Thursday, 27 June 2013 00:07
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Reuters: Serena Williams and Novak Djokovic proved shock-proof as a sense of order was restored on Tuesday after the tremors that rumbled around Wimbledon on opening night following Rafa Nadal’s defeat.
The top seeds limbered up on a sunny Centre Court with easy first-round wins to get their challenges underway, with Williams overpowering Luxembourg’s Mandy Minella 6-1 6-3 before Djokovic dispatched German Florian Mayer in straight sets.
A day that began with Belgium’s Steve Darcis waking up as the sport’s latest giant-slayer after his shock first round defeat of 12-times major champion Nadal on Monday, continued in far less dramatic fashion at the All England club.
The 31-year-old Williams pocketed the first set in 19 minutes against Minella and despite a slight hiccup in the second when she double-faulted to drop serve, her 32nd consecutive victory was as straightforward as they come.
Likewise, Djokovic as he outmanoeuvred Mayer, a player just outside the top 32 seeds and who he faced in the quarter-finals last year, for a 6-3 7-5 6-4 victory.
Nadal’s fourth-seeded compatriot David Ferrer, who he beat to win an eighth French Open, completed a far-from-memorable Centre Court program with a 6-1 4-6 7-5 6-2 win against Argentina’s Martin Alund despite several tumbles.
In the women’s draw, last year’s runner-up Agnieszka Radwanska, Li Na, Samantha Stosur and Angelique Kerber all progressed but 10th seed Maria Kirilenko’s form in reaching the French Open last eight vanished as she suffered a surprise 6-3 6-4 defeat by Britain’s Laura Robson.
Robson’s win staunched a flow of defeats for home players which had threatened to leave Andy Murray as the only surviving Briton in the second round. Big-serving American Sam Querrey, the 21st seed, also suffered a first-round exit, losing in five sets to Australian Bernard Tomic, having battled back from two sets down.
