Pella puts out Cilic

London: Wimbledon 2017 runner-up Marin Cilic, a favourite to go far in the tournament again this year, suffered a shock 3-6, 1-6, 6-4, 7-6(3), 7-5 defeat by Argentine Guido Pella in the second round on Thursday.

The Croatian third seed began the day two sets up but 4-3 down on Pella's serve in the third, following Wednesday evening's halt for rain and found his opponent very much up for the fight.
Stan Wawrinka's woeful run at recent Grand Slams continued when the Swiss lost 7-6(7), 6-3 7,-6(6) in the second round against Italian journeyman Thomas Fabbiano.

Wawrinka, winner of three Grand Slam tournaments, trailed by two sets overnight, having squandered set points in the opener, but led 6-5 in the third when play resumed in muggy conditions.

The scoreboard said 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 to Rafael Nadal but it was an uneasy two-and-a-half hours for the Spanish world number one as he laboured past Kazakhstan's Mikhail Kukushkin into the third round. 

John Isner snatched defeat from the jaws of victory but survived to beat Belgian qualifier Ruben Bemelman in a delayed second-round match. The American ninth seed eventually won 6-1, 6-4, 6-7(3), 6-7(6), 7-5.

Germany's Angelique Kerber, the No 11 seed, knocked out United States' qualifier Claire Liu 3-6, 6-2, 6-4. The two-time Grand Slam champion took one hour and 54 minutes to end Liu's first Wimbledon's appearance.  

No 17 Ashleigh Barty of Australia reached the round of 32 after defeating Canada's qualifier Eugenie Bouchard 6-4, 7-5. She will square off against world No 14 Daria Kasatkina of Russia who beat world No 53 Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan 6-2, 6-3.