Defending champion Novak Djokovic paid tribute to the retiring Jarkko Nieminen after the world number one inflicted a straight-sets defeat on the Finn in the Wimbledon second round.
Nieminen, who reached the quarter-finals in 2006, will hang up his racket at the end of the season and his final appearance at Wimbledon took just an hour and 32 minutes as Djokovic eased to a 6-4 6-2 6-3 win on Centre Court.
Djokovic, who will play Australia's Bernard Tomic in round three, took a moment to congratulate his opponent as they met at the net, while 33-year-old Nieminen kissed his own fingers and touched the Wimbledon grass during an emotional send-off.
"It's his last Wimbledon, I have had a very nice relationship with Jarkko for many years," Djokovic said.
"When I was coming into the professional tennis as an 18-year-old, I was playing some challenger in Helsinki in Finland, that's where I met him the first time.
"Ever since then he's been very kind to me. He's one of the nicest guys on the tour that I know on the court and off the court.
"In the present moment, maybe you are not aware how important it is, it's a milestone for him, it's his last match in Wimbledon.
"I'm sure he wanted to enjoy it a little bit so he deserved the ovation."
Djokovic had to play through the hottest day ever at Wimbledon with the Met Office recording a nearby temperature of 35.7 degrees Celsius.
"It wasn't as bad as I thought," Djokovic said.
"People were talking about it and predicting really difficult conditions but I didn't find it as difficult as I thought it might be."
Source: PA
