Agence France Presse
London, June 30: Defending champion Petra Kvitova took just 35 minutes to reach the Wimbledon second round here Tuesday as the tournament sweltered in near record-breaking heat. Second seed Kvitova raced to a 6-1, 6-0 win over Kiki Bertens, the World No. 138 from the Netherlands, on Centre Court.
Kvitova, also the 2011 champion, dropped just one point on serve and next meets Kurumi Nara of Japan for a place in the last 32. “It’s great to be back on Centre Court and unbelievable to see all the people clapping,” said the Czech, who had been laid low by illness in the week before the tournament.
Meanwhile in the men’s segment both Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal progressed to the next round without any problems. Second seed Federer handed a tennis masterclass to Bosnian Damir Dzumhur with a 6-1, 6-3, 6-3 victory. Nadal, who has been seeded 10th in the tournament set out early warning signals to his rivals with a 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 dismissal of Brazilian Thomaz Belluci in a match that lasted a little over two hours.
In other matches of the men’s segment Frenchman Jo-Wilfired Tsonga, the seventh seed had to toil hard before overcoming Gilles Muller 7-6 (10-8), 6-7 (2-7), 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 while Victor Troicki defeated Tomas Smyzek 6-1, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4.
Joining Kvitova in the second round was 10th seeded German Angelique Kerber who handed compatriot Carina Witthoeft a 6-0, 6-0 drubbing.
Earlier Monday night Australian Lleyton Hewitt’s 17-year All England Club career came to a bruising end after he was defeated by Finland’s Jarkko Nieminen 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, 0-6, 9-11 in a four-hour marathon.
“I would have loved to have a go at Novak (Djokovic) in the second round but I knew Jarkko would not be easy to beat. That’s how life is,” said Hewitt, the 2002 Wimbledon champion after the match.
Fourth seed Maria Sharapova reached the second round with a 6-2, 6-2 win over Britain’s Johanna Konta while seventh seed Ana Ivanovic breezed past Chinese qualifier Xu Yifan 6-1, 6-1. Five-time champion Venus Williams wasn’t to be outdone as the 34-year-old American took just 42 minutes to crush compatriot Madison Brengle 6-0, 6-0
In the men’s segment Japan’s fifth seed Kei Nishikori needed his lower left leg strapped before clinching a gruelling 6-3, 6-7 (4/7), 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 win over Italy’s Simone Bolelli.
