ANOTHER EASY DAY AT THE OFFICE FOR DJOKOVIC
Three-time champion reaches the third round after straight-sets win, and top contender Pliskova bows out
Novak Djokovic raced into the Wimbledon third round yesterday, but he has yet to be given a real workout.
The three-time champion was in relentless form as he trounced Wimbledon debutant Adam Pavlasek 6-2, 6-2, 6-1 in little more than 90 minutes. It was Djokovic’s first full match at the event after his first-round opponent retired hurt with the Serb leading 6-3, 2-0.
Djokovic said afterwards that he was delighted he had only lost eight games in two rounds.
“It’s perfect - exactly what I want,” he said, grinning. “I don’t want to have any five-set matches.”
“I felt very good today in terms of my game, it just keeps going in the right direction,” added the second seed, who is looking to salvage his season after losing his Australian and French Open crowns.
Djokovic was unstoppable against Pavlasek on a sweltering Court 1. He pinned his Czech opponent behind the baseline with unerring groundstrokes off both wings, moving him from side to side in the 30 Celsius heat and forcing error after error.
Pavlasek, 22, was playing his childhood hero and the world No 136 appeared overawed by the occasion. He rarely tested the 12-time major champion.
Djokovic, 30, was asked afterwards whether he found it strange playing someone who had idolised him.
“Well, first of all, it makes me look old,” he chuckled. “But it is definitely very nice to hear that I inspired him, you know, with my tennis and what I have done. It’s very flattering. At the same time, stepping on to the same court, I try not to think about that too much and try to do what I’m supposed to do.”
Djokovic will next play Latvian Ernests Gulbis, who beat Argentina’s Juan Martín del Potro 6-4, 6-4, 7-6.
Gulbis said his upset of Del Potro was a fitting reward for his refusal to throw in the towel when the colourful Latvian’s career hit rock bottom.
He was ranked in the top 10 in 2014 - the year he beat Roger Federer en route to the French Open semi-finals. But since then, Gulbis has slumped badly and his Wimbledon opening round win over Victor Estrella was his first on tour in 13 months.
Asked if he had ever thought he was running out of time to make his mark, Gulbis said: “Maybe now is the last chance train. Maybe there is going to be another last chance in five years. Who knows.”
Nine years to the day after lifting the boys title at Wimbledon, Grigor Dimitrov moved effortlessly into the third round of the main draw amid signs that he could be ready to realise his enormous potential.
The Bulgarian swatted away Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis 6-3, 6-2, 6-1.
In other results in the men’s draw, Dominic Thiem beat Gilles Simon 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 6-4. Tomas Berdych beat Ryan Harrison 6-4, 6-3, 6-7, 6-3. Gael Monfils beat Kyle Edmund 7-6, 6-4, 6-4. Title favourite Karolina Pliskova crashed out of Wimbledon in the second round to Magdalena Rybarikova.
Pliskova was strongly favoured but bowed out a day after twotime champion Petra Kvitova’s exit, leaving what was already an unpredictable tournament wide open.
The world No 3 looked to be cruising at a set and a break up but grew frustrated and error-prone in a 3-6, 7-5, 6-2 loss.
Pliskova has never been beyond the second round at Wimbledon, losing at this stage for the past four years. But since a defeat by Misaki Doi at the same stage last year, she has transformed herself into a serial grand slam challenger.
Rybarikova missed the second half of 2016 after undergoing a knee surgery and wrist but has climbed back into the top 100 and went into the match with a 14-1 record on grass.
Garbine Muguruza beat Yanina Wickmayer 6-2, 6-4.