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

The Serb’s movement got better as the match progressed

The Serb frantically retrieving a shot

During the first hour of the contest, Novak’s movement and balance seemed to desert him, as he spent most of the first set far behind the baseline. The Serb’s usual poise and composure looked to have gone; a major surprise for a man heralded as one of the game’s great movers and retrievers.

The key to solid groundstrokes and an offensive play style is good movement and the ability to get your opponent’s shots in time. The 31-year-old improved in all of those departments, as he eventually started to dictate rallies and stamp his authority on the match.

Novak’s indifferent start might have been as a result of the occasion, as the nerves started to creep in. Cast your mind back to 2015/16 and you will remember a Djokovic that seemed completely immune to any kind of pressure and was able to take any occasion in his stride.

The frail start proved that his road to recovery is not yet complete and he will need to banish any kind of anxiety against the likes of Federer and Nadal, who will prey upon any unease and doubt from the Serb’s end of the court. Novak over the years has shown that he can grow into tournaments and raise his level of play when required and still remains on course for a deep run in the competition.