Reuters
Novak Djokovic. [Source: Reuters Sports]
Four-times defending champion and hot favourite Novak Djokovic began his record quest with a straight-sets Wimbledon victory over a willing but eventually outgunned Argentine Pedro Cachin on Centre Court.
Serbian Djokovic, 36, is seeking a men’s record-extending 24th Grand Slam title that would also draw him level with Australia’s Margaret Court, to match Roger Federer’s eight Wimbledon and equal Federer and Bjorn Borg’s record of five successive men’s singles crowns.
He took a convincing first step with a 6-3 6-3 7-6(4) victory where the only time he looked really inconvenienced was when complaining about the risk of slipping on a mildly damp court after a shower caused a 70-minute delay during which the roof was closed and reopened.
Last time Djokovic lost on Centre Court was in the 2013 final against Andy Murray and remarkably that was also his last defeat on grass by any of the 128 players in this year’s draw, though for several years he has avoided any of the grasscourt warm-up events.
Djokovic accepted that the rain delay was frustrating for the crowd but said it was still slippery until after the roof had been reopened. “I usually come out with rackets, not towels,” he said.
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