Djokovic, Swiatek win at Wimbledon as confetti-throwing protesters strike

Serbia’s Novak Djokovic celebrates after profitable in opposition to Australia’s Jordan Thompson throughout their males’s singles tennis match on the third day of the 2023 Wimbledon Championships at The All England Tennis Membership in Wimbledon, southwest London, on July 5, 2023.
| Picture Credit score: AFP

Novak Djokovic and Iga Swiatek had been in cruise management at Wimbledon on July 5, however confetti-throwing local weather protesters and rain delays triggered extra complications on the All England Membership.

Djokovic, bidding for a record-equalling eighth Wimbledon males’s title and twenty fourth Grand Slam crown, defeated Australia’s Jordan Thompson 6-3, 7-6 (7/4), 7-5.

It was the 36-year-old’s 350th Grand Slam singles win, third solely to Roger Federer and Serena Williams on the all-time checklist.

Victory additionally preserved his 10-year undefeated report on Centre Courtroom.

“We have a very romantic and special relationship, this court and I,” stated Djokovic who may face previous rival Stan Wawrinka within the third spherical.

Whereas Djokovic and Swiatek moved effortlessly into the final 32, there have been nonetheless 4 first-round matches which had but to begin.

They had been 4 of the 21 matches cancelled till Thursday as a result of rain.

The day earlier than, solely eight ties had been accomplished as torrential rain swamped the All England Membership.

On July 5, a brand new headache introduced itself within the form of Simply Cease Oil local weather protesters.

Two activists, each of their 60s, ran onto Courtroom 18 to scatter orange confetti and jigsaw items throughout Grigor Dimitrov’s match in opposition to Sho Shimabukuro.

“Following an incident on Court 18, two individuals have been arrested on suspicion of aggravated trespass and criminal damage and these individuals have now been removed from the grounds,” stated a Wimbledon spokesman.

Simply hours later, the match between Katie Boulter and Daria Saville on the identical courtroom was held up when one other protestor repeated the confetti-jigsaw gesture to jeers from annoyed followers.

Ladies’s prime seed Swiatek beat Sara Sorribes Tormo 6-2, 6-0 to comb into the third spherical.

The reigning U.S. Open and French Open champion has by no means been past the fourth spherical at Wimbledon however has dropped simply six video games to date on this yr’s event.

World quantity three Daniil Medvedev marked his return to Wimbledon after final yr’s ban on Russian gamers with a primary spherical win.

Former U.S. Open champion Medvedev defeated French-born British wild card Arthur Fery 7-5, 6-4, 6-3.

In 2022, the All England Membership banned all Russian and Belarusian gamers in response to the invasion of Ukraine.

“The reception today, I don’t feel it that often. I was really touched,” stated the 27-year-old after his match on Courtroom One.

Greek fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas survived an exhilarating five-set battle in opposition to Dominic Thiem to guide a blockbuster second spherical conflict in opposition to two-time champion Andy Murray.

Tsitsipas held his nerve in a remaining set tie-break to safe a 3-6, 7-6 (7/1), 6-2, 6-7 (5/7), 7-6 (10/8) victory after nearly 4 hours in a match which had began on Tuesday.

“For a second I thought we were doing the repeat of Isner versus Mahut,” Tsitsipas stated in reference to the longest match in historical past, performed at Wimbledon in 2010.

Tsitsipas must rapidly get well as his Centre Courtroom duel with Murray is ready for Thursday.

“I’m not expecting anyone supporting me, but it’s not my first rodeo,” he stated.

Danish sixth seed Holger Rune reached the second spherical for the primary time with a 7-6 (7/4), 6-3, 6-2 win in opposition to British wildcard George Loffhagen.

U.S. ninth seed Taylor Fritz noticed off Germany’s Yannick Hanfmann in 5 units in a match which had began on Monday.

Frances Tiafoe, the American tenth seed who made the final 16 in 2022, noticed off China’s Wu Yibing in straight units.

Wu wanted a medical day trip on the finish of the primary set after falling in poor health however nonetheless pushed his opponent with some spectacular shot-making.

“Am I playing Superman right now?” requested a bemused Tiafoe.

Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk clinched the day’s large shock by downing Greek eighth seed Maria Sakkari 0-6, 7-5, 6-2 in a primary spherical tie twice interrupted for the rain.

“I was like numb in a way. So I had a really good cry both times, that helped, because I was desperate,” stated Kostyuk as she defined the turnaround.

Canada’s Milos Raonic, the 2016 runner-up to Murray however now ranked at 849, defeated Austria’s Dennis Novak in 4 units for his first win on the event in 4 years.

Ninth-seeded Petra Kvitova, broadly seen as a contender for a 3rd ladies’s title, edged out Jasmine Paolini of Italy, 6-4, 6-7 (5/7), 6-1.

The veteran Czech arrived on the All England Membership contemporary from profitable her sixth profession grass-court title in Berlin.