By Richard Pagliaro | Monday, July 3, 2023
Defending champion Novak Djokovic dispatched Pedro Cachin 6-3, 6-3, 7-6(4) to score his 29th straight Wimbledon win.
Photo credit: Rob Newell/CameraSport
Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic calls Centre Court a “tennis temple.”
A devout Djokovic continues to celebrate the place—and manage the lawn— with missionary man fervor.
More: Wimbledon Preview
Shrugging off a rain delay, Djokovic picked up a towel to help dry off the damp court at one point, then dispatched Pedro Cachin 6-3, 6-3, 7-6(4) to score his 29th straight Wimbledon win.
Launching his quest for a record-tying eighth Wimbledon championship, Djokovic withstood an hour-long delay and improving Cachin for his 18th straight Wimbledon first-round win and his 66th consecutive major opening-round victory.
Continuing a decade of dominance, Djokovic has not dropped a match on Centre Court since 2013.
“It's a feeling like no other tournament in the world of walking out on the Centre Court of Wimbledon as a defending champion, on the fresh grass,” Djokovic said. “It's amazing, amazing to be back to a dream tournament, and to be able to get the first match out of the way.
“It was a solid performance. I know I can always play better, but at the same time after a long clay court season, coming into Wimbledon without any preparation tournament, lead-up event, any official match on grass, it was kind of expected I still would probably not be in my 100% of the level of my tennis. I've been in these situations before, so hopefully as the tournament progresses I'll raise my level as well.”
The 23-time Grand Slam champion hit 45 winners—17 more than his Argentinean opponent—and won 23 of 35 trips to net. Djokovic improved to 87-10 lifetime at SW19.
“The nerves are always there, of course, because you are playing in front of the packed stadium in one of the most important tennis courts in the world,” Djokovic said. “Regardless of the fact that I've had so much experience, so many matches on that court, I still feel nerves. I don't recall the last time I played an official tennis match anywhere, particularly in Grand Slams.”
The Roland Garros champion ceded the opening break double-faulting away the third game before immediately breaking back to level after four games.
A misty rain began to fall as Djokovic served for the opening set.
The top seed called for the chair umpire to check the lush grass then bumped a forehand volley winner converting his second set point for a one-set lead.
Djokovic drilled 10 more winners—16 to 6—snatching a one-set lead after 41 minutes of play. Then the covers came out as rain stopped play for nearly 90 minutes.
During that time a few grounds crew members came out with blowers trying to dry the grass.
The 36-year-old Serbian superstar famously kissed the Centre Court lawn after monumental wins. Today, Djokovic played grounds crew member using his towel at one point to try to help dry the court, which remained too moist to play even after the roof was closed and air conditioner was turned on.
"It normally takes 10 to 20 minutes when the roof is closed for the air-conditioning to do its job and grass to dry and to be ready for play," Djokovic said. "That was the case with Court 1 actually. We saw that players came back after maybe 15 minutes to Court 1, and they resumed play. But we didn't and we couldn't really.
"Both of us players wanted to come out. We did several times to show to the crowd that we want to play, we want to be there. But it was just too many places on the court which were too slippery and really moist. Touch the grass and your palm is completely wet.
"It was very strange that for more than an hour the situation was not changing at all for better. I think they're tracking right now. I think they will probably answer this question better for you, whether it's the air-conditioning system, it was quite humid, so that didn't help. Grass is such a sensitive surface for maintenance. It's definitely very challenging if you have, say, a minute or two more of rain than you need to."
Trying to take the attack to the Serbian, Cachin serve-and-volleyed down set point, but Djokovic lashed a full-stretch forehand return back at his feet breaking to snatch a two-set lead.
On his third match point, Djokovic closed a two hour, 12-minute win on a Cachin error.
Next up for the four-time defending champion is Jordan Thompson.
The 77th-ranked Aussie rallied from two sets down defeating Brandon Nakashima 2-6, 2-6, 6-4, 7-6(4), 6-3 in three hours, 30 minutes.