Novak Djokovic vs. Adrian Mannarino: Score and Reaction from 2016 Wimbledon
Novak Djokovic edged his way into the third round of Wimbledon 2016 after defeating Adrian Mannarino 6-4, 6-3, 7-6 (5) in a sensational fixture on Wednesday following a tense start on Centre Court.
The world No. 1's matchup was one of the few fixtures that outlasted the wet conditions at SW19, and he grew into the performance to make the third phase of the contest for the eighth year in succession.
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Djokovic kept his dream of winning a third consecutive Wimbledon title—not to mention a historic calendar Grand Slam—alive after Mannarino was unable to maintain a resilient start against the tournament favourite.
ESPN Tennis highlighted Djokovic's increasingly imperious form at majors as he ticks his way toward a unique career achievement:
"30 and counting...
— ESPNTennis (@ESPNTennis) June 29, 2016"
Djokovic notches 30th CONSECUTIVE Major match-win, d. Mannarino 6-4 6-3 7-6(5). #Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/6bh8OazuCe
The roof had to be closed on Centre Court for the game to go ahead, although it led to some controversy as a result of the day's other matches lagging behind so severely.
That being said, Djokovic revelled in the closer atmosphere and hailed the setting as "a bit more special," per tennis writer Chris Goldsmith:
Mannarino was deservedly praised for his battling performance by BBC Radio 5 Live pundit and ex-pro Jeff Tarango, although it ultimately wasn't sufficient to see him past the top seed:
The opening set on Centre Court turned out to be a far tighter affair than many might have anticipated. Mannarino, who was hoping to make Wimbledon's third round for the first time since 2013, put up a fierce challenge initially.
In fact, only a brilliant recovery from Djokovic at the match's beginning saw him strike back from a startling setback to avoid a break of serve, per Live Tennis:
"#Mannarino opts to receive & earns 2 break points - swiftly snuffed out by #Djokovic, who holds to lead 1-0. pic.twitter.com/VrgoRN0y5l
— Live Tennis (@livetennis) June 29, 2016"
From there, the Frenchman kept his own errors to a minimum, but his foe forced him onto his backhand, and it was there that Djokovic saw the majority of opportunities come his way. Nevertheless, each contender defended his own serve astutely.
The scoreline ticked up to four games apiece, but as promising as Mannarino's early display was, there was no sign of the underdog actually asserting himself on the scoreline before he suffered a break in the 10th game.
A missed backhand from Mannarino saw the top seed steal a vital march at 1-0, and ESPN's Howard Bryant highlighted the gradual whittling down of his opponents for which Djokovic has become famed:
The longer the game progressed, the more it seemed the opening set was Mannarino's only real chance of getting ahead in the clash, and the Serb proceeded to assert his dominance in the second.
Djokovic broke his opponent at the first chance to steamroll 3-0 ahead. His rising serve statistics, not to mention Mannarino's growth in unforced errors, saw the Serb cruise to a two-set lead:
"#Djokovic cruises to a 6-4, 6-3 lead. Meanwhile, no play on outer courts before 4.30. Some players yet to play R1. pic.twitter.com/kn6xkiW0AV
— Live Tennis (@livetennis) June 29, 2016"
Mannarino opened the third set by serving ahead for a game advantage, but he then lost a 40-15 lead on Djokovic's serve and saw a prime chance go begging to inflict just a second break of the competition.
The unseeded Mannarino—who celebrated his 28th birthday on Wednesday—strove to make full use of his slice and drop shots, succeeding with several glorious attempts as the scoreboard once again zigzagged ahead at three games apiece.
Full credit must go to the world No. 54 for chasing his shots against such a talented foe, but it was at this point Djokovic found his flow once again and glanced into a 4-3 advantage with his third break of the match.
Tennis writer Carole Bouchard noted the swift improvements Djokovic made to his serve after he showed some signs of wavering from the baseline in the third set, as depicted by the official Wimbledon website:
Perseverance paid off for Mannarino, who managed to finally break his oppressor and seal back-to-back games before assembling a 6-5 lead, and there were some clear signs that Djokovic was tiring.
His opponent was in the ascendancy, but an intelligent approach at 30-0 down in the 12th game led Djokovic to halt Mannarino's rise, as he won the following three points in succession to force a tiebreak. However, with pressure off his shoulders, Mannarino was playing without fear:
"He's going for it now!#Mannarino getting those angles and not cracking. Holds to 15! > https://t.co/ba0dV8zDtB pic.twitter.com/Ilo4OiYLSj
— Live Tennis (@livetennis) June 29, 2016"
Despite pulling his enemy to and fro across the court, Mannarino was unable to string together the volume of winners needed to topple Djokovic in the tiebreak, surrendering a 7-5 loss after hitting a return attempt into the net.
Djokovic will face either Thomaz Bellucci or Sam Querrey in the third round, and he'll be banking on the weather to delay their meeting further in the hopes it gives him more time to rest before resuming.
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