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Djokovic, Sharapova, Williams reach third round in record heat

Xinhua, July 2, 2015 Adjust font size:

Novak Djokovic, Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams all swept into the third round in a record heat at the Wimbledon Championships here on Wednesday.

Top seed Djokovic rolled past Finland's Jarkko Nieminen 6-4, 6-2, 6-3, setting up a third-round clash with Australia's 27th seed Bernard Tomic.

With the Center Court temperatures reaching over 35 degrees Celsius, the 33-year-old Finn, playing his last Wimbledon, put on a good display in the first set, but it was the defending champion who prevailed in 92 minutes.

"I would rate my performance as probably seven or eight out of 10," said Djokovic. "Very solid. I did just enough to win in straight sets. He started very aggressive. I managed to stay calm, and started playing more freely. The heat wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. People were predicting really difficult conditions."

Women's top seed Serena Williams produced a commanding performance to dismiss Hungary's Timea Babos 6-4, 6-1 in 59 minutes. She will take on Britain's Heather Watson in the third round.

"I am definitely playing well, which I never say," she said after the match.

Serena might face her sister Venus in the fourth round as the five-time Wimbledon winner beat Yulia PUtintseva of Kazakhstan 7-6 (5), 6-4.

Fourth seed Maria Sharapova of Russia also advanced to the third round by beating easily Richel Hogenkamp of the Netherlands 6-3, 6-1.

Bulgaria's Grigor Dimitrov, Sharapova's boyfriend and last year's semifinalist, also advanced with a 7-6 (10-8), 6-2, 7-6 (7-2) win over American Steve Johnson.

Earlier, Colombian Santiago Giraldo, ranked 60th in the world, became the first man to reach the third round after Japan's Kei Nishikori pulled out with a calf injury.

French Open champion Stan Wawrinka eased his way past Victor Estrella Burgos, 6-3, 6-4, 7-5 as the sweat dripped from his face.

Women's seventh seed Ana Ivanovic, who reached the last four at Wimbledon in 2007, suffered an upset defeat to American qualifier Bethanie Mattek-Sands 6-3, 6-4. Enditem