Safin upsets Djokovic
Djokovic, the Australian Open champion, seeded three here, never looked comfortable and Safin despatched him 6-4, 7-6 (7-3), 6-2.This match was keenly anticipated because it was one of those super-charismatic second round encounters that a Grand Slam draw can occasionally yield. These two had met only once before at Djokovic’s maiden Grand Slam appearance, in Australia 2005, when Safin granted his opponent a miserly three games in total.
Hence it was widely anticipated that Djokovic would be hungry for revenge, to boost his momentum on the road to a possible semi-final against Roger Federer. But 28-year-old Safin is a man who likes a challenge – he spent last September climbing the sixth highest mountain in the world, Cho Oyu in the Himalayas, and it seemed today he was in the same mood to conquer new peaks.
Djokovic played like someone the crowd had never seen before. He had a simply horrible day, and from the outset appeared unable to engage with the task in hand. The opening game alone saw last year’s semi-finalist deliver two double faults to bring up 0-40. He saved his blushes, but it was a sign of things to come. wimbledon.org