Djokovic cruises, Raducanu stumbles
LONDON: Defending champion Novak Djokovic reached the Wimbledon third round for the 16th time on Wednesday as potential semi-final opponent Casper Ruud crashed out. Top seed Djokovic brushed aside 79th-ranked Thanasi Kokkinakis of Australia 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 and will face Serbian compatriot Miomir Kecmanovic for a last-16 place. Third seed and French Open runner-up Ruud was knocked out by 112th-ranked Ugo Humbert, 3-6, 6-2, 7-5, 6-4.
“I’m very happy with my performance. I started very well, solid from the back of the court,” said Djokovic, who is looking to join Pete Sampras as a seventime Wimbledon champion. “I made him work for every point and worked him around the court,” added the 20-time major winner.
Kokkinakis had likened Djokovic to a “brick wall” before the match. “It was one-way traffic. I got chopped today,” said the 26-year-old Australian after his Centre Court torment.
In the women’s event, Emma Raducanu’s Wimbledon hopes were crushed on Centre Court by France’s Caroline Garcia as the golden girl of British sport suffered a 6-3, 6-3 second-round loss. The 19-year-old, who rocketed to fame with her spellbinding US Open triumph last year, did not play badly but had no answer to Garcia’s superior firepower.
Garcia, a former top-10 player with three grasscourt titles on her CV, dominated the opening set as her aggressive return game and heavy serving unsettled the 10th-seeded Raducanu.
She continued blazing away in the second set as Raducanu, despite partisan support, fell away. Raducanu gave her fans hope of a comeback when she broke Garcia to level the set at 3-3, but she dropped serve immediately to hand the advantage back.
Garcia coolly held for 5-3 and broke the Briton again to claim an impressive victory, finishing it off with a crosscourt backhand, her 25th winner of the match. Raducanu’s preparation for her second Wimbledon, after last year’s fairytale ride to the fourth round, had not been ideal as she struggled with a side strain that limited her court time. Her opening win over tricky Belgian Alison Van Uytvanck had raised expectations, but Garcia, a far more dangerous opponent, offered a stark reality check. “I was preparing for this match really well,” Garcia said of her first appearance on Centre Court.
“Emma is a huge player and in her home tournament and she proved she can do very well on the big stage. It’s fair that they support Emma and of course it a great memory for me and as always it is a lot of respect.”
Ninth seed and 2017 champion Garbine Muguruza exited in her delayed first-round clash, losing 6-4, 6-0 to Belgium’s Greet Minnen. Lesia Tsurenko came out on top in three sets over Ukrainian compatriot Anhelina Kalinina to make the third round for the second time.
Tsurenko, ranked at 101, proudly wore a ribbon in the colours of Ukraine on her shirt.
“It was a big court. Two Ukrainian players but a lot of people were watching us. We felt amazing support,” said Tsurenko after her 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 win. “Today on the way from hotel to the club, we got a driver,” she added. “She has taken two people from Ukraine into her house. I think it’s amazing when people help Ukrainians so much.”