“It would be fitting for her to join [Steffi] Graf on 22 majors at the All England Club where she has already won six times, the first coming back in 2003”.
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The Serb, who holds all four major titles and is halfway to a calendar-year Grand Slam, is bidding for a 13th major championship and despite a valiant effort in the second set, Djokovic powered away with a convincing 6-0 7-6 (7-3) 6-4 win. It was the second year in a row that Djokovic defeated Federer in the final at the All England Club.
The 23rd-seeded Ivanovic blamed an injured right wrist, and said she won’t play between now and the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in August. Hewitt had announced that the Australian Open in January would be the final tournament of his career, but he picked himself to play Davis Cup doubles for Australian in March and now will be in action again.
World number one Novak Djokovic got his campaign for a third successive Wimbledon title off to a winning start with a 6-0, 7-6 (7/3), 6-4 victory over Britain’s James Ward.
1 Roger Federer will play his first match at Wimbledon 2016 against Guido Pella of Argentina on Centre Court today.
2015 WOMEN’S SINGLES CHAMPION Serena Williams of the United States.
In the second set, Vekic had a break chance for 5-3, but another unforced error squandered it. But Venus prevailed, earning her 77th career win at Wimbledon with a 7-6 (3), 6-4 victory. “The first set, there were some hairy moments there, down some set points, but I guess that’s where experience sets in”. The eighth-seeded Williams broke for 5-4 and served out the match.
Since then the 34-year-old American has looked scarred by her loss in NY and also burdened by the expectation she will equal Steffi Graf’s Open era record of 22 Grand Slam titles. I’ve been playing really well in league matches but I never thought in a million years I’d qualify for Wimbledon, not this year anyway.
She now stands as the world’s number two player, so assured and accomplished that she appears the one best equipped to halt Williams’ march to a record-equalling 22nd grand slam title.
“I just have a good feeling, you know, that I’m playing good, I won a lot of confidence”, Muguruza said at a news conference Saturday.
All eyes will be on defending champion and calendar slam-chasing Novak Djokovic as Wimbledon gets underway.
“There is a corridor from the men’s seeds’ locker room all the way to the entrance of the Centre Court, probably the most special corridor we have in sports”, Djokovic said.
Ward, the 29-year-old son of a London taxi driver, is ranked at 177 in the world and made the third round last year with Australian coach Darren Tandy. Muguruza was making her first finals appearance and went on to make her second one in the French Open earlier this year.
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“I think the most important thing for him is to go out and enjoy it”, said Murray, who has lost the last two slam finals to Djokovic.
