Novak Djokovic beat Tim van Rijthoven 6-2, 4-6, 6-1, 6-2 in the fourth round of Wimbledon on Sunday to set up a blockbuster quarter-final with Jannik Sinner.
Speaking to the media after his win over the Dutchman, Djokovic heaped praise on the Italian, mentioning that some aspects of the latter’s match resembled his own such as how.
Sinner has been explosive at the All England Club this year, winning over Stan Wawrinka, John Isner and most recently Carlos Alcaraz in the fourth round.
World No. 1 thinks Sinner’s game is growing at a steady pace.
“He’s growing up a lot on the big stage. I think he doesn’t feel too much pressure on the big stage,” Novak Djokovic said of Sinner. “He’s very solid. He has every shot in his game: serve, return, forehand, backhand. He’s constantly putting pressure on the opponent.”
Djokovic explains how Sinner’s game from the baseline reminds him of his own tactical approach. “I also saw a little bit of myself in his game, from the back of the court playing flat, constant backhands in the back of Serb added.
“I know that going into the match will always be a tough, challenging match for Tim” – Novak Djokovic
Turning his attention to Tim van Rijthoven, Novak Djokovic mentioned that he was aware the clash with the Dutchman would be difficult. Serb reckons Rijthoven had a solid game of sledding.
“I know going into the match will always be a tough, challenging match against Tim, whom I’ve never faced before,” Djokovic said. “I watched him play. He had a really good game on the pitch, which he proved today. [It] was a very good match, especially in the first two sets. “
Djokovic dropped the second set but bounced back to regain form in the third and fourth sets, making them a quick finish. He revealed that he started reading the Dutchman’s serve a lot better after dropping the second set.
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“But overall, I think I played very well, very solidly from the bottom of the court,” said Djokovic. “I started his serve rhythm, started reading his serves better in the third and fourth sets.”
“I’m just really happy with the way I finished the game,” he added. “I was a bit off on my serve towards the end of the game, but overall it was a good game and really challenging for me on the pitch.”
