In another world, Novak Djokovic should have been in the heat of battle as he faced the former world No 3 Stefanos Tsitsipas at Wimbledon, in a match-up that had previously been staged in two grand slam finals. Instead, it was telling of the relaxed, flowing mood Djokovic was in that he spotted an opportunity to prank an unsuspecting court assistant, who had been asked to help him snip the tape around his shoulder. As she got to work with the scissors, Djokovic suddenly leapt from his seat, pretending he had been given a sharp nip on the arm. It almost gave her a heart attack, before she realised Djokovic was joking. “I was just having some fun,” he said.
No wonder he was in a good mood. This was vintage from Djokovic, as pure and as clean as any of his previous 103 victories at the All England Club, a masterclass of a 6-3 6-4 6-2 victory he raced to in just one hour and 38 minutes. But as the 39-year-old laughed and messed around on Centre Court, the contrast on the other side of the net was clear and Tsitsipas was left to look a sad shadow of his former self. This has never been a good match-up for the Greek; his one-handed backhand is especially vulnerable against the accuracy of Djokovic’s pinpoint serve and return. Having lost his previous 11 matches against Djokovic, this was a demolition.
