Hurkacz vs Djokovic LIVE!
For just a moment, it seemed a seismic shock was brewing on Centre Court with Novak Djokovic’s decade-long unbeaten record on the court under threat. Hubert Hurkacz, who had pushed Djokovic so close in two tiebreaks but lost both on Monday night before the curfew hit, played a near-perfect set to win the third set on the resumption of play.
A staggering 85 per cent of his first serves were in, he hit 15 winners to his opponent’s seven and conceded just four points on serve in that set, perhaps the most remarkable stat of all against the men’s game’s best returner. Those inside Centre Court sensed a surprise brewing but Djokovic managed, as is his wont, to find a way to win when even not necessarily playing his best.
The 23-time Grand Slam champion has the ability to pile the pressure on in any situation forcing opponent after opponent to crack. Hurkacz finally did in the third set, had his serve broken for the first time and the game was won, the Pole deflated by the shift in momentum and the arduous task ahead of him, which ended in a 7-6, 7-6, 5-7, 6-4 defeat.
