London [UK], July 6 : Olympic tennis champion Novak Djokovic sealed his 100th victory at Wimbledon on Saturday, July 5, beating Serbian compatriot Miomir Kecmanovic 6-3, 6-0, 6-4 in the third round at the Championships 2025 on Saturday.
Next up for the seven-time Wimbledon men's singles champion is a showdown with 11th seed Alex de Minaur of Australia in the round of 16. The pair were due to meet in SW19 last year before the Australian withdrew ahead of the final eight clash.
"You're not super excited to play Alex de Minaur on grass because he's so quick and he's a complete player, all around. He has gained pace on his serve, as well. He hits his spots very well. Just a very tough challenge expecting me. I'm looking forward to it. I think it's going to be a great test to see where my game is at against a top player like Alex," Djokovic said of his next opponent during his press conference as quoted by Olympics.com.
With world number one Jannik Sinner brushing aside Pedro Martinez in Saturday's opening match on Centre Court, a Sinner-Djokovic semi-final remains on the cards.
t his 20th Championships appearance and 20 years after his debut, Djokovic has reached the magic century of victories and now holds a 100-12 record at SW19.
He is just the third singles player in tennis history to achieve the feat, joining 20-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer and 18-time major winner Martina Navratilova.
"I did enjoy myself, except maybe the last couple of games. Tennis has made me who I am. I try not to take anything for granted, particularly at this age, still going strong...I feel blessed," Djokovic said on the court post-match.
It was plain sailing for the world number six, who registered his first bagel (a 6-0 scoreline) of the Grand Slam season and sealed the win in an hour and 47 minutes.
But if Djokovic had to be summed up in one point, refer to the moment when he was at deuce at 4-3 up in the first set. A diving backhand winner after angled drop shots and a tweener from Kecmanovic brought Centre Court to its feet in pure awe.
A point that looked wiser to concede than chase, yet the 38-year-old just did not stop. He rarely stops - not until he wins - somehow salvaging the point with his masterful defence and calculated lunges to take advantage and subsequently break.
"It was like ecstasy in that moment, I was super, super happy. It came at a really important moment...I was pumped for that one. I'm not diving as much on the courts; the only surface where you would dive is grass. But I'm not used to it as much. So these unique, rare moments are something you cherish," he told the assembled media, including Olympics.com at Wimbledon.
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