THE REAL drama of the second day at the All England Club happened on the outside courts.
Despite Serena Williams’ tears of joy after a much-anticipated return, it was the almost-heroics of Irishman Conor Niland and the belting baseline play of Fernando Verdasco which stole the day.
Men’s
Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic’s progress into the second round was predictably comfortable. Both took a few games to settle on the grass, but, really, neither needed to get out of third gear and it was cruise control all the way back into the club house.
The beginning of the first week is not really about the show courts. The best value for money tickets are the ground passes.
Plying their trade on the less celebrated courts were Radek Stepanek and Verdasco. Stepanek, undeniably old-school, against the sublimely gifted Verdasco should have yielded a predictable outcome.
But Stepanek’s resolve and Verdasco’s reluctance to win ugly threw up a wonderful clash of styles. Verdasco fought back from two sets down and match point down in the fourth-set tiebreak to clinch the encounter.
It was always unlikely that John Isner and Nicholas Mahut could rustle some of the magic they found out on Court 18 last year. This time round the big-serving pair played out a much more typical, mildly interesting three-set match.
The gathered press left empty-handed, with little drama and plenty of aces.
Crowd favourite Marcos Baghdatis made it past James Blake in five sets and faces Eastbourne winner Andreas Seppi in the next round. Catch him while you can for plenty of smiles and a breath of fresh air – one of the game’s true characters.
Radio Five Live’s commentator could barely catch a glimpse of Ireland’s Niland as the crowd packed into Court 17. Niland, playing world number 55 Adrian Mannarino, broke twice in the final set to go 4-1.
But with the finish line in sight, the enormity of what he was about to achieve and a few quid on the horizon, he tightened up and capitulated.
Women’s
A few seeds fell on day two at Wimbledon. Jelena Jankovic, 15, and 10th seed Sam Stosur the most notable to be unceremoniously dumped out of the championships. Some of the Australian press have their knives out, and their doubts established about Stosur’s mental frailties.
S.Williams confirmed she is not yet fully fit, but showed she still has the mental resolve and shot-making ability to be a genuine contender.
Maria Sharapova quickly advanced her own cause and looks one of the few players with the game to crack the Williams’ dominance of the tournament over the past decade. Her mental toughness remains a sticking point.
Brit Watch
In a game short on quality Anne Keothavong overcame compatriot Naomi Broady, Elena Baltacha was refreshingly convincing in her first-round performance.
The British number one finally seems to have found her feet and sense of belonging among the women’s top 100.
James Ward could not repeat his Queen’s Club heroics and fell to the wily, effervescent Frenchman Michael Llodra. Ward might not have the talent of Alex Bogdanovic, but he does have steel.
He could yet play a role in advancing Britain’s Davis Cup efforts or here at Wimbledon – a worthy wild card.
Diminutive Dan Cox and Dan Evans both joined their British fellows on the scrapheap for another year, leaving Andy Murray the only home representative in the men’s draw.
