Sinner, Djokovic Survive Wimbledon Scares
London: Jannik Sinner survived a major scare and opened the Wimbledon title with a bloody leg to open with a five-set victory over Miomir Kecmanovic; Novak Djokovic, on the other hand, had to dig deep to beat China’s Wu Yibing.
Sinner came close to becoming the third defending men’s champion to lose in the first round of Wimbledon before going on to win 4-6, 6-3, 6-7 (6/8), 6-2, 6-3 on Monday.
Trailing two sets to one, the Italian world number one dug deep to win her first five-set match in her last six attempts.
Sinner’s courageous victory in three hours and 28 minutes was all the more commendable after he injured his right foot during a freak fall, leaving his shoe covered in blood.
He let out a scream of pain and lay motionless for several moments before cautiously resuming the game.
With two-time Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz still sidelined with the ankle injury he suffered in Barcelona in April, Sinner is the clear favorite to become the 10th man to retain the trophy in the Open era.
She is bidding for her fifth Grand Slam title and first since her first victory at the All England Club last year.
However, the 24-year-old failed to reach the Grand Slam final this year and was eliminated from the French Open in the second round, taking a two-set lead over Juan Manuel Cerundolo, who was weakened in the stifling Paris heat.
Ahead of Wednesday’s second-round clash with Portuguese Nuno Borges, the Italian insisted he will not be affected by his latest fitness concerns.
“I’m fine. It looks a lot worse than it is. I’m actually very surprised they let me continue playing because my all-white outfit turned a little red! It’s just a nail,” he said.
In Alcaraz’s absence, seven-time Wimbledon champion Djokovic is expected to be one of Sinner’s main rivals.
The 39-year-old Serb is chasing an all-time record of 25 Grand Slam singles titles among men and women.
If Djokovic lifts the trophy on July 12, he will become the oldest man to win a Grand Slam in the Open era.
Achieving these historic goals will require significant improvement from Djokovic, who worked over three hours to a 6-4, 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 win over China’s world number 102, Wu, ahead of David Beckham and rapper Bad Bunny.
Djokovic, who played Stefanos Tsitsipas in the second round, said: “Today was very difficult for me. I feel happy, but I guess I don’t feel very fresh. To be honest, I didn’t feel like I did in the first round.”
It took only 65 minutes for women’s world number one Aryna Sabalenka to defeat Teodora Kostovic 6-2, 6-3 in the Serbia qualifiers.
Sabalenka has won the Grand Slam four times, but the Belarusian has never reached the Wimbledon final.
He will face 28-year-old American McCartney Kessler in the second round.
“I’m super, super excited to be back. It’s a special place to play on this beautiful field,” Sabalenka said.
French Open finalist Maja Chwalinska suffered a shock 2-6, 7-5, 6-2 defeat to Thailand’s Mananchaya Sawangkaew after being injured on match point.
Polish 20th seed Chwalinska has failed to recapture her clay-court magic just weeks after her epic run in the qualifiers at Roland Garros.
Japan’s Naomi Osaka made a grand entrance as she took to the court in a kimono-inspired dress ahead of her straight sets win against France’s Elsa Jacquemot.
Osaka is known for wearing flashy outfits before her matches.
The four-time Grand Slam champion’s Wimbledon costume – a ceremonial dress adorned with embroidered cranes and cherry blossoms – was another notable choice.
Elsewhere on the opening day, three-time Grand Slam finalist Norwegian 11th seed Casper Ruud suffered a 6-4, 6-2, 7-6 (9/7) defeat against Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz.
Canadian third seed Felix Auger-Aliassime defeated Alexander Shevchenko in convincing style.
Mirra Andreeva, who won her first Grand Slam title at the French Open, defeated Polish Magda Linette in straight sets.
The 19-year-old Russian athlete, who ranks fifth, will then face 2024 Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova.
American fourth seed Jessica Pegula edged Darja Vidmanova, while two-time Grand Slam champion Coco Gauff defeated Tamara Korpatsch.
