Wimbledon 2018: 4 encouraging signs for Novak Djokovic in his quest to win Wimbledon

Novak Djokovic’s increased aggression

Novak Djokovic putting a volley away

In the opening set and a half, the 31-year-old looked sluggish and lethargic, as Edmund caught him cold with his aggressive style and monster forehand. The Brit even ventured towards the net on occasion; something which took the Serb completely by surprise. Djokovic found himself on the back foot too often and seemed perfectly content to defend; a strategy that played right into the hands of the world No.17.

The Serb, however, responded in spirited fashion, as he upped his overall intensity and eventually broke the British No.1. He increased the depth on his groundstrokes and continued to apply the pressure on Edmund’s serve. The added depth denied Edmund the chance to get a foothold in the rallies, as Djokovic began to neutralise the Brit’s fearsome forehand.

In the opening set, Edmund missed several serves as his first serve percentage fell below the 50% mark. Novak Djokovic, however, failed to capitalise on the Brit’s poor serving; a major disappointment for a man considered by many to be the greatest returner of all time. In the following sets, the Serb exposed the Edmund serve and broke in each of the three sets that followed. Novak will have to show a pro-active attitude from the start of matches if he wants to lift his fourth Wimbledon crown.