| Monday, 23 June 2008 Written by By Alix Ramsay Novak Djokovic needed four sets to see off a determined challenge from Michael Berrer, winning his first-round match 7-5, 2-6, 6-3, 6-0 after surviving a second-set scare. And the Serbian No.3 seed was none too happy with his efforts. "The good thing is that I started to play better late in the match," he said, looking more relieved than pleased. "It was a bad performance in the second set."
The pressure on Djokovic has been mounting since the opening weeks of the season. Since winning the Australian Open in January, he has been chasing Rafael Nadal for the No.2 spot in the rankings and, as Wimbledon began, he had a mathematical chance of overtaking Roger Federer as No.1 by the end of the tournament.
Berrer, on the other hand, had not won back-to-back matches all year and was hoping to win his first match of any description since the beginning of May. That was an opening round match at the Dresden Challenger (he lost in the next round). Taking on the world's third best player, and doing it on Centre Court to boot, was a step up for the German.
But the world No.91 showed no signs of fear or nerves and for the first 47 minutes was every bit a match for Djokovic. Whenever he found himself in a spot of bother – he faced six break points in the opening set – he merely cranked up his service action, whacked down another ace or service winner and put himself back on track.
There was not a gnat's whisker between the two as Berrer stepped up to serve to stay in the first set. Both had 26 winners, Djokovic had made just six unforced errors and Berrer seven. But then, in the space of 60 seconds, the German faced a set point, looped a backhand a mile over the baseline and was suddenly a set down.
In theory, that should have been the end of it. Berrer had had his moment of fame, he had played well but now it was time for him to go back to his day job. At the same time, it should have been the point were the No.3 seed flexed his muscles and moved efficiently into the next round. Unfortunately for Djokovic, Berrer had not read that script and serving with authority and limiting his mistakes to just two, he drove his Serbian rival to distraction with his backhand. After another 24 minutes, it was level at a set apiece.
Djokovic, though, is a changed man since he won the title in Melbourne. In the space of those two weeks, he grew up and gained more confidence and experience than seems possible for a 21-year-old. The second set had been poor but in the time it took to have a few slugs of water at the change of ends, he cleared his head of distractions and marched out a tougher and better player.
The errors were eliminated, the plan was put into action and Djokovic took the match by the scruff of the neck. Serving almost faultlessly, he grabbed the early break in the third set and from there never looked back. In the fourth set, Djokovic allowed Berrer just nine points as he wrapped up the match.
| Centre Court - Gentlemen's Singles - 1st Round | |
|
|
Match Statistics
Djokovic Survives Early Scare
Subscription Video (Live)
