Novak Djokovic turns up the heat

Novak Djokovic raced into the Wimbledon third round on Thursday, but has yet to be given a real workout. The three-time champion was in relentless form as he trounced Wimbledon debutant Adam Pavlasek 6-2 6-2 6-1 in little more than 90 minutes. It was Djokovic’s first full match at the tournament after his first-round opponent retired hurt with the Serb leading 6-3 2-0.

Djokovic said afterwards that he was delighted he had only lost eight games in two rounds.

"It’s perfect — exactly what I want," he said, grinning. "I don’t want to have any five-set matches."

"I felt very good today in terms of my game, it just keeps going in the right direction," added the second seed, who is looking to salvage his season after losing his Australian and French Open crowns.

Djokovic was unstoppable against Pavlasek on a sweltering Court One.

He pinned his Czech opponent behind the baseline with unerring groundstrokes off both wings, moving him from side to side in the 30 Celsius heat and forcing error after error.

Pavlasek was playing his childhood hero and the 22-year-old, ranked 136, appeared overawed by the occasion. He rarely tested the 12-time grand slam champion.

Djokovic, 30, was asked afterwards whether he found it strange playing someone who had idolised him when growing up.

"Well, first of all, it makes me look old," he chuckled. "But it is definitely very nice to hear that I inspired him, you know, with my tennis and what I have done. It’s very flattering.

"At the same time, stepping on to the same court, I try not to think about that too much and try to do what I’m supposed to do."

GULBIS STUNS DE POTRO
Djokovic will next play Latvian Ernests Gulbis, who sprang a Wimbledon surprise as the world number 589 defeated former US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro 6-4, 6-4, 7-6 (7/3).

The 28-year-old Latvian was ranked in the top 10 in 2014 -- the year he beat Federer en route to the French Open semi-finals. Since then, Gulbis has slumped badly and his Wimbledon opening round win over Victor Estrella, was his first on tour in 13 months, a decline which has seen his ranking crash to his lowest position in 12 years.

Bulgarian 13th seed Grigor Dimitrov, a semi-finalist in 2014, saw off Cypriot veteran Marcos Baghdatis 6-3, 6-2, 6-1 while pint-sized Dudi Sela stunned giant American John Isner 6-7 (5/7), 7-6 (7/5), 5-7, 7-6 (7/5), 6-3.

PLISCOVA CRASHES OUT
Wimbledon tit le favourite Karolina Pliskova crashed to a shock second round defeat against world number 108 Magdalena Rybarikova.

Rybarikova battled back from a set down to win 3-6, 7-5, 6-2 on Centre Court, earning the Slovakian a last 32 clash with Ukraine’s Lesia Tsurenko.

Pliskova reached the US Open last year and the French Open semi-finals last month, but the Czech world number three has a dismal record at Wimbledon and for the sixth successive year she failed to get past the second round.