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Novak Djokovic had some moans to his box, gave his knee a further test – albeit accidental – with a slip on the baseline and dropped a set but he eventually saw off brave Brit Jacob Fearnley in an entertaining and absorbing clash on Centre Court.
The Serb overcame the wildcard in four sets 6-3 6-4 5-7 7-5 but it wasn’t as easy as most would have expected.
Djokovic, 37, has had plenty of experience against Scotsmen in this part of the world but this year it obviously won’t be against Andy Murray.
He admitted he had no idea how to beat Djokovic but he certainly knows how to take a set off him now and will take huge confidence from how he fought here. Fearnley will have felt in the battle in the first few games. He hit two superb winners in the eighth game at 3-4 to his opponent.
But then he found the net twice and a further error saw Djokovic get the first break of the game. The fine margins. It was also about the brilliance of Djokovic, though. His experience of forcing just one more shot to get the mistake so evident against the British No 13. So many holds of service felt like a fight really for the home favourite, cheered on by an almost full Centre Court.
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There were moments early in the second set when Djokovic seemed frustrated. He was speaking up to his box between points but Fearnley couldn’t force a break. There was some concern when Djokovic slipped. Sporting a grey knee sleeve which is supporting the joint which he recently had surgery on, he rose tentatively but showed no real ill effects initially.
But there were times, like in his first round win over Vit Kopriva, that he perhaps held back on a slide or stretching too far but he was still a class above in the second set Djokovic went through some of his highlight reel repertoire to pull off some stunning shots and get the break in the fifth game of the third set.
