At Wimbledon they are calling it the massacre of the seeds. And it has been bloodier than any grand slam in history. On the men’s side, four of the top 10 have been knocked out in the first round. Another four have also fallen in the women’s singles. That makes eight top-10 players in total, a record in the Open era.
And yet Novak Djokovic survives despite looking desperately wobbly against Alexandre Müller. Despite needing a doctor’s attention for a stomach bug. Despite squandering 20 out of 27 break points and six set points in the second set.
Next up is Britain’s Dan Evans, whose best days are surely behind him at 35 – although he is one of the few players to hold a winning record against Djokovic, having beaten him in Monte Carlo four years ago.
But having come through a mini-crisis, Djokovic can see sunnier days ahead. “I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t think I had a chance,” he insisted. “Come on! I think I always have a chance. I feel I have earned the right to think I can go all the way to the title.”
Earlier there was a major shock as Müller’s compatriot Arthur Rinderknech knocked out Zverev 7-6 (3), 6-7 (8), 6-3, 6-7 (5), 6-4 in a sprawling match that started on Monday night and lasted close to five hours. The 29-year-old has long been the journeyman’s journeyman and has never got beyond the third round of any grand slam. But against Zverev he was inspired, hitting 79 winners including the cross-court backhand that brought victory. “It’s definitely the biggest win of my career,” said Rinderknech, ranked 72 in the world.
