Doubles star suffers gruesome knee injury
Players complain about surfaces after injury
LONDON — Seven-time champion Roger Federer needed a moment to find his way before unleashing his textbook grass game on Dusan Lajovic, producing a 7-6 (7-0), 6-3, 6-2 win at Wimbledon on Thursday to move into the third round.
The third-seeded Federer, who is aiming for a 19th Grand Slam title, lost the first six points of the match and his first service game before establishing his deadly rhythm.
The 35-year-old took command with a 7-0 tiebreak sweep and then had his way throughout in the Centre Court showpiece.
“I struggled to find the right rhythm at the start of the game but never panicked,” Federer said. “I knew that I had time to find my marks.
“As I hoped, I managed to free myself, play more inspired. I then played a very good match.”
Federer reached the Wimbledon third round for the 15th time.
Novak Djokovic lived up to his second seeding as he mowed down 136thranked Adam Pavlasek 6-2, 6-2, 6-1.
The former world No. 1, who ruled tennis for two seasons before his results started tailing off 13 months ago, seems to be continuing the comeback form which saw him win in Eastbourne last weekend.
Djokovic notched his 235th Grand Slam win against the outclassed Pavlasek, leaving the Serb second on the all-time match-win list ahead of Jimmy Connors (233) and behind Federer (317).
“I’m already enjoying the (comeback) process very much, especially in the last couple of months,” Djokovic said, “Even though maybe results haven’t been up to the standard that I have had in the last seven, eight years. I’m still, very proud of what I have managed to achieve and accomplish.”
Grigor Dimitrov, the 13th seed, dispatched Marcos Baghdatis 6-3, 6-2, 6-1 while 15th-seeded French showman Gael Monfils defeated Brit Kyle Edmund 7-7 (7-1), 6-4, 6-4 with 33 winners.
David Ferrer had easy passage when Belgian Steve Darcis retired after only three games. In contrast German Mischa Zverev worked for more than three hours to complete his marathon defeat of Mikhail Kukushkin 6-1, 6-2, 2-6, 3-6, 6-4.
Latvian Ernests Gulbis beat former Grand Slam champion Juan Martin del Potro 6-4, 6-4, 7-6 (7-3) as Frenchman Adrian Mannarino put out recent ATP title-winner Yuchi Sugita 7-5, 4-6, 3-6, 7-6 (7-2), 6-2.
WOMEN: Angelique Kerber lost at least one challenger as title favorite and third seed Karolina Pliskova was beaten by Magdalena Rybarikova 3-6, 7-5, 6-2.
Pliskova won the Eastboune grass title but still remains without a thirdround place at Wimbledon.
Kerber helped her own cause as she beat Kristen Flipkens 7-5, 7-5.
Seventh seed Svetlana Kuznetsova advanced over Eaterina Makarova 6-0, 7-5.
American Alison Riske eliminated Kristina Mladebovic, 2-6, 6-4, 6-4, who complained about slippery grass underfoot.
“First of all, the color of the court, the fact that there’s no more grass, the fact that the baseline where we are running, it’s very slippery,” she said. “I’m just honestly very happy … that I didn’t injure myself that much.”
Mladenovic spoke after Bethanie Mattek-Sands was rushed to hospital for a serious knee dislocation after a mid-match slip and fall during her 4-6, 7-6 (7-4) loss to Sorona Cirstea.
The wild card, who ranks atop the doubles table with Lucie Safarova, went down heavily on her knee, screamed for help and was taken immediately from the court on a stretcher and straight to hospital.
Ninth seed Agnieszska Radwanska saved two match points in the second set and took it into a third for defeat of Christina McHale 5-7, 7-6 (7-5), 6-3.
TODAY: Defending champion Andy Murray takes on a familiar adversary at Centre Court in the third round: 28th-seeded Fabio Fognini of Italy.
Murray is one of four British players on today’s schedule, along with Aljaz Bedene, Johanna Konta and Heather Watson.
If all four win, the tournament’s host country would have its largest contingent of men and women in the round of 16 since 1975.
Others in action include five-time champion Venus Williams against Naomi Osaka, a 19-year-old from Japan, and 2014 U.S. Open champion Marin Cilic against 26th-seeded Steve Johnson of the U.S.