Novak Djokovic has insisted that he was not bothered by the Wimbledon crowd on Wednesday, as many of those in attendance audibly rooted for Jordan Thompson to beat the seven-time champion.
Djokovic saw off Thompson in three competitive sets, advancing to the third round with a 6-3, 7-6(4), 7-5 win over the Australian.
And while the Centre Court crowd was respectful of the Serb’s performance, it was Thompson who had the lion’s share of support at SW19 – with a number of his compatriots in the stands.
“They’re actually doing me a favour,” Djokovic, 36, told Serbian media. “The more they root against me, the better off I am. With me, they wake up to something they might not want to see – a winner.
“As a player, you want to have the majority of the audience on your side. I don’t want to play in a belligerent atmosphere. However, that’s how it is in most matches in my career, that they cheer for the other.
“It was decided by fate, and that’s fine. Sometimes it’s harder for me to accept it, sometimes I don’t understand the audience and their behaviour, but they have the right. Someone [may] be a little more daring and allow themselves to do something more from the stands, but then they have to expect my reaction.
“This has happened in the past, at major tournaments all over the world. It gives me fuel and additional motivation, it inspires me to play even better.”
Djokovic will next face Stanislas Wawrinka, who won two of his three slam titles by beating Djokovic in the final. Djokovic, meanwhile, is bidding to add to his 23 major trophies – a men’s record. The Serb has already won the first two slams of the year, emerging victorious at the Australian Open for a record-extending 10th time, before winning his third French Open trophy.
“There’s zero opportunity to win Wimbledon for me, I think,” Wawrinka said after beating Tomas Etcheverry 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 6-2 on Thursday (6 July). “I’m happy to have won today again, I think it was a great match. I’m playing better each match, and I think it’s an honour to play Novak here.
“I was missing that on my career to play him in the grand slam in Wimbledon. It’s going to be a difficult challenge. Hopefully I can make a competitive match, but if you will look at recent results, I don’t really stand a chance.”
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