Nadal blasts bad timing

RAFA NADAL is ticked off by Wimbledon’s “wrong” plans to introduce a 25-second shot clock.

Next year SW19 chiefs are set to follow the lead of the US Open, where one will be used in the main draw for the first time next month.

The introduction would hit players like Nadal, who takes his time between points. The Spaniard, a firstround, straightsets winner against Dudi Sela, said: “If you want to keep playing in a sport where you need to think, need to play with more tactics, want to have good rallies, then you are going the wrong way.” NOVAK DJOKOVIC remains on course for a third-round meeting with Kyle Edmund.

Three-time SW19 champion Djokovic (above) began his 2018 bid with a straight sets win over American Tennys Sandgren.

The Serb, who crashed out at the quarter-final stage last year, had few problems in his 6-3 6-1 6-2 success. He said: “I’m looking forward to seeing how I progress in the tournament and hopefully my level of tennis will get better.

“That’s what I’m aiming for, to keep on raising the level of tennis.”