Djokovic slides to victory, Tsitsipas crashes as Wimbledon makes soggy return

Chasing history: Novak Djokovic on court against Britain’s Jack Draper on Monday © AFP / Glyn KIRK

London (AFP), Jun 28 – Novak Djokovic overcame an early wobble before getting his bid for a sixth Wimbledon and record-equalling 20th Grand Slam title off to a winning start on Monday and then saw potential semi-final opponent Stefanos Tsitsipas crash out.

One year after the 2020 tournament was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic, defending champion and world number one Djokovic claimed a 4-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 win over Britain’s 253rd-ranked Jack Draper.

Third seed Tsitsipas, however, beaten by Djokovic in the French Open final just two weeks ago, slumped to his third first round defeat in four visits to the tournament.

America’s Frances Tiafoe, ranked 57, stunned the Greek star 6-4, 6-4, 6-3.

Djokovic, 34, struggled on the slippery Centre Court surface with the roof closed above it due to the rain which had delayed play on outside courts for five hours.

Left-handed Draper, playing just his fifth match on the main tour, saved seven of seven break points in the opener to stun the top seed.

But Djokovic soon snuffed out any danger of him becoming only the third defending champion to lose in the first round, by sweeping through the remainder of the tie.

He finished with an impressive 25 aces and 47 winners as his 19-year-old opponent, who grew up just six miles (9.5km) from the All England Club, wilted.

“I probably had one of the best serving performances that I can recall on any surface,” said Djokovic who fired 25 aces and 47 winners.

– ‘It sounds good’ –

Stunner: Frances Tiafoe celebrates his win over Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas © AFP / Ben STANSALL

With the Australian and French Open titles under his belt, the Serb is bidding to become only the third man in history to claim a calendar Grand Slam.

His match was preceded by a standing ovation for Professor Sarah Gilbert, one of the key scientists behind the Oxford AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine who was a special guest in the Royal Box.

Tiafoe won a second-tier grass court Challenger event in Nottingham this month before making the quarter-finals at Queen’s Club.

On Monday, he made that match hardness pay against Tsitsipas, playing only his 16th match on grass.

It was the first time in 12 attempts that 23-year-old Tiafoe had beaten a player ranked in the top five.

“It sounds pretty damn good,” said Tiafoe.

Wimbledon looks very different this year with Covid-19 protocols in place and a 50% capacity until finals day, but one familiar feature was the summer rain.

Play on the outside courts started so late that 16 of the day’s scheduled 64 matches were cancelled until Tuesday.

Rain pain: Spectators shelter from the rain beneath umbrellas as they wait for play to begin on the first day of Wimbledon © AFP / Adrian DENNIS

Belarus second seed Aryna Sabalenka had the honour of being the first winner at the tournament in two years when she downed Romanian qualifier Monica Niculescu 6-1, 6-4 under the roof of Court One.

Sabalenka fired 48 winners past Niculescu.

“I was nervous a little bit because I haven’t played on the show courts at Wimbledon,” said Sabalenka who has yet to make the last-eight of a major.

Former US Open champion Sloane Stephens knocked out Czech 10th seed Petra Kvitova, the 2011 and 2014 champion, 6-3, 6-4.

Garbine Muguruza, the 2017 winner, needed just under an hour to see off France’s Fiona Ferro 6-0, 6-1.

Two-time champion Andy Murray is back on Centre Court against Georgia’s Nikoloz Basilashvili, a semi-finalist in Halle.

– Hotel bubble –

Murray, now ranked at 118, is playing his first singles match at Wimbledon since 2017 after a lengthy battle with hip and groin injuries.

Players are confined to a hotel ‘bubble’ in central London this year.

However, there have already been two virus-related withdrawals.

Safe and sound: Staff disinfect the seats on Centre Court ahead of the first day of Wimbledon © POOL/AFP / AELTC/Ian Walton

Britain’s Johanna Konta was identified as a close contact of a positive coronavirus case and will have to self-isolate.

The world number 31, a semi-finalist at the tournament in 2017, had been drawn to face Katerina Siniakova of the Czech Republic.

The 30-year-old’s place will be taken by 123rd-ranked lucky loser Wang Yafan of China.

On Saturday, former men’s doubles champion Frederik Nielsen was forced to withdraw after also being identified as a close contact.

“This is not unexpected,” said All England Club chief executive Sally Bolton.

“It’s terribly sad for the players but it’s something we plan for. We have protocols in place.”