Djokovic dominates Kudla; Gauff rolls into third round
LONDON — Defending Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic cruised into the third round with a dominant 6-3, 6-2, 62 victory over American Denis Kudla in emphatic style on Wednesday.
It is the 11th consecutive year that Djokovic has entered round three — putting him second behind the all-time record, which is held by Jimmy Connors with 14 straight appearances.
“Consistency was one of the keys and focus points of my Grand Slam career going back 10 years,” Djokovic said.
“I guess the quality of tennis that I produce in the slams is pretty high. That’s what allows me to have the results like this.”
Djokovic is aiming for his fifth Wimbledon title and a 16th Grand Slam trophy at this year’s event.
The world No. 1, who has recruited 2001 winner Goran Ivanisevic to his coaching team, sprinted to the first set lead in 27 minutes.
Kudla, ranked 111, conceded three breaks in the second set before Djokovic ran away with the contest in the third frame.
The 32-year-old Serb rounded off the win with two more breaks to win in one hour, 32 minutes.
Djokovic will next face Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz, who won earlier against Argentina’s Leonardo Mayer 6-7 (4-7), 6-1, 7-6 (9-7), 6-3.
Djokovic’s match on Centre Court was delayed because of a three-hour, 43-minute five-set marathon between Kyle Edmund and Fernando Verdasco.
The 24-year-old Edmund won the first two sets but eventually fell to a 4-6, 4-6, 7-6 (7-3), 6-3, 6-4 defeat.
Last year’s finalist Kevin Anderson advanced with a 6-4, 6-7 (57), 6-1, 6-4 result against Serbian Janko Tipsarevic.
Meanwhile, Canadian teen Felix Auger Aliassime reached the third round for the first time at a Grand Slam as the 18-year-old claimed a 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 win over France’s Corentin Moutet.
Switzerland’s Stan Wawrinka, a former Wimbledon quarterfinalist, was beaten in a five-set thriller by American Reilly Opelka, who triumphed 7-5, 3-6, 4-6, 64, 8-6.
The 21-year-old will meet former finalist and 15th seed Milos Raonic of Canada, who prevailed 7-6 (7-1), 7-5, 7-6 (7-4) against Dutchman Robin Haase.
In the women’s draw, 15-yearold American Cori Gauff continued her impressive debut at Wimbledon as she progressed to the third round with a 6-3, 6-3 victory over Slovakia’s Magdalena Rybarikova in 69 minutes.
“I haven’t been able to relax,” said Gauff, who claimed an opening win over her idol and seventime major champion Venus Williams on Monday.
“I’m still shocked that I’m here.”
Earlier, world No. 3 Karolina Pliskova claimed a commanding 6-0, 6-4 victory over Puerto Rico’s Monica Puig for a place in the third round at Wimbledon on
Wednesday.
The 27-year-old Czech player dominated the exchanges as she ran through six straight games to claim the first set in 20 minutes en route to finishing the match in one hour on Centre Court.
Pliskova faces Hsieh Su-wei in the next round after the Taiwanese player dismissed Belgium’s Kirsten Flipkens 7-6 (7-3), 6-3.
Former world No. 1 Simona Halep endured a tough secondround test against compatriot Mihaela Buzarnescu before eventually winning 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 in one hour, 51 minutes.
Halep had a 2-0 lead in each of the three sets where the Romanian pair accumulated a total of 15 breaks of serve in 23 opportunities.
“I had tough moments during this match,” Halep said. “I lost the second set when I was leading the set. Then I just had to fight till the end.”
Halep’s next match will be a clash of former world No. 1s after Victoria Azarenka of Belarus overcame Australian Ajla Tomljanovic 6-2, 6-0.
“It’s going to be a big challenge for me,” Halep added.
“I have my chance and for sure I will win it. I want to win badly every match I play.”
Ukrainian eighth seed Elina Svitolina was a set and a break down against Margarita Gasparyan but won by default.
The Russian picked up an untimely injury and was forced to retire at 5-7, 6-5 with Svitolina ahead in set two.
Denmark’s Caroline Wozniacki took down Russian Veronika Kudermetova with a 7-6 (7-5) 6-3 win to book a third-round meeting with China’s Zhang Shuai.