Two-time champion Rafael Nadal cruised through his first-round match 6-3, 6-3, 6-2 against the diminutive Israeli Dudi Sela.

With a difference of four inches in height and 20 kilos in weight between the two players, this had the feel of a mismatch from the start and Nadal duly pummelled his weaker opponent into submission with a series of heavy serves and forehands.

After his win, Nadal was pressed on whether he would be in favour of Wimbledon bringing in a shot clock to monitor how long players take between points – as the US Open will do later this summer.

Despite being one of the players who most regularly exceeds the 25-second rule at grand slams, Nadal said he would cope with the innovation.

But he added: “I can’t support this because I don’t feel the matches that stay for the history of our sport went quick.

“I don’t remember emotional matches that the total time of the match have been two hours. All the matches that have been important have been four hours, five hours.

“To play these kinds of matches you need time between points because you cannot play points in a row with long rallies, with emotional points, having only 25 seconds between points.”

Telegraph