Monte Carlo finalist from two years ago Dusan Lajovic will not repeat that result this week, losing to Daniel Evans 6-3, 6-7, 6-2 in the first round despite great effort in set number two.
At the press conference, Dusan was asked about Wimbledon and his emotions at the most prestigious tournament in the world. The Serbian faced eighth champion Roger Federer in the opening rounds of 2017 and 2018, and had the opportunity to step on the sacred center court alongside one of the most successful turf players in history and fulfill his childhood dream.
Roger and Dusan met in the second round in 2017, and the Swiss scored a 7-6, 6-3, 6-2 victory in one hour and 30 minutes.
The Serbian made a better start and broke a great opponent before the Swiss withdrew the counterattack immediately.
They both served well until the tiebreaker, with Roger winning it 7-0 to gain momentum ahead of the remaining sets. It was about him in sets two and three, serving well and earning three breaks to get to the finish line.
A year later, defending champion Federer and Lajovic kicked off center court action in the first round, with the Swiss scoring a 6-1, 6-3, 6-4 win in one hour and 19 minutes to sail into the second. round.
. Roger lost 11 points in 13 service games, never faced a break point and increased the pressure on the other side of the court. Lajovic was far from that pace, broke five times and propelled Federer into the second round.
“Well my favorite Wimbledon memory is playing Roger Federer on center court because of his incredible record at the All England Club. Stepping on the court and sharing it with Roger was one of the most remarkable things that happened to me at that tournament.
. When you start playing, all the laid-back vibe and atmosphere on center court brings different feelings than we usually have at other events. I was never very successful on grass, but Wimbledon is still my favorite tournament.
One of my first books that I got was Wimbledon 1991; I think Stich won that year. When I was a kid, I would read about this and look at the pictures in the book. It made a good impression on me when I stepped onto that center court. It’s good to relive childhood dreams, “said Dusan Lajovic.
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