• Former world No1 to tap American’s knowledge in bid to recover form • Kyle Edmund and Naomi Broady go out in first round at Eastbourne

Novak Djokovic says he and Andre Agassi will resume their coaching relationship this weekend in time for Wimbledon and “will stay as long as I stay in the tournament”.

The American first joined Djokovic at the French Open, leaving after only three matches, but the Serb insisted on the eve of his debut at Eastbourne: “Getting to know him in Paris, I can see how much he cares about the game, how much he knows the game. It was very interesting to hear what he sees with things moving forward, to improve and try to get back on the level desired. How long it’s going to take, I don’t know. I still like playing. So as long as it’s like that, I will keep on going.”

It was curious he thought it necessary to say that but part of the damage he and Agassi have to repair is the bruise left by the humiliation of the player’s meltdown in the third set of his quarter-final against Dominic Thiem. “Dominic just played a great match,” Djokovic said on Monday. “Especially from the beginning of the second set. I completely lost my rhythm and confidence on the court in the third.”

Djokovic revealed he went home to Serbia – rather than his residence in Monte Carlo – “to reconnect” after the trauma of that defeat, which was one of the biggest shocks of the season. If he can reconnect with Agassi in any meaningful way, we might yet set the re-emergence of the old Djokovic at Wimbledon, the tournament he values above all others.

Heather Watson beat Dominika Cibulkova, the defending champion, 7-5, 6-4 in the first round at Eastbourne but the British No2 Kyle Edmund was knocked out by the American Donald Young, losing 6-4, 3-6, 6-3. He was joined in leaving the tournament by Naomi Broady, who was beaten 6-2, 6-7 (7), 6-1 by the Czech world No44 Kristyna Pliskova.

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It is the latest defeat in a poor run of form for Edmund, who was beaten in the first round at Queen’s by the teenage Canadian Denis Shapovalov, and who has last 13 of the past 16 matches he has played on grass courts.

Petra Kvitova has pulled out of the Eastbourne tournament because of an abdominal injury, a day after winning her first title since her playing hand was injured in a knife attack.

Organisers of the Aegon International confirmed Kvitova’s withdrawal on Monday, a week before the start of Wimbledon. She won the Wimbledon title in 2011 and 2014.

Kvitova won the grass-court Aegon Classic in Birmingham on Sunday by beating Ashleigh Barty 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 in the final.

Marcus Willis stayed on course for a return to Wimbledon after winning his first qualifier on Monday. The 26-year-old from Slough won six matches to reach the Championships last year, before meeting the seven-time champion Roger Federer in the second round.

That day Willis delighted the Centre Court crowd with some audacious shot-making, and even elicited the odd smile and nod of appreciation from the Swiss player, as he went down to a 6-0, 6-3, 6-4 defeat.

A year on, and three miles down the road at Roehampton, Willis – having thus far missed out on a Wimbledon wildcard – took on Slovakia’s Andrej Martin in the first qualifying round.

Willis has halved his world ranking to 387, but was still facing a player 241 places higher.

Nevertheless, in front of around 150 spectators – including his baby daughter Martha – he ran out an impressive 7-5, 7-5 winner.

He took the first set in 25 minutes, throwing in the trademark lob which famously foxed Federer, before breaking his opponent in the 11th game. Willis repeated the trick in the second set, breaking Martin to love before serving out to secure another higher-ranked scalp.

The victory set up an all-British match with Liam Broady, who beat the Canadian Frank Dancevic 6-2, 6-3, in the second qualifying round. The winner will then face one further qualifying match to reach the Championships, which beginon Monday.

“I’m happy to get the win,” said Willis afterwards. “It’s great having a home crowd and people cheering for you.

“I’m not putting any pressure on myself. It feels different to last year. I’m happy to be here again but after what I did last year doing less could be disappointing I was disappointed not to get a wildcard but I’m determined to get through.

“I’ve played Liam a few times, I’ve won a few and lost a few. He’s a very good player. I know what he is going to bring and he knows what I am going to bring. It will be a chess match tomorrow.”