DJOKOVIC IN CRUISE MODE
London, July 6: Novak Djokovic shrugged off sweltering 30- degree heat to breeze past outclassed Adam Pavlasek 6- 2, 6- 2, 6- 1 and reach the Wimbledon third round on Thursday.
The three- time champion brushed aside the 136rdranked Czech on Court One to make the last- 32 for the ninth year in succession. Djokovic, the second seed whose shock third round loss to Sam Querrey at Wimbledon 12 months ago precipitated a worrying decline in form, will next face either Juan Martin del Potro or Ernests Gulbis.
“It was a very warm day, it wasn’t easy to play point after point and some long rallies,” said Djokovic.
Bernard Tomic may have been knocked out but the Australian was still making waves on Thursday when he was fined $ 15,000 after claiming he was “bored” during his lacklustre defeat to Mischa Zverev. Tomic, who was accused of “unsportsmanlike behaviour” had also admitted he called for the trainer even though he was not injured to try to disrupt his opponent’s momentum.
Russia’s Daniil Medvedev was slapped with a $ 14,500 fine after a series of disputes with umpire Mariana Alves during his fiveset loss to Ruben Bemelmans in the second round.
Medvedev ended the match by throwing coins in the direction of umpire’s chair although he insisted the bizarre gesture was not meant to imply that the official was corrupt.
Bulgarian 13th seed Grigor Dimitrov was untroubled as the 2014 semi- finalist breezed past Marcos Baghdatis 6- 3, 6- 2, 6- 1. Del Potro, seeded 29, faces Gulbis in a battle of the two of the sport’s great unfulfilled talents out on Court Three.
Women’s top seed Angelique Kerber, the runner- up to Serena Williams in 2016, tackles Belgium’s 88thranked Kirsten Flipkens, whose best performance at the majors came at Wimbledon in 2013 when she made the semi- finals.
In early women’s matches, former US and French Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova, seeded seven, took her career record over fellow Russian Ekaterina Makarova to 7- 1 with a 6- 0, 7- 5 win. Kuznetsova next faces Slovenia’s world number 265th Polona Hercog, who reached the third round at a Slam for the first time since 2010 with a 6- 7 ( 2/ 7), 6- 2, 6- 2 win over Varvara Lepchenko of the United States.
India’s Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan's Grand Slam debut ended in the first round as he and Jared Donaldson lost a five- setter while Sania Mirza advanced to the women’s doubles second round.
Nedunchezhiyan and his American partner lost 7- 6 ( 4), 7- 5, 6- 7( 3), 0- 6, 3- 6 to British pair of Marcus Willis and Jay Clarke.
Sania and Kirsten Flipkens, seeded 13th, easily dispatched Naomi Osaka and Shuai Zhang 6- 4 6- 3 in their opening match.
Veteran Leander Paes' and Adil Shamasdin lost against Julian Knowle and Philipp Oswald 6- 4, 6- 4, 2- 6, 6- 7( 2), 8- 10 to its Austrian rivals in the first round.
TOMIC DUMPED BY RACQUET SPONSOR
Bernard Tomic was axed by his racquet sponsor Head just hours after he was fined for his controversial post- match rant, deeming the Aussie’s behaviour unacceptable to severe their ties.