This series from the #JoySports team lasts for the duration of the Wimbledon tournament: June 29 – July 12.
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Day 3 of the men’s singles saw wins for Stan Wawrinka, Novak Djokovic, and Marin Cilic, ensuring that the only surprising news on Wednesday was Kei Nishikori’s exit through injury.
A double fault by the narrowest of margins allowed Croatia’s Cilic to complete a great escape at Wimbledon as the U.S. Open champion lived to fight another day with a 6-3 4-6 7-6(6) 4-6 7-5 victory over journeyman Richard Berankis.
Wawrinka moved easily into the third round with a 6-3 6-4 7-5 win over Victor Estrella Burgos.
World number five Nishikori of Japan will not participate any more after pulling out with a calf injury.
Men’s round two results – highlights
(Numbers preceding player’s name is their ranking, if any)
1-Novak Djokovic (Serbia) beat Jarkko Nieminen (Finland) 6-4 6-2 6-3
4-Stanislas Wawrinka (Switzerland) beat Victor Estrella (Dominican Republic) 6-3 6-4 7-5
7-Milos Raonic (Canada) beat Tommy Haas (Germany) 6-0 6-2 6-7(5) 7-6(4)
9-Marin Cilic (Croatia) beat Ricardas Berankis (Lithuania) 6-3 4-6 7-6(6) 4-6 7-5
11-Grigor Dimitrov (Bulgaria) beat Steve Johnson (U.S.) 7-6(8) 6-2 7-6(2)
14-Kevin Anderson (South Africa) beat Marsel Ilhan (Turkey) 6-7(5) 7-6(6) 6-4 6-4
16-David Goffin (Belgium) beat Liam Broady (Britain) 7-6(3) 6-1 6-1
17-John Isner (U.S.) beat Matthew Ebden (Australia) 6-2 7-6(8) 6-4
21-Richard Gasquet (France) beat Kenny De Schepper (France) 6-0 6-3 6-3
24-Leonardo Mayer (Argentina) beat Marcel Granollers (Spain) 6-3 7-6(4) 6-3
26-Nick Kyrgios (Australia) beat Juan Monaco (Argentina) 7-6(5) 6-3 6-4
27-Bernard Tomic (Australia) beat Pierre-Hugues Herbert (France) 7-6(3) 6-4 7-6(5)
Fernando Verdasco (Spain) beat 32-Dominic Thiem (Austria) 5-7 6-4 5-7 6-3 6-4
Marcos Baghdatis (Cyprus) beat John Millman (Australia) 6-7(5) 2-6 6-3 6-2 6-4
Santiago Giraldo (Colombia) beat 5-Kei Nishikori (Japan) walkover
Women’s round two results
A routine second-round Wimbledon victory for Maria Sharapova against Dutch world number 123 Richel Hogenkamp was one of the stories of the day.
But two matches provided a buzz for what is to come. In the next round, British number 1 Heather Watson (main photo) will face Serena Williams as a result of both their victories.
Top seed Williams (below) swept aside big-serving Hungarian Timea Babos 6-4 6-1 inside an hour to reach the third round. “I’m definitely playing well,” she said as she came off court after 59 minutes. “I had to pick up my game today. She has such a huge serve.”
Williams’s next opponent will 23-year-old Watson, who booked her passage through in little over 85 minutes against Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia.
Highlights
(Numbers preceding player’s name is their ranking, if any)
1-Serena Williams (U.S.) beat Timea Babos (Hungary) 6-4 6-1
4-Maria Sharapova (Russia) beat Richel Hogenkamp (Netherlands) 6-3 6-1
6-Lucie Safarova (Czech Republic) beat Hsieh Su-Wei (Taiwan) 6-2 6-3
Bethanie Mattek-Sands (U.S.) beat 7-Ana Ivanovic (Serbia) 6-3 6-4
CoCo Vandeweghe (U.S.) beat 11-Karolina Pliskova (Czech Republic) 7-6(5) 6-4
14-Andrea Petkovic (Germany) beat Mariana Duque (Colombia) 6-3 6-1
16-Venus Williams (U.S.) beat Yulia Putintseva (Kazakhstan) 7-6(5) 6-4
22-Samantha Stosur (Australia) beat Urszula Radwanska (Poland) 6-3 6-4
23-Victoria Azarenka (Belarus) beat Kirsten Flipkens (Belgium) 6-3 6-3
Sloane Stephens (U.S.) beat Lauren Davis (U.S.) 6-4 6-4
Heather Watson (Britain) beat Daniela Hantuchova (Slovakia) 6-4 6-2
Zarina Diyas (Kazakhstan) beat Aliaksandra Sasnovich (Belarus) 7-5 6-1
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Follow Gary on Twitter: @garyalsmith
The #JoySports coverage includes updates on Sports Centre with George Addo Jnr (7:45am, Monday- Friday), Global Sports with Gary Al-Smith (3:45pm, Tuesday-Thursday) and the sports segments on Midday and Newsnight.
On Multi TV, follow on the AM Sports with Kwame Dwomoh-Agyemang, sports on NewsDay with Benedict Owusu Dankwah, Sports Today with Nathaniel Attoh (2pm, Monday-Friday), sports on the Pulse with Gary Al-Smith (4:30pm, Monday-Friday) and sports on Joy News Prime with George Addo Jnr.
