Wimbledon 2023: Stan Wawrinka hopes to set record straight after earning Novak Djokovic tie – ‘Don’t tell me the score!’

The Swiss veteran rolled back the years to beat No. 29 seed Tomas Martin Etcheverry 6-2 4-6 6-4 6-2 in the second round on Thursday.

Victory earned the 38-year-old, a three-time Grand Slam winner, a battle against another giant of the old guard when he faces seven-time Wimbledon champion Djokovic.

At the start of his on-court interview, it was pointed out to Wawrinka that the third-round tie will be his the 27th meeting with the 23-time major winner.

Wawrinka smiled and replied: “Don’t tell me the score!”

Despite their regular meetings over the years, this will be the first contest between the pair on grass.

“I will enjoy [it] if I don’t get killed! But of course, he’s been an amazing champion to watch. The way he’s playing, it’s always special,” Wawrinka said.

“We never played on grass and I’m quite happy to have the chance to play him on grass at least one time before I finish playing.

“It’s going to be a big challenge. Hopefully I can play at a higher level and be competitive in the match.

“I’m going to, like I always did against him, try to push to the maximum and we will see what happens.”

Wawrinka, whose best performance at Wimbledon came during quarter-final runs in 2014 and 2015, beat Emil Ruusuvuori before taking down a seed in Etcheverry.

Djokovic defeated Pedro Cachin and Jordan Thompson to reach round three, as he pursues a record-equalling eighth title at the All England Club.

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