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MEN'S DAY 2: Djokovic shrugs off injury fears to reach second round

cricket02 July 2024 16:40| © AFP
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Novak Djokovic @ Getty Images

Novak Djokovic started his bid to capture a record-equalling eighth Wimbledon men's title with a straight-sets win over Czech qualifier Vit Kopriva on Tuesday in his first match since undergoing knee surgery.

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Djokovic eased to a 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 victory in a shade under two hours on Centre Court against his 123rd-ranked rival.

The 37-year-old Serb did not face a break point in the entire match, which he sealed with three aces.

Djokovic, chasing a record 25th Grand Slam title, wore a grey support on his right knee after undergoing surgery on a torn meniscus, which had forced him to withdraw from the French Open after the fourth round last month.

"It was very good. I was very pleased with the way I moved on the court today," said Djokovic after taking his career Wimbledon first-round record to 19-0.

"Obviously coming into Wimbledon this year, it was a little bit of a different circumstance for me because of the knee.

"I didn't know how everything was going to unfold on the court really. Practice sessions are quite different to official match play, so I'm just extremely glad about the way I played and the way I felt today."

Djokovic will face British wildcard Jacob Fearnley or Spanish qualifier Alejandro Moro Canas for a place in the last 32.

RUBLEV CRASHES OUT

Russian sixth-seed Andrey Rublev crashed out in the first round, losing 6-4 5-7 6-2 7-6(5) to world No 122 Francisco Comesana of Argentina, playing his first ever match at a Grand Slam.

Comesana belied his lack of experience, playing with poise and control from the start.

The 23-year-old broke his opponent for a 3-2 lead in the first set and then held to win it, much to the frustration of Rublev, who frequently screamed out loud and remonstrated with his courtside coaching team.

Rublev broke early in the second and began to assert himself, frequently wrong-footing Comesana or drawing him into long rallies and overpowering him with powerful forehand shots.

Comesana fought his way back from three set points down twice in the second set before losing it.

But the Argentinian, who fired down 21 aces in all, powered through the rain-interrupted third set and narrowly outdid Rublev for guile and accuracy in the fourth before drawing an unforced error from the Russian to finish the match in style.

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