Djokovic powers on as Zheng, Sharapova exit early

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(China Daily)
Updated: 2009-06-25 09:13

LONDON: Fourth seed Novak Djokovic overcame a stuttering start before completing a resolute 7-5, 6-1, 6-4 victory over Germany's Simon Greul in the second round at Wimbledon yesterday.

The Serbian went an early break down to the world No 106 but the former Australian Open champion broke back twice to take a hard-fought opening set in 45 minutes.

Djokovic rattled off three breaks of serve to race through the second set and a crucial break in game nine of the third saw him serve for the match on Court One.

He now faces a third-round clash against American 28th seed Mardy Fish, who beat Djokovic's fellow Janko Tipsarevic 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4.

Earlier yesterday, French ninth seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga did not even have to walk through the All England Club gates to book his place in the third round.

Tsonga was the first player through to the last 32 when his opponent, Italy's Simone Bolelli, pulled out with a back injury before a ball could be struck in their second-round match.

Tsonga will now not be in action until Friday, when he faces either towering Croat Ivo Karlovic or Steve Darcis of Belgium.

But it's a miserable day for 18th seed Rainer Schuettler of Germany, who crashed to Dudi Sela from Israel 7-6(3), 6-3, 6-2.

Sharapova, Zheng out

In the women's side, 24th seed Russian woman Maria Sharapova and 16-seeded Chinese Zheng Jie were the highlighted casulties in the second round.

Center court queen Sharapova, the 2004 champion, sensationally lost 6-2, 3-6, 6-4 to Argentina's Gisela Dulko.

Djokovic powers on as Zheng, Sharapova exit early

Zheng Jie of China catches her racquet during her match against Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia at the Wimbledon tennis championships, in London June 24, 2009. [Agencies]

Dulko, who needed five knife-edge match points to seal victory after 2hr 13min, goes on to face Russian 10th seed Nadia Petrova - a 6-3, 6-2 winner over Shahar Peer of Israel - for a place in the last 16.

But for Sharapova, defeat will cast further doubts over the ability of the sport's most bankable star to ever return to her former powers following a 10-month absence from the tour nursing a shoulder injury.

"It's the biggest win of my career because she's a great champion and on center court in the most important tournament in the world," said the 24-year-old Dulko.

"It's a dream day. I played a poor second set but I kept fighting in the third. I was really nervous at the end. I didn't want it to go to 5-5 because she competed right to the very end."

China's Zheng was denied another memorable run at Wimbledon as the 2008 semifinalist was beaten 6-3, 7-5 by Slovakian Daniela Hantuchova in the second round.

Zheng, seeded 16th, came of age at the All-England Club last year when victories over top seed Ana Ivanovic and the highly ranked Nicole Vaidisova and Agnes Szavay made her the first Chinese to reach a Grand Slam singles semifinal.

But early exits from the French Open and grass-court tournaments at Birmingham and Eastbourne suggested Zheng was enduring her first dip for over a year.

It's a different story for Another Asian star Japanese No 1 Ai Sugiyama, who made it to the third round with a 7-6 (7/5), 6-3 victory over Spanish qualifier Arantxa Parra Santonja and now faces Hantuchova.

Veteran Sugiyama, who made the quarter finals here in 2004, was pushed hard in the first set and was set point down before breaking her opponent's serve in the second.

Reuters/AFP