TheSportsCampus

Defending Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic was given another quality work out by 20-year old American prodigy Ryan Harrison, and would have been relieved to have eased his way into the third round in straight sets, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4. With the weather playing havoc with the schedule for the second straight day, Djokovic's match was played entirely under the roof, and thanks to the aritficial lighting could go on late into the evening.

The match was a largely entertaining affair with Harrison showing enough quality to indicate that he would be a certainty to make the second week at Wimbledon rather regularly for years to come. The opening set had plenty of exciting rallies and the fans got behind the underdog, without losing an ounce of love or respect for their champion.

Djokovic sealed the opening set courtesy of a break in the 5th game, losing just 3 points on his own serve all set, and landing a massive 87% of first serves.

Harrison tried to reverse the tide in the second set and had triple break point on the Djokovic serve in the 6th game, but was unable to convert any of those or subsequent chances that came his way in a marathon game. Rather predictably the young American promptly lost his serve in the next game, and Djokovic wrapped up the set in 47 minutes.

The duo traded blows admirably early in the third set, but some illtimed unforced errors from Harrison in the 9th game allowed Djokovic to serve out the match in the following game, something he did with consumate ease to book his place in the third round opposite either Benjamin Becker or 28th seed Radek Stepanek.

Earlier in the day, 16-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer stayed on course for a record equaling 7th Wimbledon title with a 6-1, 6-3, 6-2 win against Italian Fabio Fognini.

File Photograph Copyright: Simon Tregidgo