Twice former champion Rafael Nadal was knocked out in the first round of Wimbledon by 135th-ranked Belgian Steve Darcis on Monday, the Spaniard losing 7-6(4) 7-6(8) 6-4. It was the second year in succession that French Open champion Nadal has suffered a shock Wimbledon exit after his second-round loss to Lukas Rosol a year ago
Defending champion Roger Federer began his campaign for a record eighth Wimbledon title in quickfire style on Monday, taking just 69 minutes to storm past Romania’s Victor Hanescu.
The 31-year-old Swiss swept to a 6-3, 6-2, 6-0 win on Centre Court to celebrate the 10th anniversary of his first triumph at the All England Club with an impressive triumph.
Federer fired 32 winners and just six unforced errors as he clinched a sixth career victory over the 47th-ranked Hanescu. ‘It’s the most special thing to be back on Centre Court,’ said Federer, playing in his 55th straight Grand Slam.
‘I still enjoy it out there. It was a pleasure to play and I’m very happy to get the first round out of the way. ‘I am not sure how much better I could have played. It was good to get it done quickly as it was cold and it released some of the pressure.’
Federer came into Wimbledon on the back of his first title of 2013 in Halle, the grasscourt win taking him level with John McEnroe on 77 career titles. Maria Sharapova shrugged off her public Wimbledon spat with Serena Williams to come through an equally fierce challenge out on court as she battled her way into the second round on Monday.
The 2004 Wimbledon champion was given a stern test by France’s up-and-coming Kristina Mladenovic but the Russian third seed eventually triumphed in a 7-6 (7/5), 6-3 win on Centre Court. Victoria Azarenka moved into the Wimbledon second round as the world number two played through the pain barrier to defeat Portugal’s Maria Joao Koehler 6-1, 6-2 on Monday.
Azarenka, the reigning Australian Open champion, recovered from a nasty fall in the second set that left her in tears to earn a meeting with Italy’s Flavia Pennetta.The Belarusian had looked set for a routine victory until the right knee injury threatened to derail her latest attempt to reach a first Wimbledon final. ‘It was such a shock to me, I slipped and felt my body collapse,’ Azarenka said.
Former top-ranked Ana Ivanovic of Serbia advanced to the second round of Wimbledon with a 7-6 (1), 6-0 win over qualifier Virginie Razzano of France on Monday. Meanwhile, Fifth seed Sara Errani was out-gunned in the Wimbledon first round on Monday by a teenager playing her first senior match on grass - Puerto Rican Monica Puig. The hard-hitting, Miami-based Puig, ranked 65th in the world, battered the Italian to win 6-3 6-2 on Court 18.
Errani, a finalist at the French Open last year and a semi-finalist there earlier this month, said she had let her fear of grass get to her. French sixth seed Jo Wilfred Tsonga got off to a good start defeating David Goffin 7-6, 6-4, 6-3 in straight sets to progress in the second round of Wimbledon.