have many opportunities at all in your opponent’s service games, when they are presented and you don’t take advantage of them, then obviously the pressure builds up.”Hurkacz’s serve is stronger than mine. I understood that I would have to put in a little bit more effort to win my service games. “I was disappointed with the way I played the final game of the third set,” the player said. He played a very, really fantastic game, which is also to his credit. The set was gone because I was a little too passive. Going into the third set tie-break, I felt confident about my prospects. Naturally, this made me feel more irritated.
Djokovic, who has now won 32 straight matches, will face Andrey Rublev in the quarterfinals of the grass-court major thanks to his tenacity. Despite having a 3-1 Lexus ATP Head2Head series advantage against Rublev going into that match, the Serbian is well aware of what the seventh seed will bring to the table.
Djokovic praised Andrei Rublev, calling him “a fantastic player with one of the best forehands in the game.” “With his grunts, he adds a lot of energy to the court. He sort of frightens his opponents away online. He works just as hard as everybody else to be a Top 10 player, which he has been for a number of years. He is a really pleasant man. On all court types, he is one of the most reliable players. I have a great deal of respect for him.I was startled to see that he has never advanced beyond the Grand Slam semifinals, which will undoubtedly spur him on more tomorrow to be motivated and play his best tennis.
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