Jannik Sinner launched his Wimbledon title defence with a gritty four-set victory over Serbia's Miomir Kecmanovic on Monday, battling through 52 unforced errors and a tense third-set tie-break to prevail 4-6, 6-3, 6-7(6), 6-2, 6-3 after three hours and 30 minutes on Centre Court.
Sinner Overcomes Early Struggles and Physical Scare
The world No. 1, who suffered a surprise second-round exit at Roland Garros earlier this month, looked tentative in the opening set. Kecmanovic capitalised on Sinner's erratic baseline play to take the first set 6-4. The Italian raised his level in the second set, breaking early and levelling the match with a 6-3 win.
The third set proved pivotal. Kecmanovic produced a spectacular rally at 5-6 in the tie-break, pushing Sinner from side to side before rushing the net and forcing a diving shot that drew a standing ovation from the Centre Court crowd. Sinner also slipped awkwardly during the set but was able to continue without medical treatment. Kecmanovic clinched the set 7-6(6) to go two sets to one up.
Champion's Resilience Shines Through
Reducing his unforced error count and sharpening his shot selection, Sinner dominated the fourth and fifth sets. He broke Kecmanovic twice in the fourth set to force a decider, then raced to a 3-0 lead in the fifth before closing out the match with a commanding 6-3 final set.
The victory also saw Sinner equal Nicola Pietrangeli's Italian record of 94 Grand Slam match wins. He avoided becoming only the third defending men's champion to lose in the first round at Wimbledon in the Open Era.
Sinner Reflects on Tough Battle
After the match, Sinner acknowledged the challenge. "It's such a huge honour to start the tournament. I was a little tight in the beginning. I didn't play my very best, but I tried to get into it. It was my first official match on grass. I'm happy that I turned it around. The third set was a very tough one to swallow," Sinner said in his on-court interview, according to the ATP website.
Kecmanovic, ranked No. 47, played aggressively throughout, particularly in the third set where he hit 15 winners. However, he could not sustain the level as Sinner's power and depth took over in the final two sets.
Next Up: Nuno Borges in Second Round
Sinner will face Portugal's Nuno Borges in the second round. Borges advanced after a straight-sets win over qualifier Mikhail Kukushkin. The Italian holds a 2-0 head-to-head record against Borges, including a victory on grass at the 2023 Mallorca Championships.
Should Sinner progress, he could face a potential quarter-final clash with fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas or 10th seed Frances Tiafoe in the bottom half of the draw.
