2019 Wimbledon Championships – Novak Djokovic vs Philipp Kohlschreiber Preview & Prediction
THE FACTS
Where is Novak Djokovic vs Philipp Kohlschreiber taking place? All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, London
When is Novak Djokovic vs Philipp Kohlschreiber on and what time does it start? Monday 1st July, 2019 – (not before) TBC (UK)
What is the expected weather for Novak Djokovic vs Philipp Kohlschreiber? Cloudy, 17c
What channel is Novak Djokovic vs Philipp Kohlschreiber on? Matches will air on BBC1, BBC2 and BBC Red Button throughout the tournament
Where can I stream Novak Djokovic vs Philipp Kohlschreiber? BBC iPlayer / BBC Sport website / BBC Sport app
Where can I get tickets for Novak Djokovic vs Philipp Kohlschreiber?
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THE LOWDOWN
HEAD-TO-HEAD
All-time meetings: Novak Djokovic 10-2 Philipp Kohlschreiber
Last meeting: Novak Djokovic beat Philipp Kohlschreiber 6-3, 6-0
NOVAK DJOKOVIC
- Novak Djokovic decided not to play a grass tournament in preparation for his 15th Wimbledon although this is not the first time he has taken this approach as he has the ability to adapt much quicker to the surface than other players.
- Djokovic won his fourth title at Wimbledon last year in a straightforward final with Kevin Anderson that followed a five-set thriller with his main competitor this season, Rafael Nadal.
- The Serb has met Kohlschreiber 12 times on tour and has been victorious on ten of those occasions including a straight-sets win in this very round at the 2015 Wimbledon Championships.
PHILIPP KOHLSCHREIBER
- Kohlschreiber's preparations for Wimbledon have not gone how he would have wanted having suffered first-round exits in both Stuttgart and Halle and his prospects do not look good here given that he's been drawn against the reigning champion and number one seed.
- The 35-year-old's best ever performance at a Grand Slam came here in 2012 when he reached the quarter-finals but he has been stopped at the first hurdle in three of the past four years at SW19 so it has been some time since the ageing German has excelled on grass.
- The German will be all too familiar with facing Djokovic having met the Serb three times already this year and although he was beaten each time, he did at least take a set off the world number one at Indian Wells.
THE PREDICTION
Kohlschreiber has been a steady pro throughout his career but these are the kind of match-ups that Djokovic gobbles up. The challenger's only hope will be that he catches the reigning champion cold given that he's not played a warm-up tournament, but this has rarely been an issue for Djokovic in the past given his supreme ability to adapt quickly to any surface. Kohlschreiber is predominantly a baseliner and a solid one at that, but there are few who can compete with Djokovic in that department so it is likely to be a routine first-round victory for the four-time champion.
