Novak Djokovic grinds out a victory over wild-card Jacob Fearnley at Wimbledon
LONDON — Novak Djokovic says he wouldn't have been surprised if his second-round match against young Jacob Fearnley at Wimbledon went to a fifth set, but he's “very glad it didn't.”
The seven-time champion at the All England Club beat his 22-year-old Scottish opponent 6-3, 6-4, 5-7, 7-5 on Centre Court on Thursday in another test of his fitness following recent knee surgery.
“Can I be playing better and moving better? Yes, absolutely,” Djokovic said in an on-court interview. “So I'm hoping that as the tournament progresses each day or each match I'll be feeling a bit better.”
Fearnley, a wild-card entry who recently finished playing college tennis at TCU, had a strong cheering section that erupted when he took the third set.
“He served very well, it was very difficult to break his serve. He made me work, definitely,” Djokovic said.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion said he should have closed it out in straight sets but that he “was not really comfortable in my own skin, particularly in the third and fourth.
“Sometimes you have rough days where maybe you are not feeling your best,” he added, “and of course it also depends on the opponent across the net. He made me earn this victory.”
No. 5 Jessica Pegula become the highest-seeded women's player to lose. The American was defeated by Wang Xinyu 6-4, 6-7 (7), 6-1. For Wang, it was her first victory over a top-10 player.
Two-time Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka was the No. 3 seed at Wimbledon before she pulled out before the first round because of a shoulder injury.
Britain's big day got off to a rough start when wild-card entry Yuriko Lily Miyazaki won only 19 points en route to a 6-0, 6-0 loss to Daria Kasatkina.
The 28-year-old Miyazaki committed 31 unforced errors and five double-faults in falling to the No. 14-seeded Kasatkina, a Russian who won the Eastbourne title ahead of the grass-court Grand Slam.
Later on Centre Court, Andy Murray was set to play doubles with his brother, Jamie. The two-time Wimbledon champion pulled out of the singles competition.
Kasatkina will next face Paula Badosa, who advanced Thursday by beating Brenda Fruhvirtova 6-4, 6-2.
No. 12 Madison Keys marked U.S. Independence Day with a 6-2, 6-2 victory over Wang Yafan to reach the third round.
“I've always really loved playing during the Fourth of July. I think I've spent more Fourths of Julys in London than anywhere else in the world,” the 29-year-old American said. “It's always fun, and it's definitely an experience. Like today walking by I saw a bunch of Americans, and they all said, 'Happy Fourth.'”