Australian Nick Kyrgios delivered a devastating serving masterclass at Wimbledon on Thursday as he blasted past Serbia’s Filip Krajinovic 6-2 6-3 6-1 in 85 minutes to charge into the third round.
There were none of the complaints or run-ins with fans that were of a feature of his first-round match – Kyrgios barely had time – as he pounded down 24 aces, with only one double fault overall, taking the first set without dropping a point.
Krajinovic, ranked 31st but seen as a dangerous floater on grass after reach the Queens Club final earlier this month, could do nothing in the face of the barrage as Kyrgios did not let up from start to finish. “I was in my zone today, I couldn’t have played better,” he said. “It’s a tournament where I feel it’s my chance to win a Grand Slam, but I’ll take it game-by-game.”
Kvitova survives wobble to reach Wimbledon third round
Twice former champion Petra Kvitova overcame a second-set wobble to reach the Wimbledon third round with a 6-1 7-6(5) defeat of Romanian Ana Bogdan on Thursday. The big-hitting Czech, seeded 25th, was cruising at 6-1 5-1 but Bogdan staged a remarkable comeback.
Kvitova had a match point when serving at 5-4 but was broken for the second time in a row as Bogdan levelled.
Bogdan then had two set points as Kvitova served at 5-6, one saved with an ace, the other with a forehand winner.
A relieved Kvitova finally got the job done in the tiebreak when Bogdan’s backhand found the net under pressure.
Kvitova, champion at Wimbledon in 2011 and 2014, will now play Spain’s fourth seed Paula Badosa who enjoyed a comfortable 6-3 6-2 win over Irina Bara, also of Romania. Since winning her second title, Kvitova has only managed to reach the Wimbledon fourth round on one occasion but is in good form after winning the Eastbourne grasscourt title last week.
