Novak Djokovic is tough to beat at Wimbledon, outdoors or in.
Playing Friday’s first Centre Court match under the retractable roof, defending champion Djokovic rallied past Radek Stepanek 4-6 6-2 6-2 6-2.
When a drizzle delayed the start of the third round, tournament officials decided Djokovic’s match should be played inside.
An odd spectacle ensued: The roof closed as the sun came out and outside court covers came off.
The No.1-ranked Djokovic missed opportunities to seize an early lead, failing to convert his first five break-point chances before he lost serve at love to drop the opening set. But he dominated from there, breaking in the first game in each of the final three sets.
Djokovic’s fourth-round opponent will be 34th-ranked Viktor Troicki in an all-Serbian match. Troicki beat No.15-seeded Juan Monaco 7-5 7-5 6-3.
Fans were still buzzing about Rafael Nadal’s second-round defeat, which ended under the roof Thursday night, when Djokovic stepped onto the same court. His slow start briefly stirred speculation about another upset.
Stepanek, at 33 the oldest man left in the tournament, repeatedly played serve and volley and had Djokovic on his heels in the early going. Djokovic hit an improbable winner that skipped off the top of the net post and still lost the first set.
Then the match quickly swung his way, and the 28th-seeded Stepanek couldn’t compete with Djokovic’s mistake-free play. The Serb committed just 13 unforced errors in 221 points.
The match remained entertaining even as it became lopsided. One game in the final set lasted 26 points and had Djokovic smiling at Stepanek’s unconventional style, which included a belly flop in pursuit of a shot.