World No. 1 Novak Djokovic got his campaign for a third successive Wimbledon title off to a winning start with a 6-0, 7-6(3), 6-4 victory over Britain’s James Ward on Monday.
The 29-year-old Serb, the holder of 12 Grand Slams after clinching a first French Open earlier this month, is on target for the record books.
A fourth Wimbledon title would make him just the second man since Don Budge in 1938 to win five straight majors. It would also put him three-quarters of the way to becoming the first since Rod Laver in 1969 to complete the calendar Grand Slam.
Top seed Djokovic goes on to face France’s Adrian Mannarino for a place in the last 32.
“The first nine games were flawless,” said Djokovic, who raced out into a 6-0, 3-0 lead before Ward, ranked at 177, steadied the ship.
Djokovic has won six of the last eight Grand Slams, taking him to a career tally of 12 — within two of Rafael Nadal’s mark and five behind Roger Federer’s record. Federer, whose last major triumph was at Wimbledon in 2012 when he won his seventh title at the All England Club, begins later on Monday against Argentina’s World No. 151 Guido Pella.
But the Swiss has been dogged by knee and back problems this year and his injury-enforced withdrawal from the French Open ended his streak of 65 successive Grand Slam appearances stretching back to 1999.
Venus overcomes Vekic Earlier, five-time champion Venus Williams battled past Croatian teenager Donna Vekic 7-6(3), 6-4.Former World No. 1 Ana Ivanovic was knocked out, losing 6-2, 7-5 to Russian qualifier, Ekaterina Alexandrova, the World No. 223.
Ivanovic suffered just her second opening round loss at Wimbledon in 12 visits.
Alexandrova, 21, is making her Grand Slam debut and had won just one match on the main tour in her entire career before Monday’s shock win over the 23rd seed. Croatian ninth seed Marin Cilic saw off Brian Baker of the United States 6-3, 7-5, 6-3.
