Andy Murray rolled back the years to stage a thrilling Wimbledon fightback on Wednesday as defending champion Novak Djokovic played almost flawless tennis to reach the third round for the 15th time.

Murray, the 2013 and 2016 champion, battled back to defeat German qualifier Oscar Otte 6-3, 4-6, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 under the roof of Centre Court.

The British star, playing in the singles event for the first time since 2017, and ranked a lowly 118 after suffering hip and groin injuries, avoided what would have been his earliest exit from the tournament.

“What an atmosphere to play in at the end,” said 34-year-old Murray after seeing off his 151st-ranked opponent.

“I needed everyone’s help tonight. I did a great job, played some top shots at the end but it was a tough match.”

Murray, who became the latest player to slip and fall on the Centre Court surface, will face Canadian 10th seed Denis Shapovalov for a place in the last 16.

World number one Djokovic, chasing a sixth Wimbledon and record-equalling 20th Grand Slam title, eased to a 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 win over 102nd-ranked Kevin Anderson of South Africa.

He fell on at least five occasions on Centre Court, the day after Serena Williams suffered a tearful, tournament-ending injury due to similar slips.

Djokovic, 34, cruised to victory over the man he defeated in the 2018 final without facing a single break point and committing just six unforced errors.

“I have a nice connection with the crowd,” said Djokovic.

“I also seem to be having a really nice connection with the grass. I don’t recall falling so much in the first two matches at Wimbledon.”

Australian firebrand Nick Kyrgios, ranked 60, but a quarter-finalist on debut in 2014, won his first match since the Australian Open in February, defeating French 21st seed Ugo Humbert before declaring: “Not bad for a part-time player”.

Kyrgios triumphed 6-4, 4-6, 3-6, 6-1, 9-7 in a match held over from Tuesday evening when the final set was level at 3-3.

“Ugo is an incredible kid and I knew I was a massive underdog,” said Kyrgios after firing 23 aces and 51 winners past the Halle champion.

Kyrgios also shrugged off an ugly-looking fall in the 13th game of the final set when his right knee buckled beneath him.

On Tuesday, he was overheard muttering that Court One was “a joke”.

As the tournament played catch-up after two days hit by rain, recriminations continued over the state of the All England Club courts.

‘Slippery under roof’, ‘a joke’: Wimbledon courts under fire after Serena, Mannarino retire hurt

French 13th seed Gael Monfils defeated Australia’s Christopher O’Connell 4-6, 6-2, 7-6 (7/5), 4-6, 6-4 in a first round tie which had started on Monday.

Italian seventh seed Matteo Berrettini, the champion at Queen’s and tipped to go deep at Wimbledon, edged Argentina’s Guido Pella 6-4, 3-6, 6-4, 6-0.

Japan’s Kei Nishikori, a two-time quarter-finalist, claimed his 100th Grand Slam match win by seeing off Australia’s Alexei Popyrin 6-4, 6-4, 6-4.

On Court 18, Japan’s Yoshihito Nishioka shrugged off a 36-ace barrage, as well as a 38-centimetre height difference, to defeat John Isner to reach the second round for the first time.

Nishioka won 7-6 (7/5), 2-6, 6-3, 6-7 (3/7), 6-4 against the 2018 semi-finalist who also unleashed 87 winners.

Standing at just 5ft 7ins (1.70m) to the 28th-seeded American’s 6ft 10in (2.08m), the 58th-ranked Nishioka triumphed after three previous first round exits. The 25-year-old will face Aljaz Bedene of Slovenia for a spot in the last 32.

Spanish wildcard Carlos Alcaraz, the youngest player in the men’s draw, marked his debut by defeating Yasutaka Uchiyama 6-3, 6-7 (4/7), 6-2, 3-6, 6-3.

The 18-year-old faces Russian second seed Daniil Medvedev for a last 32 place.

With AFP inputs

Results

Men 2nd rd

Novak Djokovic (SRB x1) bt Kevin Anderson (RSA) 6-3, 6-3, 6-3

Denis Kudla (USA) bt Andreas Seppi (ITA) 6-2, 6-4, 6-2

Diego Schwartzman (ARG x9) bt Liam Broady (GBR) 4-6, 6-2, 6-1, 6-4

Márton Fucsovics (HUN) bt Jiri Vesely (CZE) 6-3, 5-4 - retired

Fabio Fognini (ITA x26) bt Laslo Djere (SRB) 6-3, 6-4, 0-6, 6-4

Andrey Rublev (RUS x5) bt Lloyd Harris (RSA) 6-1, 6-2, 7-5

Frances Tiafoe (USA) bt Vasek Pospisil (CAN) 6-4, 6-4, 6-4

Karen Khachanov (RUS x25) bt Egor Gerasimov (BLR) 6-1, 7-6 (7/3), 6-3

Dan Evans (GBR x22) bt Dusan Lajovic (SRB) 6-3, 6-3, 6-4

Sebastian Korda (USA) bt Antoine Hoang (FRA) 7-5, 6-4, 6-4

Denis Shapovalov (CAN x10) bt Pablo Andújar (ESP) – walkover

Andy Murray (SCO) bt Oscar Otte (GER) 6-3, 4-6, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2

Dominik Koepfer (GER) bt Kwon Soonwoo (KOR) 6-3, 6-7 (8/10), 7-6 (7/2), 5-7, 6-3

Men 1st rd

Christian Garín (CHI x17) bt Bernabé Zapata Miralles (ESP) 6-7 (6/8), 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2

Gael Monfils (FRA x13) bt Christopher O’Connell (AUS) 4-6, 6-2, 7-6 (7/5), 4-6, 6-4

Matteo Berrettini (ITA x7) bt Guido Pella (ARG) 6-4, 3-6, 6-4, 6-0

Botic van de Zandschulp (NED) bt Grégoire Barrère (FRA) 6-2, 6-7 (4/7), 6-1, 7-6 (7/3)

Aljaz Bedene (SLO) bt Corentin Moutet (FRA) 6-4, 6-4, 6-0

Yoshihito Nishioka (JPN) bt John Isner (USA x28) 7-6 (7/5), 2-6, 6-3, 6-7 (3/7), 6-4

Jérémy Chardy (FRA) bt Aslan Karatsev (RUS x20) 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (8/6), 6-3

Ilya Ivashka (BLR) bt Jaume Munar (ESP) 6-1, 7-5, 7-6 (7/5)

Kei Nishikori (JPN) bt Alexei Popyrin (AUS) 6-4, 6-4, 6-4

Jordan Thompson (AUS) bt Casper Ruud (NOR x12) 7-6 (8/6), 7-6 (7/3), 2-6, 2-6, 6-2

Félix Auger-Aliassime (CAN x16) bt Thiago Monteiro (BRA) 6-3, 6-3, 6-3

Mikael Ymer (SWE) bt Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA) 7-5, 6-7 (4/7), 5-7, 6-4, 6-3

Gianluca Mager (ITA) bt Juan Ignacio Londero (ARG) 7-6 (7/3), 6-0, 4-6, 6-3

Nick Kyrgios (AUS) bt Ugo Humbert (FRA x21) 6-4, 4-6, 3-6, 6-1, 9-7

Taylor Fritz (USA x31) bt Brandon Nakashima (USA) 7-5, 3-6, 6-4, 7-5

Steve Johnson (USA) bt Dennis Novak (AUT) 7-6 (9/7), 6-2, 7-5

Cameron Norrie (GBR x29) bt Lucas Pouille (FRA) 6-7 (6/8), 7-5, 6-2, 7-5

Lorenzo Sonego (ITA x23) bt Pedro Sousa (POR) 6-2, 7-5, 6-0

Daniel Galán (COL) bt Federico Coria (ARG) 6-4, 4-6, 7-5, 7-5

James Duckworth (AUS) bt Radu Albot (MDA) 6-4, 6-4, 6-1

Sam Querrey (USA) bt Pablo Carreño-Busta (ESP x11) 7-6 (8/6), 6-4, 7-5

Marcos Giron (USA) bt Emil Ruusuvuori (FIN) 6-4, 2-6, 6-2, 0-6, 6-4

Alexander Bublik (KAZ) bt Mikhail Kukushkin (KAZ) 6-4, 6-2, 6-1

Grigor Dimitrov (BUL x18) bt Fernando Verdasco (ESP) 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4

Marin Cilic (CRO x32) bt Salvatore Caruso (ITA) 7-6 (7/5), 7-6 (7/1), 6-1

Benjamin Bonzi (FRA) bt Marco Trungelliti (ARG) 6-1, 1-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4

Carlos Alcaraz (ESP) bt Yasutaka Uchiyama (JPN) 6-3, 6-7 (4/7), 6-2, 3-6, 6-3