LONDON: World number one Rafael Nadal breezed into the Wimbledon second round on Tuesday with a 6-3, 6-3, 6-2 win over Israel’s Dudi Sela as the Spaniard returned to action for the first time since claiming his 11th French Open title.

Nadal, the Wimbledon champion in 2008 and 2010, also managed to avoid falling victim to a player ranked outside the world top 100 for what would have been the fifth time in his last six visits to the All England Club.

Argentine fifth seed Juan Martin del Potro made it nine first round wins in nine appearances at the tournament, breezing past Germany’s Peter Gojowczyk 6-3, 6-4, 6-3.

Del Potro next faces Feliciano Lopez of Spain who set a record of playing 66 consecutive Grand Slams when he eased past Federico Delbonis of Argentina 6-3, 6-4, 6-2.

German fourth seed Alexander Zverev eased past world number 748 James Duckworth of Australia 7-5, 6-2, 6-0.

Spain’s Garbine Muguruza opened her women’s title defence with a 6-2, 7-5 win over wild card Naomi Broady. Elsewhere, Angelique Kerber saw off fellow former Wimbledon runner-up Vera Zvonareva 7-5, 6-3.

But twice former champion Petra Kvitova slumped out in the first round, beaten by inspired world number 50 Aliaksandra Sasnovich of Belarus 6-4, 4-6, 6-0.

Tuesday’s results (prefix number denotes seeding):

Men’s singles:

First round: 2-Rafael Nadal (Spain) bt Dudi Sela (Israel) 6-3, 6-3, 6-2; Frances Tiafoe (US) bt 30-Fernando Verdasco (Spain) 7-6 (8-6), 7-6 (7-5), 3-6, 6-3; Bradley Kahn (US) bt Yuichi Sugita (Japan), 2-6, 7-6 (8-6), 6-2, 6-2; 15-Nick Kyrgios (Australia) bt Denis Istomin (Uzbekistan) 7-6 (7-3), 7-6 (7-4), 6-7 (5-7), 6-3; Robin Haase (Netherlands) bt Marius Copil (Romania) 7-6 (7-0), 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (7-4); Bernard Tomic (Australia) bt Hubert Hurkacz (Poland) 6-4, 6-2, 7-6 (7-2); Radu Albot (Moldova) bt 20-Pablo Carreno-Busta (Spain) 3-6, 6-0, 6-7 (5-7), 6-2, 6-1; 21-Kyle Edmund (Great Britain) bt Alex Bolt (Australia) 6-2, 6-3, 7-5; 24-Kei Nishikori (Japan) bt Christian Harrison (US) 6-2, 4-6, 7-6 (7-3), 6-2; 27-Damir Dzumhur (Bosnia and Herzegovina) bt Maximilian Marterer (Germany) 6-3, 6-2, 6-4; Ernests Gulbis (Latvia) bt Jay Clarke (Great Britain) 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7-3), 3-6, 6-4; 4-Alexander Zverev (Germany) bt James Duckworth (Australia) 7-5, 6-2, 6-0; 5-Juan Martin Del Potro (Argentina) bt Peter Gojowczyk (Germany) 6-3, 6-4, 6-3; Feliciano Lopez (Spain) bt Federico Delbonis (Argentina) 6-3, 6-4, 6-2; 14-Diego Schwartzman (Argentina) bt Mirza Basic (Bosnia and Herzegovina) 6-3, 6-2, 6-1; Taylor Fritz (US) bt Lorenzo Sonego (Italy) 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2; Stephane Robert (France) bt Albert Ramos-Vinolas (Spain) 7-6 (7-5), 6-2, 6-1; Matthew Ebden (Australia) bt 10-David Goffin (Belgium) 6-4, 6-3, 6-4; Jiri Vesely (Czech Republic) bt Florian Mayer (Germany) 7-6 (7-3), 6-4, 4-6, 6-1; Simone Bolelli (Italy) bt Pablo Cuevas (Uruguay) 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (8-6), 6-1.

Women’s singles:

First round: Aliaksandra Sasnovich (Belarus) bt 8-Petra Kvitova (Czech Republic) 6-4, 4-6, 6-0; Lara Arruabarrena (Spain) bt Ana Bogdan (Romania) 6-1, 3-6, 8-6; Hsieh Su-Wei (Taiwan) bt 30-Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (Russia) 6-4, 4-6, 6-3; 22-Johanna Konta (Great Britain) bt Natalia Vikhlyantseva (Russia) 7-5, 7-6 (9-7); Dominika Cibulkova (Slovakia) bt Alize Cornet (France) 7-6 (7-3), 6-1; 26-Daria Gavrilova (Australia) bt Caroline Dolehide (US) 6-2, 6-3; Samantha Stosur (Australia) bt Peng Shuai (China) 6-4, 7-5; 3-Garbine Muguruza (Spain) bt Naomi Broady (Great Britain) 6-2, 7-5; Alison Van Uytvanck (Belgium) bt Polona Hercog (Slovakia) 6-2, 6-2; 28-Anett Kontaveit (Estonia) bt Denisa Allertova (Czech Republic) 6-2, 6-2; 17-Ashleigh Barty (Australia) bt Stefanie Voegele (Switzerland) 7-5, 6-3; 11-Angelique Kerber (Germany) bt Vera Zvonareva (Russia) 7-5, 6-3; Claire Liu (US) bt Ana Konjuh (Croatia) 6-2, 6-7 (2-7), 6-3; Vera Lapko (Belarus bt Christina McHale (US) 5-7, 7-5, 7-5; Taylor Townsend (US) bt Pauline Parmentier (France) 6-2, 6-4; Jennifer Brady (US) bt Kateryna Kozlova (Ukraine) 6-2, 6-7 (4-7), 6-2; Eugenie Bouchard (Canada) bt Gabriella Taylor (Great Britain) 6-0, 4-6, 6-3; Claire Liu (US) bt Ana Konjuh, Croatia, 6-2, 6-7 (2-7), 6-3.

Monday’s remaining results:

Men’s singles:

First round: Luks Lacko (Slovakia) bt Benjamin Bonzi (France) 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7-5), 6-4; Ivo Karlovic (Croatia) bt Mikhail Youzhny (Russia) 4-6, 7-5, 7-6 (9-7), 6-3; 22-Adrian Mannarino (France) bt Christian Garn (Chile) 6-3, 1-6, 7-6 (7-4), 6-2; Ryan Harrison (US) bt Roberto Carballs (Spain) 6-1, 6-4, 6-2; Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (Spain) bt Gastao Elias (Portugal) 6-2, 6-4, 6-2; Paolo Lorenzi (Italy) bt Laslo Djere (Serbia) 7-6 (7-1), 6-7 (3-7), 6-2, 6-4; Gael Monfils (France) bt 23-Richard Gasquet (France) 7-6 (8-6), 7-5, 6-4; Andreas Seppi (Italy) bt John-Patrick Smith (Australia) 6-2, 6-4, 6-1; 8-Kevin Anderson (South Africa) bt Norbert Gombos (Slovakia) 6-3, 6-4, 6-4; Guido Pella (Argentina) bt Jason Kubler (Australia) 6-4, 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (7-3); Mackenzie McDonald (US) bt Ricardas Berankis (Lithuania) 4-6, 7-6 (8-6), 6-3, 7-6 (8-6); John Millman (Australia) bt Stefano Travaglia (Italy) 6-7 (6-8), 6-3, 7-5, 6-2; Ruben Bemelmans (Belgium) bt Steve Johnson (US) 7-5, 6-3, 4-6, 6-7 (0-7), 8-6; Aljaz Bedene (Slovakia) bt Cameron Norrie (Great Britain) 4-6, 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (7-4), 6-4; 31-Stefanos Tsitsipas (Greece) bt Gregoire Barrere (France) 6-3, 6-4, 6-7 (3-7), 7-5; Jared Donaldson (US) bt Malek Jaziri (Tunisia) 7-6 (7-5), 6-3, 6-1; Thomas Fabbiano (Italy) bt Yuki Bhambri (India) 2-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-2; Stan Wawrinka (Switzerland) bt 6-Grigor Dimitrov (Bulgaria) 1-6, 7-6 (7-3), 7-6 (7-5), 6-4

Women’s singles:

First round: Katie Swan (Great Britain) bt Irina Camelia Begu (Romania) 6-2, 6-2; 29-Mihaela Buzarnescu (Romania) bt Aryna Sabalenka (Belarus) 6-7 (3-7), 6-1, 6-4; 20-Kiki Bertens (Netherlands) bt Barbora Stefkova (Czech Republic) 6-3, 6-2; Anna Blinkova (Russia) bt Wang Yafan (China) 6-7 (4-7), 6-4, 6-4; 13-Julia Goerges (Germany) bt Monica Puig (Puerto Rico) 6-4, 7-6 (9-7); Lesia Tsurenko (Ukraine) bt Timea Babos (Hungary) 7-5, 6-2; 13-Barbora Strycova (Czech Republic) bt Svetlana Kuznetsova (Russia) 7-6 (8-6), 7-5; Andrea Petkovic (Germany) bt 31-Zhang Shuai (China) 6-4, 4-6, 6-2; Rebecca Peterson (Sweden) bt Viktoria Kuzmova (Slovakia) 7-6 (7-3), 7-6 (11-9); Tatjana Maria (Germany) bt 5-Elina Svitolina (Ukraine) 7-6 (7-3), 4-6, 6-1; Kristina Mladenovic (France) bt Anna Karolina Schmiedlova (Slovakia) 5-7, 6-2, 6-2; Viktoriya Tomova (Bulgaria) bt Tereza Smitkova (Czech Republic) 7-6 (7-3), 6-1; 25-Serena Williams (US) bt Arantxa Rus (Netherlands) 7-5, 6-3; Katerina Siniakova (Czech Republic) bt 16-Coco Vandeweghe (US) 6-7 (3-7), 6-3, 8-6; Ons Jabeur (Tunisia) bt Viktorija Golubic (Switzerland) 2-6, 6-3, 6-3; Madison Brengle (US) bt Aleksandra Krunic (Serbia) 2-6, 6-3, 6-3; 32-Agnieszka Radwanska (Poland) bt Gabriela Ruse (Romania) 6-3, 4-6, 7-5; Lucie Safarova (Czech Republic) bt Kateryna Bondarenko (Ukraine) 6-4, 6-4.

Published in Dawn, July 4th, 2018