Novak Djokovic advances; Venus Williams’ match among those postponed by rain at Wimbledon
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WIMBLEDON, England — Novak Djokovic overcame a wobbly start to win his opening match at Wimbledon.
The two-time defending champion was 0 for 7 converting break points in the first set, which he lost to 19-year-old British wild card Jack Draper. Djokovic slipped several times on the grass but hit 25 aces and rallied to win 4-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-2.
Draper is ranked 253rd and was making his main-draw Grand Slam debut.
Djokovic is seeking his sixth Wimbledon title and a record-tying 20th major title. He’s halfway to sweeping the Grand Slams in 2021.
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The match was played under the retractable roof on Centre Court because of rain that delayed the start of play on outer courts.
Capacity was limited to 50% because of the coronavirus pandemic but the crowd still gave both players enthusiastic support.
Sixteen singles matches at Wimbledon were postponed until Tuesday because of rain, which has delayed the start of play on the outer courts.
Six men’s matches and 10 women’s matches were called off. They included five-time champion Venus Williams against Mihaela Buzarnescu, and No. 10-seeded Denis Shapovalov against Philipp Kohlschreiber.
Play is underway on Centre Court and Court 1, each of which has a retractable roof.