American Sam Querrey held his nerve to topple champion Novak Djokovic in the third round of Wimbledon. Querry led overnight and held off a Djokovic comeback to condemn the Serb to a first loss in 31 Grand Slam matches.
Stung by the surprise 2-0 lead Querrey claimed before the rain came on Friday, the world number 1 came out firing on Saturday, taking the third set 6-3 before another rain delay forced the players off for a short time. The break didn’t deter Djokovic, who sought to drive home his new-found momentum early in the fourth set.
But the big-serving American wouldn’t allow his opponent to dictate terms, forcing a series of break points throughout the fourth set. With each missed opportunity, Querrey looked less and less likely to beat the man renowned for his strength of character. And when the rain came again with Djokovic about to serve to stay in the tournament at 5-6, many expected normal service to be resumed for the Serb.
When Djokovic held serve after the break, the fourth set went to a tie break. Although Djokovic took an early lead, Querrey surged back, finally forcing Djokovic to squirt a backhand into the tramlines to hand the American a 3-1 win (7-6, 6-1, 3-6, 7-6) and book him a fourth round date with France’s Nicholas Mahut.
More to follow
