Jordan Thompson has admitted his Wimbledon second round dream date with Novak Djokovic could turn into a nightmare.
It is thus to be hoped Australia's world No.70 did not spend the tournament’s rain-hit second afternoon watching Carlos Alcaraz, Djokovic’s main threat, toying with Jeremy Chardy.
Alcaraz made Chardy, a one-time Junior Wimbledon champ and a former top-25 player, look every day of his 36 years as he dragged the Frenchman left and right across No.1 Court to sweep into the second round.
This was Chardy's 14th Wimbledon and he revealed beforehand it was to be the last singles event of his career.
A Wimbledon showcourt is a great place to bow out, but for an hour Chardy must have wondered if it was a match too far.
The contest was so one-sided that at one stage Alcaraz challenged a serve on the Frenchman’s behalf.
The first set took 22 minutes, the second 32.
The third, however, went longer than the opening two combined.
With the tie in the bag, the 20-year-old US Open champion eased up, a mixture of his concentration dropping, a measure of experimentation being introduced, and Chardy playing with boldness and freedom.
At 3-2 Chardy forced his first break points, clinching the game on the fourth to take a 4-2 lead.
Alcaraz, however, broke back immediately, moving smoothly through the gears to seal victory 6-0 6-2 7-5.
World No.1 Alcaraz is top seed at Wimbledon; the man Thompson plays on day three is seeded second and world No.2. But Djokovic has won Wimbledon seven times whereas Alcaraz is yet to go past the fourth round.
Nevertheless, the Spaniard's victory at the warmup Queen's tournament, in which he beat Australia's No.1 Alex de Minaur in the final, suggested he is adapting very quickly to the surface.
"It is so beautiful to play on grass," Alcaraz said. "I learn from more time on court."
Alcaraz, who said his '"goal is to win the tournament", also has the advantage of being one of just three players in his half of the draw to complete their first round match on day two.
With rain falling steadily in southwest London, all of those were played under roof cover.
On No.1 Court Alcaraz was followed by British No.1 Cameron Norrie, who beat Tomas Machac 6-3 4-6 6-1 6-4.
On Centre Court, with outside play long-abandoned, metal-hipped Andy Murray joined them in the second round after brushing aside Ryan Peniston 6-3 6-0 6-1 in an all-British-tie.
Big-serving Frenchman Quentin Halys beat Dan Evans 6-2 6-3 6-7 (5-7) 6-4 in the day's final match on Centre Court to set up a second-round clash against Australia's Aleksandar Vukic.
The only downside for Alcaraz was that returning eight-time champion Roger Federer watched the action on Centre Court, rather than his match.
"I'm jealous," he said. "I want Roger Federer to watch one of my matches and wish to talk with him. It would be amazing for me."
