Nadal, Djokovic fight hard to advance
Cilic latest big gun to bomb out of Wimbledon
London – Former champions Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic battled into the Wimbledon third round yesterday but third seed and 2017 runner-up Marin Cilic crashed out.
World number one Nadal defeated Mikhail Kukushkin of Kazakhstan 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 and will next face Australian teenager Alex de Minaur.
Djokovic, the three-time champion, needed treatment on his left thigh on Court Two but still had too many weapons for Argentina’s Horacio Zeballos – winning 6-1, 6-2, 6-3.
Djokovic has now made the third round for 10 consecutive years.
Cilic blew a two-set lead in his 3-6, 1-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7/3), 7-5 loss to Argentina’s Guido Pella who is ranked at 82.
When rain forced the tie to be postponed on Wednesday, Cilic was leading by two sets against an opponent who had never won a match at Wimbledon before this year.
But the Croatian collapsed once the match resumed on Court One yesterday and Pella took full advantage to set up a third-round clash with Mackenzie McDonald.
But his defeat is good news for defending champion Roger Federer, who was on course to face Cilic in the semifinals.
“It was very tough because he played very well,” said 11-time French Open champion Nadal, who is chasing an 18th major.
“On grass, the ball bounces really low so it was a good test.
“I knew it was going to be a tough match, so I went onto the court with the determination and intensity, thinking I can’t make any mistakes.”
For Djokovic, meanwhile, victory was his 60th at Wimbledon – making him just the fifth man to claim 60 wins at the All England Club in the Open Era.