The field on the Day 2 of The Wimbledon Championships, 2011 featured some of the big names including the six-time champion Roger Federer, bidding for his 7th Wimbledon title, the on-song Novak Djokovic gunning for his first ever Wimbledon crown, the defending ladies’ champion Serena Williams, and World No.1 Caroline Wozniacki. Robin Soderling, Andy Roddick, David Ferrer, Maria Sharapova, Li Na, Jelena Jankovic were some of the other big guns in action today. The historic rematch between John Isner and Nicolas Mahut was of course the center of attraction scheduled on the new Court No.3 while Indian hopefuls, Sania Mirza and Somdev Devvarman , were also due to begin their campaign today.
A MASTERCLASS FROM ROGER FEDERER
The Swiss Maestro began his bid for a 7th title at his own “backyard” in champion style as he got the better of his Kazak opponent Mikhail Kukushkin 7-6, 6-4,6-2 in one hour and 48 minutes. Despite the wind swirls around the Center Court, the 29 year old third seed served impeccably throughout with the total ace count rounding off to 12 and won 89% of his first serves. The 23- year old Kukushkin barely showed any nerves that was expected of someone making his debut at the Center Court against a six time Wimbledon champion. He had to fend off only a single break point in his first service game. The first set moved to a tie-breaker. Federer upped his ace count to six for the set and a mishit forehand from Kukushkin gifted Roger another mini break of serve. 39 minutes into the play and the first set was in Federer’s pocket.
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Kukushkin showed enough grit to keep Roger at bay till the fifth game of the second set when he dropped his serve for the first time and the single break cost him the set. Roger raced away with the third set and the match as the Kazak’s game fell apart thereafter.
NOVAK CRUISES INTO ROUND TWO
The Serb barely broke a sweat as he joined the “Big Four” in the round of 64. Except for a barrage of huge serves from the World No.52 Jeremy Chardy earlier in the first set, it turned out to be a lop sided affair as the Serb brushed aside his opponent 6-4,6-1,6-1 to book his place in round two. The Frenchman saved a couple of break points in the fifth and seventh games of the first set with some huge serves but a backhand down the line and a punched forehand from Djokovic produced the desired results in the ninth game. The second set started with the Serb breaking in the first game with a cross court forehand that forced the error and again in the third game when Chardy netted a forehand. The slump continued in the third set as the No. 2 seed went 3-0 up and a sixth break of serve let him serve for a 6-1 success.
ISNER-MAHUT RE-MATCH
In a rematch of the longest match ever played between two players at the Wimbledon last year, John Isner again claimed victory over Nicolas Mahut, albeit in a much less dramatic fashion 7-6(4), 6-2, 7-6(5) to advance to the second round, thus sending he match which was very much expected into anti-climax.
WINS FOR RODDICK, DEL POTRO, VERDASCO, SODERLING
Three times finalist here at SW19 to Roger Federer, Andy Roddick cruised into the second round with a 6-4, 7-6(8-6), 6-3 win over the German Andreas Beck. While Fernando Verdasco staged a dramatic comeback from being two sets and a matchpoint down against the Czech Radek Stepanek in a five set thriller, 2-6,4-6, 6-3, 7-6(8-6), 9-7, the Argentine Juan Martin del Potro registered a straight sets win over Italian Flavio Cipolla 6-1,6-4,6-3 to enter into the second round. The fifth seed, Robin Soderling had to sweat it out against Germany’s Philipp Petzschner as he battled to victory in a fourth-set tie-break after three hours and 14 minutes. The 17th seed, Marin Cilic, the 18th seed Mikhail Youzhny, the 29th seed headline the day 2 casualties.
EMOTIONAL RETURN FOR THE DEFENDING CHAMPION
Serena Williams was in tears of joy just after she beat her first round opponent Aravane Rezai 6-3,3-6,6-1 to begin her title defence. It has been almost 12 months since she last played a tour-level match thanks to a foot injury followed by a pulmonary embolism and a haematoma on her stomach. She appeared rusty and taking advantage of this, her French opponent went for the kill from the very first point. She attacked the second serves and made the champion move all around the court. The reward- a service break in the first game. But she could not hold on as the champion displayed her complete array of shots ranging from thunderous serves to blistering forehands and volleys. A mere four unforced errors gave Serena a 1-0 set lead. While others anticipated a cakewalk for the American, Rezai continued executing her attacking gameplan and despite a shaky serve, she managed to level the match by taking the second set. Serena upped her game in the deciding set and as the resistance from Rezai decreased, she broke to lead 3-1 and sprinted into the second round.
SMOOTH SAILING FOR THE TOP SEED
Caroline Wozniacki sped into round two as she demolished Spain’s Arantxa Parra Santonja in 59 minutes. A sloppy start allowed her opponent to break in the first game but she steadied her nerves to break and lead 3-1. Another break was enough to take the first set. The second set was more straightforward as the Dane raced to a 6-2,6-1 win.
SHARAPOVA BACK TO HER WINNING WAYS
Maria Sharapova, a champion in 2004 here, showed her form of old as she routed her fellow Russian compatriot Anna Chakvetadze 6-2, 6-1 to fly into the second round.
With only four double faults and a commendable 24 winners to 11 unforced errors, she tamed Anna in a one-sided 68 minutes.
The Indian aces, Somdev Devvarman and Sania Mirza opened their campaign in contrasting styles. While Sania Mirza went down fighting to Virginne Razzano of France 6-7, 6-2, 3-6, Somdev Devvarman entered the second round, when his German rival Denis Gremelmayr retired at 2-4 in the second set. The India had won the first set 6-4.
DAY 2 RESULTS: GENTLEMEN’s SINGLES :
[2] N Djokovic (SRB) d J Chardy (FRA) 64 61 61[3] R Federer (SUI) d M Kukushkin (KAZ) 76(2) 64 62[5] R Soderling (SWE) d P Petzschner (GER) 64 64 26 76(5)[7] D Ferrer (ESP) d B Paire (FRA) 64 64 64[8] A Roddick (USA) d A Beck (GER) 64 76(6) 63[11] J Melzer (AUT) vs A Falla (COL) 36 76(5) 62 62[12] J Tsonga (FRA) d G Soeda (JPN) 63 76(4) 62[13] V Troicki (SRB) d M Gonzalez (ARG) 36 60 76(3) 63[15] G Simon (FRA) d E Roger-Vasselin (FRA) 46 64 63 76(3)[16] N Almagro (ESP) d J Nieminen (FIN) 67(5) 63 64 64[18] M Youzhny (RUS) d J Monaco (ARG) 46 62 62 46 64[19] M Llodra (FRA) d J Ward (GBR) 63 76(4) 63[20] F Mayer (GER) d D Evans (GBR) 76(5) 76(1) 36 64[21] F Verdasco (ESP) d R Stepanek (CZE) 26 46 63 76(6) 97 – Saved 1 M.P.F Gonzalez (CHI) d [22] A Dolgopolov (UKR) 63 67(6) 76(3) 64I Karlovic (CRO) d [23] J Tipsarevic (SRB) 75 31 ret. (thigh/groin)[24] J del Potro (ARG) d F Cipolla (ITA) 61 64 63[25] J Chela (ARG) d M Matosevic (AUS) 64 64 67(6) 62[26] G Garcia-Lopez (ESP) d A Golubev (KAZ) 63 63 ret. (illness)I Ljubicic (CRO) d [27] M Cilic (CRO) 76(2) 36 63 64[28] D Nalbandian (ARG) d J Reister(GER) 75 62 63B Tomic (AUS) d [29] N Davydenko (RUS) 75 63 75[32] M Baghdatis (CYP) d J Blake (USA) 64 62 67(5) 46 64J Isner (USA) d N Mahut (FRA) 76(4) 62 76(6)K Anderson (RSA) vs I Marchenko (UKR) – To Finish 67(5) 76(7) 64 35T Kamke (GER) d B Kavcic (SLO) 63 76(4) 57 61X Malisse (BEL) d M Zverev (GER) 62 63 62R Mello (BRA) d F Dancevic (CAN) 36 36 64 76(6) 62A Haider-Maurer (AUT) vs F Serra (FRA) 76(5) 63 63O Rochus (BEL) d K De Schepper (FRA) 67(6) 36 63 61 64S Devvarman (IND) d D Gremelmayr (GER) 64 42 ret.V Hanescu (ROU) d J Pospisil (CZE) 64 63 62R De Voest (RSA) d R Ramirez Hidalgo (ESP) 62 63 62R Harrison (USA) d I Dodig (CRO) 76(5) 60 75K Beck (SVK) d C Berlocq (ARG) 46 76(6) 46 62 64G Dimitrov (BUL) vs C Stebe (GER) – To Finish 75 75 33A Seppi (ITA) d A Montanes (ESP) 64 64 75L Hewitt (AUS) d K Nishikori (JPN) 61 76(4) 67(7) 63S Stakhovsky (UKR) d D Cox (GBR) 62 64 64L Kubot (POL) d A Clement (FRA) 64 62 36 57 64I Andreev (RUS) d T Gabashvili (RUS) 64 76(5) 67(4) 46 63E Gulbis (LAT) vs D Tursunov (RUS) – To Finish 36 63 55A Mannarino (FRA) d C Niland (IRL) 46 64 76(7) 46 64R Haase (NED) d P Riba (ESP) 64 64 64Y Lu (TPE) d T Robredo (ESP) 64 64 61
LADIES’ SINGLES:
(1) Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) d. Arantxa Parra Santonja (ESP) 62 61(3) Li Na(CHN) d.Alla Kudryavtseva(RUS) 63 63(4) Victoria Azarenka(SVK) d. Magdalena Rybarikova(BLR) 64 32 ret. (left knee injury)(5) Maria Sharapova(RUS) d. Anna Chakvetadze(RUS) 62 61(7) Serena Williams(USA) d. Aravane Rezai(FRA) 63 36 61(8)Petra Kvitova(CZE) d. (Q) Alexa Glatch(USA) 62 62(9) Marion Bartoli(FRA) d. (Q) Kristyna Pliskova(CZE) 60 62Melinda Czink(HUN) d. (10) Samantha Stosur(AUS) 63 64(11) Andrea Petkovic(GER) d. (LL)Stephanie Foretz Gacon(FRA) 63 64(14) Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova(RUS) d. (Q) Lesia Tsurenko(UKR) 64 76(3)Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez (ESP) d. (15) Jelena Jankovic(SRB) 57 64 63(18)Ana Ivanovic(SRB) d. Melanie Oudin(USA) 60 61(20) Peng Shuai(CHN) d. Kirsten Flipkens(BEL) 60 64(25) Daniela Hantuchova(SVK) d. (Q) Vitalia Diatchenko(RUS) 46 76(5) 63(26) Maria Kirilenko (RUS) d. Alberta Brianti(ITA) 62 61(29) Roberta Vinci(ITA) d.Vera Dushevina(RUS) 75 62(31) Lucie Safarova(CZE) d. Lucie Hradecka(CZE) 26 63 63(32) Tsvetana Pironkova (BUL) d. (Q) Camila Giorgi (ITA) 62 61Klara Zakopalova(CZE) d. (WC) Emily Webley- Smith(GBR) 63 57 86Nadia Petrova (RUS) d. Vesna Dolonts (RUS) 63 64Rebecca Marino (CAN) d. Patricia Mayr-Achleitner (AUT) 63 76(5)Lourdes Dominguez Lino (ESP) d. Romina Oprandi (ITA) 60 61Iveta Benesova (CZE) d. Sandra Zahlavova (CZE) 36 63 86Barbora Zahlavova Strycova (CZE) d. (Q) Aleksandra Wozniak (CAN) 76(7) 64Simona Halep (ROU) d. Bojana Jovanovski (SRB) 61 62Elena Baltacha (GBR) d. (Q) Mona Barthel (GER) 62 64Tamira Paszek (AUT) d. Ayumi Morita (JPN) 57 63 60Virginie Razzano (FRA) d. Sania Mirza (IND) 76(4) 26 63Anastasiya Yakimova (BLR) d. Sofia Arvidsson (SWE) 46 62 61Petra Martic (CRO) d. Vania King (USA) 57 62 62Anne Keothavong (GBR) d. (WC) Naomi Broady (GBR) 62 64Kateryna Bondarenko (UKR) d. Alize Cornet (FRA) 75 62(Q) Tamarine Tanasugarn (THA) d. Yaroslava Shvedova (KAZ) 62 63(Q) Marina Erakovic (NZL) d. (Q) Chang Kai-Chen (TPE) 64 62(LL) Stephanie Dubois (CAN) d. (Q) Irina Falconi (USA) 62 62(WC) Eleni Daniilidou (GRE) d. Coco Vandeweghe (USA) 64 64
