Top seed Novak Djokovic has overcome a dogged challenge from 81st-ranked Korean Kwon Soon-woo and his own grasscourt rustiness to reach the Wimbledon second round with a 6-4 3-6 6-3 6-4 victory.
Bidding for his fourth Wimbledon title in a row and his seventh overall, the defending champion looked out of sorts at times against Kwon, who brought a lively mixture of tennis, from booming forehands to delicate drop-shots, onto Centre Court.
Djokovic had not played a grasscourt warm-up tournament and admitted that did not help his game against a tough opponent, 11 years his junior.
"I didn't have any lead-up or preparation tournaments prior to this, so you're always going to feel a bit less comfortable than you would like, particularly if you're playing against someone as talented as Kwon, who stays close to the line and hits really clean," he said. "It wasn't easy.
"I had to put some variety in the game. The serve helped, but at this level, one or two shots decide a winner."
The 24-year-old Korean broke Djokovic's serve in the fourth game of the second set, and went on to win it with a drop-shot and a big serve.
But aiming to win a 21st Grand Slam title, the Serb recovered enough of his trademark consistency to see off the challenge.
He secured victory with an ace on his first matchpoint, and will next meet either Thanasi Kokkinakis of Australia or Poland's Kamil Majchrzak.
Djokovic's 80th Wimbledon win made him the only man to win 80 matches at all four Grand Slam tournaments.
The Serb, who won three Grand Slams last year, missed the Australian Open in January, after being deported, because he was not vaccinated against COVID-19.
He lost in the French Open quarter-finals to eventual champion Rafa Nadal, who is seeded second at Wimbledon.
Reuters
