The China Mail - Djokovic, Sinner aim to step up Wimbledon title chase

Relieved to survive the first round, reigning champion Sinner and seven-time winner Djokovic headline the last 64 action on Wednesday.

French Open champion Mirra Andreeva faces former Wimbledon winner Barbora Krejcikova in a fascinating women's clash.

AFP Sport takes a look at three matches to watch on the third day of the tournament (x denotes seeding):

Novak Djokovic (SRB x7) v Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE)

Djokovic leads head to head 12-2

-- Djokovic's latest attempt to make history by winning a record 25th Grand Slam singles title got off to a rocky start as he laboured against unheralded Wu Yibing in the first round on Monday.

It took Djokovic over three hours to finally subdue his Chinese opponent in four gruelling sets, prompting the Serb to admit he got lucky.

"I dropped my level. I was really hanging on the ropes in the fourth. I probably should have lost that set to be honest. I was lucky he missed the overhead," he said.

"The match was toe to toe. One or two shots decided the winner. I managed to fight and stay focused till the end. It's one of these matches that we have to dig deep."

Bidding to become the oldest man to win a major title in the Open era, Djokovic -- who hasn't triumphed at Wimbledon since 2022 -- has increasingly looked his age over the last two Grand Slams.

The 39-year-old crashed out in the French Open third round, blowing a two-set lead against Joao Fonseca, after underwhelming displays in the first two rounds.

But Djokovic can take heart from his dominance against world number 87 Tsitsipas.

He has won their last 11 meetings, including the 2023 Australian Open final and the 2021 French Open final.

Jannik Sinner (ITA x1) v Nuno Borges (POR)

Sinner leads head to head 1-0

-- Rattled by an unexpected bout of nerves and exposed by his lack of match action on grass this year, Sinner was fortunate to avoid becoming only the third defending men's champion to lose in the Wimbledon first round.

Sinner was playing his first match since a shock second round loss against Juan Manuel Cerundolo at the French Open.

The Italian world number one was in danger of another embarrassment after an awkward fall in the third set left him nursing a bloodied foot and a two-sets to one deficit.

But, showing the spirit and stamina that helped him end Carlos Alcaraz's two-year reign as Wimbledon champion in 2025, Sinner scrambled out of trouble to book his date against world number 48 Borges.

"I got lucky there because things can go wrong very, very quickly. I try to still trust in my movement," Sinner said of his Centre Court tumble.

"First round is never easy, as we saw. It was very nervy, but very happy that I found a way."

Barbora Krejcikova (CZE) v Mirra Andreeva (RUS x5)

Andreeva leads head to head 3-1

-- Andreeva advanced from her previous Wimbledon showdown with Krejcikova in 2023 when the injured Czech withdrew after the Russian raced into 6-3, 4-0 lead.

That was Andreeva's Wimbledon debut campaign as an unknown 16-year-old, while Krejcikova was just 12 months away from winning the All England Club crown for the first time with a surprise run that culminated in final victory over Jasmine Paolini.

Fast forward three years and the roles are reversed.

Andreeva, 19, is now tennis royalty after fulfilling her potential by winning her maiden Grand Slam title at the French Open recently.

In contrast to the fifth seed's ascent, the 30-year-old Krejcikova has plummeted to 38th in the rankings after a dismal injury-plagued run including first-round losses at the Australian and French Opens this year.

Krejcikova hopes her first-round win over Hannah Klugman heralds a return to form, but Andreeva, who beat Magda Linette in straight sets to start her campaign, will be a far tougher test.

F.Jackson--ThChM