As Novak Djokovic grumbled and growled around Centre Court while leading the Wimbledon qualifier Roman Safiullin by two sets, the 39-year-old came very close to breaking point. Djokovic had overcome a slow start to establish what looked to be a dominant position, as he closed in on a ninth consecutive quarter-final at the All England Club. Safiullin’s epic run from qualifying - including back-to-back wins in fifth-set tiebreaks - appeared to be reaching the end of its road.
Djokovic, though, went down a break at the start of the third set, as a rocket of a forehand from Safiullin was followed by Djokovic losing his balance on the baseline and slumping a shot into the net. For a split second, with steam coming out of his ears, Djokovic considered smashing a ball into the back fence. He caught himself at the final moment, but the German umpire Timo Janzen still stepped in to give Djokovic a warning for audible obscenity. Then, a few games later, Djokovic did burst, whacking a ball away in frustration.
