Top seed Novak Djokovic cruised into the third round at Wimbledon with a three-set win over Denis Kudla, but triple grand slam champion Stan Wawrinka was knocked out by the big-serving Reilly Opelka.
Reigning champion Djokovic was never really threatened by American Kudla as he strolled to a 6-3 6-2 6-2 win on Centre Court.
However, the Serb admitted it wasn’t the complete performance as he edged closer toward a fifth title at the All England Club, with his serve broken twice, once in each of the first two sets.
“There were some moments in the match where maybe I could have done better,” Djokovic said.
“Dropped a couple of times my serve.”
He will next face Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz, who triumphed earlier against Argentina’s Leonardo Mayer 6-7 (4-7) 6-1 7-6 (9-7) 6-3.
Meanwhile, American Opelka blasted his way into round three as the 21-year-old’s serve eventually proved too hot to handle for Wawrinka in a high-octane five set duel.
Opelka came through 7-5 3-6 4-6 6-4 8-6 against the 22nd seeded Swiss for the biggest win of his career and there will be plenty of bigger names in the draw now scrabbling anxiously for a tape of this match.
“It’s a huge win. More so the situation of the match being down two sets to one against him,” Opelka said.
At 2.10 metres, the former Wimbledon junior champion is the joint-tallest-ever ATP-ranked player (with Ivo Karlovic) and, unsurprisingly, his biggest weapon is his serve.
It reached 228kph on Wednesday and, combined with some surprisingly deft court movement, is the perfect Wimbledon weapon.
Wawrinka, who has never gone beyond the quarter-finals at Wimbledon had few complaints after his loss.
“Against those big servers you know you’re not going to have a lot of chances and you get under pressure a little bit more,” he said.
Opelka will now play Canadian 15th seed and former finalist Milos Raonic, who defeated Dutchman Robin Haase 7-6 (7-1) 7-5 7-6 (7-4).
Elsewhere, last year’s beaten finalist Kevin Anderson advanced with a 6-4 6-7 (5-7) 6-1 6-4 win over against Serbian Janko Tipsarevic.
Canadian teen Felix Auger Aliassime reached the third round for the first time at a grand slam as the 18-year-old claimed a 6-3 4-6 6-4 6-2 win over France’s Corentin Moutet.
Spain’s Roberto Bautista Agut is also through after his Belgian opponent Steve Darcis retired through injury at 6-3 6-4 4-2.
Russian 10th seed Karen Khachanov will be Bautista Agut’s next opponent after he dismissed another Spaniard in Feliciano Lopez 4-6 6-4 7-5 6-4.
Belgium’s David Goffin advanced with a routine 6-2 6-4 6-3 victory over Jeremy Chardy while Czech Jiri Vesely joined him in the third round by beating Pablo Cuevas 4-6 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 6-4.
Frenchman Benoit Paire also progressed after Serb Miomir Kecmanovic retired due to an injury while trailing 7-6 (7-5) 6-4.
Italy’s diminutive Thomas Fabbiano, who stunned seventh-seeded Stefanos Tsitsipas in his opener, endured a second five-setter in as many rounds to edge past Karlovic 6-3 6-7 (8-6) 6-3 6-7 (7-4) 6-4 in a little over three hours.
Russian 10th seed Karen Khachanov bounced back after losing the first set to beat 37-year-old Feliciano Lopez 4-6 6-4 7-5 6-4.