The magical run of Tim van Rijthoven is over but it required the full powers of Novak Djokovic’s steely edge to break the spell.
After taking the second set to level the match under the lights, the 25-year-old wildcard threatened what would have been one of the biggest shocks in Centre Court’s 100-year history. Van Rijthoven had no impact on the sport to speak of until four weeks ago, when he won his first match on the professional tour and followed it up by beating all before him on grass. For a moment it looked as if the six-time Wimbledon champion would be the latest to be swept aside by his wave but Djokovic backed down on his relentless grit to take a 6-1 4-6 6-1 6-2 win in over two and a half hours.
