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Another day, another milestone as Djokovic charms Wimbledon faithful

The Serb joins Roger Federer and Serena Williams as the only players to have reached 350 wins at the Slams

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Serbia's Novak Djokovic in action during his second round match against Australia's Jordan Thompson - Reuters

Published: Wed 5 Jul 2023, 11:51 PM

Another day, another milestone reached for Novak Djokovic as he racked up Grand Slam victory number 350 by dispatching Australia's Jordan Thompson at Wimbledon on Wednesday.

The defending champion was given a thorough workout by Thompson but always looked in control at the crucial moments as he won 6-3 7-6(4) 7-5 to move into the third round.

He joins Roger Federer and Serena Williams as the only players to have reached 350 wins at the Slams, but the 36-year-old has his eyes firmly fixed on higher goals.

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Fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas needed almost four hours and five sets over two days to subdue former world number three Dominic Thiem of Austria, as he won 3-6 7-6(1) 6-2 6-7(5) 7-6(10-8) to move into the second round.

The 24-year-old Greek, chasing a maiden Grand Slam title, will next play two-time Wimbledon champion Andy Murray on Centre Court on Thursday.

Daniil Medvedev quelled the challenge of wildcard Arthur Fery and Marta Kostyuk fought back to upset Maria Sakkari and storm into the Wimbledon second round on a rainy Wednesday when two matches were disrupted by protesters.

Women's top seed Iga Swiatek outclassed Spain's Sara Sorribes Tormo 6-2 6-0 and Daria Kasatkina thumped Jodie Burrage 6-0 6-2 to reach the third round before organisers worked to clear the backlog of first-round matches.

That was not the only headache for the All England Club as the threat of protests by Just Stop Oil campaigners materialised and play was twice interrupted during matches on Court 18.

Swiatek speaking on Centre Court after her second-round win: "It's my first match on Centre Court I really wanted to keep my focus. I'm happy I could play such a solid game and convert what I was practicing.

"I feel confident and happy which doesn't happen often at Wimbledon. I learned a lot and I can adjust my game now to grass courts. I'm getting there for sure.

"I always feel like every year will give me more experience. I have played well here in juniors. In the future it could be my tournament," she added.

"Every year it will be easier to play here. I feel really confident which is great."

The British crowd was far kinder to Medvedev who returned to Wimbledon after the lifting of last year's ban on Russian and Belarusian players, saying after his 7-5 6-4 6-3 victory over Briton Fery that he did not expect the warm reception.

"I was pretty nervous, I didn't get to play yesterday so I'm really happy to be back," Medvedev said.

"Thank you for the nice welcome, especially against Arthur, a British guy. It was amazing as I didn't know what reception I would get and it was unbelievable."

Holger Rune sailed through to the second round of Wimbledon for the first time with a 7-6(4) 6-3 6-2 victory over British wildcard George Loffhagen in a rain-delayed match.

The sixth seed became the first Dane to win a match at the All England Club since Kenneth Carlsen in 2004 when he completed victory in a clash that began on Tuesday morning but was suspended because of the weather.

"It means a lot... it's cool to come back with good memories, (and I) hope to bring better memories than last year," Rune, who lost in the first round in 2022, said in an on-court interview.

Earlier, Kostyuk battled from a set down and overcame three rain interruptions to beat eighth seed Sakkari 0-6 7-5 6-2.

She became only the third women's player to beat a top-10 seed at Wimbledon in the Open Era after losing the first set 6-0.

American world number 10 Frances Tiafoe saw off China's Wimbledon debutant Wu Yibing 7-6(4) 6-3 6-4 before compatriot Taylor Fritz completed a 6-4 2-6 4-6 7-5 6-3 win over Yannick Hanfmann.

"It was tough but... it's Wimbledon, you've got to expect stuff like that. I'm happy to get the win and hope you guys enjoyed it," said Tiafoe.

The players returned but were back inside two games later and when play resumed again, it was the 25-year-old Tiafoe who took charge of the tight opening set in the tiebreak and closed it out with a powerful serve.

"I love playing on grass and I have high hopes here for Wimbledon," added Tiafoe, who warmed up by winning the Stuttgart grasscourt title.

"I definitely didn't come along for a vacation. I want to do real damage here and hopefully be here two Sundays from now."

Wu, making his Wimbledon debut and his fourth appearance at a Grand Slam, took a medical timeout early in the second set and had his pulse checked but resumed following a lengthy off-court evaluation.

"I'm a really relaxed guy but I do like finishing a tennis match. I was happy how I handled it."

The 10th seed, who reached the fourth round last year, next meets Dominic Stricker after the Swiss qualifier beat Australian Alexei Popyrin 3-6 6-3 6-2 4-6 7-5.

Last year's quarter-finalist Taylor Fritz also booked a spot in the second round and a clash with Mikael Ymer after a 6-4 2-6 4-6 7-5 6-3 win over Yannick Hanfmann.

That match was suspended on Monday due to darkness and could not resume on a rainy Tuesday with Fritz up 3-2 in the decider.

"It's great. I'm going to have to play tomorrow. It rained all day yesterday and off and on today, so I really just wanted to get on court and play," Fritz said.

"I'm glad I can just focus on the next match."

Ukraine's Marta Kostyuk battled back from a set down and dealt with three rain interruptions to beat eighth seed Maria Sakkari 0-6 7-5 6-2 on Wednesday and move into the Wimbledon second round.

The 21-year-old had looked out for the count after the first set and Sakkari's flawless power game but recovered after a lengthy rain interruption in the first set and another in the second to turn the match around.

Soccer royalty made its way into the Royal Box when David Beckham took his place on Centre Court.

Beckham, one of the most famous players in soccer history for both his ability on the field and his persona off it, attended Day 3 of the grass-court tournament a day after Kate, the Princess of Wales, was in the stands.

Beckham, sitting with his mother, has been a regular over the years at the All England Club.

Rain was again affecting play at Wimbledon on Day 3 of the grass-court tournament.

“Obviously it’s not pleasant,” Dimitrov said about the disruption after winning his match in straight sets. “In the end of the day there is not much you can do. I think everyone in a way did their part as quick as possible.

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"I mean, rain was coming so it was also a little bit fortunate to come off the court and have some time to kind of like regroup a little bit and shake it off.”

Wimbledon increased its security in coordination with London police and other agencies for this year’s tournament, in part as a result of protests at other major sports venues in Britain this year.

The rain had already created a major backlog of matches after the first two days, and only eight matches were completed on Tuesday. Several matches scheduled for the outside courts on Wednesday were pushed back to Thursday.

Only Centre Court and No. 1 Court at the All England Club have roofs.

Published: Wed 5 Jul 2023, 11:51 PM

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