Roger Federer turned on the style on Centre Court after a rocky start to beat Serbian Dusan Lajovic 7-6(0) 6-3 6-2 in the Wimbledon second round on Thursday.
The Swiss, trying to win an eighth title, dropped his opening service game and had to battle hard in the first set before outclassing his opponent 7-0 in the tiebreak.
With dark clouds looming overhead Federer looked in a hurry to get the job done and broke early in the second set to assume complete control.
The third set was one-way traffic and Federer sealed victory with his ninth ace of the match to set up a third-round clash against German serve-and-volleyer Mischa Zverev.
“I couldn’t get rid of the nerves early on and struggled to find my rhythm,” Federer said. “I got back in and broke him back but struggled throughout the first set.
“In the end it was very good.”
Kerber overcomes canny Flipkens to reach third round
Top seed Angelique Kerber battled past Kirsten Flipkens to reach the third round at Wimbledon, overcoming the Belgian’s unorthodox game to win 7-5 7-5 on Thursday.
Kerber, who reached the final last year, again showed signs of the vulnerability that has dogged her game in 2017.
Having claimed the Australian and U.S. Open crowns last year, Kerber has not won a single title this season and struggled for fluency against Flipkens, who tried everything in her power to upset the world number one.
At times in the first set Kerber found Flipkens’ game unfathomable as the Belgian tried her luck with a number of perfectly-weighted drop shots and low slices, while frequently charging the net in an effort to upset the German baseliner.
The pair exchanged four successive breaks of serve, before Kerber regained her composure to hold and then broke Flipkens for the third straight time to reassert her authority before taking the first set.
It was another even battle in the second as the players exchanged breaks before Kerber struck decisively in the 11th game and then served out to win.
Djokovic trounces Pavlasek in punishing heat
Novak Djokovic raced into the Wimbledon third round on Thursday, but has yet to be given a real workout.
The three-time champion was in relentless form as he trounced Wimbledon debutant Adam Pavlasek 6-2 6-2 6-1 in little more than 90 minutes. It was Djokovic’s first full match at the tournament after his first-round opponent retired hurt with the Serb leading 6-3 2-0.
Djokovic said afterwards that he was delighted he had only lost eight games in two rounds.
“It’s perfect — exactly what I want,” he said, grinning. “I don’t want to have any five-set matches.”
“I felt very good today in terms of my game, it just keeps going in the right direction,” added the second seed, who is looking to salvage his season after losing his Australian and French Open crowns.
Djokovic was unstoppable against Pavlasek on a sweltering Court One. He pinned his Czech opponent behind the baseline with unerring groundstrokes off both wings, moving him from side to side in the 30 Celsius heat and forcing error after error.
Pavlasek was playing his childhood hero and the 22-year-old, ranked 136, appeared overawed by the occasion. He rarely tested the 12-time grand slam champion.
Djokovic, 30, was asked afterwards whether he found it strange playing someone who had idolised him when growing up.
“Well, first of all, it makes me look old,” he chuckled. “But it is definitely very nice to hear that I inspired him, you know, with my tennis and what I have done. It’s very flattering.
“At the same time, stepping on to the same court, I try not to think about that too much and try to do what I’m supposed to do.”
Djokovic will next play Latvian Ernests Gulbis, who beat Argentina’s Juan Martín del Potro 6-4 6-4 7-6 (7-3).