Novak Djokovic continued his serene progress at Wimbledon on Wednesday, almost effortlessly dismantling American Denis Kudla 6-3 6-2 6-2 to reach the third round with ruthless efficiency and just enough flamboyance to satisfy the Centre Court crowd.
Things had threatened to turn ugly for the 111th-ranked Kudla when he lost the first five games, but he fought his corner to ensure the score stayed respectable and the match remained competitive.
The holder and four times champion allowed a few match points to go begging before finally wrapping up victory in an hour and 33 minutes to set up an encounter with Poland’s 48th-ranked Hubert Hurkacz.
At this stage of the tournament, few would bet against Djokovic winning a 16th Grand Slam title next Sunday and the world number one certainly sounds confident.
“Ambitions are high and I’ve been fortunate in my career to do so well in Slams,” he said.
“I have to think only about the next challenge and take things one step at a time.”
