Jannik Sinner He had a double scare as soon as he started his participation in Wimbledon. Miomir Kecmanovichis first rival, had him on the ropes, winning two of the first three sets. And a spectacular fall left him badly injured and with blood dripping from his right foot.
Yet, The Italian put the attitude and effectiveness in the service which he lacked in the recent second round of Roland Garros with Juan Manuel Cerúndolo. He dominated with a two-set lead and 5-1 and ended up taking a knee.
Sinner’s 94 Grand Slam victories, after finishing off Kecmanovic 4-6, 6-3, 6-7(6), 6-2 and 6-3, make him equal with his compatriot Nicola Pietrangeli as the most successful Italian on the big racket stages. Up to 31 direct serves made him the world number one in the three hours and 29 minutes that the fight lasted.
Only two champions of the British tournament had lost the crown on debut a year later: Manolo Santana (1967) and Lleyton Hewitt (2003). The player from San Cándido was one set away from catching up with him.
The fans who filled the All England Club headquarters amortized the ticket price. Novak Djokovic was not so amused, as he closed the center court playing order with the Chinese Wu.
