Seventh seed Novak Djokovic dismantled unseeded Stefanos Tsitsipas with a 6-3, 6-4, 6-2Â victory under a closed roof on Center Court, advancing to the third round at Wimbledon on Wednesday evening.
"Obviously you feel very happy, satisfied and joyful on the court when you are playing this way," the seven-time Wimbledon champion commented in his on-court interview.
"Once I got that momentum going two sets to love up, that game when I went 5-2 up was one of the best return games I've played in a while. I just went for my shots."
Further assessing his performance, he outlined: "I was obviously a bit more relaxed, and I felt a bit less tension in my head in terms of overthinking how to anticipate his serve.
"His serve was really strong and precise for a set and a half, so one break of serve was enough in the first two sets. After that, I started to read his serve a bit better, and he missed quite a few first serves in the third set, which gave me a look in on the second serve."
"It was nice to be playing another indoor Wimbledon match, I guess. I'm looking forward to playing an outdoor game, hopefully, in the next round," he added.
Next, Djokovic will face off against world No. 28 Arthur Rinderknech, who earlier knocked out American player Martin Damm Jr. 6-4, 7-6(1), 6-3.
The Match as It Happened
The Serbian came out on point, easily generating power on his forehand in their baseline exchanges, edging out his opponent in the longest points.
Adding pressure behind his service, the former world No. 1 took the early break, earning a 3-1 lead.
Tstisipas tried to seize his chances as his adversary double-faulted, but was unable to convert any of the three break point opportunities he earned.
Comfortable under pressure, Djokovic went on to take five points in a row, securing a hold with an ace against an erratic adversary, extending his advantage to 4-1.
From there, he took control of the set, racing through to seal the first set 6-3 in just 27 minutes.
As the second set wore on, Tsitsipas raised his level as well as his intensity, making the most of his net play while serving better than in the previous set.
Keeping the score tight, they went with serves, all squared at 3-3.
They engaged in extended exchanges, and after a 15-shot rally, a few errors cost the Greek player the ninth game as he fell short, finding the net.
Then, the world No. 8 held to close out 6-4, up by two sets in their second-round encounter at the All England Club.
Following a gruelling first-round match in which the 24-time major champion survived an inspired Wu Yibing, 6-4, 5-7, 6-4, 6-4, in over three hours, saving energy became critical today for the 39-year-old's bid to go deep in his 21st consecutive appearance at SW19.
Using his vast experience to anticipate his rival's moves, the Belgrade-born held his ground with authority to level the third set 2-2, hitting some cross-court winners with brilliance in the process.
Djokovic converted the break at his first time of asking, unleashing a top-class cross-court backhand and held to inch ahead 4-2.
In the seventh game, the 27-year-old charged at the net but misread the play, and when the 2026 Australian Open runner-up generated a lob with finesse, he missed it and conceded a double break.
Serving out for the match at 5-2, Djokovic hit a double fault, allowing the Athens native to catch his breath, producing two break points he would ultimately let slip through his fingers.
As a result, after one hour and 38 minutes, the man for whom age is just a number notched a statement performance on British soil.
Stretching like the elite athlete he is, the Paris Olympics gold medalist outplayed the former world No. 3 in his quest for a record-extending 25th Grand Slam title.
Overall, he hit 33 winners (12 aces) to just 7 unforced errors, converted four of five break points, and won 88 percent of the points on his first serve and 67 percent on his second delivery.
Competing in only his fifth tournament this season, his first on the grass courts, he did not drop his serve throughout the entire match.
Before leaving the court, he remarked: "I feel very privileged to be walking out on this court at age 30-plus. I don't think it's a cliché because I actually believe it is true, but age is just a number."