Novak Djokovic gets Wimbledon title defence off to solid start

Novak Djokovic has begun the defence of his Wimbledon crown with a no-nonsense victory over Philipp Kohlschreiber this afternoon.

The world number one, who is still reeling from missing out on a career Grand Slam at the French Open last month, came out on top 6-4 6-4 6-4 on Centre Court.

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Having made a solid start to the contest, earning a break of serve in the second game, Djokovic committed a couple of unforced errors to see his German opponent level things up early on.

The 31-year-old - who was the highest-ranked non-seed in the event - failed to push on, however, as the Serbian ace held for the remainder before seeing out the set with a second break.

Both players struggled to break each other down in the second, something which would have suited Kohlschreiber more than his opponent, but an impressive shot down the line in the final game allowed the two-time Wimbledon champ to race 2-0 ahead.

It was then a case of seeing the job through, and he remained on course to do just that by easily holding serve in the opening game before breaking a dejected Kohlschreiber in the fourth.

The German hit back instantly, however, earning a break of his own to put just a little pressure on the top seed, but with Kohlschreiber serving to stay in the match he was unable to force a tie-break as Djokovic went marching on.