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As straight victories in the fourth round of Wimbledon go, this couldn’t really have gone any worse for Novak Djokovic .
The 12-time Grand Slam champion beat his unconventional French opponent Adrian Mannarino 6-2 7-6(5) 6-4, but was made to work hard for his win, having battled with a headache in the first set, an awkward slip in the second and a medial timeout for a sore shoulder in the third.
And that’s without mentioning that this match had originally been scheduled for Monday evening, only to be postponed because of Rafael Nadal’s epic five-set defeat to Gilles Muller. The length of that match meant Djokovic spent most of his evening nervously pacing around the All England Club: hardly ideal preparation for a fourth round match of his own.
“It was a long and very tough day yesterday,” he told the BBC shortly after his straight sets victor on Centre Court . “It was a very long wait to finally get on the court. But it is what it is, and I am glad we were then scheduled to play on Centre because that meant that we were always going to finish the match. I am just glad that it is done.”
Djokovic certainly wasted little time in asserting his dominance over Mannarino, an unusual opponent with an eye for the spectacular. It took the Frenchman just two games to play his first between the legs ‘tweener’, but Djokovic was in no mood to entertain the crowd and raced through the first set in little over half an hour.
But then things began to turn against the Serbian. Having already taken some headache tablets provided by his trainer in the first-set, he took a tumble in the second, and began to experience some discomfort with his shoulder.
The best pictures from The Championships 2017Show all 55 1 /55The best pictures from The Championships 2017 The best pictures from The Championships 2017 The best pictures from Wimbledon US player Venus Williams prepares to recieve serve from Britain's Johanna Konta during her women's singles semi-final win on the tenth day of the 2017 Wimbledon Championships
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The best pictures from The Championships 2017 The best pictures from Wimbledon Johanna Konta of Great Britain during her semi final loss against Venus Williams of The United States on day ten of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships
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The best pictures from The Championships 2017 The best pictures from Wimbledon Sir Cliff Richard looks on from the centre court royal box on day ten of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships
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The best pictures from The Championships 2017 The best pictures from Wimbledon Stefan Olsson in action during the Gentlemen's Wheelchair Singles on day ten of the Wimbledon Championships
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The best pictures from The Championships 2017 The best pictures from Wimbledon Gordon Reid in action during the Gentlemen's Wheelchair Singles on day ten of the Wimbledon Championships
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The best pictures from The Championships 2017 The best pictures from Wimbledon Johanna Konta talks to her trainer prior to her semi-final against Venus Williams on day ten of the Wimbledon Championships
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The best pictures from The Championships 2017 The best pictures from Wimbledon A member of staff adds names to the order of play board prior to the start of the action on day ten of the Wimbledon Championships
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The best pictures from The Championships 2017 The best pictures from Wimbledon Rufus, a Harris hawk, sit on a seat on Centre Court ahead of day nine of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club
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The best pictures from The Championships 2017 The best pictures from Wimbledon Slovakia's Magdalena Rybarikova waits to receive a serve from US player Coco Vandeweghe during their women's singles quarter-final match, after it re-commenced on a covered Centre Court, after rain delayed the match on Court One, on the eighth day of the 2017 Wimbledon Championships
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The best pictures from The Championships 2017 The best pictures from Wimbledon Coco Vandeweghe of The United States in discussion with the chair umpire during the Ladies Singles quarter final match against Magdalena Rybarikova of Slovakia on day eight of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships
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The best pictures from The Championships 2017 The best pictures from Wimbledon US player Coco Vandeweghe returns against Slovakia's Magdalena Rybarikova during their women's singles quarter-final match on the eighth day of the 2017 Wimbledon Championships
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The best pictures from The Championships 2017 The covers are pulled across court two during the Ladies Singles quarter final match between Magdalena Rybarikova of Slovakia and Coco Vandeweghe of The United States on day eight of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships
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The best pictures from The Championships 2017 A steward wrestles with an umbrella in the wind as rain delays play in the women's singles quarter-final match between Slovakia's Magdalena Rybarikova and US player Coco Vandeweghe on the eighth day of the 2017 Wimbledon Championships
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The best pictures from The Championships 2017 The best pictures from Wimbledon Johanna Konta of Great Britain celebrates victory after the Ladies Singles quarter final match against Simona Halep of Romania on day eight of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships
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The best pictures from The Championships 2017 The best pictures from Wimbledon A spectator attempts to keep dry as they watch action on the screen on day eight of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships
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The best pictures from The Championships 2017 The best pictures from Wimbledon Spectators attempt to keep dry as they watch the Ladies Singles quarter final match between Johanna Konta of Great Britain and Simona Halep of Romania on the screens on day eight of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships
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The best pictures from The Championships 2017 The best pictures from Wimbledon Spectators attempt to keep dry as they watch action on the screen on day eight of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships
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The best pictures from The Championships 2017 The best pictures from Wimbledon Romania's Simona Halep returns against Britain's Johanna Konta during their women's singles quarter-final match on the eighth day of the 2017 Wimbledon Championships
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The best pictures from The Championships 2017 The best pictures from Wimbledon Spectators watch the action on centre court on day eight of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships
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The best pictures from The Championships 2017 The best pictures from Wimbledon The Championships celebrate their 140th birthday this year, and the All England Club is looking better than ever.
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The best pictures from The Championships 2017 The best pictures from Wimbledon A general view of court 10.
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The best pictures from The Championships 2017 The best pictures from Wimbledon A spectator wears a tennis ball hat.
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The best pictures from The Championships 2017 The best pictures from Wimbledon A member of the ground staff looks on before play begins.
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The best pictures from The Championships 2017 The best pictures from Wimbledon Court attendants sit to the site of a court.
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The best pictures from The Championships 2017 The best pictures from Wimbledon Australia's Thanasi Kokkinakis and Australia's Jordan Thompson play against Netherland's Jean-Julien Rojer and Romania's Horia Tecau.
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The best pictures from The Championships 2017 The best pictures from Wimbledon A court attendant uses an umbrella to cast shade on a player.
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The best pictures from The Championships 2017 The best pictures from Wimbledon A fan walks between outside courts.
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“I am still managing to play,” he said afterwards. “But I have been carrying it for a while now and we will have to see how it goes.”
The state of Centre Court also awoke his ire, particularly the chewed up baseline at the Royal Box end. Djokovic frequently drew the attention of the chair umpire to the court’s shortcomings, and animatedly gesticulated towards the surface after more than one lost point.
“During the match I mentioned to the umpire that there was a hole in the middle of the court — I just wanted to show him,” he said following his win. “He wasn’t pleased to see that. Look, the courts have not been great this year and many players feel the same.”
Wimbledon Day Seven: Rafael Nadal loses to Gilles Muller in five-set battle On top of those complaints, it didn't much help that, following his erratic performance in the opening set, Mannarino began to drastically improve in the second and third sets. Prowling the baseline, his groundstrokes caused Djokovic some problems and he even took the former World No 1 to a nail biting second set tiebreak.
And yet Djokovic ultimately prevailed, and broke early in the third to ensure his spot in the quarter-finals.
The three-time champion didn't have it all his own way (Getty) Tomas Berdych, the 2010 runner-up, awaits in the next round. “The year he made the final he actually beat me in the semis,” Djokovic said. “I know that grass is one of his preferred surfaces because he has a big serve and a very big forehand, and plays very flat. He is also experienced: he knows and understands how to play on the big occasions.
“But we’re getting towards the end of the tournament now. So the matches will just keep getting harder and harder.”
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