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Wimbledon Djokovic, Anderson, Wawrinka, Auger-Aliassime advance, Osaka out

By Jacob Akindele
02 July 2019   |   4:09 am
Novak Djokovic commenced the defense of his Wimbledon title with a 6/3, 7/5, 6/3 victory over Germany’s Phillip Kohlschreiber, while Kevin Anderson...

Naomi Osaka of Japan / AFP PHOTO / GREG BAKER

Novak Djokovic commenced the defense of his Wimbledon title with a 6/3, 7/5, 6/3 victory over Germany’s Phillip Kohlschreiber, while Kevin Anderson, the fourth seed, defeated France’s Pierre-Hugues Herbert 6/3, 6/4, 6/2 on Court 3.

In one of the exciting matches of the day, 18-year-old Canadian, Felix Auger-Aliassime defeated compatriot Vasek Pospisil 5/7, 6/2, 6/4, 6/3. However, Japan’s Naomi Osaka suffered the upset of the day with a 7/6 (4), 6/2 loss to Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan.

Djokovic lost his serve in the opening game but recovered to dominate the first set, helped by many of his 12 aces for the match. In a match of swinging opportunities, Djokovic won only six out of 14 break opportunities, while Philip converted two out of his five. At the finish line, the winner amassed 102 points to 74 for his opponent and extended his career record to 11-2 over the German, who had defeated him on the hard courts of Indian Wells this season.

In the second round, the defending champion will have his first career meeting with American Denis Kudla who defeated Tunisia’s Malek Jaziri 6/4, 6/1, 6/1.

On Centre Court, the second seeded Naomi Osaka of Japan lost a close first set 7/6 (4) to Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan and dropped her serve in the fifth game of the second set.

Putintseva, who won the last three games of the match, had a good run in the pre-Wimbledon grass-courts events and lost the title match in Eastbourne to Kiki Bertens of Netherlands.

With the victory, she extended her career record with Naomi to 3-0, including a recent 6/2, 6/3 victory in the third round at Birmingham.

Felix Auger-Aliassime lost the first set to compatriot Vasek Pospisil 5/7, won the next two sets 6/2, 6/4 and got into a seesaw battle in the fourth and had a break point in the seventh game that he clinched on the fourth opportunity.

In the eighth game, he faced 15-40, cancelled them before holding serve on first advantage. Ninth game 15-30, 15-40, game set and match on Court 12.

Spain’s Feliciano Lopez continued his title victory in Queens Club London in defeating America’s Marcos Giros 6/4, 6/2/, 6/4, helped by 16 aces serves. He will next face Russia’s Karen Khachanov, who hammered 18 aces in defeating Taiwan’s Soon-woo Kwon 7/6 (6), 6/4, 4/6, 7/5 in the backwoods of Court 18.

The two-time Grand Slam holder, Stan Wawrinka defeated Belgium’s Ruben Bemelmans 6/3, 6/3, 6/2 and will face America’s ace serving giant, Reilly Opelka in the second round.

In the ladies’ event, the seventh-seeded former world number one Simona Halep of Romania defeated Aliaksandra Sasnovich of Belarus 6/4; 7/5.

Janko Tipsarevic won the marathon of the day in his match with Japan’s Yoshihito Nishioka on Court 15. The bespectacled Serbian prevailed 6/4, 6/7 (2), 6/2, 5/7, 6/2 and will face South Africa’s Kevin Anderson in the second round.

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