A Wimbledon
The world number 2, who has not lost at Church Road since 2017 and a quarter-final against the Czech Tomas Berdych, brings his series to 32 straight victories in this same Grand Slam by doing better than the 31 successes in a row of Sampras. More than ever in the race for an eighth crown at Wimbledon, the Serb sent messages at a press conference. As master of the place.
It’s a bit like two different games. Between Sunday evening and today, the conditions were completely different. Playing under the roof makes the court wetter and more slippery. There is obviously no wind and it’s a little easier for the rhythm of the service. At the same time, it’s a bit slower from the baseline with more rallies. Today was very windy and difficult to find the rhythm and tempo to launch. It was a very, very tight game. It could have turned out differently. He had his chances, especially in the decisive game of the first set (3 set points for the Pole). Yes, in the important moments, especially in the fourth, I managed to read his serve, to make that break which was the key to success.
With the different weather conditions, I thought it might be an opportunity to start reading his serve better. This was not the case. He served incredibly well. To be honest, I don’t remember being so helpless on throwback games. I knew he was a great server and a fantastic player on the grass, but I didn’t expect him to serve so well and with such precision. It’s all to his credit.
I think the matches could start at 12:00 p.m. (1:00 p.m. in France) instead of 1:30 p.m. (2:30 p.m. in France). I think that would make a difference. The 11 p.m. curfew is probably something much more difficult to change due to the residential area we are in. My two games against Wawrinka and Hurkacz almost actually started at 8:30 p.m. and 9:20 p.m. or something when we entered the court. On Sunday I sat for seven hours waiting for my game to start. It’s a lot.
I think in matches like this where you fail to seize the few opportunities on the opposing serve, that’s where the pressure builds. I don’t have a serve as powerful as Hurkacz’s. I probably had to work a little more. I was frustrated with the way I played the last game of the third set.
Andrey Rublev is a fantastic player who has one of the best forehands on the circuit. He brings a lot of intensity to the field. He kind of scares his opponents on the other side of the net. He is also extremely nice. He is working as hard as anyone else to be a top 10 player, which he has been for several years. He is one of the most consistent players on all surfaces. I have a lot of respect for him. I was surprised to learn that he had never reached the semi-finals of a Grand Slam tournament, which will motivate him even more tomorrow to play his best tennis. He doesn’t have as powerful a serve as Hurkacz, but he has faster hands and a very powerful game from the baseline. Hopefully I can recover and be as fresh as possible tomorrow.
