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Live Commentary: Albert Ramos vs. Juan Martin del Potro - as it happened

Live text commentary as Albert Ramos took on Juan Martin del Potro at Wimbledon but lost in straight sets.
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Eighth seed from Argentina Juan Martin del Potro got his Wimbledon campaign off to the perfect start with a 6-2 7-5 6-1 win over Spain's Albert Ramos.

He had to save a couple of early break points, but after the slow start raced ahead in the match by taking the set 6-2 after half an hour.

The second set was tough going for the Argentinian, but he broke right at the end of the set before storming to victory in the third.

Read how the action unfolded below with our live text commentary.


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Good afternoon all and welcome to day two of Wimbledon. Technically it started at 11.30am, with Heather Watson currently in action, but the show courts kick off in around 15 minutes. On Court One we have Juan Martin del Potro against Albert Ramos.

This is the first meeting between these two on the ATP tour, so there's not a lot to go on there. However, ranking tend not to lie and you would expect Del Po to have a bit too much for the Spaniard, even if grass is something of a leveller for him.

The good news is that the weather is looking alright again today. It's not the height of summer by any means, but the rain should stay away to get us through the second batch of first round games. Over on Centre another match will be getting underway about the same time as this one - Serena Williams vs. Mandy Minella.

A quick look at today's challenger then. Ramos's highest career ranking is 38, which he achieved just before the French Open last year. He's dropped to 62 since then, but he can certainly play. He's slightly in the negative on overall wins/losses with 57-66, and really has little to go on in grass competition. In World Tour and Slams, he's 1-3 on the green stuff.

He has got to the second round just twice in his career - last year at the US and the 2011 French, but those are his best Slam results. He doesn't know what second weeks are like.

One man who does, however, is Juan Martin del Potro. Currently eighth in the world, he briefly snuck into the top four in 2010, but has been on the outskirts his whole career really. He smashes on to the scene in 2009, winning the US Open, semi-finalling in the French and reaching the last eight at the Australian. Since then, though, he hasn't hit the same heights.

His career record is much more healthy at 274-115, and on grass it's 24-11. Not so bad, but compared to 62-24 on clay you can see there's room for improvement. No-one is expecting him to do much here - perhaps the quarters is the most he can ask for - but he should win today.

So with the warmups going on - two minutes left, in fact - I should just remind you that over on Centre Serena Williams is about to get started against Mandy Minella. Join Pascal Lemesre for that one - but open in a new window so you can follow both matches.

The umpire calls time, which in tennis terms means 'Time -30s' and we're ready to go. Del Potro to serve.

Who says Ramos hasn't played on grass? He's 30-15 down in the opener but then plays a delicious drop shot, with Del Potro then going long for two early break points...

It's saved with some typical big hitting from Del Potro, who bullies Ramos into submission. However, the Spaniard forces his oppoent to net and gets his second break point. That and another are saved by more big serves and finally the Argentinian closes out the game, but it was far from comfortable.

Early signs here that Del Potro will get the better of most rallies. He's nothing more than patient before Ramos nets trying to take control.

BREAK! However, when he gets his serve right there's little Del Potro can do to counter. Some big serves followed by winners move the Spaniard to 40-15, but a couple more unforced errors bring us to deuce. As if tired of waiting, Del Potro brings out that mean forehand cross for break point and claims it at the first time of asking.

His serve is getting slowly better, Del Potro, and when he gets it in there's only one winner in those points. He fires in a big 127mph ace for 40-0.

Really good from Ramos there, who slices right into the corner from the net, which Del Potro cannot control.

There's an ace again, and that one brings up game. He's over that early scare and is looking menacing with the ball now.

Meanwhile, on Centre, Williams is also flying and has just moved 4-1 up in the first.

Well played, person in the hat, who blocked the view of Ramos as he served his first ace. He follows that up with another from the other side to race into a 30-0 lead.

30-0 becomes 40-0 with some more dominant serving and he wraps up a very comfortable service game indeed in no time at all. He's on the board, which will do him good.

Great response from Del Potro, who sees his booming serve returned brilliantly and he has to go very wide to swat the winner down the line.

Typical men's grass court tennis this now, as some big serves and short rallies see Del Potro hold to love, just as Ramos did.

In just 19 minutes on Centre, Serena has taken the first set. Better head over there quickly before it's over.

A patient point from both players at 40-0, until Del Potro fires up the forehand to force Ramos long. However, it's a dominant game from Ramos apart from that and he grabs his second game.

Really nice sliced cross-court forehand from Ramos to force the error from Del Potro, but he's 30-15 down. The Argentine then shows good sportsmanship to agree with a Ramos challenge on an out call - they replay the point without going to HawkEye. It matters little, as Del Potro holds to 15 and there's very little sign of him being broken.

Whoops! Great return from Del Potro and Ramos decides to leave it as it's close to going out. Of course it skims the line and leaves him with an omelette on his face. Now it's trouble as he's 0-30 down.

Now Del Potro has two break points for the set...

SET! Indeed Del Potro takes it as Ramos finds the tramlines. Del Potro hasn't been excellent, but he's been comfortable and you know he can improve if need be.

Some news from Centre Court. Williams has been broken (that's true, please don't leave the site) and is currently battling to stay in the second set at 0-2 down.

Scrap that last update. She's broken back... so that'll be 6-2 in the second then?

A comfortable first couple of points for Del Po, but he's then forced into a couple of errors with two big Ramos forehands and finds himself at 30-30.

"Time to attack," thinks Del Potro in Spanish, before turning it up slightly to take the last couple of points with some big shots and a final ace. Good start to the set for him.

Fine, fine shot from Ramos. He's 15-30 down on serve and slices a delightful forehand at the net that spins out of the reach of Del Po.

Brilliant play at deuce. Del Potro controls a rally from the baseline, before it looks for all the world that he's going down the line for the winner, but changes up and goes the other side.

However, Ramos holds and you felt he had to there. Ramos is finding his service games harder and harder, while the Argentine is breezing through his.

The best and the worst of Del Potro in consecutive points there. First he skims the line with a forehand winner, before thinking his serve has done enough and firing long when it comes back to him. No worries, though, as he holds to 15 and is showing no signs of being broken.

Much better from Ramos on serve. A couple of really nice forehands plus a Del Po error put him 30-0 up.

However, he goes into the tramlines himself and his early work is undone at 30-30.

In the end it's a good hold, with some aggressive tennis and a nice smash levelling the set.

On Centre, Williams is a game away from cruising into the second round in less than an hour.

It was to 30 that time, but Del Potro takes another service hold. He's no more than cruising at the moment, but will probably step it up for the break before long.

As I suspected, he's starting to swing more freely and has just gone 0-30 up after a couple of rallies.

What a shot from Del Po. He's lining up for a big backhand, but it spins and bounces really low and Ramos can't return it. Two break points...

BREAK! Too good! Ramos is at the net and volleys a couple of attempted passes, but Del Potro then decides to go over the top and his lob slips the back of the baseline for the break. Brilliant shot.

On Centre, Williams has as expected wrapped up the second set and is into the next round.

He wants this over and done with, does Del Po. He bullies his way to a hold to love and is now just one game away from a 2-0 lead. He's looking good.

That's nice from Ramos, who's slightly going backwards and drops a backhand volley drop shot right over the net. Shot of the day, probably.

Ramos does all he can do, with a comfortable hold to love forcing Del Potro to serve out the set.

This time it's Del Potro's turn to run. He gets to an angled forehand but leaves the court open for the easy winner. The Argentine then goes long for 0-30. A look-in, here.

Double fault. What an awful time for it. Three break points...

One is saved with a bit of classic serve and volley.

Ramos slices an unforced error out. One remains...

BREAK! Del Po nets and it's an error, but Ramos finally takes a break point at the sixth time of asking and we're back with serve. He's capitulated since being 5-2 up in the second, has the eighth seed.

Good response from Del Potro. He runs Ramos ragged before coming into the net for an easy winner.

Some good play has seen Ramos battle back to 30-30.

However he nets a backhand - one set point for Del Po...

Great play from Ramos. He comes to the net and calmly volleys where his opponent has come from to claim deuce.

Ramos consolidates his break, but it was tough going. This set is just short of 45 minutes and the Spaniard is giving Del Potro a really tough time of it.

Pressure on Del Po, but you'd never know. He starts the game by planting a lovely forehand down the line. He then loses a rally for once, going long after good defence from Ramos. A strong hold at a good time for the Argentine, and Ramos must now hold for a breaker.

Ramos goes long and Del Po has two set points...

SET! It's the perfect time to break for Del Potro, and he's very, very happy about that. A tough set ends and there's surely no way back now for the Spaniard?

Del Potro won't be beaten at the moment. Ramos tries a few sideline skimmers before coming to the net, but he's forced into an error and the Argentinian goes 30-0 up.

The perfect start to the third from Del Potro. He holds to love and the good aspect for him is that he kept his level up through the break in sets.

More excellent defence from Del Potro, with Ramos going long as he moved in for the kill. 0-15.

What a fine shot from Del Po. He stays alive with a defensive lob, returns the smash and then passes Ramos at the net with a backhand for 30-30.

A wild Ramos backhand and the world number eight has a break point...

BREAK! He's taken it on a double fault, but he won't mind. Del Potro is now cruising into the second round.

Another really good point. It was similar to before with Del Po defending and returning the smash, but this time he left some court open for the winner from Ramos.

Down 0-30, Del Potro responds as he often does with ace number nine. He brings it level and then moves ahead in the game by wrong-footing Ramos with a big forehand. Ramos nets to hand the game to his opponent and Del Po is three away.

Meanwhile, Novaj Djokovic is in action on Centre right now. He's 4-2 to the good against Florian Mayer.

Correction: 5-2 up.

Super passing shot from Del Potro from right in the corner as Ramos advanced forwards. That makes it 0-30 on Ramos's serve, and the next point gives him three break points...

BREAK! There's no stopping Del Potro here as he goes 4-0 up in 16 minutes. Ramos plops up a tasty half-volley for his opponent to smash the winner for a break to love.

At 40-15 Del Potro makes a rare error to go long, but finishes the hold when Ramos nets a drop shot. Really good point that final one, with angles, slices and lines hit, but the Argentinian holds on.

On Centre, Novak Djokovic has wrapped up the first set 6-3.

Back on No. 1, Ramos races 30-0 in front and seems intent to make Del Potro serve for the match.

That is what happens. Del Potro skews a forehand into the air, and will take the balls to serve himself into the second round.

Great start. Ramos gets a hint of a touch on a big serve down the middle.

GAME, SET AND MATCH DEL POTRO!

A good start then from Del Potro, who breezes into the next round. It was tough at times in the second, but his class showed through in the end.

That's all from me, so thanks for being here. We'll have plenty more commentaries throughout the day as well as the results and reaction. Find everything you need from our Wimbledon hub.

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