Jacob Fearnley’s main experience at SW19 came six years ago, as a practice partner for then-defending champion Roger Federer. Ranked outside the world’s top 500 in early June, the 22-year-old – fresh out of US college like many other rising Brits – seized this wildcard with both hands, pushing seven-time champion Novak Djokovic during what proved a competitive R2 four-set defeat.
Fearnley fired up, as Dart and Norrie win all-Brit duels
Djokovic [2] bt. Fearnley [WC] 6-3, 6-4, 5-7, 7-5
- Djokovic’s post-match interview: “Jacob played great tennis, I haven’t had a chance to see him play, saw him for the first time [on Tuesday], there was an element of surprise and nothing to lose. Most of the British players grow up on grass, he served very well and made me work. I could’ve won in three but this potentially deserved to go five [sets], very glad it didn’t!”
- Perspective for Fearnley! “I’m really proud of my effort. Obviously a little bit disappointed to lose, but I was playing the greatest tennis player of all-time on Centre Court, Wimbledon, so it’s very difficult to be disappointed.”
- Fearnley’s boyhood hero, Andy Murray, gave him pointers on how to play Djokovic via LTA men’s coach Mark Hilton before his own emotional farewell after doubles defeat with brother Jamie: “The stuff he said actually helped a lot – not unsurprising, he’s played him so many times. That was really nice, awesome he was even thinking about the match.”
- Going places… Edinburgh-born rising talent Fearnley moves up 49 places to world no. 222 and 55 spots in total, having begun the week at #271 with second-round Major finish. 22-year-old beat Paul Jubb and Juncheng Shang among others to win Nottingham Challenger event on June 16
- What’s next? Fearnley, who turns 23 on July 15, is set to play more Challenger events Stateside (Chicago, Lexington) later this month with US Open qualification a target after invaluable first Major experience on tour
NOVAK Djokovic accepted he wasn’t feeling his best post-match, but a sense of uncomfortability would’ve been caused – and peskily maintained – by a bullish British wildcard matching him for three hours on Centre Court, much to the welcome surprise for spectators hoping they wouldn’t be witnessing a squash match.
When asked about his plan to beat the seven-time Wimbledon champion, Fearnley conceded it’d be a very difficult ask. That didn’t mean he would play scared, certainly not in the biggest match of his career and occasion with 15,000 in attendance.
“I don’t think many people have the answer to that, I have no idea, watched so many videos of him, doesn’t look like there’s many flaws in his game. I’m going to just try and enjoy it, put my game out on the court and see what happens.
It’s going to be a bit intimidating, but I’m super-excited – just to be able to share the court with a player like that will be really special.”
That he did, displaying an array of weapons many weren’t expecting to have much impact on Djokovic. Booming serves flew at the Serbian with consistency, refusing to relent whether they were first or second serve opportunities, while the Scotsman’s court coverage and rally tolerance kept him in their longer exchanges too.
After his slice shots and chipped rally balls were snuffed out as Djokovic started to read his patterns of play, he changed tack and the aggression behind his groundstrokes intensified, starting to make the 37-year-old – knee sleeve and all – guess more while asking some probing questions of his movement at the baseline.
Fearnley anticipated Djokovic’s serve well for sustained periods, showed crafty hand skills and his forehand was firing on all cylinders in set three, saving a break point on that wing before keeping scoreboard pressure down the other end to snatch set three – just as it seemed like a valiant straight-sets defeat was forthcoming.
Djokovic’s defensive skills were on full display and needed to be in clutch moments, as they went deep into a fourth set.
Both held serve to 5-5, last year’s runner-up found himself two points away from a deciding set down 30-15 in the previous game before a timely ace, unreturnable serve and forehand winner in succession saw him escape a tricky situation.
The Serb’s unforced error count cranked up during rallies but Fearnley found himself hitting a rally ball or three too many, giving Novak a break chance he gladly gobbled up at the first time of asking – a 116mph double-fault proved decisive as four minutes later, Djokovic crushed his 40th winner to cap another Wimbledon victory.
“Sometimes you have rough days when you’re not feeling your best, it depends on the opponent too and Jacob played a high level to make me earn this – I’ll take it – hopefully I can play better in the next round,” Djokovic mused, as he’ll prepare to play Australia’s Alexei Popyrin next on Saturday after the 24-year-old’s five-set recovery win over #30 seed Tomas Martin Etcheverry elsewhere on Day 4.
Four-time French Open champion Iga Swiatek insisted she maintains low expectations for herself, but is gradually progressing on the practice court after another straight-sets win – this time against a clearly hampered Petra Martic 6-4, 6-3.
The 33-year-old Croatian, who recovered from a set down to overwhelm British wildcard Francesca Jones in first-round play on Tuesday, appeared to plant her foot awkwardly and injure her ankle midway through the first set.
Following a medical timeout, the veteran’s big serve and groundstrokes continued testing the Pole at the back of the court but she was no match in the clutch moments as Swiatek banked a third-round berth – Yulia Putintseva is up next this weekend.
“I’m serving better [than previous years], now I have to implement it on matches. It should be easier every match but I have low expectations, just focus on the work and results will come after,” the 23-year-old said on-court afterwards.
Harriet Dart outlasted #32 seed Katie Boulter, recovering from 6-2 down in a deciding set tiebreak to clinch it 10-8 against a longtime British rival, before 2022 Wimbledon semifinalist Cameron Norrie knocked out friendly face Jack Draper [28] after three competitive sets (7-6, 6-4, 7-6) on No. 1 Court. That result felt apt.
Why? Fearnley went to Fort Worth’s Texas Christian University (TCU), Norrie’s alma mater and made a name for himself Stateside over four years. Norrie’s patchy form (14-13 before Wimbledon) hasn’t gone unnoticed but while Draper has surged recently to snatch a seeded spot at this Major, the more experienced man prevailed.
Picture source: Getty Images, quotes via BBC TV
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