NOVAK DJOKOVIC was given a surprise scare last night - by an unseeded wild card known as Dutch Tim.
But the defending champion eventually showed his class against Wimbledon debutant Tim van Rijthoven to win 6-2 4-6 6-1 6-2.
Centre Court rang out with cries of "Come on Tim" that hadn't been heard so often here since the days of Tim Henman as the locals took the little-known 25-year-old to heart. Van Rijthoven, whose career has been plagued by injury, is the first wild card to make it this far since 2015 and the world number 104 earned plenty of new fans with his plucky play.
He broke six-time champion Djokovic's serve after an epic second-set rally on his way to levelling the match at one set apiece. But the top-seeded Serb roared back to win five games in a row on his way to clinching the third set, before squeezing over the line just before the 11pm curfew.
The World No. 1 started effectively, bursting into a 3-0 lead in the first set before Van Rijthoven got his first game on the board by serve volleying at the net. The two then exchanged games before Djokovic sensationally closed out the set 6-2 thanks to a stunning lob amid some sensational serving by the Dutchman.
The crowd then decided to get behind the underdog on Centre Court, and the two men held serve well as Van Rijthoven crucially found his rhythm. It went to 3-3 before the Dutchman magically showed he belonged on such a grand stage by smashing to break the Serb before serving out to move 5-3 up.
After Djokovic held serve, Van Rijthoven struggled to convert chances in an epic 10th game but he finally secured the game win to take the second set 6-4. It was a monumental moment as the Dutchman managed to take a set off the 20-time Grand Slam champion, sealing it with an ace on set point.
After that, it proved to be fairly straightforward for the defending Wimbledon champion. Djokovic, perhaps hoping to finish the game inside the 11pm curfew, rattled off five straight game wins as his opponent began to wilt under the unrelenting pressure.
Vaa Rijthoven finally took a game to make it 5-1, but Djokovic secured the third set on his serve. He made only two unforced errors in a near-perfect third display to regain momentum.
The dream second set for Van Rijthoven felt like a far cry as Djokovic began to find his groove. He eyed a place in the last eight, and he ensured he got there by moving into a 2-0 lead after breaking the Dutchman in the fourth set’s opening game.
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He held his serve for successive games to make it 3-2 in favour of Djokovic, but the World No. 1 then kicked it up a gear to close out the set 6-2. The 35-year-old heaped praise on his unknown opponent in the post-match interview before citing his relief at getting the job done before the curfew.
“He was a very tough opponent, and on a streak on this surface, so I knew it wasn't going to be easy with that serve and his touch and a lot of talent,” Djokovic said on Centre Court. “It took me a little bit of time to get used to his pace and the conditions under the roof, but overall I closed out the match well.
“I didn't know if there was an 11pm curfew, so I am lucky to get it done. I have had some previous experience of playing a match over two days under the roof against Nadal a couple of years back and it wasn't fun, so I am glad I did get it done and now I am just looking forward to the next challenge.”
