Two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz avoided a seismic shock against Italian veteran Fabio Fognini in the Wimbledon first round to set up a meeting with British qualifier Oliver Tarvet.
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Alcaraz dug deep to win 7-5 6-7 (5-7) 7-5 2-6 6-1 as he opened the Centre Court play on a sweltering first day of the grass-court Grand Slam tournament.
The 22-year-old Spaniard quickly secured victory when an entertaining contest resumed after a 15-minute pause in the deciding set.
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A spectator who had been sitting in the sun was taken ill, with Alcaraz going over with a bottle of cold water to help their recovery.
Alcaraz, who is the second seed behind Italian rival Jannik Sinner, struggled on serve and made uncharacteristic errors off the ground throughout a four-and-a-half hour contest in temperatures topping 32C.
In his final Wimbledon appearance before his planned retirement, 38-year-old Fognini twice fought back to force the decider but Alcaraz regained control to extend his winning streak to 19 matches.
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Alcaraz claimed his fifth Grand Slam title at the French Open earlier this month – beating Sinner in an all-time classic final – before lifting the Queen’s trophy on his return to the British grass.
Alcaraz roared in relief when he finally ended Fognini’s resistance, breaking into a broad smile and sharing a friendly embrace with his opponent.
“I tried my best but I can be better. I need to improve in the next round,” said Alcaraz.
Next he will face 21-year-old Tarvet, who gets a shot at one of sport’s superstars after beating Switzerland’s Leandro Riedi on his Wimbledon debut. [BBC]
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