2021 Wimbledon Day 3: Djokovic Rolls Into Round 3; British Stars Murray, Evans, and Norrie Advance

Day Three: The Championships - Wimbledon 2021

(Photo : TPN/Getty Images) LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 30: Andy Murray of Great Britain hits a forehand against Oscar Otte of Germany in the second round of the gentlemen's singles during Day Three of The Championships - Wimbledon 2021 at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on June 30, 2021 in London, England.

Novak Djokovic's quest for a record-tying 20th Grand Slam title remains right on track after beating Kevin Anderson in straight sets at the Centre Court on Wednesday.

Djokovic, who is chasing his sixth Wimbledon crown, needed just one hour and 41 minutes to record a comprehensive, 6-3, 6-3, 6-3, win over Anderson in a rematch of their 2018 final.

Djokovic looks unstoppable in Grand Slam record bid

Momentum swung in Djokovic's favor in the latter stages of the opening set, winning 12 consecutive points to close out the set, 6-3. It was smooth sailing for the 34-year-old soon after as he improved to 4-0 in his career against Anderson at the All-England Club.

The difference in this matchup was the unforced errors. Djokovic played some flawless tennis against Anderson, recording just six unforced errors the entire match. On the other hand, Anderson struggled on his forays to the net, committing 25 unforced errors against world no. 1.

Joining Djokovic in the third round is the resurgent Andy Murray. The Scot once again showed his remarkable powers of recovery in his second-round match against German qualifier Oscar Otte, coming back from two sets to one down to prevail, 6-3, 4-6, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2.

Murray looked like he was on his way to a comfortable win at the start, leading by a set and a break at one stage. Otte battled back, though, grabbing the next two sets before darkness forced the suspension of play.

British stars impress on Day 3

Once play resumed under the Centre Court lights, it was Murray who was the aggressor, winning seven of the next nine games to grab the momentum back. The Scot delivered a moment of magic with his first match point, producing an inch-perfect lob over Otte to seal the dramatic win.

Next up for Murray is a titanic clash with 10th seed Denis Shapovalov who will be well-rested after being given a walkover on Wednesday. Shapovalov advanced to the third round because of a rib injury to his second-round opponent Pablo Andujar of Spain.

It was a good day for the British contingent on Day 3 as Dan Evans, Cameron Norrie, and Emma Raducanu all advanced. Evans, the British no. 1, eased past Dusan Lajovic in straight sets, recording a 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 win in the second round. It was a fantastic victory for Evans, who reached the third round of the Wimbledon Championships for the third time, matching his best result at the All England Club.

On the other hand, compatriot Cameron Norrie had to dig deep in his first-round clash with France's Lucas Pouille, eventually prevailing in four tough sets, 6-7 (6), 7-5, 6-2, 7-5. The 25-year-old, who reached the Queen's finals last week, has now won 30 matches this season.

Only Stefanos Tsitsipas and Andrey Rublev have recorded more wins than the in-form Norrie this year. He will next face Australian wildcard Alex Bolt as the 29th-seeded Briton looks to reach the third round of a major for the fourth successive tournament.

In the women's draw, British teenager Emma Raducanu impressed in her main-draw debut as the 18-year-old wildcard grabbed a 7-6 (4), 6-0 win over Russia's Vitalia Diatchenko in the first round.