A routine second-round Wimbledon victory would not normally live long in the memory of Maria Sharapova but she might preserve a small space for a bizarre cameo in Wednesday's match when she served three successive double faults to lose serve to love.
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Though she was never troubled by Dutch world number 123 Richel Hogenkamp in her 6-3, 6-1 victory, Sharapova's serve was ragged all day as she sprinkled eight double faults and repeated re-tosses among crushing forehand winners.
The issue reached its nadir as she served at 4-2 in the first set and sent seven of her eight attempted serves wide or into the net, throwing in a wide forehand for good measure on the opening point to lose to love.
Hogenkamp looked slightly embarrassed to walk to her chair a game better off after barely laying a racket on the ball but her pleasure was shortlived as Sharapova broke back in the next game and served out successfully for the set.
Still somewhat our of sorts, Sharapova did at least eventually find her range with a series thunderous ground strokes that left Hogenkamp's racket flailing and her face reddening as she struggled for any sort of foothold in hot, humid conditions.
For 2004 champion Sharapova it was another match on grass under her belt as she continues her rehabilitation from the virus that struck her down at the French Open.
And while the double faults will bother her, she still managed to win 87 per cent of points when her first serve found the mark.
She was never likely to be troubled by Hogenkamp, who made her grand slam debut in the Australian Open this year, losing in the first round.
The 23-year-old's first-round victory over Quiang Wang at Wimbledon this week represented a high point in a career which even she seems to think will not come to much as she describes her long-term goal as "being in the top 100 for many years".
Fourth seed Sharapova, who won her Wimbledon title as a 17-year-old, has, of course, been right at the top of the game ever since and with the draw looking very favourable she will expect to be right in the mix at the sharp end of next week.
A strangely lethargic Novak Djokovic outclassed Finland's Jarkko Nieminen 6-4, 6-2, 6-3 to move safely into the Wimbledon third round.
The World No 1 and top seed dropped serve in the opening game of the match and appeared distracted in a performance littered with loose serves and uncharacteristic errors.
Serb Djokovic was still far too good for 33-year-old world number 92 Nieminen who was playing in his final Wimbledon.
The defending champion broke in the sixth game of the third set and completed victory when Nieminen sent a forehand wide.
Djokovic will play Australian Bernard Tomic, the 27th seed, in the last 32.
Broady and beard cut down to size by Goffin
British wildcard Liam Broady, whose bushy beard and family dramas have received as much attention as his first-round win, was cut down to size by Belgium's David Goffin.
Broady, one of four home players through to the second round of the men's singles for the first time since 2006, stayed with 16th seed Goffin in the opening set but could not maintain the pace in searing heat and went down 7-6(3), 6-1, 6-1.
A service game lasting more than 10 minutes broke Broady's resistance early in the second set and the accurate Goffin pressed the accelerator to race away from the 21-year-old.
Broady's sister Naomi went out in the first round on Monday, the day Liam recovered from two sets down to beat experienced Australian Marinko Matosevic.
They were the first British brother and sister to play at Wimbledon for 37 years but it was not all family harmony.
Liam, born in Stockport which also was the birthplace of former British great Fred Perry, fell out with his father Simon over his decision to accept backing from the LTA after Naomi had been cut adrift by the national association.
Raonic cranks up power to beat veteran Haas
Milos Raonic almost matched the Wimbledon serving speed record against German veteran Tommy Haas as the Canadian powerhouse moved into the third round.
Seventh seed Raonic, a semi-finalist last year on the west London lawns, boomed down one delivery at 145mph, just short of the 148mph missile American Taylor Dent produced five years ago.
Despite his ferocious game he was still dragged into a fourth set by the injury-plagued 37-year-old former world number two who on Monday became the oldest man to win a Wimbledon singles match since Jimmy Connors in 1991.
Haas was completely overpowered for two sets but hit back before Raonic, who creamed down 28 aces, prevailed 6-0, 6-2, 6-7(5), 7-6(4) on an oven-like Court One.
The popular German saved three consecutive match points at 5-6 in the fourth set as Raonic wobbled but another ace brought up three more in the tiebreak and this time Haas could not escape, Raonic sealing the win with a backhand pass.
More heavy firepower will definitely be on display when Raonic faces Australian trailblazer Nick Kyrgios in round three -- the player he subdued in last year's quarter-final.
