Wimbledon: Novak Djokovic Overcomes Early Jitters To Reach Second Round

Wimbledon 2021: Defending champion Novak Djokovic came back after losing the first set against Britain's 253rd-ranked Jack Draper to reach the Wimbledon second round with a 4-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 win.

Novak Djokovic overcame an early scare before getting his bid for a sixth Wimbledon and record-equalling 20th Grand Slam title off to a winning start on Monday while rain brought havoc to the schedule, one year after the tournament was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Defending champion and world number one Djokovic, looking to become just the third man in history to complete a calendar Grand Slam, claimed a 4-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 win over Britain's 253rd-ranked Jack Draper. However, the 34-year-old Serb struggled on the slippery Centre Court surface with the roof closed above it due to the rain. Left-handed Draper, playing just his fifth match on the main tour, saved seven of seven break points in the opener to stun the top seed. But Djokovic soon snuffed out any danger of him becoming only the third defending champion to lose in the first round, by sweeping through the remainder of the tie. He finished with an impressive 25 aces and 47 winners as his 19-year-old opponent, who grew up just six miles (9.5km) from the All England Club, wilted.