“I know I can always do better, but so far so good” - Novak Djokovic after his Wimbledon 3R win against Miomir Kecmanovic

Two-time defending champion Novak Djokovic is through to the fourth round of the 2022 Wimbledon Championships with an emphatic win against compatriot Miomir Kecmanovic on Friday. The World No. 3 took less than two hours to beat Kecmanovic 6-0, 6-3, 6-4 on Center Court.

Djokovic dropped just seven games against Thanasi Kokkinakis in the second round and matched that with another sublime performance, breaking Kecmanovic six times on the way to victory.

It was his 331st win at a Grand Slam and the Serb trails only Serena Williams (365) and Roger Federer (369) on the all-time list. Speaking in his post-match on-court interview, the 35-year-old said that he is proud of his consistency throughout his career.

“Well, [the 331st win] means that I've been playing for quite a few years, which I'm very grateful for,” Djokovic said, laughing. “I'm very blessed to be in the position to compete at the highest level and to secure more wins in the Grand Slams. Those are the tournaments that historically matter the most in our sport. Just very proud of the consistency on this level.”

Novak Djokovic stated that while he was very happy with how his game has evolved over the last three matches, he’s also looking to get better with each round.

“I think I've been playing better and better as the tournament progresses. That's obviously something you always wish for as a player, that every match that you play you raise the level of tennis up a notch at least. I think that's what is happening at the moment. I know I can always do better, I always expect the highs from myself but I think so far so good and looking forward to the next challenge,” Djokovic said.

He also had words of praise for Kecmanovic and hoped to play him many more times on the highest stage.

“I know Kecmanovic quite well, we train a lot of obviously as he also comes from Serbia. I'm really glad that he, alongside a couple of other players, is doing well and I wish him all the best. You know, hopefully, we'll get to play many more times in the Center Courts of the biggest tournaments,” Djokovic said.

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Tim van Rijthoven stands between Novak Djokovic and Wimbledon QF

Day Five: The Championships - Wimbledon 2022

With the defeat of Kecmanovic, Novak Djokovic registered his 24th consecutive win on grass. It drew him level with Rod Laver in third place on the Open Era list for the longest tour-level winning streak on the surface.

The six-time champion next faces Dutch wildcard Tim van Rijthoven, another man in red-hot form on grass. The 25-year-old beat Nikoloz Basilashvili 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 earlier on Friday to ease into the fourth round on his Grand Slam main draw debut.

With the win against the Georgian, van Rijthoven registered an impressive eight-match win streak on grass, including winning his maiden title at the Rosmalen Grass Court Championships as a wildcard. He has been in fine form at SW19 so far and could pose a stern challenge to Novak Djokovic in the last 16.