In the dying embers of this pulsating match, Novak Djokovic morphed into a young Boris Becker, flying through the air to hit a diving backhand lob volley at match point. At this juncture his opponent, Arthur Rinderknech, was also on the floor after slipping at the net. And Centre Court? All 15,000 of them on their feet. And no wonder. Because this was a first-week mini-classic.
There was little in Rinderknech’s grass court record of 15 wins and 18 defeats to suggest he could put the greatest player in history through the wringer, save for his victory over Alexander Zverev at last year’s Wimbledon. Yet his 6ft 5in frame, booming serve and surprisingly soft hands gave Djokovic all he could handle.
