TENNIS: No chinks in Djokovic armor as he rolls over Tsitsipas to reach third round

LONDON – Novak Djokovic delivered a dominant performance to defeat Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 on Wednesday, advancing to the third round of Wimbledon and extending his winning streak over the Greek to 12 matches.

The seventh-seeded Serbian controlled the match from the outset, turning what had been billed as a marquee Centre Court showdown into a comfortable victory. Djokovic won eight of the final 10 games to seal the match in less than two hours.

A pivotal moment came at 4-4 in the second set when Tsitsipas had two overhead opportunities to save break point but missed both. Djokovic capitalized on the errors, broke serve, and took control of the contest.

The victory moves Djokovic one win closer to equaling Roger Federer's men's record of 105 Wimbledon match victories. He will next face 25th-seeded Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech as he continues his pursuit of an eighth Wimbledon title and a record 25th Grand Slam singles championship.

"Obviously you feel very happy, satisfied and joyful on the court when you are playing this way," Djokovic said after the match.

"I'm feeling great. I try not to take these moments for granted when playing on the Centre Court of Wimbledon."

"I feel very privileged to be walking out on this court at age 30-plus. I don't think it's a cliché because I actually believe it's true, but age is just a number."

For Tsitsipas, the defeat marked another disappointing chapter at Wimbledon. The 27-year-old entered the tournament looking to rebound after retiring during his first-round match last year because of chronic back pain that had threatened his career.

Now ranked No. 87 in the world, Tsitsipas arrived in London after parting ways with his coach and father, Apostolos Tsitsipas, adding to the uncertainty surrounding his campaign.

Djokovic, who defeated Tsitsipas in the 2021 French Open and the 2023 Australian Open finals, once again proved too strong as he continued his bid for another Wimbledon crown. -Reporting by Pritha Sarkar, editing by Ken Ferris/Reuters