• Wimbledon, Day Two

Federer and Djokovic stroll into second round

June 21, 2011

ESPN.co.uk will be providing live scores and analysis from Wimbledon throughout the tournament.

Wimbledon seedings
Day Two Plays of the Day
Day Two What They Said
Wimbledon Day Two Gallery
Women's round-up: Serena survives

Roger Federer issued an emphatic statement of intent as he opened his Wimbledon campaign with a routine victory over Mikhail Kukushkin.

The six-time champion needed less than two hours to wrap up a 7-6(2) 6-4 6-2 victory and his place in the second round.

Having pulled out of Halle with a groin injury it was the third seed's first match on grass since his quarter-final defeat to Tomas Berdych at the All England Club last year, and he started tentatively on his return to Centre Court. Kukushkin started brightly and matched the Swiss blow for blow to force the opening set to a tiebreak. It was in the tiebreak that Federer upped his game, and his sixth ace of the match sealed the opening set.

Showing no signs of injury, Federer tightened his grip on the match with an early break in the second, and he swiftly shut the door when Kukushkin threatened to break back. By the third set, Federer was well and truly into his groove, and he thrilled the crowd with a display of exhibition tennis, mixing beautifully disguised drop-shots with inch-perfect baseline winners as he hit 53 winners.

Federer remains on a collision course with second seed Novak Djokovic, who returned to winning ways with a straight-sets victory over Frenchman Jeremy Chardy. Playing his first match since his French Open semi-final defeat to Federer, Djokovic continued his impressive start to 2011 as he powered to a 6-4 6-1 6-1 victory.

Three-time finalist Andy Roddick makes no secret of his love for the grass, and the former world No. 1 made a fine start to his Wimbledon campaign with a 6-4 7-6(6) 6-3 victory over Andreas Beck. Seeded outside the top six for the first time since 2003, Roddick fired 30 aces as he safely navigated his way past the German to seal a second round clash with Victor Hanescu.

Juan Martin del Potro booked his place in the second round with a straight sets victory over Italy's Flavio Cipolla. Del Potro had won the opening set but was a break down in the second when rain suspended play on Monday, but the former world No. 4 won 11 of the 15 games when he returned to the court to wrap up a 6-1 6-4 6-3 win.

Tobias Kamke set up a second-round clash against home favourite Andy Murray after the German beat Blaz Kavcic 6-3 7-6 5-7 6-1, while looking ahead, Murray could potentially face Ivan Ljubicic in the third round after he knocked out No. 27 seed Marin Cilic 7-6(2) 3-6 6-3 6-4.

After serving up an 11-hour-plus epic 12 months ago, John Isner's first round-clash with Nicolas Mahut lasted a shade over two hours as the American came through 7-6(4) 6-2 7-6(5). The pair played to a virtual standstill last year in the longest match ever witnessed at Wimbledon and a quirk of fate pitted them together again.

It was always likely to prove too much to ask for a repeat and although it was a tight affair, big-serving American Isner proved the stronger in the tiebreaks to progress.

The No. 5 seed Robin Soderling, who had the trainer on court at one stage, dug deep into his locker to claim a 6-4 6-4 2-6 7-6(5) win over Philipp Petzschner.

Up next for the Swede is former champion Lleyton Hewitt who came through in four sets against Kei Nishikori.

Grass is a surface Jo-Wilfried Tsonga feels at home on and he made a bright start to his challenge with a 6-3 7-6(4) 6-2 win over Go Soeda of Japan.

Fernando Verdasco was forced to dig deep to book his place in the second round, battling back from two sets down to secure a 2-6 4-6 6-3 7-6(6) 9-7 victory over Radek Stepanek. Next up for Verdasco is Robin Haase, who beat Spaniard Pere Riba 6-4 6-4 6-4.

However, there was no fightback from former world No. 3 Nikolay Davydenko, who was overpowered by Australian teenager Bernard Tomic 7-5 6-3 7-5.

The 16th seed Nicolas Almagro needed four sets to beat Jarkko Nieminen, while it was a similar story the 13t seed Viktor Troicki in his match with Maximo Gonzalez.

David Nalbandian eased past Julian Reister in three sets and Marcos Baghdatis beat James Blake in five sets.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.