Djokovic tames Edmund, reduces the crowd to victory

LONDON – Three-time champion Novak Djokovic silenced a crowd of center racers as he returned to beat favorite Kyle Edmund 4-6 6-3 6-2 6-4 at Wimbledon third round Saturday

The British Edmund was the victim of a wave of euphoria generated by the World Cup quarter-finals win against Sweden as he advanced ahead of him. 39, former world number one Serbian in the first set.

Djokovic, 31, who in the 2013 final lost to Andy Murray in such a frenzied atmosphere, out of his torpor and supported once he broke a seventh pivotal match of the second set.

He dominated the third set and although Edmund 21st Djokovic broke to 4-4 and then clinically served for the win – applying the seal to an impressive display with an ace in the middle.

Djokovic proved that he still has old fire in his belly when he reacted furiously to 3-3 in the fourth when Edmund scrambled a weak ball for a winner despite replays clearly showing that the ball had bounced twice.

While the 12-time Grand Slam champion is still not at his best after a difficult year, he was injured on the elbow. "He became more and more dangerous and showed off his old self," said former champion John McEnroe, commenting for the BBC. "The intensity and the desire were there."

The 12th ranked Serbian will face powerful young Russian Karen Khachanov for a place in the quarter-finals.

"It was hard, Edmund plays really well, he" We won our last encounter on clay, "said Djokovic about the man who replaced the injured Murray as the best Great Britain dog,

"He has just improved in his game, especially in reverse. The forehand we know is a big weapon, and it serves better. Losing the first set was not an ideal situation for me but I managed to come back.

EARLY DOMINANCE

Edmund used his forehand blowtorch with great effect in the opening set.

Nourishing the energy of a crowd still driven by events in Russia, he invoked four break points in the seventh game – converting the fourth with a brilliantly-built point that's over with both players at the end.

The deafening roar that went around the arena was surpassed a few games later when Edmund took the opening set with beefy service in the middle.

Djokovic flickered but showed his old survival instincts and hung hard in the Edmund saved three break points, one with a sublime forehand, but the new British number 1 spat a double fault to give the break to Djokovic

Djokovic increased his momentum in the third set. and broke in the first game – roar of a guttural roar from his own hand as Edmund hung a forehand long.

Edmund regrouped in the fourth set and when he saved serving at 3-3, thanks to a moment of controversy, it seemed that he

The 23-year-old has completed his next service match at 4-4, flanking a forehand to allow Djokovic to reach the fourth round of a Grand Slam for the 44th time – second on the time list behind Roger Federer

The defeat of Edmund means that there will be no Britons in the second week of the singles competition at Wimbledon.