Wimbledon 30-6-15

HEWITT HAS NO HAPPY ENDING

There would be no fairytale finish for Lleyton Hewitt at Wimbledon. But at least, having vowed to “leave it all out there” in his final All England Club campaign, there would be much of his trademark fight.

Jarkko Nieminen ended the Australian’s  dreams of winning a 17th tilt at the Championships with a 3-6, 6-3, 4-6, 6-0, 11-9 win that took four hours to complete.

“But also on the match court today. You know, there were a couple of times the match could have gotten away from me at certain stages and I found a way of hanging in there ... but yeah, Jarkko is a tough competitor and it was never going to be easy.”

DJOKOVIC CRUISES THROUGH

Djokovic, who treasures the Wimbledon traditions dearly, did as he was asked and dispatched Philipp Kohlschreiber 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 and came through the encounter more or less unscathed.

WAVWENKA FINDS FIRST ROUND EASY

tennis is accustomed to talk of the Big Four in the men’s game, but the cast list in that troupe of players is changing. Having grabbed two Slams from the last six contested, Stan Wawrinka has surely earned his place in the leading quartet here, and he kicked off his Wimbledon with a win over the world No.45 Joao Sousa.

His 6-2, 7-5, 7-6(3) victory was not a vintage display, but the fact is that it did not need to be. Sousa could barely steal a point on his opponent’s first serve, and when he had a chance to level the match at one set all, his game imploded.

SHARAPOVA IN HER OWN WORLD

A lack of warm-up matches and little knowledge of their opponent would trouble many players – but those players are not Maria Sharapova, a former champion, assured superstar and, after 12 appearances at the All England Club, an astute observer of what’s required to claim a first-round victory.

The experience showed as the fourth seed claimed a 6-2, 6-2 win over Johanna Konta, the Russian pleased with a straightforward progression after struggling with illness

SERENA IN DREAMLAND

Serena was entitled to a degree of bafflement as Gasparyan, ranked 113 and so far without a single win at the top level of the ladies’ game, came out with all guns blazing, breaking Serena's serve at the first time of asking and surging into a 3-1 lead.

With a classical, single-handed backhand and a howitzer of a forehand, Gasparyan clearly surprised Serena and delighted the spectators, many of whom might have been resigned to a one-sided match. The 20-year-old Russian, whose right shoulder was taped, showed not the slightest sign of nerves at such a demanding Wimbledon baptism, hit out confidently and although Serena moved into a 4-3 lead it was only after a couple of tight deuce games. Eventually, superior class and experience told and Serena closed out the first set. But it had taken her 47 minutes.