Novak Djokovic opened his bid for more Wimbledon history with a 6-4, 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 win over Wu Yibing of China, a first-round match that was more competitive than the scoreline ultimately suggested, as Sofascore reported.
A spirited challenge
Wu, the first player from China to win a tour-level singles title, was no mere makeweight. After Djokovic took the opening set, the 25-year-old hit back to claim the second 7-5, pushing the seven-time champion into a string of tense moments on Centre Court. For a spell, the prospect of a genuine upset hung in the London air.
Class in the end
But Djokovic, one of the most successful players the sport has known, steadied himself in the manner that has defined his career. He reasserted control to take the third and fourth sets by the same 6-4 margin, closing out the win and a place in the second round, Outlook India reported. It was the kind of performance — imperfect early, ruthless when it counted — that has carried him through countless Grand Slam fortnights.
Still chasing more
At 39, Djokovic remains one of the dominant figures in men's tennis, and Wimbledon, where he has lifted the trophy seven times, has long been among his happiest hunting grounds. A first-round wobble against a dangerous opponent is hardly cause for alarm; if anything, surviving such a test is the sort of thing that has so often set him up for a deep run. He moves on, the favorite's aura intact, with the business end of the tournament still to come.
