Jannik Sinner survives Wimbledon scare, equals Italian Grand Slam record after epic comeback Tennis News:
LONDON: There is little authority that has come to define Jannik Sinner these past two seasons. The defending champion committed 52 unforced errors in three hours and 32 minutes, but when his Wimbledon Title defense threatened to unravel, he recovered from one set to two down to grind out the win.The 24-year-old secured his 94th Grand Slam match win with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-7 (6), 6-2, 6-3 win over Miomir Kecmanovic, equaling Nicola Pietrangeli’s all-time record for most majors match wins by an Italian player.“I was a bit tight at the beginning, I didn’t play my best, but I tried to get into it. This is my first official match on grass this year. I’m glad I got it back. The third set was a hard one to swallow,” said Sinner. “It’s a very different feeling. There’s a lot of nerves when you come down the stairs to (arrive) on the court. Also knowing that it’s a prestigious, historic court. Coming back here as the defending champion means a lot to me.“The SW19 home crowd endured a bruising opening day. After Emma Raducanu’s late withdrawal on Sunday, Britain’s Jack Draper, the injured former world no. 4, withdrew from the tournament, although the afternoon sunshine provided a respite from the scorching English summer. On Center Court, there was little relief as the Sinner spent most of the afternoon teetering on the sidelines, battling technical, tactical and physical problems.Sinner, playing his first match since his shocking second-round exit at Roland Garros last month, where he appeared to faint in the heat, returned to Center Court with questions still hanging over him. Across the net stood the spirited world no. 50, Kecmanovic stood up.Few came quickly. The Italian’s shot selection was off, taking drop shots from behind the baseline, and his forehand misfired as he surrendered the ninth game of the opening set. Kecmanovic, 26, seized the opportunity without hesitation. Although Sinner took a 3-0 lead in the second set, his game remained sluggish. When the temperature rose to 24°C, he took out the ice towel.Then, after leveling the match, Sinner suffered a heavy fall in the fifth game of the third set, his ankle appearing to snap under him. Center Court held its breath as the defending champion winced in pain, before quickly responding with a thunderous forehand on the next point, prompting an audible exhale from the crowd. However, he could do little as the Serbian regained the lead.The sinner, encouraged by his box, the coaches Darren Cahill and Simone Vagnozzi, who seemed to play every point with him while the world No. As he headed to level the match at two sets apiece, a red stain appeared on one corner of his shoe, causing concern in the stands, although the umpire did not notice it.“I’m fine, it seems worse than before. I’m so surprised they let me continue playing because the white white turned a little red,” he said. “Don’t worry, I don’t want to disturb Miomir, we both have a good rhythm. I don’t want to take too long.”Opposite Center Court, Naomi Osaka, who retired from her previous match, the WTA 500 final in Bad Homburg on Saturday, with a foot injury, arrived on court in a striking white kimono-inspired look. Under traditional styling, her match outfit was an elegant one-piece with floral appliques, micro-pleating and curved hem.The Japanese star was equally impressive on court, showing no sign of the injury that had troubled her just 48 hours earlier, as she recorded a 6-1, 7-5 victory over France’s Elsa Jacquemot.Meanwhile, French Open runner-up Maja Chwalinska was just one point away from winning her Wimbledon first-round match before missing while chasing deep behind the baseline on match point, returning to the competition, where she led 6-2, 5-2, on her head.The Pole, who enjoyed a surprise run to the Roland Garros final in June, looked on course to carry that momentum into SW19 as he led Mananchaya Sawangkaew before the Thai cruised past 2-6, 7-5, 6-2.
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