Wimbledon: Novak fails after ‘overtime’

Novak and Kobler’s Friday appearances on Court 16 were also short as the Australian was missing just one service game to advance to the third round. And the number 99 on the ATP computer did not miss this opportunity, finishing the match with four consecutive points. The Austrian second seed currently missed the opportunity to move to the third round of Wimbledon for the second time after 2018. In all other disciplines, the 28-year-old from Lower Austria has always failed at the start.

“I had a hard time sending him yesterday and didn’t prepare him well at all,” Novak said on Friday. The defeat was already there. “The one game (on Friday, note) didn’t work out. The main reason was that he re-served better than me. It was so bitter that I had to re-break quickly in the third set, I was in pain. It was better, I didn’t show my best tennis” .

However, Novak sums it up with relief

With four wins in qualifying and the first round, he summed up his Wimbledon appearance with relief. “The positive outweighs that. After the mixed year so far, it has been very important for self-confidence,” said Novak, who is now traveling to Salzburg for the ATP Challenge in Salzburg. , the lower Austrian will have a new touring coach at his side.He is an Austrian, Novak did not want to reveal more.

The day before, the confrontation began between two qualifiers to the main draw who had known each other from a young age with clear Australian advantages. Kobler played hard rocker, made the break 4:2 and then stayed safe. Sensing his chance at 3:5 and 30:15 when the opponent sent in, Novak hit back and took the first set in just 30 minutes with three straight points.

Just a short hope against Kobler

Kobler was on the move, launching well-timed attacks on the net and, unlike the Lower Austrian, made fewer unforced errors. With his second break ball offered, the man from Brisbane got his first serve for Novak in the second round. The second-place finisher in Austria began to struggle. There were no further break opportunities either way, Kobler sent combos to make the score 2-0.

However, the impression that Novak was now better at the game was not misleading. The lower Austrian created a break-in opportunity to make the score 2-0, which he used on the second attempt. Novak clenched his fist – but immediately admitted to re-tearing. At 4:4 the score was 0:40 fast from the Austrian point of view, Kobler used his third chance and got another advantage. Even before the Australian player went on to win the match, torrential rain suddenly ended the match. The turf was revealed again after a long break, but it was no longer possible to continue playing.

Oswald fails after 4:38 hours

Shortly after Novak, Oswald also retired on Friday. In the second round of doubles competition, the 36-year-old from Vorarlberg and his Mexican partner Hans Huch Verdugo lost 7:6 (7/5) 7:6 (7/4) 6:7 ​​(3/7) (6:7) 2/7) 4:6. Oswald/Verdugo won the first two sets in the tiebreak, but had no chance in the next two, and was forced to concede defeat after 4:38 hours.

All England Championships at Wimbledon

(UK, £40,350,000, grass)

Men’s Singles