As the 2022 tennis season winds down in frigid indoor stadiums across Europe, Novak Djokovic finds himself in an unusual situation. In the Paris Masters final in November of that year, the Serbian played a stable game. His level was enough to defeat many opponents, but this time his opponent was even better. That night, fearless 19-year-old Holger Rune defeated Djokovic to win his first Masters 1,000m title.
However, performing at the highest level every week is much more daunting than the occasional early flash. Two years on from that high-profile encounter, Ruane hasn’t made as much progress as he would have liked, and this time around, the matchup was quite a mismatch. The standout Djokovic silenced a rapturous Center Court crowd with a comfortable 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 win in the Wimbledon quarter-finals on Monday night, soundly defeating Wayne Rooney .
The match was also notable for the cheers from the crowd, who chanted “Ruuuune” in low, drawn-out chants that grew louder throughout the evening. After his win, Djokovic thanked those in the audience who respected him and criticized those who didn’t. When an on-field interviewer suggested that fans might just be supporting Rooney rather than disrespecting him, Djokovic responded.
“They are, and I don’t accept that,” he said. “No. I know they cheer Rooney, but that’s an excuse to boo. Look, I’ve been touring for over 20 years, so trust me, I know all the tricks. I know how it works. It’s okay , it doesn’t matter. I’m focused on people who are respectable, who paid the ticket to watch tonight’s game, who love tennis and appreciate the effort the players put in here. I’m in a more hostile environment. Play ball, trust me. You can’t touch me.
The win marked Djokovic’s 15th career appearance in the Wimbledon quarterfinals and 60th time in a Grand Slam quarterfinal. No matter how far he goes, this has become one of his most compelling quarterfinals. Just 26 days before the start of Wimbledon, Djokovic underwent surgery for a torn medial meniscus, which forced him to withdraw from the French Open quarterfinals.
At the time, it was reasonable to think that Djokovic might not appear at Wimbledon in any form, especially with the Clay Court Olympics coming up in a few weeks. Instead, he continued to beat elite tennis players, improving with every round and remaining a clear title contender even as tournament favorites still appeared in the draw.
From his breakthrough win over Djokovic in Paris to his rise to the top four last year, Rooney for a while seemed to be the closest young player to a breakthrough since Carlos Alcaraz. But this sport is not easy. While Alcaraz continues to soar and Jannik Sinner continues to improve, it hasn’t been an easy year for Rune.
His lack of confidence showed in his first service game here, when the No. 15 seed dropped his serve and fell 2-0 down in a horrific, error-riddled game. This game became the decisive game of the first set. Djokovic served well and controlled the baseline with his forehand, successfully winning the first set.
Djokovic served well throughout the game, dictating most of the exchanges from the baseline and circulating his shots well, keeping Rooney guessing with lobs and drives into the net while remaining consistent in key moments. As the game became increasingly one-sided, the cheers from the crowd grew louder and Djokovic gestured to some of the spectators. Still, he was very consistent in his eventual win.
“To all the fans who respected and stayed here tonight, thank you from the bottom of my heart, I appreciate it,” Djokovic said. “To all the fans who choose to disrespect me, have a great night,” Djokovic said, quoting the “Rune” chant.
Newsletter Promotion Post
Djokovic will next face ninth seed Alex De Minaur in the No. 60 quarterfinals on Wednesday. Earlier, De Minaur defeated Arthur Fels 6-2, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, but he was injured when his forehand slipped at the end of the match. “I feel pretty good. Again, the body has had a pretty good physical game there. Feeling a little gingery everywhere in the body. I’m not going to lie. I’ve recovered. I’m sure I’ll feel great tomorrow, “He said.
Few players understand the challenges Djokovic currently faces as well as Taylor Fritz, who himself tore his meniscus at the 2021 French Open and returned to Wimbledon after surgery just three weeks later Deng. He said his knee was very sore after every game.
Now fully fit, mature and firmly established among the elite, Fritz took another step forward on Monday when he completed a stunning comeback from two sets down to win 4-6, Defeated fourth seed Alexander Zverev 6-7 (4), 6.
For much of his career, Fritz has struggled to bring his best form to major events. However, his win over Zverev on Monday night marked his second top-10 finish at a Grand Slam, and he has now reached the quarterfinals in three of the past four majors. .
