World No.3 Alexander Zverev defeated Valentin Royer in straight sets in the second round of Wimbledon on Thursday. The German was comprehensive in the first two sets against the French player but had to work a bit harder in the third set.
The number two seed registered a 6-1, 6-3, 7-6(3) triumph in two hours and four minutes on No. 1 Court to advance to the third round at SW19.
Sascha smashed 14 aces in the match and converted five out of the eight break points he had. The Roland Garros champion is now on a nine-match winning streak at Grand Slam level.
“For two and a half sets I played an almost perfect match,” Zverev, whose only blemish came when he let slip a 4-2 lead in the third set, said in his on-court interview. “Then I lost a bit of focus and he used it very well. He made it very interesting in the end, but definitely happy to be through in straight sets and not have to play another set, even though I love to play here at Wimbledon! It’s nice to win easier at the beginning of the week.”
Zverev will next take on USA’s Marcus Giron in the third round. The German had a 4-0 record against the American on the tour.
Earlier on Wednesday, Novak Djokovic defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas by 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 and secured his place in the third round of the grass-court major for the 20th time.
“You feel very happy, satisfied and joyful on the court when you are playing this way,” Djokovic said in his on-court interview. “Once you get the momentum going… That game when I went 5-2 up was one of the best return games I’ve played in a while. I just went for my shots. I was a bit more relaxed, a little less tension in my head.”
Djokovic will Arthur Rinderknech on Friday at Centre Court.

