Defending champion Serena, Murray shine on a rainy day

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Defending champion Serena, Murray shine on a rainy day
Serena Williams began her title defence with an opening round 6-2, 6-4 victory over Switzerland's Amra Sadikovic.

Published: Tue 28 Jun 2016, 10:29 PM

Last updated: Wed 29 Jun 2016, 12:34 AM

Defending champion Serena Williams racked up her 80th Wimbledon victory on Tuesday while Andy Murray raced through before rain brought action at the All England Club to a soggy halt.
World number one and six-time champion Williams, bidding for a record-equalling 22nd Grand Slam title, battled to a 6-2, 6-4 win over Swiss qualifier Amra Sadikovic, ranked at 148 in the world.
She will face fellow American Christina McHale for a place in the last 32.
"I would be lying if I said I feel fresh, but I don't feel fatigue. I feel real hungry, super motivated, extremely ready to do the best," said the American star, whose mother Oracene Price was watching from the front row of the Centre Court Royal Box.
"I never underestimate any opponent. I always expect the best of myself," added Williams, who won 12 straight points at the start of the match to open a 3-0 lead.
Murray, the 2013 champion, made a flying start to his bid for a second Wimbledon title as the world number two crushed compatriot Liam Broady 6-2, 6-3, 6-4. The 29-year-old brushed aside the world number 235 and will next play Taiwan's Lu Yen-Hsun.
"The first match is always tricky and it was pretty breezy out there at the beginning," said Murray.
Minutes after Murray had completed victory, heavy rain brought a halt to action on all courts except Centre Court where the roof was closed.
Earlier, Swiss fourth seed Stan Wawrinka defeated American teenager Taylor Fritz 7-6 (7/4), 6-1, 6-7 (2/7), 6-4 to set-up a second round blockbuster against Juan Martin del Potro.
Injury-plagued del Potro, a former US Open champion, is playing in his first Grand Slam since the 2014 Australian Open after undergoing three wrist surgeries.
Del Potro made the second round by beating France's Stephane Robert 6-1, 7-5, 6-0. The Argentina star is ranked at 165 but made the semi-finals at Wimbledon in 2013, while Wawrinka has twice been a quarter-finalist.
"He has always been a great champion, a great player to watch also," said Wawrinka of the towering del Potro.
"It's going to be a tough match. He's playing well. So it's going to be interesting to see what's going to happen."

By AFP

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