"I don’t recall the last time I felt this miserable on returning games": Djokovic gives credit to Hurkacz, admits match was not 'enjoyable'
ATPMonday, 10 July 2023 at 21:00
World number two Novak Djokovic has heaped praise on his
fourth-round opponent Hubert Hurkacz at Wimbledon 2023.
The 36-year-old managed to beat the Polish tennis star in a tense
encounter with a score of 7-6, 7-6, 5-7, 6-4 on Monday to book his place in the
last-eight.
Talking after the match, Djokovic was full of praise for Hurkacz
who made him feel ‘miserable’ with his powerful serve.
“Big credit to Hubert for playing an amazing match, tough
luck for him today but he put up a great performance,” said Djokovic. “Honestly,
I don’t recall the last time I felt this miserable on returning games to be
honest due to his incredibly accurate and powerful serve.
“It was not really an enjoyable match for me I must say, but
in the important moments - yesterday, last night - I was fortunate really to
win that first set, I was 3-6 down in the tie-break. This match definitely
could have gone a different way but I guess I held my nerves when it mattered
and I’m happy to win.”
The praise was indeed justified as Hurkacz won 72 percent
service points in the match. He was broken just once on the day and that was in
the fourth set.
That’s not it as the 26-year-old also went on to produce 64
winners in the match, 20 more than his opponent despite ending up on a losing
side.
On the other hand, the victory means that Djokovic will now
be playing in his sixth consecutive quarterfinal at Wimbledon where he will be
facing Russia’s Andrey Rublev on Tuesday.
He is on a 32-match winning streak in the competition as his
last defeat came in 2017 where he lost to Czech Republic’s Tomas Berdych in the
quarterfinal, courtesy of a forced retirement because of an arm injury.
Azeem Siddiqui is a seasoned sports journalist and data analyst with a strong background in both digital media and live sports production.
He began his journalism career working with partners of The New York Times and has since contributed to several leading international sports publications, including Fox Sports Asia, Calciomercato, and GiveMeSport. Since 2023, Azeem has been part of the TennisUpToDate team, where he has played a key role in sustaining the platform’s growth and ensuring tennis fans receive timely and reliable coverage of the sport’s biggest stories.
In addition to his editorial work, Azeem has extensive experience as a data analyst in live sports broadcasting—particularly in cricket—where he combines analytical precision with creative storytelling. He has collaborated with multiple production companies and cricket boards worldwide, delivering real-time insights and data-driven narratives during live match coverage.
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