Novak Djokovic eases past Juan Carlos Ferrero into the second round – Wimbledon Championships 2012
Reigning world number, Novak Djokovic of Serbia, played mercilessly to thrash former top ranked player, Juan Carlos Ferrero, in straight sets 6-3, 6-3, 6-1 in the opening round at the Wimbledon Championships in London on Monday.
Djokovic, who is defending his last year’s title at the All England Club, was expected to face some resistance from the Spaniard but it did not happen.
Ferrero was first to take lead, as he snatched a break in the third game to go up 2-1 but the Serbian struck back immediately to equalise the score at 2-2. The Spaniard succeeded in winning only one game in the rest of the set
and lost it 3-6.
Djokovic did not allow his opponent to move ahead again, as he hit a blow to the Spaniard in the third game of the second set and held his subsequent serve to build a 3-1 advantage. There was no break in the following four, which
took the score to 5-3 in favour of the Serbian. Serving to stay in the set at that moment, Ferrero saved a couple of break threats but could not put away the third one, going down 3-6.
After getting two sets to love lead, Djokovic came roaring in the decider, as he broke the Spaniard in the second and fourth game, holding three of his own serves to race to a 5-0 lead. Ferrero took a sigh of relief, as he opened
his account in the sixth to break the bagel. The Spaniard created a break opportunity in the following game but could not handle Djokovic’s attacking serve, dropping it 1-6.
It was Wimbledon’s first match on the centre court and the grass was completely new. Djokovic loved to play on it and shared, "It's a very unique feeling. I think that's the first time I experienced that in my career. The grass
was untouched. It was so soft, so smooth. It was great to play in.”
Talking about the tournament and the crowd at the Wimbledon Championships, the Serbian added, "This is, in my opinion, the most respected, the most well known tennis tournament in the world. It is quieter. It feels like a theatre
in a way. But the crowd gets into it when they have reason for it. I think they have great knowledge about tennis."
Djokovic will play world number 48, Ryan Harrison of USA, in the round of 64.
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