Bromley’s Emma Raducanu and Andy Murray delight Centre Court crowd at opening day of Wimbledon

By Paul Lagan on Cenre Court, Wimbledon

Emma Raducanu and Andy Murray served up a treat for South London fans on the first day of the Championships at Wimbledon.
Bromley’s own Raducanu produced a solid and occasional inspired performance to see off rugged Belgium player Alison Van Uytvanck, 6-4, 6-4 in an hour and 41 minutes, to progress into the second round.

The number 10 seed lost and broke serves in almost equal measure and will need to tighten up on her attacking play if she is to go deep into the tournament.
Former Wimbledon champion Murray saw off Australian James Duckworth in four sets, getting better as the two hour 43 minute match progressed.
He won in 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4.

Quite how many times we will see Murray perform in the main draw at Wimbledon remains to be seen. But while he is still there, the crowds will get behind him.

He had the roof closed for the er stages of the game, and that seemed to liberate the voices of the fans who chanted “Let’s go, Andy, Let’s go…” on more than one occasion.
I’m not sure Duckworth appreciated the perfectly legal, if underhand serve that won a point.

At a later changeover Duckworth appeared to nudge Murray as they were crossing over following a break.
But the Centre Court, celebrating it’s 100th birthday opened with a nervy Novak Djokovic seeing off Soonwoo Kwon in four sets.

Novak Djokovic survived a few difficult moments and a dropped s sett to ease his way into the second round of Wimbledon at the expense of Soonwoo Kwon.
But It took Novak Djokovic just 35 minutes to win the opening set in this year’s Championships on Centre Court.

But it wast without it’s difficulty as Korean Soonwoo Kwon, ranked 81 in the world took a 3-1 lead.
Serbian Djokovic looked a little ill at ease with the light coming thorough the closed roof. It affected his serve. But the top seed forced Kwon into unforced errors when needed and gradually resumed control of the games and won the first set 6-3.

The second set went with serve until Kwon broke Djokovic to live to again take a 3-1 lead.
The Korean once again raced into a 3-1 set lead. But this time, despite being 40-love down in the fourth game on his serve, he recovered brilliantly to take the game and solidify the set with a 4-1 advantage. Kwon then saw himself 5-3 up but 30-love down. Sensationally he won the next point and then produced an immaculate drop shot winner, before seeing out the game and the second set.
The crowd were up for an upset.
The third set went with serve, with Djokovic surviving a scare at 2-2 but managed to pull the game around into his favour.But Kwon slipped up on his serve at 3-4 and the Serb took the game to 15 to put him within a game of winning the set.
That was the incentive Djokovic needed and he won his game to take the third set 6-3.
The opening two games of the fourth were not without incident with both servers having their game threatened. But both came through – just.
The set went Djokovic’s way as Kwan’s drop shot all but deserted him. And before the Korean probably realised it, he was serving to stay in the Championships.
He managed to do that to 30, leaving the Serb to see that match out. Would he?
Well of course he could and an ace to finish the game off was the icing on the cake.

Top picture: Panoramic view of Centre Court at Wimbledon Picture: Paul Lagan