The dream of the last sixteen has been shattered: Qualifier Dennis Novak has dropped out in the third round of Wimbledon despite a strong performance at times. The world ranking 171st from Austria lost 6:7 (5:7), 4:6, 5:7, 2:6 against the former tournament finalist Milos Raonic (Canada/No. 13). Because of darkness, the game was postponed on Friday evening after almost two hours in the third set at 5:6 from Novak’s point of view.
By Ulrike Weinrich from Wimbledon
After a total of 2’32 hours, Raonic turned his first match point on Court 12 and now has the best chances of reaching the quarter-finals in the classic grass court: In the round of the last 16, the Wimbledon finalist of 2016, who has 28 aces, will meet Mackenzie MacDonald from the USA, number 103 in the ATP ranking, after the match-free Sunday on Monday.
Novak, however, can leave the time-honoured All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club after the end of his dream run with his head held high. Meanwhile many know who this fearless fighter with the immense qualities is. Should he, who has been on the Challenger and ITF tour almost exclusively, be able to maintain his performance, the leap into the Top 100 of the world ranking list is only a matter of time.
With his third round entry Novak has improved in the new ranking to the number 125 – his highest ranking so far. The prize money of 100,000 pounds is almost half of what the right-hander has earned with the tattoos on both arms so far in his career.
Novak started well at the continuation on Saturday afternoon and had the tiebreak in front of him during a 40:15 lead. But Raonic, trained by former and now almost gray Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanisevic, wouldn’t let up. With a return winning stroke and two more winners in a row, the 1.96m dome took the third set. It was the preliminary decision
The Canadian, born in Montenegro and currently 32nd in the world rankings after several injuries, broke Novak to his own 3-1 lead and did not let anything burn afterwards. The underdog couldn’t find a remedy against Raonic’s powerful game. Certainly also a result of the exhausting six games before.
Novak had certainly spent more relaxed nights than those from Friday to Saturday. Everything was somehow new these days for the surprise man from Austria, at almost every corner in the southwest of London previously unknown impressions were waiting for the always friendly and obliging Davis Cup player. And Novak absorbed the experiences like a dry sponge absorbs the water.
The break-off of the third round game against Raonic on Friday evening due to the onset of darkness was once again such a novelty in the 24-year-old’s still young but already astonishing Grand Slam history. Referee Brian Earley, a strict-eyed man, had asked Novak at 5:6 whether he still wanted to play his service game. With the clear reference that the alleged tie-break would not be played out because of the limited visibility anyway. Novak opted for immediate demolition.
Previously, the Austrian had impressively demonstrated why he had advanced into the main field of a major as a qualifier for the second time after the Australian Open in an exchange of blows with Raonic, the former number three in the world. And not only that – after a sovereign triathlon victory against Peter Polansky (Canada) Novak had eliminated Lucas Pouille (France) in five sets in round two.
Novak also played great tennis against Raonic at times, but could not take advantage of a 4-1 lead in the first set. He had also led 4:1 in the tie-break of the opening round and was only two points away from the optimal start at 5:3. In the stands, his coach Wolfgang Thiem, father of Novak buddy Dominic Thiem, and Günter Bresnik were visibly satisfied with the appearance of the tournament surprise.
After resuming the match, Novak missed two chances to equalise on his own serve, Raonic took the third set 7-5 and was untouchable in the fourth set.
Novak could have been the fourth Austrian after Dominic Thiem (2017), Jürgen Melzer (2010 and 2013) and Alexander Antonitsch (1990), who reached the round of 16 in Wimbledon.