Australia's Jordan Thompson has booked a second-round Wimbledon showdown with seven-times champion Novak Djokovic after the 29-year-old roared back from two sets down to win his first-round match in five sets.
Thompson defeated American Brandon Nakashima 2-6, 2-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7/4), 6-3 in a match that was punctuated by big serving, net attacks and some consistent baseline play from the Australian.
And in true Wimbledon fashion, the match even had a rain delay at an awkward time.
Having fought his way back into the match and levelled it at two sets apiece, Thompson had looked dominant early in the fifth as errors began to leak from Nakashima's groundstrokes, but with the Australian a break point up at 3-2 in the fifth, the rain came.
The players were off-court for more than an hour but when they went back out the Australian broke serve as Nakashima netted a regulation forehand.
It would be all Thompson would need as he continued to attack the net and served out the match.
He then literally leapt for joy, before celebrating with his team after 3 hours and 30 minutes on court.
Thompson will next play Djokovic in what looms as the most mammoth of tasks in men's tennis, but a task that Thompson is relishing.
"I guess that's why we play tennis, to play the best players on the biggest stages," said Thompson, who has previously played against Rafael Nadal on Court Philippe Chatrier in the French Open, in what was a three-set demolition.
Thompson, though, remains hopeful he can end one of the longest winning streaks in tennis.
"I wouldn't go out on the court if I didn't think I could do damage. As silly as it sounds, I've got to believe that I can win otherwise there is no point going out there.
"I know the odds are firmly against me. But yeah, just get out and enjoy it and just have fun. It's not every day you play Novak at Wimbledon.
"It could be a dream, or could be a nightmare. I've seen a few guys have nightmares out there against him on Centre Court but, hopefully, that won't be the case for me."
The Serbian world number two has not lost in his last 29 matches at the All England Club, winning titles in 2018, 19, 21 and 22, with The Championships having been cancelled in 2020 due to COVID-19.
Djokovic, who defeated Thompson's fellow Australian Nick Kyrgios in the 2022 final, appeared to be in good touch in his opening match as he easily accounted for Argentina's Pedro Cachin 6-3, 6-3, 7-6 (7/4) on Centre Court.
Cachin saved two match points in the third-set tie break but his steely resolve was never going to be enough.
Indeed, the 36-year-old Djokovic — who is looking to be the first man to win the Grand Slam since Rod Laver in 1969 — looked good and was more intent than he has been in the past to come to the net in an all-court performance.
Thompson has never played Djokovic but will be buoyed by the fact he has beaten one slam winner in the past, and did so on grass in 2017, when he defeated the top-seeded Andy Murray at Queen's Club.
Thompson has also been in good grass court form this summer and made the final at Hertogenbosch.
He also beat world number three Stefanos Tsitsipas at Indian Wells this year, showing he can beat top players, but Djokovic is in another league compared to those two men.
Expelled athletes happy to be back
While it was a good day for Thompson, that was not the case for the rest of the already small Australian contingent at the 2023 Championships.
Both women's qualifier Storm Hunter and Max Purcell were easily swept aside in their opening-round matches.
While Hunter was beaten 6-3, 6-1 by China's Xinyu Wang, Purcell was swept aside by Russian seventh seed Andrey Rublev 6-3, 7-5, 6-4.
And while Purcell was especially disappointed after blowing a 5-2 lead in the second set, Rublev, who was one of 17 Russian or Belarusian players banned last year due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, was simply happy to be back at SW19.
Rublev, who wrote "No War" on a camera lens at a tournament shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, was given a warm welcome by the crowd on a breezy Court Three.
"I feel really happy to be back, because in general I didn't play much Wimbledon or I was injured or was pandemic or then they ban us," Rublev told reporters.
"So, of course, really special and really happy to be back in London to play at one of the best tournaments and to get a win today was a nice moment."
Asked about Wimbledon's ban last year, Rublev, who reached the fourth round in 2021, added: "If we really want to help or do what is better for tennis and for the people, I think obviously there were better options.
"Because in the end, there was no difference. They did only worse to themselves. For sure there were options for everyone. Now we are here and I'm really happy to be back and to compete."
Wimbledon was the only one of the four Grand Slam tournaments to ban Russian and Belarusian players last year — a decision that resulted in ranking points being taken away from the event by the ATP and WTA Tours.
As part of their return, players from the two nations are playing as neutrals and must sign personal declarations pledging not to support Russian President Vladimir Putin's regime.
Belarusia's Victoria Azarenka said it felt great to have the support of the Wimbledon crowd on Monday after her 6-4, 5-7, 6-4 win over China's Yuan Yue in the first round.
"Honestly, it was really nice. People are very nice … and for me personally, I experienced very good treatment," the 19th seed told a press conference.
"There are of course some incidents sometimes happens [at other events], but I felt like I was very welcomed everywhere. I have been very supported everywhere. And I really appreciate that part."
Story By Paul Johnson
Original story link https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-04/jordan-thompson-books-wimbledon-showdown-with-novak-djokovic/102557290
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