Djokovic Eases Through Doing Just Enough At The Right Times

What is it with Novak Djokovic? At times you get the feeling the greatest player in the history of men's tennis could walk out to face a vaping, white-shorted Phillip Schofield, or a Just Stop Oil pensioner on a wildcard, and this most gushing of arenas, a Centre Court that loves nothing more than to fawn over its champions, would still shout "Go on Phillip" or "Let's Go Oil", just to break the day up a little

- Barney Ronay

On a slow-burn Wednesday afternoon Djokovic did what he tends to do in these early rounds, easing his way up through the revs, refamiliarising himself with his grass-court movements, the preternatural flex and twang on the baseline, the pitter-patter dashes to the net.

In the process Djokovic eased his way past Jordan Thompson, the world No 70, and into the third round with a fine-margins, always-comfortable 6-3, 7-6 (4), 7-5 win. Thompson was game and fearless in his dashes to the net, his running drives, his use of the angles. But he was playing tennis against history here.

This was Djokovic's 41st successive win on this court, achieved by doing just enough at just the right moments, but with the sense, of course, of much deeper gears.