Djokovic sets another record at Wimbledon and jokes about sipping margaritas on beach with rivals
London(AP) : Novak Djokovic added another record to his name by reaching Wimbledon's third round for a 19th time with a 6-3, 6-2, 6-0 win over Dan Evans on Centre Court on Wednesday.
It was Djokovic's 99th match win at Wimbledon overall, and the 19 third-round appearances put him one ahead of Roger Federer for most by any man in the Open Era.
It's hardly the most prestigious record for Djokovic, whose 24 Grand Slam titles — including seven at Wimbledon — are the most by a male player. But he could at least use it to poke fun at his new, and much younger, main rivals.
“Nineteen times, that's a great stat,” said the 38-year-old Djokovic. “That's probably almost as much as Sinner and Alcaraz have years in their lives.”
Well, not quite.
Carlos Alcaraz, who beat Djokovic in the last two Wimbledon finals, is 22, while No. 1-ranked Jannik Sinner — who was playing later on Centre Court — is 23.
The growing rivalry between Sinner and Alcaraz — especially in the wake of their five-set final at the French Open last month — has helped tennis move on from the era of the Big Three, where Djokovic is the last man standing after Federer and Rafael Nadal retired.
But Djokovic is too focused on proving he can still win another Slam to sit back and reflect on everything he has accomplished at Wimbledon.
“I don't pause to reflect, to be honest. I don't have time,” Djokovic said in an on-court interview. “I would like to. But I think that's going to come probably when I set the racket aside and then sip margarita on the beach with Federer and Nadal and just reflect on our rivalry and everything.”
Against Evans, Djokovic failed to convert his first nine break points in the first set. But once he got the breakthrough for a 5-3 lead — raising both arms in the air as if to say “finally” — he went five-for-six on break points the rest of the way.
“You have these kinds of days where everything goes your way,” said Djokovic, who didn't face a break point of his own until the final game. “Everything flows.”
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Umpire dies, 15-20 players injured in bee attack during cricket match in Unnao
Unnao/Kanpur (UP) (PTI): A 65-year-old umpire died while several players were injured after a swarm of bees attacked them during a cricket match in Unnao district, police said on Thursday.
A top office-bearer of the Kanpur Cricket Association, which organised the game, confirmed the incident that took place at Sapru Maidan in the Shuklaganj area on Wednesday evening.
According to police officials, Manik Gupta from Kanpur was officiating as the umpire of the cricket match when a swarm of bees suddenly attacked the players and officials present on the ground, triggering panic. Players and spectators ran for cover to save themselves.
Eyewitnesses said Gupta sustained serious injuries in the attack and fell unconscious. He was initially taken to a private hospital in Shuklaganj and later referred to Lala Lajpat Rai Hospital in Kanpur as his condition deteriorated. Doctors at this hospital declared him dead.
Another umpire and around 15 to 20 players also suffered bee stings, police said.
In an official confirmation of the incident, S N Singh, president of the Kanpur Cricket Association, told PTI that umpire Manik Gupta died after being attacked by a swarm of bees during a cricket match in Unnao.
When Gupta was being rushed to the hospital, bees were still clinging to his face and body, Singh said, underscoring the intensity of the attack.
He conveyed heartfelt condolences on behalf of the association, stating that it stands firmly with the bereaved family in this hour of grief.
