Novak Djokovic: ‘I Don’t Recall Being So Helpless’ | ATP Tour | Tennis

Indoors or outside, irrespective of the circumstances, returning Hubert Hurkacz’s serve stays one of many largest challenges within the grass-court sport.

Novak Djokovic nonetheless discovered a approach to blunt the Pole’s booming supply and seal fourth-round victory on Monday at Wimbledonthe place Hurkacz despatched down 33 aces however was unable to disclaim the seven-time champion in a match that started on Sunday night in London.

“[It was] type of two completely different matches: final night time and in the present day,” mentioned Djokovic, who had led Hurkacz by two units to like in a single day earlier than wrapping a 7-6(6), 7-6(6), 5-7, 6-4 win. “Utterly completely different circumstances. Enjoying underneath the was roof extra humid, extra slippery. Clearly, no wind. A bit simpler for the rhythm for the serve. On the similar time, it was a bit slower from the again of the court docket.

“At the moment, utterly completely different. Very, very windy. Tough to get the rhythm and tempo on the toss. It did not appear to have an effect on him a lot.

“I believed perhaps that may very well be my likelihood to start out studying his serve a bit higher. That wasn’t the case. He was serving extremely properly. I do not recall being so helpless on the return video games, to be sincere. I knew that he is an enormous server and he is a implausible participant on the grass notably, however I did not anticipate him to serve this properly and this precisely. Credit score to him.”

Djokovic was visibly pissed off after dropping the third set to an opponent who had not, at that time, dropped serve at this yr’s Wimbledon. The World No. 2 regained his composure in trademark vogue on Centre Courtroom, lastly breaking via towards Hurkacz’s supply within the seventh sport of the fourth set earlier than serving out for his win.

“I’m going via my moments,” mentioned Djokovic, when requested about his psychological battle as Hurkacz threatened a comeback. “I feel in matches like this, the place you do not have many possibilities in any respect within the service video games of your opponent, once they’re introduced and you do not use them, then clearly the strain builds up.

“I haven’t got as sturdy a function Hurkacz. I needed to in all probability work a bit extra for my service video games, and I knew that. Finally that strain that builds up simply goes out.

“I used to be pissed off the way in which I performed the final sport of the third set. Additionally credit score to him, he performed a extremely, actually good sport. I used to be a bit passive, and the set was gone. I preferred my possibilities going right into a tie-break within the third set. That is why I used to be, after all, extra pissed off.”

Djokovic’s resolve earned him a quarter-final conflict with Andrey Rublev on the grass-court main, the place he has now gained 32 consecutive matches. The Serbian heads into that conflict with a 3-1 Lexus ATP Head2Head sequence lead towards Rublev, however is greater than conscious of what the seventh seed will carry to court docket.

“Andrey Rublev is a implausible participant who’s received probably the greatest forehands within the sport,” mentioned Djokovic. “He brings a whole lot of depth to the court docket along with his grunts. He type of scares off his opponents throughout the web. He’s a particularly good man and works as arduous as anyone on the market to be a High 10 participant, which he has been for the final a number of years. He is one of the crucial constant gamers on all surfaces. I’ve numerous respect for him.

“I used to be shocked that he has really by no means reached the semi-finals of a Grand Slam, which clearly will function a motivation extra for him tomorrow, to be impressed, and play his finest tennis.”