The tournament of a lifetime?

What if Safiullin knocked out Djoko to keep his crazy run going that started in the qualifiers?

I’m getting a bit carried away but deep down I do believe in it a little, first because Safiullin is playing some amazing tennis this week, but also because he’s had favorable scenarios and managed to get out of several tricky situations. He’s got that little extra something this week and is still fresh enough to put up a big fight. He has absolutely nothing to lose and he’s playing much better than usual in this tournament; it’s another match where he’s going to be dangerous. He’s facing Djoko in a prestige match where he’ll be able to play his tennis with zero pressure, especially since he’s never managed to do anything against the Serb. He’s down 3–0 in the H2H with very one‑sided scorelines, and that matters because Djoko’s level has been dropping over the years.

The Serb has just come through a tough match against Rinderknech; despite his two‑set lead I wasn’t convinced by his level. Thankfully he found his serve again in the fourth set to relieve the pressure, because he was struggling everywhere else. He’s less sharp, less clinical and also just a bit worse overall, that’s a fact; it’s been a long time since I’ve seen a masterclass from the Serb. He manages his matches with experience, and obviously his grass‑court know‑how helps him keep a certain margin over his opponents, but he’s losing power. Maybe he’ll prove me wrong tomorrow by producing the perfect match, but I don’t think the current trend looks amazing.

We’re getting close to the second week, the moment when the top players become even sharper; the Serb could raise his level and take advantage of a match‑up he likes. Or he might play another fairly average match and manage his weaker phases against a Safiullin who has nothing to lose and could start strong.