Wins for Federer, Cilic, and Querrey on the opening day at the All England Club
Monday 2 July 2018 15:19, UK
Roger Federer began the defence of his Wimbledon men's title in sensational style as he swept past Dusan Lajovic to reach the second round on opening Monday.
The top seed stepped out onto Centre Court for his match against Serbian world No 58 Lajovic in a Uniqlo-branded outfit, signalling an end to his long-term association with Nike.
But it was to be a familiar tale as the Swiss star began his quest for a record-extending ninth Wimbledon title in glorious sunshine with a crushing 6-1 6-3 6-4 victory over Lajovic to rally through to a second-round meeting against Lukas Lacko of Serbia or French qualifier Benjamin Bonzi.
Federer, who is the first man in the Open era to play the singles tournament at Wimbledon for a 20th straight year, received a standing ovation after taking his first match point to complete an emphatic job in 79 minutes.
"I felt very good from the start which is nice," Federer said on court. "Felt at home right away. Got the early break in each set and I was able to bring it home."
Third seed and last year's runner-up to Federer, Marin Cilic underlined his title credentials by smacking down 21 aces as he eased into the next round with a comfortable 6-1 6-4 6-4 win over Japan's Yoshihito Nishioka.
Cilic, who won the Wimbledon warm-up event at Queen's Club last month, will face either Australian qualifier Jason Kubler or Guido Pella or Argentina.
American Sam Querrey, seeded 11th, fired 15 aces on his way to a 6-2 6-4 6-3 victory over Australian Jordan Thompson.
We have Wimbledon covered from all angles via our website skysports.com/tennis then click through to our dedicated section skysports.com/tennis/wimbledon. On the move? Head to our app for mobile devices and iPad, or follow our Twitter account @SkySportsTennis to join in the conversation.
Our next tennis action comes from the German Open in Hamburg. Watch the action live on Sky Sports Arena from Monday, July 23 from 10am.
Never miss the big kick-off or have to deal with interrupted games or low-quality streams with a NOW TV Sky Sports Pass this summer. You'll get exclusive coverage of the 147th Open from Carnoustie, The Ryder Cup, ATP Tour, World Darts Matchplay, and loads more starting from just £7.99. No contract.
