LONDON — Defending champion
Novak Djokovic reached the
Wimbledon third round for the 16th time on Wednesday as potential semi-final
opponent Casper Ruud crashed out.
اضافة اعلان
Top seed
Djokovic brushed aside 79th-ranked
Thanasi Kokkinakis of Australia 6–1, 6–4, 6–2
and will face Serbian compatriot Miomir Kecmanovic for a last-16 place.
Third seed and
French Open runner-up Ruud was knocked out by 112th-ranked Ugo Humbert, 3–6,
6–2, 7–5, and 6–4.
“I’m very happy
with my performance. I started very well, solid from the back of the court,”
said Djokovic, who is looking to join Pete Sampras as a seven-time Wimbledon
champion.
“I made him work
for every point and worked him around the court,” added the 20-time major
winner.
Kokkinakis had
likened Djokovic to a “brick wall” before the match.
“It was one-way
traffic. I got chopped today,” said the 26-year-old Australian after his Centre
Court torment.
In the women’s
event, second seed
Anett Kontaveit lost 6–4, 6–0 to Germany’s Julie Niemeier as
the Estonian endured another Grand Slam to forget.
Kontaveit has
made the quarter-finals of a major just once in 29 attempts.
Ninth seed and
2017 champion Garbine Muguruza also exited in her delayed first-round clash,
losing 6–4, 6–0 to Belgium’s Greet Minnen.
Lesia Tsurenko
came out on top in three sets over Ukrainian compatriot Anhelina Kalinina to
make the third round for the second time.
Tsurenko, ranked
at 101, proudly wore a ribbon in the colors of Ukraine on her shirt.
“It was a big
court. Two Ukrainian players but a lot of people were watching us. We felt
amazing support,” said Tsurenko after her 3–6, 6–4, 6–3 win.
“Today on the
way from hotel to the club, we got a driver,” she added. “She has taken two
people from Ukraine into her house.
“I think it’s
amazing when people help Ukrainians so much.”
Later Wednesday,
two-time champion Andy Murray puts his 8-0 record against John Isner on the
line in their second-round clash.
Former number
one Murray, now down at 52 in the world, needed four sets to defeat Australia’s
James Duckworth on Monday.
At one point,
the British star dropped in an underarm serve to carve out a winning point,
much to the delight of the Centre Court crowd.
“I don’t know
why some people find it disrespectful,” said Murray.
Despite his
losing record against Murray, 37-year-old Isner has never played the Briton on
grass.
He is confident
he has the weapons at his disposal, having fired 54 aces to knock out qualifier
Enzo Couacaud on Monday.
“I’m older than
Andy, I’m no spring chicken, but I work hard,” said the American, who stands
2.08m tall.
Isner has now
served 13,688 aces in Tour-level matches during his career — just 40 behind the
record of 13,728 held by Ivo Karlovic.
Isner was one of
13 American men to reach the second round, the most since 1995.
Spanish teen sensation
and fifth seed Carlos Alcaraz aims for a place in the last 32 for the first
time when he meets Tallon Griekspoor of the Netherlands.
Britain’s US Open
champion Emma Raducanu tackles France’s Caroline Garcia, who collected her
third grass-court title at Bad Homburg last week.
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