LONDON: Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic barely had to break sweat to make winning starts at Wimbledon as their injury-hit opponents retired hurt from their first-round matches on Tuesday.

Federer is chasing a record eighth Wimbledon title and he was already well on top at the start of his 19th All England Club campaign when Alexandr Dolgopolov was forced to quit with an ankle injury.

The world number three raced into a 6-3, 3-0 in 43 minutes on Centre Court before the Ukrainian limped off.

Federer, who hit his 10,000th career ace in the eighth game of the first set, will face either Dusan Lajovic of Serbia or Greek qualifier Stefanos Tsitsipas for a place in the last 32.

Having unexpectedly won the Australian Open in January before taking the clay-court season off to rest, Federer, making a record-equalling 70th Grand Slam appearance, is the favourite to take the Wimbledon crown for the first time since 2012.

Djokovic, a three-time Wimbledon champion, was leading 6-3, 2-0 when Slovakian world number 47 Martin Klizan retired after just 40 minutes on Centre Court due to a calf problem.

The 30-year-old Serb will face Adam Pavlasek of the Czech Republic for a place in the last 32.

It was the kind of trouble-free first round Djokovic would have been hoping for after the most turbulent period of his career, the 12-time major winner losing in the Australian Open second round and the French Open quarter-finals.

In women’s play, world number one and top seed Angelique Kerber of Germany showed glimpses of her best form as she saw off American qualifier Irina Falconi 6-4, 6-4.

Milos Raonic advanced to the second round with a 7-6 (7-5), 6-2, 7-6 (7-4) win against Jan-Lennard Struff.

Big-serving Raonic became the first Canadian man to make a Grand Slam final with his impressive Wimbledon run 12 months ago before losing the title match to Andy Murray.

Argentina’s Juan Martin Del Potro, a semi-finalist in 2013, defeated Australian Thanasi Kokkinakis 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (7-2), 6-4 as the 29th seed moved towards a potential third round classic against Djokovic.

French 22nd seed Richard Gasquet slumped to a 6-3, 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 loss against Spain’s David Ferrer.

In the women’s draw, Karolina Pliskova underlined why she is the bookmakers’ favourite to win Wimbledon as the world number three crushed Evgeniya Rodina 6-1, 6-4.

The 25-year-old Czech emerged as a potential star when she reached the US Open final last year and she has followed up on that breakthrough by making the French Open semi-finals last month.

Former French Open champion Garbine Muguruza, the 14th seed, defeated Russia’s Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-2, 6-4.

Stan Wawrinka’s Wimbledon hopes were shredded in a blitz of heavy artillery fire as Russian Daniil Medvedev, making his Wimbledon debut, ousted the fifth seed in the first round with a stunning display of power hitting late on Monday.

Three-time Grand Slam champion Wawrinka was thoroughly out-gunned by 21-year-old Medvedev 6-4, 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 victory.

Tuesday’s results (prefix number denotes seeding):

Men’s singles:

First round: 17-Jack Sock (US) bt Christian Garin (Chile) 6-3, 4-6, 7-6(4), 6-3; 10-Alexander Zverev (Germany) bt Evgeny Donskoy (Russia) 6-4, 7-6(3), 6-3; Marcos Baghdatis (Cyprus) bt James Ward (Britain) 6-4, 6-4, 6-3; Yuichi Sugita (Japan) bt Brydan Klein (Britain) 7-6(5), 6-3, 6-0; Andrey Rublev (Russia) bt Stefano Travaglia (Italy) 6-7(3), 6-3, 7-5, 1-6, 7-5; Gilles Simon (France) bt Nicolas Jarry (Chile) 7-6(4), 6-3, 6-3; 2-Novak Djokovic (Serbia) bt Martin Klizan (Slovakia) 6-3, 2-0 — Klizan retired; 25-Albert Ramos (Spain) bt Jordan Thompson (Australia) 6-4, 6-4, 7-6(4); 6-Milos Raonic (Canada) bt Jan-Lennard Struff (Germany) 7-6(5), 6-2, 7-6(4); 15-Gael Monfils (France) bt Daniel Brands (Germany) 6-3, 7-5, 6-4; 29-Juan Martin del Potro (Argentina) bt Thanasi Kokkinakis (Australia) 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(2), 6-4; Radu Albot (Moldova) bt Facundo Bagnis (Argentina) 4-6, 6-4, 7-6(9), 7-6(3); Steve Darcis (Belgium) bt Ricardas Berankis (Lithuania) 4-6, 6-3, 2-6, 6-4, 6-3; David Ferrer (Spain) bt 22-Richard Gasquet (France) 6-3, 6-4, 5-7, 6-2; Mikhail Kukushkin (Kazakhstan) bt Taro Daniel (Japan) 4-6, 6-4, 7-6(4), 6-2; Mikhail Youzhny (Russia) bt Nicolas Mahut (France) 6-2, 7-5, 6-4; Kyle Edmund (Britain) bt Alexander Ward (Britain) 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-1; Adam Pavlasek (Czech Republic) bt Ernesto Escobedo (US) 6-7(7), 6-1, 6-3, 6-1; Ernests Gulbis (Latvia) bt Victor Estrella (Dominican Republic) 6-1, 6-1, 6-2; 27-Mischa Zverev (Germany) bt Bernard Tomic (Australia) 6-4, 6-3, 6-4; 3-Roger Federer (Switzerland) bt Alexandr Dolgopolov (Ukraine) 6-3, 3-0 — Dolgopolov retired.

Women’s singles:

First round: Shelby Rogers (US) bt Julia Boserup (US) 6-3, 4-6, 6-3; Alison Riske (US) bt Sloane Stephens (US) 6-2, 7-5; 29-Daria Kasatkina (Russia) bt Zheng Saisai (China) 6-2, 6-4; Christina McHale (US) bt Katie Boulter (Britain) 3-6, 7-5, 6-3; 3-Karolina Pliskova (Czech Republic) bt Evgeniya Rodina (Russia) 6-1, 6-4; Denisa Allertova (Czech Republic) bt Risa Ozaki (Japan) 7-6(5), 2-6, 6-3; 9-Agnieszka Radwanska (Poland) bt Jelena Jankovic (Serbia) 7-6(3), 6-0; Yanina Wickmayer (Belgium) bt Kateryna Bondarenko (Ukraine) 6-2, 7-5; Polona Hercog (Slovenia) bt Annika Beck (Germany) 6-2, 6-1; Petra Martic (Croatia) bt 20-Daria Gavrilova (Australia) 6-4, 2-6, 10-8; Viktorija Golubic (Switzerland) bt 30-Zhang Shuai (China) 6-3, 6-7(2), 6-1; Zarina Diyas (Kazakhstan) bt Han Xinyun (China) 6-3, 6-4; Varvara Lepchenko (US) bt 28-Lauren Davis (US) 6-4, 7-5; 14-Garbine Muguruza Blanco (Spain) bt Ekaterina Alexandrova (Russia) 6-2, 6-4; Kirsten Flipkens (Belgium) bt Misaki Doi (Japan) 6-4, 6-3; 1-Angelique Kerber (Germany) bt Irina Falconi (US) 6-4, 6-4; Arina Rodionova (Australia) bt 16-Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (Russia) 3-6, 7-6(6), 9-7; Sorana Cirstea (Romania) bt 23-Kiki Bertens (Netherlands) 7-6(4), 7-5; Bethanie Mattek-Sands (US) bt Magda Linette (Poland) 1-6, 6-2, 6-3; 24-CoCo Vandeweghe (US) bt Mona Barthel (Germany) 7-5, 6-2; Magdalena Rybarikova (Slovakia) bt Monica Niculescu (Romania) 6-4, 6-1; Tatjana Maria (Germany) bt Anastasia Potapova (Russia) 6-3, 2-2 — Potapova retired.

Monday’s remaining results:

Men’s singles:

First round: Aljaz Bedene (Britain) bt 21-Ivo Karlovic (Croatia) 6-7 (5-7), 7-6(8-6), 6-7 (7-9), 7-6 (9-7), 8-6; 26-Steve Johnson (US) bt Nicolas Kicker (Argentina) 6-4, 7-5, 6-3; Daniil Medvedev (Russia) bt 5-Stan Wawrinka (Switzerland) 6-4, 3-6, 6-4, 6-1; Ruben Bemelmans (Belgium) bt Tommy Haas (Germany) 6-2, 3-6, 6-3, 7-5; Damir Dzumhur (Bosnia and Herzegovina) bt Renzo Olivo (Argentina) 6-2, 6-0, 6-1; 16-Gilles Muller (Luxembourg) bt Marton Fucsovics (Hungary) 7-5, 6-4, 6-2; Lukas Rosol (Czech Republic) bt Henri Laaksonen (Switzerland) 4-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-4; 28-Fabio Fognini (Italy) bt Dmitry Tursunov (Russia) 6-1, 6-3, 6-3.

Women’s singles:

First round: 13-Jelena Ostapenko (Latvia) bt Aliaksandra Sasnovich (Belarus) 6-0, 1-6, 6-3; 15-Elena Vesnina (Russia) bt Anna Blinkova (Russia) 6-4, 5-7, 6-2; 25-Carla Suarez Navarro (Spain) bt Eugenie Bouchard (Canada) 1-6, 6-1, 6-1; Victoria Azarenka (Belarus) bt Catherine Bellis (US) 3-6, 6-2, 6-1; Donna Vekic (Croatia) bt Natalia Vikhlyantseva (Russia) 6-7 (6-8), 6-4, 6-1; Peng Shuai (China) bt Marketa Vondrousova (Czech Republic) 6-7 (5-7), 6-0, 6-4; 27-Ana Konjuh (Croatia) bt Sabine Lisicki (Germany) 6-1, 6-4; 18-Anastasija Sevastova (Latvia) bt Yulia Putintseva (Kazakhstan) 6-1, 7-6 (7-3); Irina Begu (Romania) bt Naomi Broady (Britain) 6-4, 6-2; Heather Watson (Britain) bt Maryna Zanevska (Belgium) 6-1, 7-6 (7-5); 6-Johanna Konta (Britain) bt Hsieh Su-Wei (Taiwan) 6-2, 6-2; Ana Bogdan (Romania) bt Duan Yingying (China) 6-4, 6-2; Francoise Abanda (Canada) bt Kurumi Nara (Japan) 6-2, 6-4; Jennifer Brady (US) bt Danka Kovinic (Montenegro) 6-3, 6-1 Madison Brengle (US) bt Richel Hogenkamp (Netherlands) 6-3, 6-3; 8-Dominika Cibulkova (Slovakia) bt Andrea Petkovic (Germany) 6-3, 3-6, 9-7; 21-Caroline Garcia (France) bt Jana Cepelova (Slovakia) 6-1, 6-1.

Published in Dawn, July 5th, 2017