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6/22/11 4:11 AM | Ricky Dimon
Roger Federer wins his Wimbledon opener by cruising past Mikhail Kukushkin in straight sets on Tuesday. Federer is joined in the second round by Fernando Gonzalez, an upset winner over Alexandr Dolgopolov.
Roger Federer kicked off his 2011 Wimbledon campaign with a 7-6(4), 6-4, 6-2 victory over Mikhail Kukushkin on Tuesday afternoon. Federer struck 53 winners to just 23 unforced errors and advanced to the second round after one hour and 42 minutes of play.
The six-time champion got off to a bit of a slow start and had to struggle through a tense first set. Kukushkin held the entire way and faced no break points after saving one in his opening service game. Federer, though, took control of the match in the tiebreaker and won the last five points of the set starting at 2-2, including the final two with aces.
Federer's first break of the day came in the fifth game of the second, and from there it was all over for Kukushkin. The underdog Kazakh at least kept up his gameplan of hammering the Federer backhand and he did well to hold the rest of his service games in set two, but he never got fully back on track. Federer seized complete command with a break in the third game of set three and he eventually served out the proceedings at love at 5-2.
In one of the more surprising results of Day 2, a rejuvenated Fernando Gonzalez upended Alexandr Dolgopolov 6-3, 6-7(6), 7-6(3), 6-4 to reach the second round. Gonzalez, who is making a comeback from hip surgery, fired 25 aces and double-faulted only once as he scored the upset after two hours and 18 minutes.
The veteran Chilean dropped serve just once the entire way, but he made up for it by earning a break of his own in the third set. An ensuing tiebreaker--the second consecutive 'breaker in this showdown--proved to be the turning point, as Gonzalez dominated it seven points to three. One more break in the third allowed the world No. 368 to serve for victory at 5-4.
Next up for Gonzalez is Rik De Voest, a straight-set winner over Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo. Federer, meanwhile, will go up against Adrian Mannarino. The Frenchman needed exactly four hours to overcome Conor Niland 4-6, 6-4, 7-6(7), 4-6, 6-4.
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Gonzo is great for the game and I hope he makes as much of a full recovery as he can.
Slicer , 6/23/11 10:11 AM
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Nice win for Gonzalez ... even if Dolgo isn't playing at his best right now ... should give him some confidence for the rest of the tournament.
smr , 6/22/11 1:46 PM