Wimbledon stunned by historic scenes as record number of seeds fall
The carnage was headlined by the shock defeat of German third seed Alexander Zverev overnight Tuesday.
Zverev suffered his earliest Grand Slam exit since 2019 as he was stunned by France's Arthur Rinderknech.
Zverev, a three-time Grand Slam runner-up, slipped to a shock 7-6 (7/3), 6-7 (8/10), 6-3, 6-7 (5/7), 6-4 defeat against the world number 72 in a marathon clash lasting four hours and 40 minutes on Centre Court.
The 28-year-old is the highest-ranked seed to fall so far in this year's men's singles at the All England Club - but was joined in the exit lounge behind 11 others.
Lorenzo Musetti (7), Holger Rune (8), Daniil Medvedev (9), Francisco Cerundolo (16), Alex Popyrin (20), Stefanos Tsitsipas (24), Denis Shapovalov (27), Alexander Bublik (28), Alex Michelsen (30) and Matteo Berrettini (32) all also fell at the first hurdle in historic scenes.
And it could still get worse with a number of seeds still to book passage to the second round.
Zverev, who reached the Australian Open final in January, endured his latest Wimbledon flop in a tie that initially started on Monday evening.
When play was halted due to Wimbledon's 2200 GMT curfew, the match was level at one-set all.
But Rinderknech seized his chance once play resumed in the blazing London heat on Tuesday afternoon.
Rinderknech hit 25 aces and although Zverev replied with 31 of his own, it was not enough to stave off an embarrassing defeat.
Zverev has failed to make it past the fourth round at Wimbledon in nine visits to the grass-court major.
He had reached at least the second round in his previous 20 Grand Slam appearances.
After an opening day of carnage for the Aussies in the draw, 11th seed Alex de Minaur had a straightforward win against Roberto Carballes Baena, taking the match 6-2 6-2 7-6 (7-2).
There were also no mistakes from world number one Jannik Sinner, who brushed aside fellow Italian Luca Nardi on Court One with a minimum of fuss.
Unfazed by the scorching conditions, the three-time Grand Slam champion sealed a 6-4, 6-3, 6-0 win in just one hour and 48 minutes.
Men's fifth seed Taylor Fritz completed a gruelling five-set win against France's Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard after losing the first two sets on tie-breaks.
The match was suspended late Monday due to curfew rules.
Former champion says goodbye
Petra Kvitova's Wimbledon farewell ended in an emotional defeat as the two-time champion was beaten 6-3, 6-1 by Emma Navarro in the first round on Tuesday.
Kvitova returned from maternity leave in February following the birth of her son Petr in 2024, but found it difficult to handle the demands of being a mother on the gruelling tennis circuit.
The 35-year-old Czech announced last week that she will bring the curtain down on her career after the US Open in August.
Kvitova's decision gave the former world number two, who has won 31 titles in her career, one last opportunity to return to the scene of her Wimbledon triumphs.
But American 10th seed Navarro ruined her hopes of a long Wimbledon goodbye with a clinical 60-minute victory on Court One.
Kvitova could not hold back the tears when she was given a standing ovation by the crowd, responding with a wave before drying her eyes.
'It's very special to play on this beautiful court one more time. I wish I could play a little bit longer but it's OK, whatever' she said as more tears flowed.
'This place holds the best memories I could wish for. I never dreamt of winning Wimbledon.
'I will miss Wimbledon for sure, I will miss tennis but I'm ready for the next chapter as well.
'I can't wait to be back here as a member. Thank you very much Wimbledon.'
A raw 21-year-old when she stunned Maria Sharapova to win the 2011 Wimbledon final, three years later Kvitova returned to the All England Club title match to rout Eugenie Bouchard 6-3, 6-0.
Now ranked 572, Kvitova has lost eight of her nine matches since becoming a parent.
But she says Wimbledon means 'everything to me', an emotional connection forged not just in her tennis triumphs but also because her engagement to her coach Jiri Vanek took place on Centre Court in 2022.
She rolled back the years at the start of the first set, racing into a 3-1 lead with a series of blistering winners.
But the left-hander is no longer the force of old and she lost five games in a row with a host of unforced errors as Navarro took the set.
By the time Kvitova lost the first two games of the second set, her fate was almost sealed.
She managed one last echo of yesteryear, holding serve in the third game and celebrating with a clenched fist.
That show of defiance was Kvitova's final fling as a double-fault finished her All England Club career.
She bowed out with a kiss to her family in the players' box before leaving the Wimbledon stage for the last time.
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Trio of women's top five seeds crash out of Wimbledon
Forlorn, bewildered and ultimately beaten, world No.2 Coco Gauff has been dumped out of Wimbledon in a stunning boilover loss to Dayana Yastremska. Crowned French Open champion barely three weeks ago, the American lost 7-6 (7-3) 6-1 to the 42nd-ranked Ukrainian, her defeat capping a day of shocks. Her exit came after third-seeded compatriot Jessica Pegula, who arrived off the back of winning the Bad Homburg warm-up event, was KO'd by unheralded Elisabetta Cocciaretto. And fifth-seeded Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen, who also had many backers after impressing at Queen's, lost to Czech Republic's Katerina Siniakova 7-5 4-6 6-1. The upsets appear to have left the way clear for world No.1 Aryna Sabalenka to add the Wimbledon title to her previous US and Australian Open wins. But given the surprises already many players will fancy their chances. Among them will be defending champion Barbora Krejcikova who was in danger of following compatriot Marketa Vondrousova last year in surrendering the title at the first chance when she lost the first set to Alexandra Eala of the Philippines. But the Czech, who is seeded 17th after an injury-hit year, regained her poise to win 3-6 6-2 6-1. Gauff double-faulted nine times and seemed at a loss to know how to remedy the problem. But she was given a lifeline when Yastremska also double-faulted when serving for the first set, only to crumble in the tie-break and subsequent second set. The match had been switched at late notice to Court No.1 due to overruns on Centre Court and Yastremska said "that gave me more chance - I played the junior final on this court (she lost), there are lots of memories." Pegula, who beat Iga Swiatek in straight sets at Bad Homburg, had not lost in the first round at a grand slam since the French Open in 2020. But Cocciaretto, ranked 116, was unperturbed by her status and form in dismissing the third seed 6-2 6-3 on Tuesday. The Italian, whose ranking has dipped in recent months, said she had told herself to "be more aggressive and go for it, don't think about losing or winning the point". "For this to happen today, it's disappointing. I don't know how else to put it," said Pegula, who hit five winners while making 24 unforced errors. "I'm upset that I wasn't able to turn anything around. But at the same time, I do feel like she played kind of insane. Hats off to her." Zheng Qinwen had reached at least the quarter-finals in her last three events, the Rome Masters, Roland Garros and Queen's, where she made the semi-finals. But this was the Zheng of old as she suffered her third straight first-round exit at Wimbledon. Siniakova is 81 in the world but no stranger to success being the No.1 ranked doubles player and a three-time winner at the All England Club, including last year alongside Taylor Townsend. Seven of her 10 major doubles titles were won with Krejcikova who showed the way in singles with her win here last year. However, another Czech, 15th-seed Karolina Muchova, lost 7-5 6-2 to Xinyu Wang. Elsewhere seeds Iga Swiatek, Clara Tauson, Mirra Andreeva, Elena Rybakina and Sofia Kenin progressed but Magdelena Frech, Marta Kostyuk and Magda Linette, seeded 25, 26 and 27 respectively, lost to Victoria Mboko, Veronika Erjavec and Elsa Jaquemot. On her last visit to the lawns of SW19 two-time champ Petra Kvitova said farewell with a 6-3 6-1 defeat to 10th seed Emma Navarro. with agencies Forlorn, bewildered and ultimately beaten, world No.2 Coco Gauff has been dumped out of Wimbledon in a stunning boilover loss to Dayana Yastremska. Crowned French Open champion barely three weeks ago, the American lost 7-6 (7-3) 6-1 to the 42nd-ranked Ukrainian, her defeat capping a day of shocks. Her exit came after third-seeded compatriot Jessica Pegula, who arrived off the back of winning the Bad Homburg warm-up event, was KO'd by unheralded Elisabetta Cocciaretto. And fifth-seeded Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen, who also had many backers after impressing at Queen's, lost to Czech Republic's Katerina Siniakova 7-5 4-6 6-1. The upsets appear to have left the way clear for world No.1 Aryna Sabalenka to add the Wimbledon title to her previous US and Australian Open wins. But given the surprises already many players will fancy their chances. Among them will be defending champion Barbora Krejcikova who was in danger of following compatriot Marketa Vondrousova last year in surrendering the title at the first chance when she lost the first set to Alexandra Eala of the Philippines. But the Czech, who is seeded 17th after an injury-hit year, regained her poise to win 3-6 6-2 6-1. Gauff double-faulted nine times and seemed at a loss to know how to remedy the problem. But she was given a lifeline when Yastremska also double-faulted when serving for the first set, only to crumble in the tie-break and subsequent second set. The match had been switched at late notice to Court No.1 due to overruns on Centre Court and Yastremska said "that gave me more chance - I played the junior final on this court (she lost), there are lots of memories." Pegula, who beat Iga Swiatek in straight sets at Bad Homburg, had not lost in the first round at a grand slam since the French Open in 2020. But Cocciaretto, ranked 116, was unperturbed by her status and form in dismissing the third seed 6-2 6-3 on Tuesday. The Italian, whose ranking has dipped in recent months, said she had told herself to "be more aggressive and go for it, don't think about losing or winning the point". "For this to happen today, it's disappointing. I don't know how else to put it," said Pegula, who hit five winners while making 24 unforced errors. "I'm upset that I wasn't able to turn anything around. But at the same time, I do feel like she played kind of insane. Hats off to her." Zheng Qinwen had reached at least the quarter-finals in her last three events, the Rome Masters, Roland Garros and Queen's, where she made the semi-finals. But this was the Zheng of old as she suffered her third straight first-round exit at Wimbledon. Siniakova is 81 in the world but no stranger to success being the No.1 ranked doubles player and a three-time winner at the All England Club, including last year alongside Taylor Townsend. Seven of her 10 major doubles titles were won with Krejcikova who showed the way in singles with her win here last year. However, another Czech, 15th-seed Karolina Muchova, lost 7-5 6-2 to Xinyu Wang. Elsewhere seeds Iga Swiatek, Clara Tauson, Mirra Andreeva, Elena Rybakina and Sofia Kenin progressed but Magdelena Frech, Marta Kostyuk and Magda Linette, seeded 25, 26 and 27 respectively, lost to Victoria Mboko, Veronika Erjavec and Elsa Jaquemot. On her last visit to the lawns of SW19 two-time champ Petra Kvitova said farewell with a 6-3 6-1 defeat to 10th seed Emma Navarro. with agencies Forlorn, bewildered and ultimately beaten, world No.2 Coco Gauff has been dumped out of Wimbledon in a stunning boilover loss to Dayana Yastremska. Crowned French Open champion barely three weeks ago, the American lost 7-6 (7-3) 6-1 to the 42nd-ranked Ukrainian, her defeat capping a day of shocks. Her exit came after third-seeded compatriot Jessica Pegula, who arrived off the back of winning the Bad Homburg warm-up event, was KO'd by unheralded Elisabetta Cocciaretto. And fifth-seeded Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen, who also had many backers after impressing at Queen's, lost to Czech Republic's Katerina Siniakova 7-5 4-6 6-1. The upsets appear to have left the way clear for world No.1 Aryna Sabalenka to add the Wimbledon title to her previous US and Australian Open wins. But given the surprises already many players will fancy their chances. Among them will be defending champion Barbora Krejcikova who was in danger of following compatriot Marketa Vondrousova last year in surrendering the title at the first chance when she lost the first set to Alexandra Eala of the Philippines. But the Czech, who is seeded 17th after an injury-hit year, regained her poise to win 3-6 6-2 6-1. Gauff double-faulted nine times and seemed at a loss to know how to remedy the problem. But she was given a lifeline when Yastremska also double-faulted when serving for the first set, only to crumble in the tie-break and subsequent second set. The match had been switched at late notice to Court No.1 due to overruns on Centre Court and Yastremska said "that gave me more chance - I played the junior final on this court (she lost), there are lots of memories." Pegula, who beat Iga Swiatek in straight sets at Bad Homburg, had not lost in the first round at a grand slam since the French Open in 2020. But Cocciaretto, ranked 116, was unperturbed by her status and form in dismissing the third seed 6-2 6-3 on Tuesday. The Italian, whose ranking has dipped in recent months, said she had told herself to "be more aggressive and go for it, don't think about losing or winning the point". "For this to happen today, it's disappointing. I don't know how else to put it," said Pegula, who hit five winners while making 24 unforced errors. "I'm upset that I wasn't able to turn anything around. But at the same time, I do feel like she played kind of insane. Hats off to her." Zheng Qinwen had reached at least the quarter-finals in her last three events, the Rome Masters, Roland Garros and Queen's, where she made the semi-finals. But this was the Zheng of old as she suffered her third straight first-round exit at Wimbledon. Siniakova is 81 in the world but no stranger to success being the No.1 ranked doubles player and a three-time winner at the All England Club, including last year alongside Taylor Townsend. Seven of her 10 major doubles titles were won with Krejcikova who showed the way in singles with her win here last year. However, another Czech, 15th-seed Karolina Muchova, lost 7-5 6-2 to Xinyu Wang. Elsewhere seeds Iga Swiatek, Clara Tauson, Mirra Andreeva, Elena Rybakina and Sofia Kenin progressed but Magdelena Frech, Marta Kostyuk and Magda Linette, seeded 25, 26 and 27 respectively, lost to Victoria Mboko, Veronika Erjavec and Elsa Jaquemot. On her last visit to the lawns of SW19 two-time champ Petra Kvitova said farewell with a 6-3 6-1 defeat to 10th seed Emma Navarro. with agencies Forlorn, bewildered and ultimately beaten, world No.2 Coco Gauff has been dumped out of Wimbledon in a stunning boilover loss to Dayana Yastremska. Crowned French Open champion barely three weeks ago, the American lost 7-6 (7-3) 6-1 to the 42nd-ranked Ukrainian, her defeat capping a day of shocks. Her exit came after third-seeded compatriot Jessica Pegula, who arrived off the back of winning the Bad Homburg warm-up event, was KO'd by unheralded Elisabetta Cocciaretto. And fifth-seeded Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen, who also had many backers after impressing at Queen's, lost to Czech Republic's Katerina Siniakova 7-5 4-6 6-1. The upsets appear to have left the way clear for world No.1 Aryna Sabalenka to add the Wimbledon title to her previous US and Australian Open wins. But given the surprises already many players will fancy their chances. Among them will be defending champion Barbora Krejcikova who was in danger of following compatriot Marketa Vondrousova last year in surrendering the title at the first chance when she lost the first set to Alexandra Eala of the Philippines. But the Czech, who is seeded 17th after an injury-hit year, regained her poise to win 3-6 6-2 6-1. Gauff double-faulted nine times and seemed at a loss to know how to remedy the problem. But she was given a lifeline when Yastremska also double-faulted when serving for the first set, only to crumble in the tie-break and subsequent second set. The match had been switched at late notice to Court No.1 due to overruns on Centre Court and Yastremska said "that gave me more chance - I played the junior final on this court (she lost), there are lots of memories." Pegula, who beat Iga Swiatek in straight sets at Bad Homburg, had not lost in the first round at a grand slam since the French Open in 2020. But Cocciaretto, ranked 116, was unperturbed by her status and form in dismissing the third seed 6-2 6-3 on Tuesday. The Italian, whose ranking has dipped in recent months, said she had told herself to "be more aggressive and go for it, don't think about losing or winning the point". "For this to happen today, it's disappointing. I don't know how else to put it," said Pegula, who hit five winners while making 24 unforced errors. "I'm upset that I wasn't able to turn anything around. But at the same time, I do feel like she played kind of insane. Hats off to her." Zheng Qinwen had reached at least the quarter-finals in her last three events, the Rome Masters, Roland Garros and Queen's, where she made the semi-finals. But this was the Zheng of old as she suffered her third straight first-round exit at Wimbledon. Siniakova is 81 in the world but no stranger to success being the No.1 ranked doubles player and a three-time winner at the All England Club, including last year alongside Taylor Townsend. Seven of her 10 major doubles titles were won with Krejcikova who showed the way in singles with her win here last year. However, another Czech, 15th-seed Karolina Muchova, lost 7-5 6-2 to Xinyu Wang. Elsewhere seeds Iga Swiatek, Clara Tauson, Mirra Andreeva, Elena Rybakina and Sofia Kenin progressed but Magdelena Frech, Marta Kostyuk and Magda Linette, seeded 25, 26 and 27 respectively, lost to Victoria Mboko, Veronika Erjavec and Elsa Jaquemot. On her last visit to the lawns of SW19 two-time champ Petra Kvitova said farewell with a 6-3 6-1 defeat to 10th seed Emma Navarro. with agencies
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3 hours ago
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Zverev may seek help after shock first-round defeat
Alexander Zverev says he might need therapy after becoming the highest men's seed to fall in a brutal first round for top players at Wimbledon. The German cut a forlorn figure after losing a five-set marathon to France's Arthur Rinderknech on Tuesday. Third seed Zverev and Rinderknech were locked at one set apiece on Monday when play was stopped, but after the resumption on a sultry Centre Court the Frenchman ground out a 7-6 (7-3) 6-7 (8-10) 6-3 6-7 (5-7) 6-4 victory. It was Zverev's first opening-round defeat at a grand slam since Wimbledon in 2019 and leaves him still searching for a first major after 38 attempts. He appeared to be a lost soul as he tried to come to terms with the defeat, explaining that his off-court struggles were now impacting his game. "I feel very alone out there at times," said Zverev, who lost a third grand slam final when beaten by Jannik Sinner at Melbourne Park in January. "I struggle mentally. I've been saying that since after the Australian Open. I'm trying to find ways to get out of this hole. I keep finding myself back in it. "I just feel generally very, very alone and very lonely ... is a feeling that is not very nice. Just never felt that way before. "I don't think tennis is the problem right now for me. It's something else that I have to find within me at the moment." Zverev has had to deal with a number of issues in recent years. Last year he settled an assault case against him for allegedly pushing and strangling his then girlfriend, a charge he denied. He also previously faced allegations of domestic abuse against another former girlfriend, with the ATP halting its investigation due to insufficient evidence. While he previously managed to block out those distractions, on Tuesday he admitted he might need counselling to get back into the right headspace. "Maybe for the first time in my life, I'll probably need it (therapy). I've been through a lot of difficulties in life generally. I've never felt this empty before. Just lacking joy in everything that I do," said Zverev, who last won a title in April. "It's not necessarily about tennis. Just lacking joy outside of tennis as well. Even when I'm winning ... it's not necessarily a feeling that I used to get where I was happy, over the moon. "It's just not there right now for me, which, again, is the first time in my life which I'm feeling." Lifeline 13 11 14 beyondblue 1300 22 4636 Alexander Zverev says he might need therapy after becoming the highest men's seed to fall in a brutal first round for top players at Wimbledon. The German cut a forlorn figure after losing a five-set marathon to France's Arthur Rinderknech on Tuesday. Third seed Zverev and Rinderknech were locked at one set apiece on Monday when play was stopped, but after the resumption on a sultry Centre Court the Frenchman ground out a 7-6 (7-3) 6-7 (8-10) 6-3 6-7 (5-7) 6-4 victory. It was Zverev's first opening-round defeat at a grand slam since Wimbledon in 2019 and leaves him still searching for a first major after 38 attempts. He appeared to be a lost soul as he tried to come to terms with the defeat, explaining that his off-court struggles were now impacting his game. "I feel very alone out there at times," said Zverev, who lost a third grand slam final when beaten by Jannik Sinner at Melbourne Park in January. "I struggle mentally. I've been saying that since after the Australian Open. I'm trying to find ways to get out of this hole. I keep finding myself back in it. "I just feel generally very, very alone and very lonely ... is a feeling that is not very nice. Just never felt that way before. "I don't think tennis is the problem right now for me. It's something else that I have to find within me at the moment." Zverev has had to deal with a number of issues in recent years. Last year he settled an assault case against him for allegedly pushing and strangling his then girlfriend, a charge he denied. He also previously faced allegations of domestic abuse against another former girlfriend, with the ATP halting its investigation due to insufficient evidence. While he previously managed to block out those distractions, on Tuesday he admitted he might need counselling to get back into the right headspace. "Maybe for the first time in my life, I'll probably need it (therapy). I've been through a lot of difficulties in life generally. I've never felt this empty before. Just lacking joy in everything that I do," said Zverev, who last won a title in April. "It's not necessarily about tennis. Just lacking joy outside of tennis as well. Even when I'm winning ... it's not necessarily a feeling that I used to get where I was happy, over the moon. "It's just not there right now for me, which, again, is the first time in my life which I'm feeling." Lifeline 13 11 14 beyondblue 1300 22 4636 Alexander Zverev says he might need therapy after becoming the highest men's seed to fall in a brutal first round for top players at Wimbledon. The German cut a forlorn figure after losing a five-set marathon to France's Arthur Rinderknech on Tuesday. Third seed Zverev and Rinderknech were locked at one set apiece on Monday when play was stopped, but after the resumption on a sultry Centre Court the Frenchman ground out a 7-6 (7-3) 6-7 (8-10) 6-3 6-7 (5-7) 6-4 victory. It was Zverev's first opening-round defeat at a grand slam since Wimbledon in 2019 and leaves him still searching for a first major after 38 attempts. He appeared to be a lost soul as he tried to come to terms with the defeat, explaining that his off-court struggles were now impacting his game. "I feel very alone out there at times," said Zverev, who lost a third grand slam final when beaten by Jannik Sinner at Melbourne Park in January. "I struggle mentally. I've been saying that since after the Australian Open. I'm trying to find ways to get out of this hole. I keep finding myself back in it. "I just feel generally very, very alone and very lonely ... is a feeling that is not very nice. Just never felt that way before. "I don't think tennis is the problem right now for me. It's something else that I have to find within me at the moment." Zverev has had to deal with a number of issues in recent years. Last year he settled an assault case against him for allegedly pushing and strangling his then girlfriend, a charge he denied. He also previously faced allegations of domestic abuse against another former girlfriend, with the ATP halting its investigation due to insufficient evidence. While he previously managed to block out those distractions, on Tuesday he admitted he might need counselling to get back into the right headspace. "Maybe for the first time in my life, I'll probably need it (therapy). I've been through a lot of difficulties in life generally. I've never felt this empty before. Just lacking joy in everything that I do," said Zverev, who last won a title in April. "It's not necessarily about tennis. Just lacking joy outside of tennis as well. Even when I'm winning ... it's not necessarily a feeling that I used to get where I was happy, over the moon. "It's just not there right now for me, which, again, is the first time in my life which I'm feeling." Lifeline 13 11 14 beyondblue 1300 22 4636 Alexander Zverev says he might need therapy after becoming the highest men's seed to fall in a brutal first round for top players at Wimbledon. The German cut a forlorn figure after losing a five-set marathon to France's Arthur Rinderknech on Tuesday. Third seed Zverev and Rinderknech were locked at one set apiece on Monday when play was stopped, but after the resumption on a sultry Centre Court the Frenchman ground out a 7-6 (7-3) 6-7 (8-10) 6-3 6-7 (5-7) 6-4 victory. It was Zverev's first opening-round defeat at a grand slam since Wimbledon in 2019 and leaves him still searching for a first major after 38 attempts. He appeared to be a lost soul as he tried to come to terms with the defeat, explaining that his off-court struggles were now impacting his game. "I feel very alone out there at times," said Zverev, who lost a third grand slam final when beaten by Jannik Sinner at Melbourne Park in January. "I struggle mentally. I've been saying that since after the Australian Open. I'm trying to find ways to get out of this hole. I keep finding myself back in it. "I just feel generally very, very alone and very lonely ... is a feeling that is not very nice. Just never felt that way before. "I don't think tennis is the problem right now for me. It's something else that I have to find within me at the moment." Zverev has had to deal with a number of issues in recent years. Last year he settled an assault case against him for allegedly pushing and strangling his then girlfriend, a charge he denied. He also previously faced allegations of domestic abuse against another former girlfriend, with the ATP halting its investigation due to insufficient evidence. While he previously managed to block out those distractions, on Tuesday he admitted he might need counselling to get back into the right headspace. "Maybe for the first time in my life, I'll probably need it (therapy). I've been through a lot of difficulties in life generally. I've never felt this empty before. Just lacking joy in everything that I do," said Zverev, who last won a title in April. "It's not necessarily about tennis. Just lacking joy outside of tennis as well. Even when I'm winning ... it's not necessarily a feeling that I used to get where I was happy, over the moon. "It's just not there right now for me, which, again, is the first time in my life which I'm feeling." Lifeline 13 11 14 beyondblue 1300 22 4636
The Advertiser
3 hours ago
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Fantastic four put Aussie Wimbledon show back on track
Australia's Wimbledon challenge has been reinvigorated after a disastrous opening day, with the national No.1s Alex de Minaur and Daria Kasatkina leading a four-win revival. On another sweltering day in London on Tuesday, the pair raced into the second round by early afternoon and were joined by Aleksandar Vukic and Rinky Hijikata. Seven Australians had lost in Monday's calamitous start, with only an injured Jordan Thompson battling through, but there'll now be five in the last-64 draw. Sixteenth seed Kasatkina became the first and only one of the seven Aussie women to progress with her 7-5 6-3 victory over Colombian Emiliana Arango. Beaten in three matches on grass this season, she laboured against the world No.76, revealing she'd been so nervous in her first Wimbledon appearance since switching allegiance to Australia that she vomited outside just before entering Court 14. "A lot of people saw it five metres from the court. I vomit, so just before entering the court, yes, the little accident happened, like, completely out of nerves," Kasatkina explained. She dished up 11 double faults and 38 unforced errors against Arango, but the South American contributed to her own defeat, making 39 errors of her own. De Minaur was far more authoritative in his first grand slam outing since taking a break after his shock second-round exit at the French Open, beating Spain's Roberto Carballes Baena 6-2 6-2 7-6 (7-2) in two hours 25 minutes. Even a delay while an unwell ball boy was replaced, just before he was to serve to stay in the third set at 5-6, didn't faze the 11th seed. De Minaur's form was sharp enough, given his lack of match practice on grass. "It felt like a very solid match against a tough competitor, and there was a little bit of everything. There was some really good tennis, some tough moments, which I played through," said de Minaur, thrilled to have his family watching from courtside. "At the end I had to lift my level when I needed it and played some clutch tennis to finish it off. So overall, quite happy." The chances of an all-Sydney second-round meeting were extinguished, though, after Adam Walton, having battled back from two sets down, lost 6-3 7-6 (8-6) 4-6 6-7 (5-7) 6-1 to Frenchman Arthur Cazaux, who will face de Minaur for the first time. Vukic beat Chinese Taipei's Chun-Hsin Tseng 6-3 6-4 4-6 7-6 (7-5) in just over three hours, setting up a daunting meeting with world No.1 Jannik Sinner, who defeated Italian compatriot Luca Nardi 6-4 6-3 6-0. It will be the second year running Vukic has drawn a big gun in the last 64 after impressing while losing to champion Carlos Alcaraz in 2024. "I've really nothing to lose," Vukic said. "He'll be the one feeling the pressure. If there's a surface to play him on it's probably this one because it is a bit more random, so more upsets can happen. Hopefully, I can be one of those." Sinner agreed that "he has has nothing to lose, things won't be easy for me", while adding: "Australian tennis is in a good spot, they have some good players." Hijikata was delighted with his crushing 6-3 6-1 6-1 win over 34-year-old Belgian veteran David Goffin. "It's pretty rare to have a match like that where it's all smooth sailing, and maybe a little unexpected, considering I feel I haven't been practising that well," said the first-time Wimbledon match-winner. Next he'll face Ben Shelton, the American 10th seed who proved a younger, superior mirror image of Alex Bolt, defeating the Murray Bridge qualifier 6-4 7-6 (7-1) 7-6 (7-4). Beyond Kasatkina's win, it was a chastening day for the Australian women's challenge, with the biggest disappointment being 19-year-old new Eastbourne champion Maya Joint's fairly routine 6-3 6-2 defeat to a teak-tough first-round opponent, Russian 19th seed Liudmila Samsonova. It was deja vu for Joint, who had won the Morocco Open in Rabat the weekend before losing in the first round at Roland Garros. "It's something I hope to get used to, but it was a lot different from the last time when I was coming from Morocco," the teenager said. "I obviously expected to do a bit better, but Liudmila played really well." Priscilla Hon went down 6-2 7-5 to Russian 18th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova, while fellow debutant, Sydney's James McCabe, was well beaten 6-1 6-4 6-3 by Hungary's world No.58 Fabian Marozsan, after he'd arrived later than he had hoped for his match after his car got stuck in a traffic jam. Australia's Wimbledon challenge has been reinvigorated after a disastrous opening day, with the national No.1s Alex de Minaur and Daria Kasatkina leading a four-win revival. On another sweltering day in London on Tuesday, the pair raced into the second round by early afternoon and were joined by Aleksandar Vukic and Rinky Hijikata. Seven Australians had lost in Monday's calamitous start, with only an injured Jordan Thompson battling through, but there'll now be five in the last-64 draw. Sixteenth seed Kasatkina became the first and only one of the seven Aussie women to progress with her 7-5 6-3 victory over Colombian Emiliana Arango. Beaten in three matches on grass this season, she laboured against the world No.76, revealing she'd been so nervous in her first Wimbledon appearance since switching allegiance to Australia that she vomited outside just before entering Court 14. "A lot of people saw it five metres from the court. I vomit, so just before entering the court, yes, the little accident happened, like, completely out of nerves," Kasatkina explained. She dished up 11 double faults and 38 unforced errors against Arango, but the South American contributed to her own defeat, making 39 errors of her own. De Minaur was far more authoritative in his first grand slam outing since taking a break after his shock second-round exit at the French Open, beating Spain's Roberto Carballes Baena 6-2 6-2 7-6 (7-2) in two hours 25 minutes. Even a delay while an unwell ball boy was replaced, just before he was to serve to stay in the third set at 5-6, didn't faze the 11th seed. De Minaur's form was sharp enough, given his lack of match practice on grass. "It felt like a very solid match against a tough competitor, and there was a little bit of everything. There was some really good tennis, some tough moments, which I played through," said de Minaur, thrilled to have his family watching from courtside. "At the end I had to lift my level when I needed it and played some clutch tennis to finish it off. So overall, quite happy." The chances of an all-Sydney second-round meeting were extinguished, though, after Adam Walton, having battled back from two sets down, lost 6-3 7-6 (8-6) 4-6 6-7 (5-7) 6-1 to Frenchman Arthur Cazaux, who will face de Minaur for the first time. Vukic beat Chinese Taipei's Chun-Hsin Tseng 6-3 6-4 4-6 7-6 (7-5) in just over three hours, setting up a daunting meeting with world No.1 Jannik Sinner, who defeated Italian compatriot Luca Nardi 6-4 6-3 6-0. It will be the second year running Vukic has drawn a big gun in the last 64 after impressing while losing to champion Carlos Alcaraz in 2024. "I've really nothing to lose," Vukic said. "He'll be the one feeling the pressure. If there's a surface to play him on it's probably this one because it is a bit more random, so more upsets can happen. Hopefully, I can be one of those." Sinner agreed that "he has has nothing to lose, things won't be easy for me", while adding: "Australian tennis is in a good spot, they have some good players." Hijikata was delighted with his crushing 6-3 6-1 6-1 win over 34-year-old Belgian veteran David Goffin. "It's pretty rare to have a match like that where it's all smooth sailing, and maybe a little unexpected, considering I feel I haven't been practising that well," said the first-time Wimbledon match-winner. Next he'll face Ben Shelton, the American 10th seed who proved a younger, superior mirror image of Alex Bolt, defeating the Murray Bridge qualifier 6-4 7-6 (7-1) 7-6 (7-4). Beyond Kasatkina's win, it was a chastening day for the Australian women's challenge, with the biggest disappointment being 19-year-old new Eastbourne champion Maya Joint's fairly routine 6-3 6-2 defeat to a teak-tough first-round opponent, Russian 19th seed Liudmila Samsonova. It was deja vu for Joint, who had won the Morocco Open in Rabat the weekend before losing in the first round at Roland Garros. "It's something I hope to get used to, but it was a lot different from the last time when I was coming from Morocco," the teenager said. "I obviously expected to do a bit better, but Liudmila played really well." Priscilla Hon went down 6-2 7-5 to Russian 18th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova, while fellow debutant, Sydney's James McCabe, was well beaten 6-1 6-4 6-3 by Hungary's world No.58 Fabian Marozsan, after he'd arrived later than he had hoped for his match after his car got stuck in a traffic jam. Australia's Wimbledon challenge has been reinvigorated after a disastrous opening day, with the national No.1s Alex de Minaur and Daria Kasatkina leading a four-win revival. On another sweltering day in London on Tuesday, the pair raced into the second round by early afternoon and were joined by Aleksandar Vukic and Rinky Hijikata. Seven Australians had lost in Monday's calamitous start, with only an injured Jordan Thompson battling through, but there'll now be five in the last-64 draw. Sixteenth seed Kasatkina became the first and only one of the seven Aussie women to progress with her 7-5 6-3 victory over Colombian Emiliana Arango. Beaten in three matches on grass this season, she laboured against the world No.76, revealing she'd been so nervous in her first Wimbledon appearance since switching allegiance to Australia that she vomited outside just before entering Court 14. "A lot of people saw it five metres from the court. I vomit, so just before entering the court, yes, the little accident happened, like, completely out of nerves," Kasatkina explained. She dished up 11 double faults and 38 unforced errors against Arango, but the South American contributed to her own defeat, making 39 errors of her own. De Minaur was far more authoritative in his first grand slam outing since taking a break after his shock second-round exit at the French Open, beating Spain's Roberto Carballes Baena 6-2 6-2 7-6 (7-2) in two hours 25 minutes. Even a delay while an unwell ball boy was replaced, just before he was to serve to stay in the third set at 5-6, didn't faze the 11th seed. De Minaur's form was sharp enough, given his lack of match practice on grass. "It felt like a very solid match against a tough competitor, and there was a little bit of everything. There was some really good tennis, some tough moments, which I played through," said de Minaur, thrilled to have his family watching from courtside. "At the end I had to lift my level when I needed it and played some clutch tennis to finish it off. So overall, quite happy." The chances of an all-Sydney second-round meeting were extinguished, though, after Adam Walton, having battled back from two sets down, lost 6-3 7-6 (8-6) 4-6 6-7 (5-7) 6-1 to Frenchman Arthur Cazaux, who will face de Minaur for the first time. Vukic beat Chinese Taipei's Chun-Hsin Tseng 6-3 6-4 4-6 7-6 (7-5) in just over three hours, setting up a daunting meeting with world No.1 Jannik Sinner, who defeated Italian compatriot Luca Nardi 6-4 6-3 6-0. It will be the second year running Vukic has drawn a big gun in the last 64 after impressing while losing to champion Carlos Alcaraz in 2024. "I've really nothing to lose," Vukic said. "He'll be the one feeling the pressure. If there's a surface to play him on it's probably this one because it is a bit more random, so more upsets can happen. Hopefully, I can be one of those." Sinner agreed that "he has has nothing to lose, things won't be easy for me", while adding: "Australian tennis is in a good spot, they have some good players." Hijikata was delighted with his crushing 6-3 6-1 6-1 win over 34-year-old Belgian veteran David Goffin. "It's pretty rare to have a match like that where it's all smooth sailing, and maybe a little unexpected, considering I feel I haven't been practising that well," said the first-time Wimbledon match-winner. Next he'll face Ben Shelton, the American 10th seed who proved a younger, superior mirror image of Alex Bolt, defeating the Murray Bridge qualifier 6-4 7-6 (7-1) 7-6 (7-4). Beyond Kasatkina's win, it was a chastening day for the Australian women's challenge, with the biggest disappointment being 19-year-old new Eastbourne champion Maya Joint's fairly routine 6-3 6-2 defeat to a teak-tough first-round opponent, Russian 19th seed Liudmila Samsonova. It was deja vu for Joint, who had won the Morocco Open in Rabat the weekend before losing in the first round at Roland Garros. "It's something I hope to get used to, but it was a lot different from the last time when I was coming from Morocco," the teenager said. "I obviously expected to do a bit better, but Liudmila played really well." Priscilla Hon went down 6-2 7-5 to Russian 18th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova, while fellow debutant, Sydney's James McCabe, was well beaten 6-1 6-4 6-3 by Hungary's world No.58 Fabian Marozsan, after he'd arrived later than he had hoped for his match after his car got stuck in a traffic jam. Australia's Wimbledon challenge has been reinvigorated after a disastrous opening day, with the national No.1s Alex de Minaur and Daria Kasatkina leading a four-win revival. On another sweltering day in London on Tuesday, the pair raced into the second round by early afternoon and were joined by Aleksandar Vukic and Rinky Hijikata. Seven Australians had lost in Monday's calamitous start, with only an injured Jordan Thompson battling through, but there'll now be five in the last-64 draw. Sixteenth seed Kasatkina became the first and only one of the seven Aussie women to progress with her 7-5 6-3 victory over Colombian Emiliana Arango. Beaten in three matches on grass this season, she laboured against the world No.76, revealing she'd been so nervous in her first Wimbledon appearance since switching allegiance to Australia that she vomited outside just before entering Court 14. "A lot of people saw it five metres from the court. I vomit, so just before entering the court, yes, the little accident happened, like, completely out of nerves," Kasatkina explained. She dished up 11 double faults and 38 unforced errors against Arango, but the South American contributed to her own defeat, making 39 errors of her own. De Minaur was far more authoritative in his first grand slam outing since taking a break after his shock second-round exit at the French Open, beating Spain's Roberto Carballes Baena 6-2 6-2 7-6 (7-2) in two hours 25 minutes. Even a delay while an unwell ball boy was replaced, just before he was to serve to stay in the third set at 5-6, didn't faze the 11th seed. De Minaur's form was sharp enough, given his lack of match practice on grass. "It felt like a very solid match against a tough competitor, and there was a little bit of everything. There was some really good tennis, some tough moments, which I played through," said de Minaur, thrilled to have his family watching from courtside. "At the end I had to lift my level when I needed it and played some clutch tennis to finish it off. So overall, quite happy." The chances of an all-Sydney second-round meeting were extinguished, though, after Adam Walton, having battled back from two sets down, lost 6-3 7-6 (8-6) 4-6 6-7 (5-7) 6-1 to Frenchman Arthur Cazaux, who will face de Minaur for the first time. Vukic beat Chinese Taipei's Chun-Hsin Tseng 6-3 6-4 4-6 7-6 (7-5) in just over three hours, setting up a daunting meeting with world No.1 Jannik Sinner, who defeated Italian compatriot Luca Nardi 6-4 6-3 6-0. It will be the second year running Vukic has drawn a big gun in the last 64 after impressing while losing to champion Carlos Alcaraz in 2024. "I've really nothing to lose," Vukic said. "He'll be the one feeling the pressure. If there's a surface to play him on it's probably this one because it is a bit more random, so more upsets can happen. Hopefully, I can be one of those." Sinner agreed that "he has has nothing to lose, things won't be easy for me", while adding: "Australian tennis is in a good spot, they have some good players." Hijikata was delighted with his crushing 6-3 6-1 6-1 win over 34-year-old Belgian veteran David Goffin. "It's pretty rare to have a match like that where it's all smooth sailing, and maybe a little unexpected, considering I feel I haven't been practising that well," said the first-time Wimbledon match-winner. Next he'll face Ben Shelton, the American 10th seed who proved a younger, superior mirror image of Alex Bolt, defeating the Murray Bridge qualifier 6-4 7-6 (7-1) 7-6 (7-4). Beyond Kasatkina's win, it was a chastening day for the Australian women's challenge, with the biggest disappointment being 19-year-old new Eastbourne champion Maya Joint's fairly routine 6-3 6-2 defeat to a teak-tough first-round opponent, Russian 19th seed Liudmila Samsonova. It was deja vu for Joint, who had won the Morocco Open in Rabat the weekend before losing in the first round at Roland Garros. "It's something I hope to get used to, but it was a lot different from the last time when I was coming from Morocco," the teenager said. "I obviously expected to do a bit better, but Liudmila played really well." Priscilla Hon went down 6-2 7-5 to Russian 18th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova, while fellow debutant, Sydney's James McCabe, was well beaten 6-1 6-4 6-3 by Hungary's world No.58 Fabian Marozsan, after he'd arrived later than he had hoped for his match after his car got stuck in a traffic jam.
