LONDON: Novak Djokovic overcame an early scare before getting his bid for a sixth Wimbledon and record-equalling 20th Grand Slam title off to a winning start on Monday.
Meanwhile, rain brought havoc to the schedule, one year after the tournament was canceled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Defending champion and world number one Djokovic, looking to become just the third man in history to complete a calendar Grand Slam, claimed a 4-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 win over Britain’s 253rd-ranked Jack Draper.
However, the 34-year-old Serb struggled on the slippery Center Court surface with the roof closed above it due to the rain.
Left-handed Draper, playing just his fifth match on the main tour, saved seven of seven break points in the opener to stun the top seed.
But Djokovic soon snuffed out any danger of him becoming only the third defending champion to lose in the first round, by sweeping through the remainder of the tie.
He finished with an impressive 25 aces and 47 winners as his 19-year-old opponent, who grew up just six miles (9.5km) from the All England Club, wilted.
“He’s a youngster and I hadn’t seen him play too much prior to Queen’s and he played pretty well, won matches against high-ranked players,” said Djokovic.
“Walking onto Wimbledon Center Court for the first time, he’s done extremely well.”
Next up for Djokovic will be either former runner-up Kevin Anderson or Chilean qualifier Marcelo Tomas Barrios Vera.
It was the 34-year-old Djokovic’s first match on the court since his epic five-set win over Roger Federer in the 2019 final, the longest title match in tournament history and where he saved two championship points.
His match on Monday was preceded by a standing ovation for Professor Sarah Gilbert, one of the key scientists behind the Oxford Asra-Zeneca Covid-19 vaccine who was a special guest in the Royal Box.
Wimbledon looks very different with Covid-19 protocols in place and a 50 percent capacity until finals day, but one familiar feature was the summer rain.
Play on the outside courts started five hours late with 16 of the day’s scheduled 64 matches canceled until Tuesday.
Belarus second seed Aryna Sabalenka had the honor of being the first winner at the tournament in two years when she downed Romanian qualifier Monica Niculescu 6-1, 6-4 under the roof of Court One.
Sabalenka fired 48 winners past Niculescu.
Elsewhere on Monday, Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas, promoted to third seed in the absence of Rafael Nadal, has a tough opener against 57th-ranked Frances Tiafoe of the United States.
Tiafoe won a second-tier grass court Challenger event in Nottingham this month before making the quarter-finals at Queen’s Club.
Tsitsipas, who lost a five-set final to Djokovic at the French Open two weeks ago, made the last 16 at Wimbledon in 2018.
However, he was a first-round loser two years ago and comes into Wimbledon with just 15 matches on grass in his career.
Two-time champion Andy Murray is on Center Court against Georgia’s Nikoloz Basilashvili, a semifinalist in Halle.
Murray, now ranked at 118, is playing his first singles match at Wimbledon since 2017 after a lengthy battle with hip and groin injuries.
Petra Kvitova, the 2011 and 2014 champion, starts against former US Open winner Sloane Stephens.
Players are confined to a hotel ‘bubble’ in central London this year.
However, there have already been two virus-related withdrawals.
Britain’s Johanna Konta was identified as a close contact of a positive coronavirus case and will have to self-isolate.
The world number 31, a semifinalist at the tournament in 2017, had been drawn to face Katerina Siniakova of the Czech Republic.
The 30-year-old’s place will be taken by 123rd-ranked lucky loser Wang Yafan of China.
On Saturday, former men’s doubles champion Frederik Nielsen was forced to withdraw after also being identified as a close contact.
“This is not unexpected,” said All England Club chief executive Sally Bolton.
“It’s terribly sad for the players but it’s something we plan for. We have protocols in place.”
Djokovic slides to victory as Wimbledon makes soggy return
https://arab.news/y4a3m
Djokovic slides to victory as Wimbledon makes soggy return
- The 34-year-old Serb struggled on the slippery Centre Court surface with the roof closed above it due to the rain
- He finished with an impressive 25 aces and 47 winners
Barcelona win record 16th Spanish Super Cup title after end-to-end El Clasico in Jeddah
- 60,326 fans witness thrilling El Clasico final at Al-Inma Stadium
- 3 goals in first-half stoppage time mark Saudi Arabia encounter
JEDDAH: To describe the latest edition of El Clasico in Jeddah as a night to remember would be a severe understatement.
Barcelona extended their record at the top of the Spanish Super Cup honors table, claiming a 16th title with a dramatic 3-2 victory over Real Madrid in another unforgettable chapter of football in Saudi Arabia.
The night began with a striking opening ceremony, featuring a light show and holographic projections across the sky. “From Jeddah, We Celebrate You,” read one message, as fans illuminated Al-Inma Stadium in shades of blue, red and white.
Despite the scoreline, the opening half hour was relatively subdued. Barcelona held nearly 80 percent of the ball, but clear chances were limited. A “Messi” chant by Barcelona fans in the 10th minute was one of the few moments to break the tension.
It was a Raphinha miss that ended up igniting the proceedings. Lamine Yamal threaded a curling through-ball in the 34th minute that found the Brazilian one-on-one with Thibaut Courtois, only for his effort to be dragged wide of the post.
Only seconds later did Barcelona capitalize. Fermin Lopez’s press won the ball back in Real Madrid’s half, laying it off to Raphinha, who took a few touches before striking past Courtois through Aurelien Tchouameni’s legs to open the scoring.
Few expected an immediate response, but Vinicius Jr. delivered one. Collecting the ball on the edge of Barcelona’s half, the Brazilian carried it over 60 meters toward goal before evading Jules Kounde and Pau Cubarsi to finish past Joan Garcia in the second minute of first-half stoppage time.
Barcelona struck back instantly. Pedri, spotting Robert Lewandowski’s movement between the Real Madrid center-backs, laid off a through-ball to release him with perfect timing as the Polish striker delicately lobbed it past Courtois to restore the Blaugrana’s lead.
The frantic first half, however, did not end there. In the final moments of stoppage time, Rodrygo’s corner was met by Dean Huijsen, whose header crashed off the crossbar. Amid the scramble for the rebound, Gonzalo Garcia reacted quickest to fire in the goal and bring Los Merengues back on level terms.
The second half unfolded at a more controlled pace, with both sides mindful of the spaces left exposed earlier. Vinicius remained Real Madrid’s most dangerous outlet — cutting in from the left on multiple occasions — while Yamal and Raphinha continued to torment the opposition in the channels.
The most anticipated player of the night was yet to enter the pitch. As Kylian Mbappe took to the sidelines to warm up, the crowd roared its appreciation.
The din did not die down, as a controversial tackle by Raul Asencio on Pedri on the counter right after, led to a loud response from fans and players, before the referee settled on a yellow.
Despite four goals scored, the goalkeepers dominated the proceedings, with Courtois and Garcia combining for 11 saves on the night.
Ultimately, one of them was beaten. As Raphinha aimed for a shot outside the box in the 73rd minute, he slipped as he struck the ball, only for his shot to deflect off Asencio, wrong-footing Courtois and finding the net for what proved to be the winner.
Xabi Alonso introduced Mbappe soon after, but there was only so much the Frenchman could do with little preparation and less than 15 minutes remaining. Real Madrid pressed late, only to be repeatedly denied by Garcia.
Drama returned in stoppage time when Frenkie de Jong was sent off following a heavy challenge on Mbappe, leaving Barcelona to defend with 10 men. It was now or never for Los Blancos.
In the fifth minute of stoppage time, they threw numbers forward, causing confusion following a low cross by Arda Guler, but Alvaro Carreras’ effort went straight to the hands of Garcia.
One final chance followed. Mbappe received the ball from a corner, lifting it toward Asencio on the edge of the 5.5-meter box for a clear header at goal.
Garcia, however, would rise once more to make his seventh and final save of the match, sealing victory for Barcelona and confirming their record-extending 16th Spanish Super Cup title.
