Sharapova crashes

Nadal, Djokovic through; Thiem pulls out
Afp, London

World number one Rafael Nadal breezed into the Wimbledon second round yesterday but fellow two-time champion Petra Kvitova and 2004 champion Maria Sharapova crashed out.

It was Sharapova's first ever defeat in the opening round at the All England Club and it came as she made her return to the tournament after a three-year absence. She went down 6-7 (3/7), 7-6 (7/3), 6-4 having led by a set and 5-2 against world number 132 and fellow Russian Vitalia Diatchenko.

Three-time champion Novak Djokovic came through his first-round battle  6-3, 6-1, 6-2 against Tennys Sandgren of the United States.

Nadal cruised to a 6-3, 6-3, 6-2 win over Israel's Dudi Sela as the Spaniard returned to action for the first time since claiming his 11th French Open title.

Eighth seed Kvitova was stunned 6-4, 4-6, 6-0 by unheralded Belarusian Aliaksandra Sasnovich. Number four Sloane Stephens and fifth seeded Elina Svitolina were eliminated on Monday.

In the men's draw, it was the turn of Roland Garros runner-up Dominic Thiem and Belgium's David Goffin to pack their bags.

Austrian seventh seed Thiem retired with a back injury against Cypriot veteran Marcos Baghdatis, trailing 6-4, 7-5, 2-0. Goffin, the 10th seed, slumped to a 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 loss to Australia's Matthew Ebden.

Argentine fifth seed Juan Martin del Potro made it nine first round wins in nine appearances at the tournament, easing past Germany's Peter Gojowczyk 6-3, 6-4, 6-3.

Del Potro, who made the semi-finals in 2013, next faces Feliciano Lopez of Spain who on Tuesday set a record of playing 66 consecutive Grand Slams when he eased past Federico Delbonis of Argentina 6-3, 6-4, 6-2.