Jannik Sinner Rallies From Two Sets Down to Beat Miomir Kecmanovic at Wimbledon

Defending champion Jannik Sinner began his Wimbledon title defence on Monday by rallying from two sets down to beat 50th-ranked Miomir Kecmanovic 4-6, 6-3, 6-7 (6-8), 6-2, 6-3 in a match that lasted 3 hours and 30 minutes on Centre Court.

“Men’s defending champion Jannik Sinner and women’s top seed Aryna Sabalenka both arrived at Wimbledon with question marks hanging over them but answered the doubters with contrasting first-round victories”

Al Jazeera

Sinner said he was “a little tight in the beginning,” and he added, “I’m happy that I turned it around,” after the five-set comeback.

Al Jazeera

The BBC described gasps on Centre Court when Sinner slipped behind the baseline during the third set, and it said blood was seeping from his shoe during a must-win fourth set.

Sinner’s win came after he opted against contesting a grass tournament in the lead-up to Wimbledon, with the BBC noting it was his first match since an extraordinary collapse against Argentine Juan Manuel Cerundolo at Roland Garros.

The BBC also reported that Sinner ended the match with 31 aces and 72 winners, while Kecmanovic was held off after Sinner saved two break points to avoid an early setback.

Sinner’s comeback was shaped by an awkward fall early in the third set, when he slipped and took time to return to his feet, as the BBC said the umpire headed over to check on him.

The BBC reported that blood was also seeping from the Italian’s shoe during a must-win fourth set, and it said Sinner later explained it was caused by a problematic toenail.

BBC

In his on-court interview, Sinner told the ATP Tour, “I was a little tight in the beginning. I didn’t play my very best, but I tried to get into it,” as he described the start of the match.

The ATP Tour also quoted Sinner saying, “It was my first official match on grass,” and it noted he survived an untidy start and a resilient opponent to launch his Wimbledon title defence.

Sky Sports said Djokovic and Sinner both came through first-round scares, with Djokovic needing three hours and 12 minutes to beat China’s Yibing Wu 4-6 7-5 4-6 4-6, while Sinner went five sets against Kecmanovic.

With Carlos Alcaraz absent because of a right wrist injury, the Boston Globe said Sinner was a big favorite to repeat as Wimbledon champion, and it described the pressure from the honors reserved for the defending champion.

“- Published World number one Jannik Sinner survived an almighty scare as he began his Wimbledon title defence with a five-set comeback victory over inspired opponent Miomir Kecmanovic”

BBC

Sinner’s next step is a second-round match against Portugal’s Nuno Borges, which the BBC said would follow after Sinner committed only 10 of his 52 unforced errors in the final two sets.

The BBC framed the stakes as Sinner avoiding becoming only the third defending Wimbledon men’s champion to lose in the first round, and it said he had won just one of his past nine matches that had gone to a fifth set.

The Olympics outlet reported that Sinner would face Nuno Borges in round two on Wednesday (1 July), and it said his 94th Grand Slam match win drew him equal with Nicola Pietrangeli’s all-time record for most major match wins by an Italian player.

Sky Sports added that Djokovic was chasing a record 25th Grand Slam title in west London, while it said the roof was closed at the end of the second set in Djokovic’s match against Wu and the lights turned on because of darkness.