Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
New coach. New season, but same old celebration.
Novak Djokovic may be chasing a record-equalling eighth Wimbledon crown and an unprecedented 25th Grand Slam title, but on Center Court, he remains a father trying to negotiate a new creative partnership with his biggest critic.
Following his hard-fought victory late on Monday evening, the 39-year-old Serbian legend pulled out his now-signature celebration: mimicking playing a violin with his tennis racket. The gesture, initially introduced as a tribute to his eight-year-old daughter Tara’s real-life musical pursuits, became a viral talking point during his post-match interview when Djokovic admitted the encore was actually due to a lack of new material.
advertisement
“I actually used last year’s celebration. The violin. Because I’m still waiting,” a grinning Djokovic told the Center Court crowd. “It’s a work in progress. She’s still thinking about the choreography. Maybe she’s gonna get inspired after tonight.”
As the stadium erupted in laughter, the TV cameras instantly panned up to the players’ box to catch Tara’s reaction. The young girl was visibly mortified by her father’s public appeal, turning deeply shy under the lens.
Smiling at his daughter’s expense, Djokovic joked about the late hour for his family.
“Of course, having my family is a blessing for me, here to support me. To be this late even though it’s past bedtime, we’ll have to talk about that-but I think it’s an exception tonight.”
DJOKOVIC MADE TO WORK HARD
On the grass, however, it was far from a routine opening night for the seventh seed. Djokovic was given a severe, three-hour examination by China’s world number 102, Wu Yibing, eventually grinding out a 6-4, 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 victory.
The former world number one looked to be cruising after a comfortable opening set, but Wu, a noted talent returning to the big stage after two injury-plagued seasons, began to aggressively slap flat baseline winners to snatch the second set and force the closing of the Center Court roof.
The match turned into a bruising baseline battle under the lights, with Djokovic leaning heavily on his two decades of experience to navigate a treacherous fourth set, fending off multiple break points before converting a crucial break in the ninth game to serve out to love.
“It felt really challenging today,” Djokovic admitted. “Wu deserves a huge round of applause for his performance. It didn’t feel like the first round to be honest”.
By sealing his 21st consecutive opening-round win at SW19, Djokovic maintains his flawless career record in Wimbledon first-round matches.
The reward for his survival is an absolute blockbuster of a second-round tie against former world number three Stefanos Tsitsipas. The Greek star, currently ranked 87th, will provide an incredibly early litmus test for Djokovic’s title credentials in what promises to be an electric second-round encounter.
– Ends
SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
