The 22 -year -old Spaniard finally folded his 38 -year -old opponent in 4:37 in the London furnace in order to compost his ticket for the second round this Monday.
As the tradition wants, the double holder of the title Carlos Alcaraz, freshly sacred to Roland-Garros, opened the ball on the legendary short center. And as he is now used to it, too, the 22 -year -old prodigy struggled for his first steps on the London lawn. For the third time in his career, he got out in five sets 7-5, 6-7 (5-7), 7-5, 2-6, 6-1. The 38 -year -old veteran Fabio Fognini, now 138e Global (the ATP ranking here) and more far from tidying snowshoes, had everything from the expiatory victim, but the world number 2, on alternating current, often imprecise, suffered in front of a transalpine of the big days.
In pain the Murcien continues a 19e consecutive success after raising the trophies in Rome, Roland-Garros and, more recently, at Queens, on lawn.
Complicated start -up, but …
In the second round, the world number two will face the British Oliver Tarvet, 21 -year -old amateur player ranked 733rd at ATP and winner on Monday from another player out of the qualifications, Switzerland Leandro Riedi. The opportunity to gain strength after this complicated start -up. Often friable on one of his strong blows, the forehand and at times annoyed to be heckled, the Spaniard committed more mistakes than his elder (62 against 58) and has managed less winning strokes (52 against 53) …. far from his usual standards. “Playing the first game here is never easy, underlined the Spanish. Regardless of the series of victories that I have right now, that I am playing very well on the lawn and that I was very well prepared last week, Wimbledon is different. I felt that I was very nervous at first I tried to play as best I could, but I would say that I could be better. It was like the first time for me. So I tried to manage my stress as best as possible. But this first match was very difficult. It was a big match. To be honest, I don’t know why it’s his latest Wimbledon (in Fabio Fognini), he can still play three or four years. Amazing.”
