How does Novak Djokovic do it?
The question could be heard loud and clear among the Centre Court crowd as in the Wimbledon press room after the hugely impressive Djokovic turned in a polished display to beat Czech qualifier Vit Kopriva in his opening match at the All England Club.
The 37-year-old’s chances of featuring at Wimbledon looked all but impossible when he went under the knife in Paris last month for surgery on a torn meniscus.
But a 6-1 6-2 6-2 first-round stroll against Czech qualifier Vit Kopriva demonstrated to the doubters that not only is Djokovic fit, but he is also determined to at least challenge for title number eight at the All England Club.
Sporting a grey knee support – not exactly consistent with Wimbledon’s all-white policy – Djokovic charged through the first set in only 34 minutes.
The knee was tested when in the second Djokovic had to fully stretch his right leg to keep the ball in play, letting out a trademark roar when he subsequently won the point.
With one seven-time champion watching another – snooker superstar Ronnie O’Sullivan was in Djokovic’s box – the Serbian completed what was probably the perfect opening work-out in less than two hours.
“Very good,” he said. “I’m very pleased with the way I felt on the court. Obviously coming into this year was different circumstances because of the knee, and didn’t know how everything would unfold on the court. I’m extremely glad about the way I felt and the way I played.
I tried to really focus on the game and not think too much about the knee. I’ve done everything possible in the last three-and-a-half weeks. If it was any other tournament I probably wouldn’t have risked it – but I love Wimbledon.”
Djokovic expanded on his feelings after the match in another compelling press conference, with the depth of his answers offering an insight into his outlook.
“Practice week, as I was mentioning before, went great,” Djokovic told the media.
“Obviously match play, official match on the Centre Court, something completely different.
“I didn’t know how I was going to feel on the court and how knee is going to hold up. But very happy, very happy with the way I felt, with the way I played, with the way I moved. For an opening match, I couldn’t ask for a better start.”
Djokovic was then asked to compare how he felt in his previous match at the French Open, when his knee injury flared up, compared to his sensation on court against
“I didn’t have any kind of pain that I had in that match today. So that’s good,” he added.
Obviously started a little bit more cautious, I would say. I didn’t really maybe go for certain shots 100% in
terms of, like, the far balls at the first set.
“I played I think just enough to win confidently in straight sets. I felt like as the match progressed, I moved better.
“Those couple points I think when I broke him in the second set, I did one slide. That was the first slide of the grass court season for me. I haven’t done it even in a practice week. So that was a great test.
“After that, I felt happy that I did it because in a way you also feel mentally hesitant to do those extreme movements. But knowing that I can do it is, obviously, very comforting and very positive.”
After two-time champion Andy Murray was forced give up on his final Wimbledon dream after accepting injury had got the better of him, Djokovic continues to defy the sands of time.
On the evidence of his opening match at Wimbledon this year, he is the man to beat once again.
