Evergreen Haas goes back to future

Tommy Haas on his way to victory over Novak Djokovic in the quarter-finals. When you are a tennis player in your 30s, it is fair to say that - in career terms - you have more years behind you than ahead of you. German Tommy Haas, a Wimbledon semi-finalist for the first time at the age of 31, is one of that special breed who is determined never to dwell on his past. Instead, he prefers to always look to the future. And following his stunning quarter-final win over Novak Djokovic, that includes a Centre Court showdown against Swiss master Roger Federer on Friday. Haas has 10 Wimbledons in his past, stretching back to 1997. But until this year, there had been one solitary fourth round appearance and a ton of trials and tribulations. Some might say it is about time luck smiled down on the hardworking German who has had his fair share of bad luck over the years. And in his post-match press conference, as the world’s media explored the possibility of another German joining Steffi Graf, Boris Becker and Michael Stich in the Wimbledon record books, Haas felt obliged to do what he likes least - to reflect on his own previous misadventures here. He said: “If you just look through the years of me playing Wimbledon, there is a lot of bad luck involved. I have lost a lot of tight ones. “The year when I was three in the world [2002], I would have been seeded high, [but] my parents had a really bad motorcycle accident so I skipped that year. “Then when I had a pretty good draw where I felt I could get far, I stepped on a ball in the warm-up. “I lost three tiebreaks against Wayne Arthurs in the third round one year. Lost 9-7 in the fifth set one time to Marc Rosset in the third round.” However, Haas quickly asserts that is history and “all in the past”. In fact, he admits that “deep down”, he feels there is time for him to achieve something special here. “It better come up soon, because I’m not getting any younger,” he quipped. “I always felt like on the grass maybe something is still left there for me.” His incredible form on turf began in Halle in June where he defeated Novak Djokovic to take his first title on grass. Now Haas is enjoying a huge confidence boost and relishing every moment. “This is why you go and do rehab or you train hard. You push yourself even more to try to get to these occasions and follow your dreams as a kid. Tennis players have a short career, some shorter than others. At 33, 34 or 35 you might be done. Then you have a whole life left. You want to be able to look back and say ‘Hey, I played the sport that I love as long as I could and I’ve tried my best’. You look back at what you have accomplished and you want to be proud of yourself.” Now only one opponent stands between Haas and his first Grand Slam final. The problem is that man is Roger Federer and the German is under no illusions about how hard it will be to overcome the man who has been in the last six finals here. In fact, it was Federer who ended Haas’s French Open this year in an unforgettable five-set battle, in which the German was five points from securing a straight sets win. Then on a fateful break point opportunity, he was stunned by a superb Federer forehand, which sparked a turnaround in fortunes. Lesser men might be distraught at having to face the same opponent in the next Grand Slam. Certainly Robin Soderling has shown this fortnight that it is far from easy to gain a quick revenge over the French Open champion. But Haas is determined not to dwell on the past, no matter how recent, and is surprisingly magnanimous about that defeat. He said: “It is in the past. It’s done. Being a friend of his and knowing how much it meant to him winning the French Open, I’m happy he made that shot." He added that he expected Federer to go down in history as the greatest player ever. So could he explain what it is about his next opponent’s game that makes it so special?

Haas dumps Djokovic out to reach semis

Tommy Haas in action during his quarter-final match against Novak Djokovic. Who said tennis was a young man’s game? Tommy Haas, the oldest man in the draw, brushed aside Novak Djokovic, the No.4 seed and the youngest man left in the tournament 7-5, 7-6 (8-6), 4-6, 6-3 in the quarter finals. Haas had waited a long time to feel this good at a major tournament. His is a career which has been badly interrupted by injuries. And when he has not been injured or recovering from injury, he has so often been felled by his nerves. But age can do wonders for a chap and, now that he is 31, Haas has learned the value of fitness, training and preparation. Reunited with his old coach, Thomas Hogstedt, he came within a whisker of beating Roger Federer at the French Open, then beat Djokovic on grass in the Halle final and has been growing in confidence round by round here at Wimbledon. As he took on Djokovic, the German took a distinctly old-fashioned approach to playing on grass – he kept attacking the net. That was when he was not staying back and using his stunning backhand to unpick the Serb’s defences. Or serving like a demon to give Djokovic no chance to get into the rally. And his returns were not half bad either. Djokovic was playing in the modern way – thumping ground strokes and explosive power. He too tried his hand at the net but it is not his natural hunting ground. When he came forward, it was usually on a wing and prayer and, as he scampered netwards, he usually passed Haas’s backhand flying in the opposite direction. For the first 40 minutes, this clash of styles and generations produced an impasse – there was not a gnat’s whisker between the men and no sign of a break point. But then Haas, the man who once knew the pressures of being the world's No.2 player but now has relatively little to lose in this kind of match, applied the pressure. He backed Djokovic into a corner and, forcing the errors from him, he got the vital break of serve and made off with the first set. The second set followed much the same pattern save for the fact that Djokovic’s body language was becoming increasingly downbeat. When Haas again broke for a 6-5 lead – that trusty backhand again doing the damage – Djokovic started a loud and long rant in Serbian, which was probably just as well. It was better that no-one else knew just how frustrated he was. That was when the reality dawned on Haas that he was on the verge of wiping the floor with the world No.4 – and the nerves set in. The German dropped serve and Djokovic moved towards three set points. That was when Haas yelled at himself to wake up and, taking his own advice, he ran away with the next five points and, with them, the second set. By now, Djokovic was looking tetchy and flustered. Even taking the third set did little for his confidence and by the time he had dropped his serve to go 3-1 down in the fourth, the match was there for Haas to lose rather than Djokovic to win. The only trouble for Djokovic was that Haas had no intention of losing, not now, not at the age of 31 and on the threshold of his first Wimbledon semi-final to add to his three appearances at that stage in Australia in 2007, 2002 and back in 1999. Who said this was a young man’s game?

Jitters got to me, says Djokovic

Novak Djokovic looks cool during his quarter-final match against Tommy Haas. Novak Djokovic was left to explain another disappointing failure after his quarter-final loss to Tommy Haas. All the talk was of the Serb’s poor Grand Slam record this year: he has lost in the quarter-final of the Australian Open, where he was defending champion, the third round of the French Open, and now this. Yet away from the Slams, Djokovic, who lost his world number three ranking to Andy Murray in May, arrived at Wimbledon with a good record. In the 13 tournaments he has played this year he won two, finished runner-up in four, was a semi-finalist in three and a quarter-finalist in two. It was put to the 22-year-old Serb after the defeat to Haas that he has undergone a personality change this year and lost some of his spark. "I haven't really changed," he insisted. "It's just that there are now other players in the spotlight, like [Andy] Murray and [Juan Martin] Del Potro who have been playing really well lately and you always get more attention the more successful you are. "I have been consistent with my results this year, except in the Grand Slams, but I am still the way I am. I think the difference is a little impatience in the important moments. I get nervous a little bit more than I used to. And I guess that's probably the pressure I'm feeling. But I shouldn't." It was that nervousness, he claimed, that cost him dearly at important moments in the match against Haas. "I somehow couldn't relax in those moments, especially at 5-5 in the first two sets. I was playing very defensively and making errors that I didn't do in the rest of the match." After enjoying a tremendous run of success against German players - he won 14 straight matches - Djokovic has now lost three matches against players from that country. He was beaten by Philipp Kohlschreiber in the third round at Roland Garros and by Haas in the Halle final and again here. In addition to nervousness, Djokovic cited his poor return of serve as a factor in his latest loss. "Returning is one of the strength strokes in my game, but today was a real disaster. [Haas] is very aggressive, a perfect player for this surface, and this was just a day when I couldn't deal with his serve." It has been a disappointing year for Serbia after the glories of 2008, when both Djokovic and Ana Ivanovic won a Grand Slam title and Jelena Jankovic finished the season as world number one. "Everybody goes through a crisis," was how Djokovic explained it. "I can only speak for myself, but I was going through a tough period at the start of the year. Then I had a Miami final and then the whole clay court season was successful and I was happy with the way I was playing. So my game is there. I am disappointed to have lost here because I thought I was playing well and could go all the way. I wanted to do better at Wimbledon. "Today I could have won the second set, I just made some incredible unforced errors." As for Haas's chances of beating Roger Federer in Friday's semi-finals, Djokovic said: "Tommy still hasn't lost this year on this surface. He's playing really well and has nothing to lose against Roger, so of course he has a chance."

Party time for in-form Djokovic

Israeli Dudi Sela in action during his straight sets defeat to Novak Djokovic. Fourth seed Novak Djokovic moved comfortably into the quarter-finals with a 6-2, 6-4, 6-1 win over unseeded Israeli Dudi Sela in a match played in a carnival atmosphere. The 2007 semi-finalist, who has been creeping through the draw without fanfare, produced a solid display, firing off 11 aces and 30 winners. It was perhaps no surprise. After all "Djoker", fourth in the world, is ranked 42 places above Sela and beat the 24-year-old on their only other previous meeting. Sure enough it took just five games for the Serb to secure an early break and he raced off with the first set in 28 minutes. The fans were clearly delighted with the Court 3 scheduling, with chants of "Dudi, Dudi, Dudi" and "Nole, Nole, Nole", echoing around the stand, and the party-feel even prompted a smile from Sela. It was a fitting atmosphere to mark a special day for the court, which was staging major singles matches for the last time before it is rebuilt after this year's Championships. And the Israeli was clearly enjoying the moment in what has been the best year of his career. He also reached the third round, as a qualifier, at this year’s Australian Open. Sela displayed more fight in the second set, perhaps buoyed by the crowd, and managed to break Djokovic as the Serb served for the set at 5-3. But Djokovic wasn’t having any of it and he broke back immediatley to claim the second set. Come the third set, the fourth seed was on fire. Sliding into points in his trademark manner, he took just 19 minutes to polish off the set and book his place in the quarter-finals. He will face Germany’s Tommy Haas who had a convincing straight sets victory over Igor Andreev. Speaking about Haas, to whom he lost in Halle earlier this month, Djokovic said: “He’s certainly a great player, and he’s playing really well lately, taking Roger to five sets in French Open, winning Halle, and here some marathon matches. He’s very aggressive. He plays serve and volley. He goes for both serves. He’s gonna put a lot of pressure on me, so I just have to be patient and wait for the chances.” However, Djokovic added he felt his form was coming good at the right time for Wimbledon. “In case I win that match, I got Federer. So it’s not going to be easy certainly. But I think right now physically and mentally I’m in the right direction.” Court 3 - Gentlemen's Singles - 4th Round Dudi Sela ISR 2 4 1 Novak Djokovic SRB (4) 6 6 6

Preview: Djokovic v Haas

Djokovic pumping his fist The first of today's quarter-finals on No.1 Court provides a fascinating contrast between the youngest and oldest players left in the men's draw. There is a nine-year difference between Germany's Tommy Haas, at 31 years three months, and Novak Djokovic of Serbia, who at 22 years and five weeks is one week younger than Andy Murray. However, it is the younger man who has been more successful at Grand Slam level, having won the Australian Open in 2008, while Haas's best showing was also in Australia, with three semi-final appearances in 1999, 2002 and 2007. At Wimbledon two years ago, Djokovic lost in the semi-finals to Rafael Nadal, but he suffered a reaction last year, going out in the second round to Marat Safin. In his 11th year of playing Wimbledon, Haas has finally reached the quarter-finals for the first time, though he was looking good two years ago until tearing a stomach muscle in reaching the round of 16. It is Haas who is in the best grass court form at the moment, though it is only marginal, having won the Halle title in his native Germany three weeks ago by defeating Djokovic in the final. Of Haas's 12 titles, it was the first to be won on grass. Haas's fortunes at the 2009 Championships have mirrored the up-and-down fortunes of his 13-year-professional career, since he has been involved in the longest singles match at this year's Wimbledon, four hours 28 minutes, in which he saved two match points before putting out the 11th seed, Marin Cilic, and the shortest, when his opponent Michael Llodra retired injured after seven games. Haas knows all about injury, having missed the entire 2003 season because of a shoulder operation and then facing further surgery on the shoulder in November 2007. He also broke his right ankle in December 1995 and exactly 12 months later broke the left one. On the good fortune side, Haas, who is ranked 34 in the world, was elevated to 24th seed for this tournament when Gael Monfils withdrew with a damaged wrist. Should he get to the semi-finals, Haas could return to the top 20 for the first time in 18 months. Haas learned his tennis at the Bollettieri Academy in Bradenton, Florida, and liked the set-up so much that he now makes his home in the town. He is hoping to emulate Rainer Schuettler, who was a Wimbledon semi-finalist last year, the third German to get that far in the Open era after Boris Becker and Michael Stich. Djokovic is also hoping for the ranking boost that further Wimbledon success would bring, having been ranked third in the world for the best part of two years until he was replaced by Murray in May this year. However, Djokovic would need to win the title to regain the number three spot, with Murray failing to get to the final. Until a month ago, he tended to regard Germans as his favourite opposition, having beaten them 14 straight times until his third round loss at Roland Garros to Philipp Kohlschreiber was followed by that defeat against Haas in Halle.

Djokovic cruises past Fish

Novak Djokovic marched into the fourth round of Wimbledon with an almost routine 6-4 6-4 6-4 victory over Mardy Fish.

Only a momentary lapse in the second set threatened to knock the Serbian off course, but he quickly recovered to set up a clash with Dudi Sela of Israel in the last 16.

Fish, seeded 28th at SW19, was up against the ropes in the opening game but saved two break points thanks in part to a lucky net cord.

However, Djokovic looked the better player throughout the opening set and eventually gained an edge in game seven when, facing a fifth break point, Fish sent a forehand wide.

The fourth seed quickly wrapped up the opening set, and with the wind in his sails raced into a 4-0 lead in the second with Fish continuing to make the errors.

But it was Djokovic who then began to struggle and his American opponent took advantage with a fine volley at the net to pull one break back and reduce the deficit to 4-3.

Djokovic recovered from the lapse though and with the rest of the set going with serve, was able to extend his lead.

Fish had never gone beyond the third round in six previous appearances at Wimbledon, and it became apparent he would suffer the same fate again when Djokovic broke again in game seven of the third set.

It was the only break the Serbian needed and he eventually found himself serving for the match, sealing the win in just under two hours when Fish returned wide.

Djokovic had few complaints with his performance.

"Today I performed the best match so far in Wimbledon, which is really encouraging for the remainder of the tournament," he said.

"The more matches I play, I seem to be playing better, which is always a positive fact.

"I was saying prior to the match that return is probably one of the key elements in the game against Mardy. And I think I did well with that.

"I was always making him play an extra shot, which he obviously doesn't like. He has a big serve and he gets a lot of free points on the serve.

"But since I returned so well, he was having a lot of ups and downs and a very low first serve percentage in."

Despite being the fourth seed, Djokovic has managed to keep a low profile so far at Wimbledon with the attention very much on former champion Roger Federer and home favourite Andy Murray.

And the Serbian seems happy to keep it that way.

"I realise the situation that I am in right now," said the world number four.

"Andy Murray and Roger Federer are in the spotlight, and obviously they deserve to be in that situation because they have been playing great tennis the last six, seven months.

"But you have to look from the brighter side. I think it's good as it kind of releases the pressure on me."

Fish also believes Djokovic could be one to keep an eye on in the men's draw.

"He's playing real well," said the American. "He's a tough match-up for an attacking player.

"He plays great defence. He even slides on the grass and he gets a lot of balls back.

"It's not too bad to lose to someone like Novak. He's made the semi-finals of every slam. I certainly see him going further here than the fourth round."

Djokovic sails past Fish

Mardy Fish tackles Novak Djokovic in the third round on centre court. Novak Djokovic, the fourth seed and probably the greatest threat to Roger Federer's peace of mind in the lower half of the men's singles draw, marched into the last 16 with a solid and competent 6-4 6-4 6-4 victory in one hour 58 minutes over Mardy Fish of the US. The Centre Court setting for this match was appropriate reward for the 28th-seeded Fish, who has known some bleak times with injury, especially to the wrist, but he rarely threatened to break his losing streak against Djokovic, which now stretches to four. It was a good-natured contest, clearly enjoyed by both men as well as the audience. At one point, the 22-year-old Serb challenged (unsuccessfully) on his opponent's behalf against a line call when he had already won the point. But the prospects of a Fish upset were never realistic once Djokovic had hit his stride by breaking to lead 4-3 in the opening set after a long deuce game terminated by an overhit Fish forehand. Much of the good fortune also went Djokovic's way. He held serve to lead 5-3 with a dead net cord, but there was nothing lucky about the ace, his third of the match in an overall total of eight, which helped to close out the first set in 38 minutes. Opting for headgear, and then discarding it in the late evening sunshine, Fish seemed in a similarly mixed frame of mind in the fourth set, falling 4-0 behind. But he shrugged off any negative thoughts with a three-game run of his own and for a while Djokovic struggled to fend off the newly-invigorated American 27-year-old. He managed to do so with the help of another ace and a couple of bad volley errors from Fish and in his next service game won to love, leaving Fish clearly dejected. With Djokovic below his very best level, however, there remained faint hope for Fish until the seventh game of the third set when he extinguished those hopes entirely off his own racket. In a deuce game Djokovic was not required to win any of the five points that went his way, since every one was a Fish error. From then on, Djokovic's progress into the fourth round was a formality. Centre Court - Gentlemen's Singles - 3rd Round Mardy Fish USA (28) 4 4 4 Novak Djokovic SRB (4) 6 6 6

Djokovic happy to stay low-profile

Djokovic digs deep Novak Djokovic took a step closer back to the limelight after disposing of American Mardy Fish in straight sets but may do so reluctantly having enjoyed life under the radar so far in this year’s Championships. “Right now I feel quite okay, that people are not talking about me too often, which gives me a freedom to perform the best tennis I can on the court,” said the Serbian player. The world No.4 certainly looked to be back to his best on Centre Court during his third round match and was always in the driving seat despite coming up against his most resilient opponent yet in these Championships. “I was saying prior to the match that return is probably one of the key elements in the game against Mardy. And I think that element in the game was actually the best today from my side. “I was making him always play an extra shot, which he obviously doesn't like. You know, he has a big serve and he gets a lot of free points on the serve. But since I returned that well, he was having a lot of ups and downs and very low first serve percentage in.” Having benefited from a distinct lack of hype, Djokovic will undoubtedly find it more difficult to remain in the shadows during week two where he is likely to face sterner tests both on and off the court. So far it has been firm favourite Roger Federer and home champion Andy Murray who have hogged the headlines, but as the competitors are gradually whittled down Djokovic could yet attract the increased level of attention that followed his Australian Open victory in 2008. “I got extreme amount of the pressure and obviously expectations on each event I play on. I had to get used to that and set my mind that the people are looking at me always as one of the favorites in each event I play. “I didn't cope with that pressure really well in the start of this season, so maybe I lost myself a little bit there. But again, think I'm enjoying it. I do something that I love to do and I’m successful in.” “Today I performed the best match so far in Wimbledon, which is really encouraging. Match after match I play better, which is always a positive fact.” The Serbian player looks to be regaining much of the confidence, that has been so apparently absent of late and that could yet prove to be his most potent weapon with Federer likely to be waiting at the semi-final stage. “I'm taking every match one at a time. I'm really happy and satisfied with today's performance. You know, if I play like today, I think I have a good chances to get far in the second week. “If I perform like that, there is no reason to underestimate me,” he said.

Djokovic quells fighting qualifier

Simon Greul was given a work out on No.1 Court against the forth seed Novak Djokovic. There cannot have been many observers on No.1 Court expecting much of Simon Greul in his second-round match against fourth seed Novak Djokovic. But if winning was way too much for him, the German qualifier instead secured a lot of new friends with his entertaining attacking play, before Djokovic emerged the 7-5, 6-1, 6-4 winner. Greul is a 28-year-old journeyman of the men’s Tour, currently ranked 106 with a career high of 75 three years ago. Even at junior level, he had never won a single match on grass before last week’s qualifying event at Roehampton. His trio of victories there were the more remarkable because he had not played on grass in the past three years. Moreover, his first-round win over Michael Yani in the main draw on Monday was his first Grand Slam victory in six attempts. So when it came to facing the number four seed for a place in the third round, the odds were not exactly loaded in his favour. But Greul was not interested in the odds. Loose shots from Djokovic, along with a double fault, handed a break to the German in the first game. Greul was developing a taste for grasscourt play, fooling his opponent with an approach to the net and a great dropshot on the half-volley. But when he tried another dropshot from the baseline, it tipped back on the wrong side of the net to give Djokovic break point. Worse, Greul delivered his first double fault, and the match was back on level terms. Djokovic was playing a little better, but still seemed to be spending a lot of time talking furiously to himself with his eyes to the skies, or bellowing in annoyance, or banging his racket irritably on the soles of his shoes. In short, he did not seem to be enjoying himself. At 5-6 Greul saved a set point with an unreturnable serve but a complete mis-hit brought up another. When he sent a forehand wide the set was gone. This time last year 22-year-old Djokovic provided the shock of the second round by going out to eventual semi-finalist Marat Safin. Nor has 2009 been a vintage year for the Serb. He surrendered his Australian Open title at the quarter-final stage and went out in the third round at Roland Garros last month to Philipp Kohlschreiber. He must have wondered if he was in for another tough set when Gruel notched up a trio of break points in the opening game of the second set. Djokovic’s discomfort was evident from his ever-increasing bounces of the ball before serving. Greul got the break, and the Serb hurled his racket to the ground. This time it was Djokovic who broke back at once, and only then did Greul begin to wilt mentally. Djokovic broke again for 3-1, and the momentum was with him. Greul’s decline continued, and by the time he lost the set 6-1 he had not won a single point on his first serve throughout it. Djokovic won his eighth straight game in a row to get to 2-0 in the third. Greul refused to submit and levelled for 2-2, but Djokovic forced his way through again. Yet Greul still would not lie down and in a marathon effort took it to 3-3, and then 4-4. But the next game was decided by a Greul error, and Djokovic served out at 5-4 to win in a minute under two hours.

Djokovic happy to be dark horse

Novak Djokovic What a difference a few months makes. At the start of the year when he arrived in Melbourne for what would prove to be an unsuccessful defence of his Australian Open crown, Novak Djokovic made it plain that he considered himself a big contender for the title. Fast forward nearly six months and the Serb is safely through to Wimbledon’s third round, but he insists he is pleased not to be one of the two names projected as likely finalists by the media, bookmakers and many tennis fans. “I’m aware of my qualities,” he said. “It’s just that I don’t want to create an extra pressure on myself because I know how hard it is to deal with it. And I’m happy that the people are not talking about me at this moment. I wish for that so I can really focus on my game and try to perform my best tennis as possible. “I have no expectations really for Wimbledon this year. I don’t try to create pressure on myself. I just play each match one at a time. “There are so many side factors when you’re a favourite. Media is one, which has an effect on your psychological situation at certain moments. When I played this year’s Australian Open, I had a lot of expectations as the defending champion. I felt a huge amount of pressure and I couldn’t really deal with it in the best way.” Oddly, Djokovic claimed he was nervous before facing the German qualifier Simon Greul today, even though he eventually despatched him in straight sets. “I was just waiting for him to make mistakes, which was obviously the wrong thing to do because he was going for his shots,” said the Serb. “He’s very aggressive and has a really good return and he was putting a lot of pressure on my serve. I was dropping service games, and this really shouldn’t happen in upcoming matches.” Speaking of which, his next is against the American Mardy Fish. “He’s a big server, so playing against him on any fast surface is a difficult match,” said Djokovic. “And you have to respect his achievements in the last couple of years. “He has played especially well in the Slams. I won our matches in the last two or three years, but it was really close. So I can’t really rate myself as a big favourite. “The key will be my return, if I’m going to be able to make him play more than he expects.”

Djokovic slips past battling Benetteau

World No.4 Novak Djokovic wipes away the disappointment of losing the opening set against first round opponent Julien Benneteau Frenchman Julien Benneteau during his first round defeat to Novak Djokovic on Centre Court.

fourth seed Novak Djokovic survived an endurance test against Frenchman Julien Benetteau to win through to the second round but he needed three hours and 28 minutes of concerted effort to complete the job. Benettau, in his sixth Wimbledon, shocked Djokovic by winning a 61-minute first set but was hit by falls in the third game of the third set and the last game of the match, which did not help his cause and it allowed Djokovic to clinch victory 6-7 (10-8), 7-6 (7-5), 6-2, 6-4 on his third match point. Djokovic would have come into the match reminding viewers that, amid the hype over Roger Federer and Andy Murray, The Championships is more than just a two-horse race. But he was given serious cause for thought when he lost the first set in just over an hour. It was a remarkably close set with not a single break point until the 12th game. Both players served well, Djokovic even hitting an ace with a second serve, and the Frenchman remaining accurate and persistent. The first problem for Benettau came when he was 6-5 down and serving. At deuce, Djokovic hit a classic backhand winner for set point but the Frenchman saved that with a service winner. Benettau’s following ace and service winner forced a tie-break. Djokovic had one set point but Benetteau had three and settled it 10-8 with a backhand down the line played behind Djokovic’s back. The second set also had to be decided by a tie-break but the difference this time was that Djokovic won at a canter -7-1. The 22-year-old Serb began by hitting a fine cross court backhand against serve, which set the pace, then built on this with some variety of pace. He finally punched a backhand service return winner to square the match. In the third set, Benetteau had already slipped 2-0 behind, when he literally slipped behind the baseline at deuce in the third game. He needed attention for some pain to his right side and although he was able to play on, Djokovic stretched his lead to 5-0 before Benetteau, to loud applause, took a game. Djokovic appeared to have a routine service game to win the set but he double-faulted three times to lose the game. But the set still came to him 6-2 and, at last, he was in front. The fourth set obviously gave the Serb a clearer target but Benetteau continued to show some fine touches even if he was now chasing the game. But Djokovic did not lose focus and served out to lead 5-4 in a game that included his 14th ace. In the next game, Benetteau saved a first match point with a service winner. A second match point went to Djokovic when Benetteau could not save a lob. But the Frenchman slid into the back of the court, injuring his left knee on the back surround as he did so and requiring a medical time-out to receive treatment. Djokovic crossed the court to sympathise with his opponent as an ice pack was applied. Play resumed and Benetteau saved a second match point, but the third was beyond him. Benetteau missed a backhand and Djokovic was through. And afterwards the former Australian Open champion insisted he was "very happy" to remain below the radar as the media focuses on Roger Federer and Andy Murray. He said: "I've been playing really well in the last two, three years. Having won a Grand Slam in Australia, I put myself in the position to be a candidate for a Grand Slam title in each Grand Slam I have played. "So right now, Andy Murray is in the spotlight, and he deserves it. And it's good. It releases kind of a little bit of pressure off me so I can play relaxed on the court."