A complicated comeback
Defending champion Jannik Sinner needed five sets to overcome Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic in the first round of Wimbledon. The final score was 4-6, 6-3, 6-7 (6), 6-2, 6-3, in a match that lasted three and a half hours.
Sinner, world number one, had to deal with a fall on the grass and physical discomfort. During the third set, he lost his balance and fell to his knees, holding his left hip. He got up quickly and continued playing. Blood was later seen on his right shoe. “I’m fine. It just seems worse than it is. It’s just a nail,” he explained.
The Italian recognized the initial nerves. “It was a very different feeling. There are a lot of nerves when you go down the stairs behind the court. Knowing that it is a prestigious and historic court,” he said.
Kecmanovic, number 50 in the ranking, complicated the favorite. He saved a set point in the third set tie-break with a spectacular play that left Sinner on the ground again. The players high-fived each other as they changed sides, acknowledging each other’s efforts.
Sinner ordered his game in the final two sets. He hit 72 winners to Kecmanovic’s 20, although he also made 52 unforced errors. His serve was key: 31 aces to one for the Serbian. “We will try to improve some things for the next game,” he said.
On Center Court, number one Aryna Sabalenka faces Teodora Kostovic, and Novak Djokovic plays Wu Yibing. Serena Williams will return to singles on Tuesday against Australia’s Maya Joint.
