Eight-time champion Roger Federer reached the Wimbledon second round for a 17th successive year on Tuesday, overcoming a first set blip to beat South Africa’s Lloyd Harris.
Federer, 37 and bidding to become the oldest Grand Slam champion, claimed a 3-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 win over the 86th-ranked Harris who was making his debut.
Harris’s challenge was eventually compromised by needing treatment on a left calf strain.
“I struggled early on, my legs were frozen and the ball was not going where I wanted it to,” said Federer.
“He was hitting big and things were going quickly. I was nervous for a set and a half. So it took a good effort from me. Lloyd played a good match.”
However, two-time French Open champion Dominic Thiem was knocked out, losing to veteran American Sam Querrey 6-7(4), 7-6(1), 6-3, 6-0.
The 25-year-old Austrian fifth seed does not find grass to his liking — his best showing reaching the last 16 in 2017 — and wilted under the expert serve and volley game of Querrey, a semifinalist in 2017.
The combustible Nick Kyrgios claimed a 7-6(4), 3-6, 7-6(10), 0-6, 6-1 win over his Australian compatriot Jordan Thompson.
Tsonga in a hurry
Frenchman Jo-Wilfred Tsonga fired in 21 aces he dismantled Bernard Tomic 6-2, 6-1, 6-4 in just 58 minutes. It was the shortest men’s singles match at The Championships since 2004.
In women’s action, the 2017 champion Garbine Muguruza was knocked out by World No.121 Beatriz Haddad Maia 6-4, 6-4.
However, World No. 1 Ashleigh Barty and defending champion Angelique Kerber eased into the second round.
Unlike second seed Naomi Osaka on Monday, who exited in straight sets, both Barty and Kerber disposed of their opponents with relative ease.
Barty beat China’s Zheng Saisai 6-4, 6-2 while Kerber, the fourth seed, beat fellow German Tatjana Maria 6-4, 6-3.
Important Results:
Men: Sam Querrey (USA) bt 5-Dominic Thiem (Aus) 6-7(4), 7-6(1), 6-3, 6-0; 18-Nikoloz Basilashvili (Geo) bt James Ward (GBr) 2-6, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 8-6; Nick Kyrgios (Aus) bt Jordan Thompson (Aus) 7-6(4), 3-6, 7-6(10), 0-6, 6-1; 8-Kei Nishikori (Jpn) bt Thiago Monteiro (Bra) 6-4, 7-6(3), 6-4; 20-Gilles Simon (Fra) bt Salvatore Caruso (ITA) 7-6(7), 6-3, 6-2; Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (Fra) bt Bernard Tomic (Aus) 6-2, 6-1, 6-4; 25-Alex De Minaur (Aus) bt Marco Cecchinato (Ita) 6-0, 6-4, 7-6(5); 17-Matteo Berrettini (Ita) bt Aljaz Bedene (Slo) 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, 7-6(3).
Jiri Vesely (Cze) bt 6-Alexander Zverev (Ger) 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 7-5; Thomas Fabbiano (Ita) bt 6-StefanosTsitsipas (Gre) 6-4, 3-6, 6-4, 6-7(8), 6-3; 15-Milos Raonic (Can) bt Prajnesh Gunneswaran (Ind) 7-6(1), 6-4, 6-2; 11-Daniil Medvedev (Rus) bt Paolo Loenzi (Ita) 6-3, 7-6(2), 7-6(2); Ugo Humbert (Fra) bt 16-Gael Monfils (Fra) 6-7(6), 3-6, 6-4, 7-5, 3-0 retd.; 28-Benoit Paire (Fra) bt Juan Ignacio Londero (Arg) 4-6. 6-4, 6-4, 7-6(4); 21-David Goffin (Bel) bt Bradley Klahn (USA) 6-4, 6-4, 6-4; 30-Kyle Edmund (GBr) bt Jaume Munar (Esp) 6-4, 6-4, 6-4; Hubert Hurkacz (Pol) 32-Dusan Lajovic (Srb) 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4.
Women: 1-Ashleigh Barty (Aus) bt Saisai Zheng (Chn) 6-4, 6-2; Alison Van Uytvanck (Bel) bt Svetlana Kuznetsova (Rus) 6-4, 4-6, 6-2; 13-Belinda Bencic (Sui) bt Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (Rus) 6-2, 6-3; 5-Angelique Kerber (Ger) bt Tatjana Maria (Ger) 6-4, 6-3; Barbora Zahlavova (Cze) bt 32-Lesya Tsurenko (Ukr) 6-3, 6-2; 21-Elise Mertens (Bel) bt Fiona Ferro (Fra) 6-2, 6-0; 15-Wang Qiang (Chn) bt Vera Lapko (Blr) 6-2, 6-2; 9-Sloane Stephens (USA) bt Timea Bacsinszky (Sui) 6-2, 6-4; 19-Johanna Konta (GBr) bt Ana Bogdan (Rou) 7-5, 6-2; Beatriz Haddad Maia (Bra) bt 26-Garbine Muguruza (Esp) 6-4, 6-4.
Cori Gauff (USA) bt Venus Williams (USA) 6-4, 6-4; Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan (Kaz) bt 2-Naomi Osaka (Jpn) 7-6(4), 6-2; 14-Caroline Wozniacki (Den) bt Sara Sorribes Tormo (Esp) 5-4 retd.; 28-Hsieh Su-wei (Tpe) bt Jeļena Ostapenko (Lat) 6-2, 6-2; Ajla Tomljanovic (Aus) bt 29-Daria Kasatkina (Rus) 6-3, 6-1.