2021 Wimbledon: Novak Djokovic humbles Jack Draper despite dropping set
World number one Novak Djokovic has opened his 2021 Wimbledon campaign with a resounding win. The Serbian humbled Great Britain's Jack Draper 4-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 in the first round that ran for over two hours. Djokovic made a stunning comeback after losing the first set to the young qualifier. The former recently won the French Open after defeating Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final.
How did the match pan out?
Draper stunned the number one seed in the first round. Djokovic constantly lost his balance on Centre Court's slippery surface. However, he regained all his angles to restore parity in the following set. The Serbian dominated the proceedings in the third set too, giving Draper little margin for error. Although Draper showed terrific resistance, Djokovic overcame him in the final set.
A look at the stats
Djokovic registered 113 points and 25 aces in the match. He registered 47 winners in the match. Djokovic also claimed 43% of the receiving points. He clinched 17 out of 22 net points. While Draper recorded 27 unforced errors, Djokovic recorded 24.
Djokovic has been in sublime form of late
Djokovic is now 28-3 in the season. He began his 2021 campaign by winning a record-extending ninth Australian Open honor. The 34-year-old then won only his second French Open title, becoming the first player in Open Era to win each Grand Slam twice. Djokovic could be the first man since Rod Laver (1969) to win a Calendar-Year Grand Slam.
Draper definitely deserves a round of applause: Djokovic
Draper was facing a Top 10 opponent for the first time on his Grand Slam debut. Praising the youngster, Djokovic said, "He definitely deserves a round of applause. He's a youngster, only 19. [I] hadn't seen him play too much prior to the Queen's tournament, [where] he played pretty well and won a couple of matches against higher-ranked players."
