13 of the men’s seeds fell at the first hurdle — a Wimbledon record since 32 seeds were introduced in 2001.
IMAGE: Italy’s Jannik Sinner hits a forehand during his match against compatriot Luca Nardi on Tuesday, Day 2 of The Wimbledon Championships, at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. Photograph: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images/Reuters
World number one Jannik Sinner and seven-time champion Novak Djokovic moved into the second round of the Wimbledon Championships, but it was a second successive day of upsets at a sizzling All England Club as a succession of seeded players crashed and burned on Tuesday.
American second seed Coco Gauff, chasing a French Open-Wimbledon double after her Paris triumph, was the day’s most surprising casualty, losing 7-6(3), 6-1 to Ukraine’s Dayana Yastremska as the sun set on a sultry day.
Gauff’s compatriot Taylor Fritz, the world number five, survived a five-set firefight by the skin of his teeth against big-serving Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard.
But the same could not be said of 13 of the men’s seeds who fell at the first hurdle — a Wimbledon record since 32 seeds were introduced in 2001.
IMAGE: Ukraine’s Dayana Yastremska gestures to her box after defeating Coco Gauff of the United States. Photograph: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images/Reuters
Nine seeds also perished in the women’s first round while the eight top-10 seeds to go out across both singles draws is the highest at a Grand Slam in the professional era.
Germany’s Alexander Zverev was the most notable men’s casualty, the third seed losing 7-6(3), 6-7(8), 6-3, 6-7(5), 6-4 to France’s Arthur Rinderknech in a marathon duel that began on Monday and was locked at one set apiece overnight.
“I’m not sure he’s ever played a match like that in his life,” Zverev, who is still chasing a first Grand Slam title after 38 attempts, said.
Italian Lorenzo Musetti, seeded seven, was also bundled out on Court Two by Nikoloz Basilashvili — the same court where earlier American women’s third seed Jessica Pegula was sent packing 6-2, 6-3 by Italian Elisabetta Cocciaretto.
IMAGE: France’s Arthur Rinderknech celebrates victory over Germany’s Alexander Zverev. Photograph: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images/Reuters
A red-hot Sinner never looked like joining the exodus as he beat fellow Italian and close friend Luca Nardi 6-4, 6-3, 6-0 in a victorious return to the Grand Slam stage after his epic French Open final defeat by Carlos Alcaraz last month.
“I tried to put the friendship away for a couple of hours,” Sinner, who conceded only four points when he landed his first serve, told reporters.
After seven British players won singles matches on Monday — a professional era record at Wimbledon — home fans had more to cheer on Tuesday as fourth seed Jack Draper, his nation’s big hope, avoided any dramas by easing past Argentina’s Sebastian Baez who retired hurt trailing 6-2, 6-2, 2-1.
In total, 10 British players have reached round two.
Djokovic extended by unseeded Muller
IMAGE: Serbia’s Novak Djokovic celebrates winning his first round match against France’s Alexandre Muller. Photograph: Toby Melville/Reuters
Djokovic was made to work hard after a strong start as he began his bid for a 25th Grand Slam title by beating unseeded Frenchman Alexandre Muller 6-1, 6-7(7), 6-2, 6-2 to reach the second round.
The sixth seed, who is aiming to equal Roger Federer’s haul at the All England Club and move past Margaret Court in the all-time list of major champions, will take on British wild card Dan Evans in the next round.
Djokovic, who endured a poor year before lifting his 100th tour-level trophy in Geneva ahead of a run to the semi-finals of the French Open, powered through the opening set against Muller by winning six games on the trot.
Muller put up much more of a fight in the next set, saving five breakpoints to hold for 4-4 before forcing a tiebreak where he raised his game again to battle from 2-5 down and draw level in the match.
Djokovic caught his breath when the Centre Court roof was closed and then took a medical timeout early in the third set for a stomach problem, before going up 3-2 with a break after Muller hit his sixth double fault of the match.
Having wrapped up the third set, Djokovic racked up a 4-2 advantage in the fourth set with an exquisite backhand winner and there was no looking back from there as he completed the victory by holding to love.
Krejcikova stretched by 20-year-old Eala
IMAGE: Italy’s Elisabetta Cocciaretto returns a shot during her demolition of Jessica Pegula of the United States. Photograph: Susan Mullane-Imagn Images/Reuters
Women’s defending champion Barbora Krejcikova was tested by promising 20-year-old Filipina Alexandra Eala, but after a slow start she found her form to win 3-6, 6-2, 6-1 on her return to Centre Court after last year’s surprise triumph.
“I mean, what the hell (kind of tennis) she played in the first set?,” said Krejcikova, praising her opponent.
“She was smashing the ball and cleaning the lines, so wow, wow. She’s going to be really good in a couple of years.”
Five-times Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek, seeded eight, is yet to conquer Wimbledon but showed positive signs as she beat Polina Kudermetova 7-5, 6-1 while Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva advanced after a 6-3, 6-3 victory over Mayar Sherif.
IMAGE: Poland’s Iga Swiatek in action during her first round match against Russia’s Polina Kudermetova. Photograph: Andrew Couldridge/Reuters
Both might have expected Gauff to be a major obstacle but the world number two subsided against Yastremska.
The women’s draw is now without three of its top five seeds after number five Zheng Qinwen of China, the Olympic champion, suffered a third successive Wimbledon first-round defeat, beaten 7-5, 4-6, 6-1 by Czech doubles specialist Katerina Siniakova.
“I believe if I get through the first match, I will start to play better and better (on grass),” Zheng said. “The problem is the first match for me is complicated.”
Many will lament the exit of Wimbledon dark horse Alexander Bublik, seeded 28th. The Kazakh showman is guaranteed entertainment with his array of trick shots but he was unable to avoid the exit door, as he was dragged into battle by Spaniard Jaume Munar and beaten 6-4, 3-6, 4-6, 7-6(5), 6-2.
Late in the day yet another seed fell as Frenchman Ugo Umbert was beaten by veteran countryman Gael Monfils, again defying his 38 years to edge a five-setter.
IMAGE: Taylor Fritz of the United States reacts after winning a five-set firefight against France’s Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard by the skin of his teeth. Photograph: Stephanie Lecocq/Reuters
American Fritz survived, though, letting out a massive roar as he beat Perricard 6-7(6), 6-7(8), 6-4, 7-6(6), 6-4 in a match carried forward from Monday.
Perricard’s consolation for losing the cliffhanger was a 153mph serve — a Wimbledon record.
Tommy Paul took out Briton Johannus Monday with little fuss, the 13th seed cruising through 6-4, 6-4, 6-2, but it was the end of the road for fellow American and 30th seed Alex Michelsen who fell 6-2, 3-6, 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(6) to Serbia’s Miomir Kecmanovic.
Zeynep Sonmez became the first Turkish woman to reach the second round at the grasscourt Grand Slam when she battled past Romania’s Jaqueline Cristian 7-6(3), 6-3.
Victoria Mboko found out a few hours before she faced Magdalena Frech that she had entered the main draw as a Lucky Loser due to Anastasia Potapova’s withdrawal and the Canadian teenager rode her luck to stun the 25th seed 6-3, 6-2.
Fourteen years after first adding her name to the Wimbledon honours board, twice champion Petra Kvitova performed her last dance on the lawns, the Czech losing 6-3, 6-1 to American 10th seed Emma Navarro.
