Djokovic and Wawrinka renew age-old rivalry for first time on grass

LONDON, July 7 (BNA): Novak Djokovic will play Stan Wawrinka for the 27th time in a long-distance rivalry when the two teams meet on Friday, but surprisingly enough, they’ve never played on grass, let alone Wimbledon.

The two first met in the 2006 Croatia Open final when Djokovic retired with breathing problems, and although the Serb has dominated in the years since then with a 20-6 record, some old wounds still haven’t healed.

“He’s taken major slams from me twice. That’s the role he’s played (in my career), beating me in two grand slam finals,” a smiling Djokovic said before the third round encounter on center court.

Wawrinka reached the pinnacle of his career between 2014 and 2016, a period when he looked like the only man capable of breaking the dominance of the “Big Four” – Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal, Andy Murray and Djokovic.

As Wimbledon continues to wind down delayed matches due to rain, world number one Carlos Alcaraz will play his second-round match on Friday when he takes on France’s Alexandre Mueller.

Women’s top seed and French Open champion Iga Swiatek is seeking a maiden title on grass and will head to Center Court after Alcaraz when she takes on Croatia’s Petra Martic.

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