Seed Wawrinka sent crashing out of Wimbledon
Murray, Nadal advance with ease to the second round
July 4, 2017 | 12:00 AM
Switzerland’s Stan Wawrinka reacts after losing his first round match against Russia’s Daniil Medvedev at the Wimbledon on Monday. — Reuters
July 4, 2017 | 12:00 AM
Last Updated: July 4, 2017 | 12:00 AM
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LONDON —Three-time grand slam champion Stan Wawrinka crashed out of Wimbledon in the first round on Monday, suffering a shock defeat by Russian Daniil Medvedev. Fifth-seed Wawrinka looked well short of his best as the 21-year-old Medvedev, playing in his first Wimbledon, triumphed 6-4, 3-6, 6-4, 6-1.
Wawrinka's stay at Wimbledon was a short one. He was bothered by his left knee and lost at Center Court in the first round at the All England Club.
Wawrinka was seeded No. 5 and ranked No. 3. Medvedev, a 21-year-old Russian, is ranked 49th and had never won a Grand Slam match.
Wawrinka iced his knee during changeovers and never was able to summon his best tennis. He has won each of the other three major tournaments but has never been past the quarterfinals at Wimbledon. This was his sixth defeat in the first round at the All England Club.
There were signs on Monday that Andy Murray was still troubled by the sore hip that had bothered him in the build-up to Wimbledon — but they weren't enough to stop him from motoring into the second round.
At times Murray limped around the baseline but luckily for the defending champion, that problem disappeared the moment the ball was in play as he easily outclassed maverick Wimbledon debutant Alexander Bublik 6-1, 6-4, 6-2, to reach the second round.
Rafa Nadal too moved seamlessly from months of claycourt success to a satisfyingly smooth first-round victory on grass as he opened his Wimbledon campaign with a commanding 6-1, 6-3, 6-2 victory over Australian John Millman on Monday.
Marin Cilic's power game proved far too much for Philipp Kohlschreiber in the Wimbledon first round on Monday as the Croatian seventh seed swept his German opponent aside 6-4 6-2 6-3.
Twice Wimbledon semifinalist Jo-Wilfried Tsonga breezed into the second round on Monday with a 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 victory over British wildcard Cameron Norrie, whose first grand slam appearance ended in a swift and brutal exit.
Tsonga, the 12th seed, was dumped out in the second round last year but was never forced out of second gear as he swatted Norrie aside on Court Two, exposing all the Briton's inexperience. For Tsonga, it was an opportunity to find some rhythm on grass having played only two matches at Queen's after losing in the first round of the French Open.
Japan's Kei Nishikori breezed through his Wimbledon first-round clash with Italy's Marco Cecchinato 6-2, 6-2,6-0, on Monday, demolishing an opponent who was playing his first senior-level match on grass.
The ninth seed did not disappoint the legion of Japanese fans who gave him a hero's welcome as he walked on to Court Twelve, outclassing his rival from the first point when he powered a backhand winner down the line.
Meanwhile, Australian 20th seed Nick Kyrgios, who retired injured from Wimbledon on Monday, knew he was struggling with a hip injury even as he came out on court but he wanted to give his favorite tournament a shot.
The talented 22-year-old called for the physio and packed up after losing the first two sets to doubles specialist Pierre-Hugues Herbert 6-3, 6-4, having hardly run for any of the Frenchman's peppering of drop shots, lobs and passing shots.
World number 70 Hubert, who took the doubles title last year with Nicolas Mahut, will play fellow Frenchman Benoit Paire in round two.
Second-seeded Simona Halep advanced to the second round at Wimbledon by beating Marina Erakovic of New Zealand 6-4, 6-1. Halep, who lost in this year's French Open final, reached the semifinals at the All England Club in 2014 and the quarterfinals last year.
Five-times Wimbledon champion Venus Williams booked a second-round spot with a 7-6(7), 6-4 win over Belgium's Elise Mertens. World No. 54 Mertens was aggressive during the opening set but failed to control the mounting tally of unforced errors in the second, losing to the 37-year-old American in an hour and 39 minutes on Court One.
Madison Keys too won her opening match at Wimbledon, beating Nao Hibino of Japan 6-4, 6-2. The 17th-seeded American reached the quarterfinals at the All England Club in 2015 and the fourth round last year.
Two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova sealed a comfortable 6-3, 6-4, win over Sweden's Johanna Larsson. World No. 12 Kvitova was playing only her eighth match this year, having recently recovered from serious injuries to her playing hand sustained during a knife attack at her home last December.
Fourth seed Elina Svitolina produced a fine display to see off Ashleigh Barty 7-5, 7-6(8), in the first round. The 22-year-old reached her third consecutive third round at Wimbledon after making just 23 unforced errors during the match.
Britain's sixth seed Johanna Konta moved into the second round with a 6-2, 6-2 win over Taiwan's Hsieh Su-Wei. The Briton fired 17 winners to avenge her French Open first round defeat by Hsieh.
Konta's compatriot Heather Watson also progressed with a 6-1, 7-6(5), win over Maryna Zanevska of Belgium.
"My hip felt good. It's a little bit sore, but I was moving really good on the court today," said Murray, who is the first British man to be seeded No. 1 at Wimbledon since Bunny Austin in 1939.
"If you're in a little bit of pain, but you can still run as you normally do, that doesn't affect how you play."
Asked why he was limping between points, he added: "Whether it's something that's just happened... like, subconsciously, my hip's been sore, I have no idea. I'm not in a lot of pain when I'm walking, that's for sure."
Any hopes that the 135th-ranked Kazakh could add his name to that illustrious list of 'lucky losers' were swiftly extinguished as Murray did not let Bublik's array of unconventional shots, or two rain breaks, throw him off course.
Bublik threw in a tweener — a between-the-legs shot with his back to the net — he threw his body around the court a la Boris Becker and even threw in a few comical grunts that drew laughter from the Center Court crowd.
But try as he might, the 20-year-old failed to convert any of the six break points he earned. Bublik also showed that he has a novel way at following orders.
Earlier this year he had asked "Sir Andy" Murray for tips on "how to become as good as you are". The world No. 1 had told him "(By) not serving 20 double faults in a match."
So what did Bublik do? He served only 12 double faults on Monday. Despite the swift exit, Bublik was left buzzing.
"Thanks sir @andymurray and @wimbledon for an amazing experience, best day of my Life so far," he said on Instagram.
Nadal missed the warm-up grass tournament at Queen's Club to look after his battered body following victories at the French Open and in Madrid, Monte Carlo and Barcelona but he looked comfortable on the faster surface and displayed the full array of groundstrokes that have earned him two Wimbledon titles.
Millman, who missed the first five months of the season with a groin injury, played his part in some entertaining rallies, particularly in the first two sets as Nadal, playing conservatively, worked on his rhythm.
However, the fourth-seeded Spaniard, who missed last year's Wimbledon through injury and was playing his first grass tournament match for two years, was always in control and seemed to be more concerned about his own shots than anything his opponent could dish up.
Nadal really hit his stride in the final set once he had mastered his timing, smashing a series of blistering forehands that left Millman as much a spectator as those crammed into Number One Court.
He finished with a flourish — a trade-mark crashing forehand on to the line — to wrap up the ideal victory in well under two hours. "It was a very positive match for me, a good start," Nadal told reporters.
After a tight first set which he edged by snatching the only break point, 6ft 6in tall Cilic increasingly dictated terms with his big forehand and booming serve, which bought him a string of cheap points and dug him out of tight corners.
It wasn't all brute force from the back of the court, however, as the 28-year-old showed fine touch to close out the second set with a delicate drop shot and serve-volleyed on several occasions to keep 60th-ranked Kohlschreiber off balance.
For 33-year-old Kohlschreiber, the loss extended a woeful recent record at Wimbledon where he has failed to win a match since 2014 and he has now lost in the first round at the All England Club seven times. — Reuters
Wawrinka's stay at Wimbledon was a short one. He was bothered by his left knee and lost at Center Court in the first round at the All England Club.
Wawrinka was seeded No. 5 and ranked No. 3. Medvedev, a 21-year-old Russian, is ranked 49th and had never won a Grand Slam match.
Wawrinka iced his knee during changeovers and never was able to summon his best tennis. He has won each of the other three major tournaments but has never been past the quarterfinals at Wimbledon. This was his sixth defeat in the first round at the All England Club.
There were signs on Monday that Andy Murray was still troubled by the sore hip that had bothered him in the build-up to Wimbledon — but they weren't enough to stop him from motoring into the second round.
At times Murray limped around the baseline but luckily for the defending champion, that problem disappeared the moment the ball was in play as he easily outclassed maverick Wimbledon debutant Alexander Bublik 6-1, 6-4, 6-2, to reach the second round.
Rafa Nadal too moved seamlessly from months of claycourt success to a satisfyingly smooth first-round victory on grass as he opened his Wimbledon campaign with a commanding 6-1, 6-3, 6-2 victory over Australian John Millman on Monday.
Marin Cilic's power game proved far too much for Philipp Kohlschreiber in the Wimbledon first round on Monday as the Croatian seventh seed swept his German opponent aside 6-4 6-2 6-3.
Twice Wimbledon semifinalist Jo-Wilfried Tsonga breezed into the second round on Monday with a 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 victory over British wildcard Cameron Norrie, whose first grand slam appearance ended in a swift and brutal exit.
Tsonga, the 12th seed, was dumped out in the second round last year but was never forced out of second gear as he swatted Norrie aside on Court Two, exposing all the Briton's inexperience. For Tsonga, it was an opportunity to find some rhythm on grass having played only two matches at Queen's after losing in the first round of the French Open.
Japan's Kei Nishikori breezed through his Wimbledon first-round clash with Italy's Marco Cecchinato 6-2, 6-2,6-0, on Monday, demolishing an opponent who was playing his first senior-level match on grass.
The ninth seed did not disappoint the legion of Japanese fans who gave him a hero's welcome as he walked on to Court Twelve, outclassing his rival from the first point when he powered a backhand winner down the line.
Meanwhile, Australian 20th seed Nick Kyrgios, who retired injured from Wimbledon on Monday, knew he was struggling with a hip injury even as he came out on court but he wanted to give his favorite tournament a shot.
The talented 22-year-old called for the physio and packed up after losing the first two sets to doubles specialist Pierre-Hugues Herbert 6-3, 6-4, having hardly run for any of the Frenchman's peppering of drop shots, lobs and passing shots.
World number 70 Hubert, who took the doubles title last year with Nicolas Mahut, will play fellow Frenchman Benoit Paire in round two.
Second-seeded Simona Halep advanced to the second round at Wimbledon by beating Marina Erakovic of New Zealand 6-4, 6-1. Halep, who lost in this year's French Open final, reached the semifinals at the All England Club in 2014 and the quarterfinals last year.
Five-times Wimbledon champion Venus Williams booked a second-round spot with a 7-6(7), 6-4 win over Belgium's Elise Mertens. World No. 54 Mertens was aggressive during the opening set but failed to control the mounting tally of unforced errors in the second, losing to the 37-year-old American in an hour and 39 minutes on Court One.
Madison Keys too won her opening match at Wimbledon, beating Nao Hibino of Japan 6-4, 6-2. The 17th-seeded American reached the quarterfinals at the All England Club in 2015 and the fourth round last year.
Two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova sealed a comfortable 6-3, 6-4, win over Sweden's Johanna Larsson. World No. 12 Kvitova was playing only her eighth match this year, having recently recovered from serious injuries to her playing hand sustained during a knife attack at her home last December.
Fourth seed Elina Svitolina produced a fine display to see off Ashleigh Barty 7-5, 7-6(8), in the first round. The 22-year-old reached her third consecutive third round at Wimbledon after making just 23 unforced errors during the match.
Britain's sixth seed Johanna Konta moved into the second round with a 6-2, 6-2 win over Taiwan's Hsieh Su-Wei. The Briton fired 17 winners to avenge her French Open first round defeat by Hsieh.
Konta's compatriot Heather Watson also progressed with a 6-1, 7-6(5), win over Maryna Zanevska of Belgium.
"My hip felt good. It's a little bit sore, but I was moving really good on the court today," said Murray, who is the first British man to be seeded No. 1 at Wimbledon since Bunny Austin in 1939.
"If you're in a little bit of pain, but you can still run as you normally do, that doesn't affect how you play."
Asked why he was limping between points, he added: "Whether it's something that's just happened... like, subconsciously, my hip's been sore, I have no idea. I'm not in a lot of pain when I'm walking, that's for sure."
Any hopes that the 135th-ranked Kazakh could add his name to that illustrious list of 'lucky losers' were swiftly extinguished as Murray did not let Bublik's array of unconventional shots, or two rain breaks, throw him off course.
Bublik threw in a tweener — a between-the-legs shot with his back to the net — he threw his body around the court a la Boris Becker and even threw in a few comical grunts that drew laughter from the Center Court crowd.
But try as he might, the 20-year-old failed to convert any of the six break points he earned. Bublik also showed that he has a novel way at following orders.
Earlier this year he had asked "Sir Andy" Murray for tips on "how to become as good as you are". The world No. 1 had told him "(By) not serving 20 double faults in a match."
So what did Bublik do? He served only 12 double faults on Monday. Despite the swift exit, Bublik was left buzzing.
"Thanks sir @andymurray and @wimbledon for an amazing experience, best day of my Life so far," he said on Instagram.
Nadal missed the warm-up grass tournament at Queen's Club to look after his battered body following victories at the French Open and in Madrid, Monte Carlo and Barcelona but he looked comfortable on the faster surface and displayed the full array of groundstrokes that have earned him two Wimbledon titles.
Millman, who missed the first five months of the season with a groin injury, played his part in some entertaining rallies, particularly in the first two sets as Nadal, playing conservatively, worked on his rhythm.
However, the fourth-seeded Spaniard, who missed last year's Wimbledon through injury and was playing his first grass tournament match for two years, was always in control and seemed to be more concerned about his own shots than anything his opponent could dish up.
Nadal really hit his stride in the final set once he had mastered his timing, smashing a series of blistering forehands that left Millman as much a spectator as those crammed into Number One Court.
He finished with a flourish — a trade-mark crashing forehand on to the line — to wrap up the ideal victory in well under two hours. "It was a very positive match for me, a good start," Nadal told reporters.
After a tight first set which he edged by snatching the only break point, 6ft 6in tall Cilic increasingly dictated terms with his big forehand and booming serve, which bought him a string of cheap points and dug him out of tight corners.
It wasn't all brute force from the back of the court, however, as the 28-year-old showed fine touch to close out the second set with a delicate drop shot and serve-volleyed on several occasions to keep 60th-ranked Kohlschreiber off balance.
For 33-year-old Kohlschreiber, the loss extended a woeful recent record at Wimbledon where he has failed to win a match since 2014 and he has now lost in the first round at the All England Club seven times. — Reuters
