Djokovic and Wawrinka ease to opening wins
Swiss multiple slam holder coming to terms after knee surgeries
Troubled Novak Djokovic made a strong start to his Wimbledon preparations with a 6-2, 6-1 demolition of Australian qualifier John Millman at Queen’s Club yesterday.
Djokovic is a lowly 22nd in the ATP rankings after an embarrassing French Open quarter-final defeat against Italian journeyman Marco Cecchinato extended his wretched run in 2018.
The 31-year-old Serb, hampered by an elbow injury last year, has failed to reach the semi-finals in any of his last five Grand Slam appearances.
Djokovic hasn’t earned a major title since competing his career Grand Slam by winning the 2016 French Open.
Dogged by rumours that he no longer has the motivation to return to the top, the 12-time Grand Slam winner decided to start his bid for a fourth Wimbledon crown by accepting a Queen’s wild card.
Earlier on Monday, threetime Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka made light work of Britain’s Cameron Norrie in the opening round, winning 6-2, 6-3.
The 33-year-old Swiss, ranked 261 in the world after two knee surgeries, served solidly throughout a one-sided contest on the slick centre court, easing past an opponent who struggled to cope with Wawrinka’s power.
Wawrinka needed just shy of half an hour to pocket the opener, breaking twice, and was hardly troubled in the second set as he set up a secondround match against American
fifth seed Sam Querrey who beat British wildcard Jay Clarke 6-3 6-3.
“In general [the knee] has been improving week after week,” Wawrinka, beaten in the first round of the French Open, said.
“Now I feel really good on court, strong physically.”
Top seed Marin Cilic, runner-up at Wimbledon last year to Roger Federer, looked razor sharp as he came through a potentially tricky opener against Spain’s Fernando Verdasco.