Novak Djokovic has kicked-off his quest for a fourth consecutive Wimbledon title with a roller-coaster win over South Korea’s Soonwoo Kwon.
Djokovic, who hasn’t lost a match at The All England Club since 2017, battled his way to a 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, victory over the world No.81. The victory has set yet another record for the Serbian who has become the first player – male or female – to win 80 or more matches at every Grand Slam. It also continues his perfect record of first round wins at Wimbledon with this year being his 17th in a row.
“This sport has given me everything and I owe a lot to this sport. I love it with all of my heart and I have a passion for it still. I’m as dedicated as I can be. Of course, I’m not one of the youngsters anymore but the love and flame for this sport still burns inside of me,” said Djokovic.
“At this stage of my career, I always try to play my best at Slams. Now I’ve got to 80, let’s get to 100!” He added.
Despite winning almost 100 more Tour-level grass-court matches than his opponent, throughout the majority of their first round encounter there was little disparity between the world No.3 and Kwon.
Coming into the match 24-year-old Kwon had only ever won three Tour-level grass-court matches and was 0-7 against top 10 opposition in his career. Nevertheless, it was the underdog who initially came out fighting to the delight of the crowd. Back-to-back forehand winners enabled him to break just three games in as he worked his way to a 3-1 advantage.
Djokovic, who has never lost to a player ranked as low as Kwon at Wimbledon, reacted to the blip by increasing the intensity of his shot-making to turn his fortunes around with a four-game winning streak. In pole position, he closed out the opener on his first set point after a shot from his opponent landed beyond the baseline.
The second frame was a case of deja vu but this time it was a lackluster Djokovic service game that resulted in him going behind 1-3. To make matters worse, in the following game the second seed had a 40-0 lead to break back but failed to convert all three of his opportunities. Paving the way for an inspired Kwon to unexpectedly level the match at one set apiece.
The level of play from Kwon exceeded many expectations, particularly Djokovic who dropped only four games against him in their previous meeting last year. He managed to get back in the lead during the third set at the expense of an error-stricken service game from his rival which concluded with two backhand mistakes in a row. Ahead to 5-3, Djokovic closed out the set with a 108 mph ace.
Averting a stern scare and closing in on his 328th main draw win at a major, a single break in set four was all Djokovic required to eventually go over the finish line. Serving for a place in the second round he sealed victory with an ace down the center of the court.
“Credit to Kwon for playing some really high-quality tennis,” Djokovic said in tribute to his opponent.
“Starting the tournament I didn’t have any lead-up matches prior to Wimbledon so you’re always going to feel a little bit less comfortable than you would like to at the beginning. Particularly if you are playing against somebody as talented as Kwon.’
“He stays close to the line and hits very clean from the forehand and backhand side. It was really hard to go through him (with my shots). So I had to tactically figure out a way to get in control of the points.’
“At this level, one or two points decide the winner and I’m glad I was on the winning side today.”
This year Djokovic is seeking his seventh title at SW19 which will put him just one behind equalling Roger Federer’s all-time record. So far this season his best run in a major was reaching the last eight of the French Open. He didn’t play at the Australian Open following a dispute over his visa which resulted in his deportation.
