Everything seemed to be running smoothly again for Djokovic as he completed his sixth and seventh straight sets at this year’s championship to assert himself against the strong Rinderknech.
Until then, Djokovic had delighted the crowd with sumptuous strokes, bowing and putting a finger to his ear after hitting a volley from full stretch en route to finishing the first set.
It was a clear signal that he had found his rhythm after a start that saw the players trade early breaks, but Rinderknech continued to ask questions as he forced an early break point in the second set.
However, when Djokovic responded by immediately increasing the pressure on his opponent and earning a third break point in the next game, the outcome seemed inevitable.
To his credit, Rinderknech, who ousted third seed Alexander Zverev here last year, carried out his task – and was rewarded with successive breaks of serve as he broke Djokovic in the third set.
The delighted crowd grew increasingly supportive of both players, and Rinderknech’s faith continued to grow in the fourth set.
Because a tiebreaker was needed to separate them, the deciding serve remained on serve until the 10th point, when Rinderknech missed a forehand.
In a fitting end to an entertaining three-hour contest, both players finished the match on the ground after Rinderknech lunged for a drop shot and Djokovic responded with a dive of his own to earn his first match point, prompting the crowd to jump to their feet and applaud their efforts.
“I think I did everything I needed to do today, under circumstances that were perhaps not as favorable for me as in the second round,” Djokovic added.
“At this age and at this stage of my career, every day brings me something new and unpredictable.
“I hope in a few days I will be at my best.”