Novak Djokovic prevails in Wimbledon second-round match but underperforms

Maybe the match began too easy for Novak Djokovic. After wiping away Vit Kopriva in the first round without any issues, and beginning his second-round match against Jacob Fearney 6-3 6-4, things changed. Fearney began to control points in a way that should worry the Serb moving forward. Wimbledon only will get tougher from the third round on.

Djokovic's knee did not seem to give him any issues. He was moving well, but his shot-making was not anywhere near his peak. When Fearney took the third set 7-5 - this happened even after the Serb got an early break of the Brit in the set - Fearney was pouncing on some weakly struck balls from the Serb.

The greatest returner in the history of tennis also struggled with Fearney's serve. In his on-court post-match interview, Djokovic, as he always does, gave credit to his opponent for making things a bit tough on him. He also pointed out that he had never faced the Brit before so was not sure what to expect. Djokovic was being sincere, but his logic was a bit flawed.

Novak Djokovic squeaks by Jacob Fearney in the second round at Wimbledon

To begin the match, the 24-time Grand Slam winner did not have many problems with Fearney's serve. Djokovic appeared set to win his second match in a row in straight sets, but instead, he needed to go four to win and even the fourth set was iffy until a very late break of the Brit. Should Djokovic play as inconsistently as he did in the last half against Fearney, the Serb will likely lose in the next round.

The positive is that Novak Djokovic played three hours in the second round so if he had any concerns about his recently operated on knee, he shouldn't now. He had no limp and had no issues chasing down balls to all corners of the court.

The Serb just needs to not have any low-form stretches during matches. Had he played a more experienced player, he might not have made it out of the second round. He appeared subdued in his post-match interview so maybe for the first time in years, he is doubting he can win Wimbledon.

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