Wimbledon Day 2

First topic message reminder :

Still some British interest today with both Robson and Watson in action today. Serena Williams starts her title defence today.
 
Djokovic, Ferrer, Del Potro and Berdych are also in action.
 
They have a tough act to follow with yesterdays play.
 
Will another top player bite the bullet today?

http://www.wimbledon.com/en_GB/scores/schedule/

this is fantastic from Robson - looks really assured out there!

Amazing play from Laura. Show what happens when her serve is reliable. Looks like Miles is working already!!

The crowd need tranquilising!

double break!!!!

She likes the big time it would seem.

She is playing excellent tennis

Come on , Laura!

Grit from Kirilenko

Djokovic through in straight sets winning 6-3 7-5 6-4. A tricky opponent dispatched pretty well.

Court 1 has been the place to be so far this week!

Dolgopolov safely through in three sets.

Very good performance from Novak.

Mayer played well but couldn't really make a dent.

I'm particularly thrilled that Novak made 2 out of 2 overhead smashes and played a few net points without running into the net!

Laura has 2 match points

She only needs 1!!!

Well won Laura!

Well done, Robson!

A rare sight at Wimbledon these days...an English victory.

brilliant Laura

Well played Laura.

She needs to build on this now and if so she could get through to the second week.

Laura is a higher rank than Duque-Marino, her next opponent. She should beat her but will the pressure of being the favourite tell?

Well played Laura. Great stuff.

Gasquets lost the first set to Granollers... oh god...

Lovely stuff from Robson

Of course, if Robson serves like that and hits her lines like that again, she could go deep...

Is it just me, or does Virginia Wade really look like John Inverdale?

ChequeredJersey wrote:Laura is a higher rank than Duque-Marino, her next opponent. She should beat her but will the pressure of being the favourite tell?

A very fair and valid point. It is easier to play and win as an underdog with no expectation than when things are expected. Laura's next match is against a qualifier and the spotlight and expectation will be on her and in the past she has not done too well in those situations to be honest. I hope that changes.

I wonder which court her match will be scheduled on - would be lovely for a qualifier to have a chance to step onto one of the show courts.

However, the crowd will definitely be on her side and she does know how to win at Wimbledon thanks to the Olympics...

Dimitrov in firm control against Bolelli. He leads 6-1 6-4.

Ah I've been out all afternoon.  I missed Laura.  At least this way I should hear Ginny say "Laura" in the next round.

Ferrer in a bit of a scrap now level at one set all.

I've been keeping an eye on the Gasquet and Raonic matches.

Raonic is looking impregnable on serve, as he often does, and is working court position well to hit the forehand - getting some good angles. His serving will cause anyone problems on this surface, none of the top players are going to want to face this barrage. Looks a bit weak low down on the backhand though, as you'd expect - and Berlocq is relatively limited in terms of opposition. Still, Raonic two sets and a break up, looking very comfortable.

Gasquet was apparently feeling unwell earlier, and really doesn't look himself at all. Very agitated and getting irritated over small things, most unlike him - looks like he's making tough work of it physically too. Granollers isn't the easiest draw to get in the first round, he's providing very decent opposition and has been displaying some good net play. I'm shocked at how at ease he looks on grass, impressive from the seed plough! Currently 1-1, 5-5.

Britain's Tami Moore putting up a good fight. She lost the first set against Kanepi (Estonia) 7-5 but is a break up in the second set leading 4-3.

Order of play for tomorrow:-

Centre Court (13:00 UK start)

Pennetta (ITA)
v
Azarenka (BLR)
2 Women's Singles
6
Tsonga (FRA)
v
Gulbis (LAT)
Men's Singles

Stakhovsky (UKR)
v
Federer (SUI)
3 Men's Singles

No.1 Court (13:00 UK start)

Verdasco (SPA)
v
Benneteau (FRA)
31 Men's Singles

Lu (TPE)
v
Murray (GB)
2 Men's Singles
8
Kvitova (CZE)
v
Shvedova (KAZ)
Women's Singles

Murray on 1 tomorrow.

And woe betide thine ears if you have Court 2 tickets tomorrow, you may get Brown and Hewitt, but you also get Larcher De Brito v Sharapova. AGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.

One of my favourite players is warming up - Pironkova! Looking at her grass court record versus every other surface is just bizarre, she must be the only grass specialist on the WTA. Not too often that the world number 72 is provisional favourite against #21, she could spring yet another upset today.

Cheers for that Craig 

Here, have Lisicki and Schiavone got a court yet. Sabine a joy to watch on grass, plays the game with a smile.

Silver wrote:One of my favourite players is warming up - Pironkova! Looking at her grass court record versus every other surface is just bizarre, she must be the only grass specialist on the WTA. Not too often that the world number 72 is provisional favourite against #21, she could spring yet another upset today.

Cheers for that Craig 

Plus she's tasty. I remember the year she beat Venus for the first time she only won something like 6 matches from one Wimbledon to the next. It's quite remarkable.

Tsonga Gulbis! oooh hoo hoo that could be a treat!

Deliciano's picked up where he left off against Simon. If he gets the win today, it should give him a crack at Haas in round 3. Elsewhere, Wang won!!

Yes Juan Wang won. (What a mouthful)

The Special Juan wrote:

Silver wrote:One of my favourite players is warming up - Pironkova! Looking at her grass court record versus every other surface is just bizarre, she must be the only grass specialist on the WTA. Not too often that the world number 72 is provisional favourite against #21, she could spring yet another upset today.

Cheers for that Craig 

Plus she's tasty.  I remember the year she beat Venus for the first time she only won something like 6 matches from one Wimbledon to the next.  It's quite remarkable.

Always helps! You're right though, it is remarkable. She's already up a break, her play reminds me a lot of Radwanska; no power, but plenty of craft and angles. Loving this match

Moore seals the second set 7-5.

Great to see Robson win today. 

Moore holding her own as well.

Ferrer wearing down Alund and on the verge of a four sets win. Moore sadly a break down and trails 3-0 in the deciding set.

Berdy flying high into round 2......

Gasquet beats Granollers in 4, tougher match than expected but he's through. Couple of long matches elsewhere, with Tomic beating Querrey and Seppi coming past Istomin in 5; both the winners won the first two sets in TBs, before having to stop a comeback.

Pironkova deals out baked goods to Pavlyuchenkova, 6-0 first set and now up a break 3-1.

Trainer called for Moore.

Giant-killer Darcis v Kubot has been consigned to the car-park (aka Court 17). Absolute travesty, I say!

Quite the contrast to Rosol last year LF, though admittedly he was playing a more marquee name! Speaking of which, Kohli retired in the fifth earlier due to flu-related exhaustion, apparently. I think a few of us had him going deep...

Pironkova just annihilated a player ranked 50 places above her, 6-0 6-1. 19-2 winners to errors, awesome performance. First time I've ever bet on a tennis match, I may quit while I'm ahead

Miss Radwanska currently 4-1 up after being broken in her opening service game.

Sadly Moore is out losing 5-7 7-5 5-7. She pu up a great fight though.

Really gripping 3rd set tiebreak between Lopez and Simon, 11-11 currently. Simon needs to win this to stay in the match.

All over, Lopez wins in straights. Great performance.

Lopez closes it on the third MP when Simon goes long. Very good TB.