Murray will not win Wimbledon, insists Wawrinka
French Open champion Stan Wawrinka ranked Britain’s Andy Murray as only the third-favourite to win Wimbledon after failing to contain big-serving South African Kevin Anderson in the second round of the Aegon Championships yesterday.
Second seed Wawrinka slipped to his fourth consecutive defeat against familiar nemesis Anderson, losing 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (13-11), a day after former world No1 Rafael Nadal was dispatched from the west London-tournament by Ukraine’s Alexandr Dolgopolov. Anderson will now face Spain’s Guillermo Garcia-Lopez, who beat Nadal’s conqueror Dolgopolov in straight sets, having sealed victory with his 22nd ace of the contest as Queen’s Club played host to another shock.
“You want an order? I’d put Novak [Djokovic], Roger [Federer], then Murray,” said Wawrinka. “Novak is number one. I’m sure after losing the French Open final he wants more, he wants to come back and win the next big one.”
Australia’s Thanasi Kokkinakis admitted to being star struck by the presence of TV presenter Jeremy Clarkson and Liam Payne of boyband One Direction in the crowd after losing 6-4, 6-2 to seventh seed Gilles Simon.
“Was the guy from One Direction here too? I’ve just got to do better than that really,” he said. “I got distracted a little bit, but looked over when I was down a set and double break. At least I saw some important faces in the crowd.”
Defending champion Ana Ivanovic, meanwhile, succumbed to Portuguese qualifier Michelle Larcher De Brito 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (8-6) and crashed out of the Aegon Classic in Birmingham.
Britain’s Laura Robson has been omitted from the first list of players to be handed wildcards for Wimbledon as she continues her lengthy recovery from a wrist injury. Four further ladies will be handed wildcards before the tournament starts on 29 June.
Fellow Britons Kyle Edmund, James Ward, Liam Broady, Naomi Broady and Johanna Konta have been handed wildcards.