Novak Djokovic age 39 did not slow him down at Wimbledon. He beat Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 in 98 minutes to reach the third round and keep his bid for a record-equalling eighth Wimbledon title and a 25th major title alive.
Djokovic in full flow
Djokovic said after the match, "I like the terminology 'vintage', it is nice because it brings back the best days," and added, "Obviously you feel very happy, satisfied and joyful on the court when you are playing this way." Those words matched the scoreline. He won in straight sets and never let the match drift into a longer battle.
Tim Henman put it simply on TV: "Djokovic in full flow." He also said, "Tsitsipas isn't in the best form or in the best place in his career, but the way Djokovic just absolutely dismantled him was incredibly impressive," before adding, "Djokovic was just absolutely brilliant in the way he went out there and executed."
Tsitsipas under pressure
Tsitsipas arrived ranked 87th after injury struggles, and Djokovic punished that gap from the opening games. The first set went 6-3, then he tightened the grip with 6-4, and he closed it out 6-2 without needing a deciding set.
The numbers backed the eye test. Djokovic needed more than three hours to beat Wu Yibing in his first match of the season on grass on Monday, when he said he was "happy but not the freshest". Two days later, the same player produced a match that lasted less than half that time.
Arthur Rinderknech next
Djokovic was watched by Rory McIlroy and supported in his box by Ben Stiller, but the performance belonged to him alone. The win also extended a ninth straight victory at the All England Club, another marker in a run that now feeds his chase for Wimbledon history.
Arthur Rinderknech waits next, and Djokovic carries into that match the kind of form that makes the age discussion unavoidable. He is 39, still through to the third round, and still moving toward titles that would place him alone in the record books.
