Wimbledon favourite Novak Djokovic faces a tough second-round encounter with dangerous Australian Thanasi Kokkinakis.
The world no.3 struggled in his opening round match against South Korean journeyman Kwon Soo-woo and will need to significantly improve if he is to win his seventh crown at the All-England Lawn Tennis Club.
Kokkinakis is back fit after a number of injury-riddled years and he possesses the weapons on grass to take on the Serbian star.
The Sporting News has all the details on the second-round blockbuster.
What time does Djokovic vs. Kokkinakis start?
The Wimbledon second round match between Novak Djokovic and Thanasi Kokkinakis is currently scheduled as the first match on centre court on day three - commencing at 10.30pm (AEST) on July 29 (1.30pm local time).
How to watch Djokovic vs. Kokkinakis?
- Australia TV channel: 9Gem
- Australia Live stream: Stan Sport
You can subscribe or view Stan Sport's packages here.
- UK TV channel: BBC One, BBC Two
- UK Live stream: BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport
You can view BBC online here.
Broadcast details
| Match | Australia broadcast | UK broadcast |
|---|---|---|
| Novak Djokovic vs. Thanasi Kokkinakis | June 29, 10.30pm (AEST) - Stan Sport/9GEM | June 29, 1.30pm (BST) - BBC |
Novak Djokovic vs. Thanasi Kokkinakis betting odds
| To win | Australia | UK |
| Novak Djokovic | 1.03 | TBC |
| Thanasi Kokkinakis | 11.50 | TBC |
Odds courtesy of Sportsbet and SkyBet
Novak Djokovic's recent form
Djokovic is the hot favourite to win the Wimbledon 2022 title but he struggled in his first round match against South Korea's Kwon Soon-woo and arguably could have lost to a better opponent - with his performance level noticeably down on his usual high standard.
The Serbian fell a break behind in the first two sets, lost the second convincingly, before saving break points in the third and fourth and closing the match out 6-3 3-6 6-3 6-4.
Djokovic made an uncharacteristic 29 unforced errors and struggled with the variety in Kwon's game, which included regular drop shots.
Since losing to Rafael Nadal in the quarter-finals at the French Open, Djokovic opted to skip the official grass-court warm-up tournaments for Wimbledon and play in the Hurlingham Exhibition, winning his only match against Felix Auger-Aliassime in straight sets.
Novak Djokovic's Wimbledon 2022 results
| Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|
| First | Kwon Soon-woo (South Korea) | 6-3 3-6 6-3 6-4 |
Thanasi Kokkinakis' recent form
Kokkinakis, ranked 79th in the world, had no issues dispatching world no.91 Kamil Majchrzak in straight sets in the opening round at Wimbledon.
The Australian features the game to succeed on grass with a booming serve and excellent net skills, as evidenced by his Australian Open 2022 doubles Grand Slam title with Nick Kyrgios.
It's been a mixed season for Kokkinakis, who has finally been a consistent presence on the ATP tour after several injury-riddled years.
The 26-year-old won his maiden ATP title in Adelaide prior to the Australian Open, but then was bundled out in the first round of the Grand Slam in straight sets by Yannick Hanfmann.
Since then he has battled to maintain form and consistency, with a round-of-16 result at Miami his best performance, while he also exited the French Open in the first round to Albert Ramos-Vinolas.
Thanasi Kokkinakis' Wimbeldon 2022 results
| Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|
| First | Kamil Majchrzak (Poland) | 7-6(5) 6-2 7-5 |
Djokovic vs. Kokkinakis head-to-head results
Novak Djokovic and Thanasi Kokkinakis have played once before in a third round match at French Open 2015.
The Serbian won in straight sets 6-4 6-4 6-4 before going on to lose the final to Stan Wawrinka.
Djokovic vs. Kokkinakis prediction
If Djokovic doesn't raise the level he produced against Kwon, then there is no reason why Kokkinakis can't seriously challenge the Serbian.
The Australian's booming serve, powerful ground strokes and decisive net play should make it a tricky encounter for Djokovic, who will want to significantly reduce his unforced error count from the 26 he struck in round one.
Kokkinakis has struggled with consistency this season, after his injury issues in previous years, and Djokovic will be keen to extend the Aussie physically in the match.
It's likely Djokovic will have come out of his contest with Kwon match hardened and better for the run out, with Kokkinakis needing to produce his best to have any chance of causing a monumental upset.
Prediction: Djokovic in four.
