Novak Djokovic hurdled his first Wimbledon test while Marketa Vondrousova became the first defending women’s champion to lose early.
Visit M88 Sports for more Wimbledon 2024 news and other tennis updates.
Check out M88 Mansion’s best offers here.
DJOKOVIC HURDLES FIRST WIMBLEDON TEST DESPITE SURGICALLY REPAIRED RIGHT KNEE
Djokovic hurdled his first Wimbledon test while playing his surgically repaired right knee after beating qualifier Vit Kopriva, 6-1, 6-2, 6-2.
The world No.3 was hardly tested, as he never faced a break point.
He went on to finish off his opponent at Centre Court in less than two hours.
Furthermore, Djokovic got 15 break chances and converted six while he took 68 of the 91 exchanges that lasted four or fewer strokes.
“I tried to really focus on the game and not really think too much about the knee. Vry pleased with the way I felt on the court,” Djokovic said.
“Practice sessions are quite different from official match play. I’m just extremely glad (with) the way I felt today, the way I played,” he added.
VONDROUSOVA LOSES OPENING ROUND MATCH TO BOUNCE OUT EARLY
Furthermore, Vondrousova became the first defending women’s singles champion to lose her opening-round match in 30 years.
Vondrousova absorbed a 6-4, 6-2 loss to Jessica Bouzas Maneiro also at Centre Court to be on the wrong side of history this year.
Moreover, the last time a reigning Wimbledon champion lost in her first match a year later was Steffi Graff.
Graff lost to Lori McNeil in 1994.
Vondrousova became the first unseeded woman to win the Wimbledon title last year only to fall hard the year after.
She was seeded No.,6 this time but Vondrousova seemed to struggle from a fall she sustained at a tune-up grass tournament in Berlin last month that hurt her hip.
ANDY MURRAY SAYS SKIPPING MEN’S SINGLES ACTION ‘THE RIGHT DECISION’
Meanwhile, Andy Murray’s call to skip the men’s singles tournament was “the right decision” on Tuesday.
Furthermore, the two-time Wimbledon champion was supposed to face Thomas Machac on Centre Court before he withdrew.
“I told my team and my family that I didn’t think I’d play based on how I felt yesterday,” Murray said.
“I ran around a bit at home this morning when I got up – it wasn’t where I wanted it to be,” he added.
Murray is still listed to play in men’s doubles along with his brother Jamie.
Murray completed a procedure on a spinal cyst on June 22.
The 37-year-old joined Jamie at Wimbledon’s practice courts to prepare for their opening match later this week.
