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Wawrinka crashes out of Wimbledon; Murray, Nadal advance

By The Assam Tribune

LONDON, July 4: So much for the idea that Stan Wawrinka might be able to complete a career Grand Slam at Wimbledon this year. Didn�t even make it out of the first round.

An owner of one championship from each of the other three major tournaments, and the French Open runner-up just three weeks ago, Wawrinka was bothered by his left knee and lost 6- 4, 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 to Daniil Medvedev at Centre Court in the first round at the All England Club last night.

Wawrinka was seeded No. 5 and ranked No. 3. He iced his knee during changeovers and never was able to summon his best tennis.

Earlier, defending champion Andy Murray celebrated the news that he�s about to become a father again by reaching the Wimbledon second round as fellow two- time winner Rafael Nadal aimed to clinch the 850th win of his career.

Top seed and world number one Murray downed Kazakh lucky loser Alexander Bublik 6-1, 6-4, 6-2, shrugging off two brief rain delays and showing little sign of the hip problem which had plagued him in the build-up.

Murray, whose baby daughter Sophia was born last year, next faces Dustin Brown, the man who knocked out Nadal two years ago.

German world number 97 Brown came back from a set and a break down to beat Portugal�s Joao Sousa 3-6, 7-6 (7/5), 6-4, 6-4.

Nick Kyrgios, who shocked Nadal at Wimbledon in 2014, won�t get another opportunity.

The combustible 20th seeded Australian was 6-3, 6-4 down to France�s Pierre-Hugues Herbert when he called it quits on Court Three after failing to shake off the hip injury which has plagued him in recent weeks.

Kei Nishikori, the Japanese ninth seed, beat Italy�s Marco Cecchinato 6-2, 6-2, 6-0 in just 72 minutes.

French 12th seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, twice a semi- finalist, eased past British wild card Cameron Norrie 6-3, 6- 2, 6-2.

Sam Querrey of the United States, who stunned Novak Djokovic in the third round last year and precipitated the Serb�s slide from the top, also made the second round.

The 24th seed saw off Italy�s Thomas Fabbiano 7-6 (7/5), 7-5, 6-2.

Women�s second seed Simona Halep, blasted off court in the French Open final by Jelena Ostapenko, downed New Zealand qualifier Marina Erakovic 6-4, 6-1.

Halep, a Wimbledon semifinalist in 2014, next faces Brazil�s Beatriz Haddad Maria.

Venus Williams marked her 20th Wimbledon anniversary with a 7-6 (9/7), 6-4 win against Belgium�s Elise Mertens.

The 37-year-old five-time champion arrived in London facing a wrongful death suit after she was involved in a fatal car crash in Florida.

An elderly man in the other vehicle suffered head injuries in the collision and died on June 22.

Williams will face China�s Wang Qiang for a place in the last 32.

Later Monday, Nadal, the champion in 2008 and 2010 and a three-time runner-up, faces Australia�s John Millman, the world number 137.

The Spaniard missed last year�s championships because of a wrist injury but is back at the All England Club buoyed by his 10th French Open title.

Nadal is bidding to record his 850th tour-level match-win and become just the seventh player in history to reach the landmark.

It�s also his 50th match at Wimbledon.

Millman is playing just his second match of the year after missing five months with a hip injury.

Former world number one Victoria Azarenka plays her first Slam since becoming a mother, while two-time champion Petra Kvitova is sure to receive a warm Centre Court welcome as she steadily rebuilds her career after being attacked by a knifeman in her home last December. � Agencies

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