Wimbledon: Dennis Novak in front of Raonic crackers: “I must defuse his serve”

Dennis Novak faces the biggest challenge of his professional career so far on Friday afternoon. The qualifier, number 171 in the ranking, will face former tournament finalist Milos Raonic from Canada (No. 13) in the match to reach the round of 16 in Wimbledon.

By Ulrike Weinrich from Wimbledon

Dennis Novak had his rendezvous with tennis history the day before the big match. On the “Practice Court Booking Report”, as the training plan at “The Championships” is called somewhat bulky, the surprise man from Wiener Neustadt was registered on Thursday noon from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. local time on Court 13 in Aorangi Park with none other than Nicolas Mahut.

The 36-year-old Frenchman enjoys heroic status at the All England Lawn Tennis Club in southwest London. In 2010, his match against John Isner (USA) went into the tennis annals. The first round game of the two was only decided in the fifth set: Isner won the match 70:68 – after a total of eleven hours and five minutes.

The duel lasted three days. The American managed to break the record of 112 aces, Mahut managed 103, a match for eternity. The photo, in which the pale and fateful protagonists of the marathon unit posed forever, went around the world.

Dennis Novak, however, would like to continue writing his very personal Wimbledon fairy tale. After his first ever victory against a top 20 player – in the second round against Lucas Pouille from France (ATP No. 19) – the world ranking-32nd is now waiting for the Austrian in Milos Raonic. The 1.96 m hump was already number three in the world, but has repeatedly suffered severe misfortune in recent years with persistent injuries (wrist, knees, shoulders, adductors).

Respect yes, fear no – that’s the motto of Novak, who usually plays at Challenger or ITF tournaments. The tactic against Raonic, one of the best “waiters” on the tour, is as clear as it is obvious: “I have to see that I can defuse his serve and am active from the baseline. I have to move him, that’s not quite his strength,” said Novak, who after his success with Tommy Haas protégé Pouille had over 100 WhatsApp messages on his smartphone.

But the Lower Austrian is not one to take off. His buddy Dominic Thiem was able to give him tips, but he lost his two previous comparisons with Raonic. But above all the mental side is important for Novak in his interaction with the “Dominator”.

“He told me how well I could play. He really believes in me, and that gives me security. That feels good,” he said about the connection with the world ranked seventh. His father Wolfgang Thiem is Novak’s long-time coach. The 24-year-old seems ready for another chapter in his Wimbledon success story.