TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – Novak Djokovic started his effort to defend the Wimbledon title smoothly. In the first round match which was halted for 70 minutes, the tennis player from Serbia defeated Argentine Pedro Cachin with a score of 6-3, 6-3, 7-6(4), Monday, 4 July 2023.
Djokovic was leading 6-3 in the first set when a light rain started. Play on the main court was stopped and the roof was shifted to cover the arena. This process takes 10 minutes.
The fans and TV viewers who were expecting a quick resumption of matches, then had to be disappointed because. After the roof is installed, the match cannot continue.
Accompanied by tournament referee Gerry Armstrong, Djokovic patrolled the famed grass courts he had mastered for five years. He found many areas that were considered slippery and dangerous.
Blowers or leaf blowers were eventually used to try to dry the grass. The rains subsided and the roof, which had been in place since 2009, was reopened.
In total the match was delayed by up to 70 minutes. In fact, on Court One, which also uses a roof, matches can start more quickly. Djokovic had expressed his surprise after the match.
“Usually it takes 10 to 20 minutes while the roof is down for the air conditioning to do its job and the grass to dry and ready to play,” says the 36-year-old peteis.
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“We saw the lads come back after maybe 15 minutes to Court One, and they came back into the game. But we didn’t do that here. Too many places on the pitch are too slippery and very damp. Touch the grass and you get really wet palms.”
“It was very strange that for more than an hour the situation did not change at all for the better. We then received the good news that they were going to open the roof, then the winds obviously did their job.”
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Djokovic is eyeing a historic feat at Wimbledon in 2023. He is seeking a 24th Grand Slam title which would further strengthen his record in the men’s event, also bringing him level with Australia’s Margaret Court. He is also seeking an eighth Wimbledon title, to match Roger Federer’s record.
He was happy to pass the first test by defeating Pedro Cachin. “For me the opening match was a bit tricky, I’ve never played a warm-up game and grass courts are a little bit different to clay courts,” he said.
“I’ve managed to adapt pretty well over the years and hopefully I’ll be able to do it again.”
Djokovic acknowledged that the rain delay frustrated the crowd but said it was still slippery until the roofs opened again. “I usually go out with a racket, not a towel,” he said, referring to checking the condition of the grass with his towel.
REUTERS
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