By Richard Pagliaro | Thursday, July 6, 2017
Novak Djokovic has permitted just eight games through two rounds at Wimbledon.
Photo credit: Ashley Western/CameraSport
Adam Pavlasek grew up looking up to Novak Djokovic.
Facing the three-time Wimbledon champion on No. 1 Court proved to be a humbling experience.
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A fierce Djokovic dismantled Pavlasek from all areas of the court in a 6-2, 6-2, 6-1 rout, rolling into the Wimbledon third round for the ninth consecutive year.
"I felt very good today in terms of, you know, my game and where it was from the beginning till the end," said Djokovic, who has spent just two hours, 14 minutes on court streaking into the third round. "So just keeps going in the right direction."
Playing at his lowest rank since 2009, the fourth-ranked Serbian has been flying high during grass season.
Djokovic has dropped just eight games in two tournament wins and should be fresh and at full strength for a third-round encounter with either Latvian Ernests Gulbis, who defeated Olympic silver medalist Juan Martin del Potro, 6-4, 6-4, 7-6 (3).
Contesting his 51st consecutive Grand Slam appearance, Djokovic carried an immense advantage in experience onto the court against the 136th-ranked Czech, who took the court with a 2-2 lifetime major record.
Then there was the prospect of playing an opponent who praised Djokovic as his childhood hero. Asked how that made him felt, the 12-time Grand Slam champion replied: "old."
First of all, it makes me look old," Djokovic said. "But, yeah, it is definitely very nice to hear that I inspired him, you know, with my tennis and what I have done. Of course it's very flattering. I'm grateful of for that.
"At the same time, stepping on to the same court, I try not to think about that too much and try to do what I'm supposed to do. But I can understand that the emotions that he was going through on the court first time in Wimbledon and first time on a big court like that. It obviously was a big occasion for him."
In his first tournament with both coaches—Andre Agassi and former world No. 7 Mario Ancic—present, Djokovic played assertive tennis from the first ball today.
Actively stepping into the court, the 12-time Grand Slam champion made Pavlasek move and frequently raced forward to finish at net.
Volleying with confidence, Djokovic won 23 of 31 trips to net against an opponent who lacked the weapons to truly test the second seed.
Djokovic permitted just two points on serve bursting out to a 4-2 lead.
Carving Pavlasek up in baseline rallies, the Eastbourne champion broke again extending the lead to 5-2.
Cranking a crosscourt forehand brought him to triple-set point. Djokovic closed the opening set in a half hour, winning 16 of 18 points played on his serve and seven of 10 trips to net.
Pavlasek sent a backhand long as Djokovic opened up a two-set lead after just 66 minutes.
The 12-time Grand Slam champion denied the only break point he faced in the third set.
The serve set the tone as Djokovic served 68 percent and backed up his second serve with vigor, winning 14 of 19 points played on his second delivery.
Wrapping up his sixth straight win in 93 minutes, Djokovic raised his Wimbledon record to 56-9.