Djokovic, Wawrinka Through to Wimbledon Third Round

July 1, 2015 | By Brian Coleman
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Photo credit: Calvin Rhoden

World number one Novak Djokovic cruised into the third-round of Wimbledon on Wednesday, winning in straight sets over Finland’s Jarkko Nieminen 6-4, 6-2, 6-3.

Djokovic was actually broken in the match’s opening service game, but worked through it to pick up two break points later in the set, and put it on cruise control from there.

“I think it was a very solid performance,” said Djokovic. “I’ve done just enough to win in straight sets. He started off very well, very aggressive, winners in the first couple of games. I managed to stay calm and believed that I could come back. That’s what I’ve done.

I think the crucial turning point was the 10th game of the first set when I won the set and I started playing more freely. I thought I had the match under control and everything was fine.”

Overall, he finished with 38 winners and just 13 unforced errors. His aggressiveness was evident as he won 87 percent of the points at the net.

In the third-round, the Serb will take on the 27th-seeded Bernard Tomic of Australia. Tomic downed France’s Pierre-Hugues Herbert 7-6(3), 6-4, 7-6(5) to advance on Wednesday.

“I do expect him to serve well, and I do expect him to mix up the game [and] come up with a lot of variety,” Djokovic said of Tomic. “That’s what he does. He’s got a lot of talent in his hands. This is the surface that he loves playing the most on. So it’s going to be a difficult match.”

Recent French Open champion Stan Wawrinka made his way into a third-round with a routine 6-3, 6-4, 7-5 victory over Victor Estrella Burgos. The fourth-seeded Swiss hit 39 winners to his opponent’s 13 to control the match and advance.

Wawrinka will play Spain’s Fernando Verdasco who outlasted the 32nd-seeded Dominic Thiem 5-7, 6-4, 5-7, 6-3, 6-4.

Ninth-seeded Croat Marin Cilic found himself going the distance against Ricardas Berankis, but a late break of serve gave the US Open champion a 6-3, 4-6, 7-6(6), 4-6, 7-5 victory.

His win sets up a third-round matchup with another big-server, American John Isner, who won in straight sets 6-2, 7-6(8), 6-4 over Matthew Ebden. Isner fired 23 aces as a part of his 49 winners to overpower Ebden.

American Denis Kudla picked up a very nice victory in his second-round match on Wednesday, defeating German teenager Alexander Zverev 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(2), 6-4. Kudla will play Santiago Giraldo in the next round after Giraldo advanced due to fifth-seed Kei Nishikori’s withdrawal.

Milos Raonic defeated veteran Tommy Haas 6-0, 6-2, 6-7(5), 7-6(4) to move into the third-round. He will play 26th seeded Australian Nick Krygios, who won in straight sets 7-6(5), 6-3, 6-4 over Juan Monaco.

Here are the rest of the men’s results from Wednesday:

►(11) Grigor Dimitrov d. Steve Johnson 7-6(8), 6-2, 7-6(2)
►(14) Kevin Anderson d. Marsel Ilhan 6-7(5), 7-6(6), 6-4, 6-4
►(16) David Goffin d. Liam Broady 7-6(3), 6-1, 6-1
►(21) Richard Gasquet d. Kenny de Schepper 6-0, 6-3, 6-3
►(24) Leonardo Mayer d. Marcel Granollers 6-3, 7-6(4), 6-3
►Marcos Baghdatis d. John Millman 6-7(5), 6-2, 3-6, 6-2, 6-4


Brian Coleman

 Brian Coleman is the Senior Editor for New York Tennis Magazine. He may be reached at brianc@usptennis.com

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