Djokovic steady in easy win over Mannarino in second round of Wimbledon

Nole Patrol is TENNIS.com's Wimbledon blog that will provide on-site news, insight and commentary on Novak Djokovic as he aims for a fifth consecutive Grand Slam singles title.

LONDON—On Wednesday, with the Centre Court roof closed on a rainy day, the balls flying off the racquets of Novak Djokovic and Adrian Mannarino sounded louder and more impactful than usual.

“The atmospheres when the roof is closed is even more special,” Djokovic said. “It gets loud … It was fun.”

The Frenchman Mannarino, ranked No. 55, flies far below the radar, masked by top compatriots Richard Gasquet, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Gael Monfils, as well as Benoit Paire, who he actually beat this year.

He opened his 2016 campaign with an ATP Challenger win, and then played in just a couple ATP 250 quarterfinals. The 28-year-old’s best results have been two finals last year (Auckland and Bogota.) He did well to take out Great Britain’s rising hope, Kyle Edmund, in the first round, but facing Djokovic proved to be too much.

Both men exchanged holds in the first until Djokovic stepped on the gas. At 4-5, Djokovic broke thanks to two errors from Mannarino. After taking the lead, he celebrated with an emphatic fist pump.

From the baseline, the Serb was a diligent backboard. He hit extra shots with spin, slice and power, and they continually kept him in control of the rallies. Nole’s persistence and stamina are large reasons why he holds all four majors right now, and has the chance to accomplish much more—including the Golden Slam.

“The future is something that is not in our power,” he said. “It’s something that we cannot predict. Certainly I will continue playing with lots of passion, and try to be dedicated and see how it goes.”

Mannarino didn’t help himself much in the first part of the match. With his go-for-broke style of play, he hit more than twice as many unforced errors as Djokovic in the first two sets (and ended with 42 to the Serb’s 21).

Right off the bat in the second set, Djokovic broke Mannarino for a 2-0 lead, with everything seemingly going according to plan.

Late in the second set, Djokovic did well to expose the lefty’s backhand, which he hits very flat. The world No. 1 easily took the second set, 6-3.

Djokovic’s strong return was critical in this second-round test. The 29-year-old waited patiently for his moment in the third set, getting a look at two break points in the seventh game and taking it with a yell for a 4-3 lead. He would end up converting on three of seven break points.

At 5-3, Mannarino must have known the end was near, but he went for his serves, taking the game at love. It seemed like he was enjoying his time on the sport’s biggest stage, so he tried to extend the match and got two more break opportunities in the final game. A double fault, the eighth from Djokovic, gave Mannarino the break he had been seeking for so long.

“When I failed to serve it out [at] 5-4 in the third set, the crowd really got into it,” an unperturbed Djokovic said. “It was fun.”

Mannarino held for 6-5, breathing a little bit of drama into a match that had been very much in Djokovic’s favor. Despite Mannnarino’s inspired play, Djokovic remained calm, something he has mastered in recent years, and held for 6-all.

Djokovic looked like he had little desire to stay on Centre Court much longer. With brilliant play from both ends—and a scary moment when Djokovic hit the deck so hard that he laid on his back after a long rally—the 12-time Grand Slam champion prevailed on his second match point thanks to another signature strong return. The 6-4, 6-3, 7-6 (5) victory was Djokovic’s 30th straight Grand Slam match win.

“I do have lots of expectations for myself,” Djokovic said. “I am very grateful that I’m able to play on such a high level consistently. Grand Slams are the tournaments that are the most important for us.

“That’s a stat I’m very proud of.”