Djokovic beat James Ward to open bid for 5th straight major

He had, though, enjoyed his best run here, the third round past year that took him to a career-high 89.

Said Federer, “I’m super pleased to be here and happy in a different way [for] Marcus”.

“It’s going to make the match hard”.

But then he met dentist Jenny Bate, who became his girlfriend, and who persuaded him to have one more shot and not go to Philadelphia where he had been offered a job as a coach. “Andy Murray, Roger (Federer)? first of all, because of their rankings, their history of playing, playing well, and winning this tournament, especially Roger for so many times”, Djokovic said.

He is, after all, a 25-year-old with admittedly something of a beer gut who resides with his parents – “Living the dream”, Willis joked – makes about $40 an hour for giving tennis lessons when he’s not competing at local club tournaments, is ranked 772nd and never had played a tour-level match until Monday. “I’m very pleased with the way I started Wimbledon”. “It will be tricky”, Liam Broady, Willis’ fellow Britain, said on Tuesday. It’s a huge moment for him, his story his unbelievable.

“I’m sure the All England Club Committee will forgive me for that extra towel per match”.

Brydan Klein, ranked No257, was up against a great grass exponent in s-Hertogenbosch champion Nicolas Mahut, and after a spirited first set that Klein lost in a tie-break, 7-6(0), the 34-year-old Frenchman began to ply his serve-and-volley skills to dominate proceedings, 6-4, 6-4.

As tradition dictates, Djokovic has the honor of opening play on Centre Court on Monday as the men’s defending champion. Pella will rue not capitalizing when he led 30-0 on Federer’s serve at 6-5 in the second. Feds takes the opener in a tiebreak, and the second set is also close, the Swiss star showing some great touch at the net.

At 29, the Serb is in his prime after becoming only the third man to hold all four grand slams at once, a feat he achieved by grinding his way to the French Open title three weeks ago.

Ward, making his debut on Centre Court, was unable to live with the 12-time major champion as he bageled the opening set before racing into a 3-0 lead in the second with a combination of finesse and brute force.

Elsewhere on day one at the All England Club, Venus Williams, who has equalled Amy Frazier’s record of appearing in 71 Grand Slams, is through after she ousted Croatian Donna Vekic 7-6, 6-4.

The 36-year-old Williams, the oldest woman in the draw and playing in her 19th Wimbledon, saved two set points when the 20-year-old Vekic failed to serve out the first set at 6-5.

Angelique Kerber won the “battle of the lefties” as she beat British wildcard Laura Robson 6-2, 6-2 to notch up her first Grand Slam victory since hoisting the Australian Open trophy in January.

French Open champion Garbine Muguruza also made the second round with a 6-2, 5-7, 6-4 win over Italy’s Camila Giorgi. He’ll face Britain’s James Ward, who is ranked 177th in the world and received a wild-card entry.

Ivanovic said she was suffering a right wrist injury and won t play again until the Rio Olympics.

Djokovic eventually won 6-0, 7-6, 6-4 to book his place in the second round as he attempts to defend his crown, but Ward’s gutsy fightback from the very brink of embarrassment was what lingered in the memory last night.

In other matches… Canadian Milos Raonic unleashed 27 aces to wrap up his first round encounter 7-6, 6-2, 6-4.