Sweet sixteen as Djokovic eases into Wimbledon last 32

LONDON: Defending champion Novak Djokovic reached the Wimbledon third round for the 16th time on Wednesday with a straight sets win over Australia’s Thanasi Kokkinakis.

Djokovic, who is bidding to equal Pete Sampras as a seven-time champion at the All England Club, eased past his 79th-ranked opponent 6-1, 6-4, 6-2.

The top seed will face either fellow Serb Miomir Kecmanovic or Alejandro Tabilo of Chile for a place in the last 16.

Third seed and French Open runner-up Casper Ruud was knocked out of Wimbledon in the second round on Wednesday, going down in four sets to Ugo Humbert of France.

Ruud, bidding to become the first Norwegian player since 1962 to reach the last 32 at Wimbledon, lost 3-6, 6-2, 7-5, 6-4.

Two-time champion Murray puts his 8-0 record against Isner on the line in their second-round clash.

Former number one Murray, now down at 52 in the world, needed four sets to defeat Australia’s James Duckworth on Monday.

At one point, the British star dropped in an underarm serve to carve out a winning point, much to the delight of the Centre Court crowd.

“I don’t know why some people find it disrespectful,” said Murray.

Despite his losing record against Murray, 37-year-old Isner has never played the Briton on grass.

Isner is one of 13 American men to reach the second round, the most since 1995.

Court 12 was witnessing an emotional clash in the women’s second round as Lesia Tsurenko and Anhelina Kalinina met in an all-Ukraine clash.

For Tsurenko, the tie represents a chance to remind the world that Ukraine still needs its support as well as “heavy weapons” to fight the Russian invasion.

Britain’s US Open champion Emma Raducanu tackles France’s Caroline Garcia, who collected her third grass-court title at Bad Homburg last week. Humbert, ranked 112, had never won a match at the All England Club before this week. He will face Belgian David Goffin for a place in the last 16.

Serena’s career at a crossroads

With her 41st birthday just months away and without a Grand Slam title since 2017, Serena Williams faces searching questions over her future after a painful first-round Wimbledon exit.

The American was back on Centre Court on Tuesday after a year away from singles tennis but it was a miserable return to the scene of some of her greatest triumphs.

The 23-time major winner was cheered as she entered the court and supported throughout by a crowd desperate to see her recapture former glories against unseeded Harmony Tan of France.

But she looked a pale shadow of her former self, making 54 unforced errors in an uncharacteristically sloppy display that ended with a tame forehand dumped into the net.

Despite her lack of form and fitness, Serena, who lost 7-5, 1-6, 7-6 (10/7), looked to have the match in her grasp at various points.

She served for victory when 5-4 up in the decider and even in the tie-break raced into a 4-0 lead before her game fell apart.