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Things seemed to be going smoothly again for Djokovic as he asserted himself against the big-hitting Rinderknecht in his sixth and seventh sets at this year’s championships.
Djokovic had delighted the crowd with great shot-making up to that point, taking a bow and putting a finger to his ear after firing a full-stretch volley en route to polishing off the opening set.
It was a clear signal that he had found his rhythm after an opening where players were breaking early, but Rinderknecht kept asking questions as he forced the first break point in set two.
However, when Djokovic immediately responded by building pressure on his opponent and clinching a third break point in the next game, the result seemed inevitable.
To his credit, Rinderknecht, who ousted third-seeded Alexander Zverev here last year, held his own – and was rewarded with a series of breaks as he blew away Djokovic in the third set.
The enraptured crowd grew increasingly vocal in support of both players as Rinderknecht grew in confidence deep into the fourth set.
Needing a tie-break to separate them, the decider remained on serve until the 10th point, when Rinderknecht missed a forehand.
In a fitting conclusion to an absorbing three-hour contest, both players finished the match on the ground when Rinderknecht threw himself into a drop shot and Djokovic responded with a dive of his own to earn his first match point, prompting the crowd to jump to their feet and applaud their efforts.
“I think I did what I needed to do today, in conditions that probably weren’t as good for me in the second round,” Djokovic added.
“At this age and stage of my career, every day brings me something new and unexpected.
“I’m hoping I can come out with my best in a few days.”
