Novak Djokovic Advances, Andrey Rublev Faces Upset in Wimbledon Opener

WIMBLEDON, England – Novak Djokovic, sporting a gray sleeve on his recently operated right knee, breezed through his first-round match at Wimbledon on Tuesday with minimal challenge.

This was Djokovic’s first match since he tore the meniscus in his knee during the French Open on June 3. He didn’t face a single break point and secured a 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 win over qualifier Vit Kopriva in less than two hours on Centre Court.

“I’m very happy with how I felt on the court. Coming into Wimbledon this year was a bit different for me because of the knee. I wasn’t sure how things would go,” Djokovic said. “Practice sessions are different from actual matches. I’m just really glad about how I felt and played today.”

Djokovic had 15 break opportunities, converting six of them, and played his usual clean game, ending with twice as many winners (32) as unforced errors (16).

There were many quick points, likely because Djokovic aimed to avoid unnecessary running. He won 68 of the 91 points that lasted four or fewer strokes.

“I tried to focus on the game and not think too much about the knee,” Djokovic said. “I’ve done everything possible with my team over the last 3½ weeks to give myself a chance to play.”

At 37, Djokovic has won seven of his record 24 Grand Slam titles at Wimbledon and was the runner-up to Carlos Alcaraz last year.

Djokovic injured his knee during a five-set win at Roland Garros and withdrew from that tournament, then had surgery in Paris on June 5. Less than a month later, he was back on the court, aiming for his eighth Wimbledon title, which would tie Roger Federer’s record for the most by a man.

“If it was any other tournament, I probably wouldn’t have risked it or rushed it as much,” Djokovic said. “I just love Wimbledon.”

After the match, Djokovic thanked his surgeon, saying, “Without him doing his job well, things would be more complicated.”

He also mentioned Andy Murray’s withdrawal on Tuesday, a little over a week after the Scottish player had a procedure to remove a cyst from his spine. Murray, 37, has won two of his three major titles at Wimbledon.

“It’s a big loss for the tournament. It’s really unfortunate,” Djokovic said. “I have great respect for him and all he has done in this tournament and in the sport. I hope he can finish his career on his own terms.”

In other men’s matches, sixth-seed Andrey Rublev was knocked out in the first round, losing 6-4, 5-7, 6-2, 7-6 (5) to world No. 122 Francisco Comesana of Argentina, who was playing his first Grand Slam match.

Rublev, a quarterfinalist last year who lost to Djokovic, frequently lost his temper, yelling and ranting at his coaching team.

At one point in the third set, the 26-year-old, who also had a meltdown at the French Open in May, smashed his racket over his knee, leaving it bloody and bruised for the rest of the match.

“I didn’t behave today as I did in Paris, but I could still do much better. This is not the way. It’s important to stay positive throughout the match,” he told reporters, while acknowledging his opponent’s strong performance.

“I had many chances, many opportunities. I didn’t take them. The guy played really well, with a strong mentality, and he deserved to win,” he said.

Comesana, 23, who was playing only his second grass court match at any level, played with composure and control from the start. He broke Rublev for a 3-2 lead in the first set and then held on to win it, much to Rublev’s frustration.

Rublev broke back early in the second set and began to dominate, frequently wrong-footing Comesana or drawing him into long rallies and overpowering him with powerful forehand shots.

Comesana fought back from three set points down twice in the second set before losing it.

But the Argentinian, who fired down 21 aces in total, powered through the rain-interrupted third set and narrowly outplayed Rublev in the fourth before drawing an unforced error from the Russian to finish the match in style.

“I dreamed of playing here. I’m so happy I don’t know what to say now,” he said in an on-court interview.

Jack Draper, the British No. 1, needed five sets to get past Swedish qualifier Elias Ymer.

The 22-year-old Draper outlasted Ymer on Centre Court, 3-6, 6-3, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3, to move on to the second round.

After losing the first set, Draper turned the match around by winning the next two sets and seemed on track for a quick finish. But he lost focus and dropped serve at 4-4 in the fourth set, allowing Ymer to push the match into a fifth set.

After a delay to close the roof and turn on the lights, Draper regained his composure and closed out Ymer in the fifth set.

Information from the Associated Press and Reuters was used in this report.