Cameron Norrie reached the third round at Wimbledon with a win over rising star Jack Draper in an all-British showdown, while Novak Djokovic overcame a brilliant fightback from Jacob Fearnley.
Draper replaced Norrie as the country’s No. 1 men’s player last month.
But former semi-finalist Norrie bounced back at key moments to win 7-6 (7-3), 6-4, 7-6 (8-6) on Court 1.
“It wasn’t easy going out on the court and playing against Jack. Off the court we’re good friends,” he said.
“I had to put that aside. I was a bit outplayed but I was relaxed to be honest.”
“I feel really fit so I just wanted to trust my movement and my legs. The level was good and I used my experience against Jack.”
“I was a little nervous at the end of the tiebreak but I managed to get through it. It’s a special day for me.”
This was the first time a British No. 1 and No. 2 men’s player had faced off at a Grand Slam since Tim Henman beat Greg Rusedski at the 2002 Australian Open, and it was a great (albeit unexpected) reminder of his Wimbledon career.
No shots were fired in this latest British battle until the first-set tiebreak, when a drop shot from Norrie sent a scrambling Draper falling face-up into the net.
Having won the set with a Norrie volley, Draper threw down his racket in disgust and sat down, grumbling to his team and poking himself in the chest.
Emboldened, Norrie beat a subdued Draper at the start of the second set, converting the match’s first break point.
Just 10 minutes later, Norrie won 14 of the next 15 points to take a 4-0 lead into the second set.
Draper needed five sets to beat Elias Ymer in the first round and now he has to do the same to reach the third round for the first time.
He finally broke at 4-2 in the third set with a stunning backhand winner over his fellow left-hander.
But when he served for the set, Draper was broken at love, followed by another cross-court pass and the usual fist-pumping from Norrie.
In the tiebreak, Draper saved one match point on his serve, but Norrie double-faulted and saved his second.
Djokovic withstands Fernley fightback
Jacob Fearnley (right) congratulates Novak Djokovic on his win
Djokovic overcame a brilliant fightback from British No. 13 Fearnley 6-3, 6-4, 5-7, 7-5 on Centre Court to reach the third round at Wimbledon.
Fearnley, ranked 277th in the world, stunned the home crowd by winning the third set 7-5 in a match that lasted three hours, leaving seven-time Wimbledon champion Djokovic struggling to win.
“My level dropped,” the Serb admitted. “I think I should have done better to close it out in the third set.”
“I thought I did enough in the fourth set to win it. I was a little lucky to get out of the close call and not go down a break.”
“Hopefully I can raise my level in the next round.”
Djokovic is looking forward to a third-round showdown with the Australian. Alexei PopyrinFernley praised himself.
“It’s hard to be too disappointed because I was on Centre Court at Wimbledon playing against the greatest tennis player of all time,” he said.
“I’m very grateful to have had the opportunity to play on that court against that opponent. I feel very proud right now.”
The wildcard was ranked outside the world 500 just a month ago but rose nearly 250 places to win a second-tier Challenger tournament in Nottingham and then made a memorable Centre Court debut.
Fearnley opened the third set with a deft volley, drawing a standing ovation from Djokovic and bringing the crowd to its feet when he broke the Serb in the sixth game.
Djokovic double-faulted in the sixth game to fall behind 15-40 but the second seed won at the crucial moment to beat the novice and reach the third round just weeks after surgery for a torn meniscus put his Wimbledon appearance in doubt.
Hubert Hurkacz injured his knee while diving for a volley during the fourth-set tiebreak against France’s Arthur Fils.
A potential hurdle for Djokovic was removed when his likely quarterfinal opponent, seventh seed Hubert Hurkacz, was injured while winning a point.
The 27-year-old from Poland, a highly anticipated player at this year’s championships, scored a volley during the fourth-set tiebreak against the Frenchman. Arthur Fiss And I hurt my knee.
Hurkacz, who ended Roger Federer’s Wimbledon career three years ago, tried to play with his knee in a cast but only managed two points before retiring.
Grigor DimitrovThe Bulgarian 10th seed had to beat Chinese teenager Shan Junchen, 14 years his junior, in five sets after dropping two sets.
United States 13th seed Taylor Fritz It took four sets to beat a tenacious Arthur Linderknech, before another Frenchman, Gael Monfils, won a veteran showdown with Stan Wawrinka 7-6 (7-5), 6-4, 7-6 (7-3).
Australia 9th seed Alex de Minaur He defeated Jaume Munar of Spain in straight sets. Ben SheltonThe 14th seed from the United States narrowly defeated South Africa’s Lloyd Harris, winning 10-7 in a fifth-set tiebreaker in his second five-set match this week.
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