Sore one for Kyrgios as he is forced to throw in towel

British No 4 Aljaz Bedene battled his way into round two at Wimbledon last night after a marathon slug-fest with veteran Ivo Karlovic.

Bedene and the big-serving Croatian, seeded 21st, could not be separated after four attritional sets, all tie-breaks, without a break of serve

0 Nick Kyrgios slumps in his chair after retiring injured while 6-3, 6-4 down to Pierre-hugues Herbert. between them.yet after four hours and 25 minutes, and 61 held service games, it was Slovakia-born Bedene who finally broke in the 14th game of the decider for a remarkable 6-7 (5/7), 7-6 (8/6), 6-7 (7/9), 7-6 (9/7), 8-6 win.

Over the course of the contest, Karlovic slung down 44 aces to 27 from Bedene.

It was a different story for Laura Robson, who admitted she had let herself down after bowing out with barely a whimper.

The former British No 1, handed a wild card into the championships after slipping to 189 in the world, tumbled out 6-4 6-2 to Brazilian Beatriz Haddad Maia.

Her exit was so swift that defending men’s champion Andy Murray had not even stepped on to Centre Court for the traditional opening to proceedings there.

“I just didn’t feel like I played my best tennis at all,” she said. “It wasn’t the way that I’ve been playing the last few weeks, even. So I do feel like I let myself down a bit out there.

“I was a bit overwhelmed with nerves when I first got out there, then I tried to play too perfect when I really didn’t need to go for so much.”

Heather Watson continued her fine form on grass with victory over Maryna Zanevska to reach the second round.

The British No 2 has had a difficult season but turned things around by reaching the semis at Eastbourne last week. It was the confidence boost Watson needed and she took advantage of a kind draw against Belgium’s Maryna Zanevska to win 6-1, 7-6 (7/5).

Naomi Broady, like Robson, was given a wild card into the main draw but she, too, made an early exit, losing 6-4, 6-2 against Romania’s Irinacamelia Begu.

Defeat means Broady, who is now ranked 109 in the world, has reached round two only once in six visits to Wimbledon, while world No 64 Begu goes through to face either Germany’s Sabine Lisicki or Croatian Ana Konjuh.