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Live Commentary: Novak Djokovic vs. Andrey Golubev - as it happened

Relive Sports Mole's live coverage of the match between Novak Djokovic and Andrey Golubev in the Wimbledon first round.
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Novak Djokovic has progressed through to the second round at Wimbledon with a comfortable victory over Andrey Golubev.

The world number one, who lost in last year's final to Andy Murray, won the first 11 games of a one-sided contest before Golubev got on the board.

The Kazakh player improved during the third set, but after his serve was broken in the ninth game, Djokovic served out for a 6-0 6-1`6-4 triumph.

Read below to see how the action unfolded on Centre Court.


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Hello, and welcome to Sports Mole's coverage of the match between Novak Djokovic and Andrey Golubev at Wimbledon.

We've already seen last year's champion progress through to the second round - now it's time for the runner-up to try to make it through to the last 64. World number one and 2011 winner Novak Djokovic has just made his way onto Centre Court ahead of his match against world number 56 Andrey Golubev.

The last time that we saw Djokovic on this court, he was congratulating Andy Murray on breaking 77 years of hurt. However, that match would only have ignited a fire inside of the Serbian, who has found himself on the wrong end of the result in several of the most recent major finals. He's won just one of the last nine majors, and for a man of such ability, that's poor.

Djokovic's serve seems to be in good working order. The Serbian sends down an ace on the second point before taking the next point with a volley at the net. A love-hold is completed with a forehand down the line.

BREAK! The Kazakhstan player opens up with an ace, but quickly sends down a double fault to undo the work. The 26-year-old understandably looks a little shaky, and after missing a game point, he dumps a forehand into the net to give Djokovic a chance to break. Golubev survives, though, after Djokovic sends a backhand marginally wide of the sideline. He saves another soon after, but he sees a game point slip by after a stunning backhand return from the world number one. That shakes Golubev, and after missing with an easy volley, he is broken after a lovely drop volley from the former champion.

Djokovic eases into a 30-0 lead before Golubev fires a scintillating backhand passing shot down the line. That shot draws applause from Djokovic, who serves and volleys on the next point before directing a forehand into the corner to take the game.

BREAK! Djokovic hasn't taken long to get into the zone. He sees a passing shot from the corner of the court clip the line to move 0-15 ahead, but he can't do nothing as Golubev sends down a couple of big serves. The game looks about to come to an end when Djokovic slips, but he recovers to move to deuce. Djokovic creates a break point, but despite missing it, Golubev goes long on the next point and a sharp return of serve is enough to get the double break.

A quick scoreflash from elsewhere - Great Britain's Kyle Edmund has dropped the first set to Andreas Haider-Maurer. Come on Kyle!

Djokovic eases to another comfortable hold for the loss of just one point. This has been far too easy so far.

SET! Can Golubev avoid a first-set bagel? It's looking doubtful when dumping the ball into the net on the first point, but he manages to get himself to 30-30 after a couple of errors from the world number one. However, the Kazakh player goes long with a backhand and it's set point to Djokovic, who takes his chance by thundering a backhand down the line. That set took 24 minutes...

That's better from Golubev, who executes a drop shot into the open court, but back comes Djokovic with a forehand winner and an ace. Golubev already looks incredibly deflated.

BREAK! A double fault from Golubev results in him falling 0-30 behind before Djokovic smashes a forehand return down the line after his opponent attempted to serve and volley. The first two break points are saved, but Djokovic takes the third after directing a forehand deep into the court. Anyone for a double bagel...(maybe even a triple...)

Djokovic holds to 15 with consummate ease. He hasn't had to move out of second gear to win the first nine games inside 34 minutes. We can see why Golubev has never won a match at Wimbledon.

BREAK! Golubev gets to 30-0 after getting the better of Djokovic during a lengthy baseline exchange. However, Djokovic fires back with a backhand winner before Golubev slices the same shot into the net. It's all going wrong for the Kazakh, who makes two more mistakes and Djokovic has the double break.

This is a masterclass. After wrong-footing Golubev at the net, Djokovic plays the most immaculate of backhand drop shots that just clears the net. Golubev tries to strike back with power, but two more mistakes sees Djokovuic move one away from the double bagel.

Golubev is greeted by a huge roar from the crowd who are desperate to see him win a game. He gets to 30-15, which is warmly appreciated by the crowd before playing a superb one-two off his serve to get to two game points. Can he do it?! He can! Djokovic miscues a backhand wide and the crowd go wild. I don't think Andrey gets the humour though!

SET! That game looks to be a brief respite for Golubev as Djokovic eases to two set points, and despite saving the first, he can do nothing to prevent an ace from the number one seed. That's the second set won and we've only had 47 minutes.

I think Golubev was a bit offended by his sarcastic cheers around 10 minutes ago because he's started to play a bit better. He gets to 40-15 and despite going long from the baseline, he responds with a forehand down the line.

If anything, Djokovic's concentration has only been sharpened after conceding a couple of games and he gets to 40-0 in next to no time. Golubev pulls a couple of points back, but Djokovic seals the game.

Every moment of brilliance that Golubev is beginning to show, he lets himself down by sending a routine shot out of court. However, he comes through a couple of deuces to continue his run of service holds.

The crowd are on their feet after a blistering return from Golubev, but that's as good as it gets for the 26-year-old who sees Djokovic holds another game on serve.

NEWSFLASH! Great Britain's Naomi Broady wins the first Grand Slam match of her career after coming back from a set down to win 2-6 7-6 6-0 against Timea Babos! Well played, Naomi!

Djokovic thinks he is in with a chance of a break of serve after taking Golubev to deuce, but the Kazakh player has other ideas. He advances to the net to put a wonderful drop volley into the open court to ensure that he keeps ahead of the world number one.

nother comfortable hold from the world number one, who is yet to face a break point yet. It's just a hunch, but I think that could continue for the remainder of the match.

Djokovic miscues a forehand pass, but it drops in to help him move ahead in the game, but his next attempt is intended and he brings up two break points. However, Golubev shows terrific fight to get back to deuce before drilling down a forehand winner to get to 4-3. If only he could have played like this from the start...

The world number gets over the disappointment of missing out in that previous game by holding to love, with that last point being won with a delightful backhand down the line. He's dropped just 12 points on serve in this match.

BREAK! Golubev shows terrific touch around the court to move to two game points, but he is beaten by a Djokovic lob before sending down a double fault to take the score to deuce. A weak second serve is then given the treatment by Djokovic for a break point, which is taken when a routine backhand finds the net.

MATCH! The first two points of the game are shared before Golubev, via an element of luck and skill, finds the sideline with a backhand slice that completely deceives Djokovic. However, the world number 56 can do nothing with a couple of Djokovic serves, and the 2011 winner books his place in the second round when Golubev goes wide with another attempted backhand slice.

Well I imagine that Novak Djokovic will be rather content with that! It took until the third set for Golubev to realise that he was playing on the best court in the world, but Djokovic always had enough to ease to a straight-sets victory.

Djokovic will now face Radek Stepanek, who defeated Andy Murray at Queen's two weeks ago, in the second round. That should be a fun match to watch.

That will be the end of Sports Mole's coverage of this match. Thank you for joining us and we hope to see you again soon. Goodbye for now.

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