Day 1 at Wimbledon. Carlos Alcaraz, defending champion, had to work hard (a little). Daniil Medvedev rolled, Jannik Sinner dropped a set and it was a mixed day for the Blues.
The defending champion
Carlos Alcaraz opened the show on Centre Court. And it was no walk in the park against the surprising Estonian Mark Lajal, world number 269. After suffering in the first two games won (7-6, 7-5), being broken each time in the first two sets, the world number 3 rolled out in the 3e act (6-2).
World number 1
Number one since the end of Roland-Garros, Jannik Sinner reassured himself in the first round by beating Yannick Hanfmann in four sets (6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3) after three hours of play. In the second round, Jannik Sinner will face a big player, Matteo Berrettini. First real big test for the semi-finalist of the last Roland-Garros.
L’outsider
Grass is not Daniil Medvedev’s favorite surface, but the Russian is making progress. A semi-finalist last year at Wimbledon, he outclassed American Aleksandar Kovasevic (6-3, 6-4, 6-2) in just under 2 hours. Clean.
Blues
Luca van Assche, who was drafted from the qualifiers, was swept away in three sets by veteran Fabio Fognini (6-1, 6-3, 7-5). In the all-French duels, Gaël Monfils, recent semi-finalist in Mallorca, dominated Adrian Mannarino (6-4, 3-6, 7-5, 6-4) and Alexandre Muller was stronger than Hugo Gaston (6-4, 7-6, 7-6). In the 2e tour, the Monf’ will find another veteran Stan Wawrinka. And Muller will challenge Daniil Medvedev. The adventure ends for Maxime Janvier, who came out of the qualifications. The 27-year-old native of Creil was logically dominated by the Chinese Zizhen Zhang (7-6, 6-3, 6-2).
Ugo Humbert and Arthur Cazaux, for their part, had to battle in the fifth set to get their qualification. The former alternated between hot and cold to take out Alexander Shevchenko in five sets (6-1, 4-6, 7-6 (7/2), 6-7 (3/7). Arthur Cazaux, for his part, was initially ultra-solid in the first two sets before coming under pressure from Zizou Bergs. But as at Euro 2024, on Monday evening, France ended up getting the upper hand over Belgium. Arthur Cazaux won in five sets at the end of the super tie-break (6-4, 6-1, 6-7, 6-7, 7-6).
The Blues
8e as a finalist at Roland-Garros, Varvara Gracheva started her Wimbledon well with a clean and flawless victory against the Ukrainian Lesia Tsurenko (6-3, 6-1). The Frenchwoman of Russian origin will face another Ukrainian in the second round: Dayana Yastremska, seeded 28. no feat by Diane Parry against Naomi Osaka.
The Japanese strolled through the first act 6-1 in 22 minutes. Then the Frenchwoman chained 6-1 and led 3-1 in the last act, before cracking in the final act with no less than… three double faults in the last, to offer the Japanese qualification. Elsa Jacquemot, who was picked up from the qualifications, could do nothing against Sloane Stephens and lost in two sets (6-3, 6-3).
The package
Aryna Sabalenka, who suffered a shoulder injury, threw in the towel before entering the competition. The world number 3, who had reached the last four in 2021 and 2023, was one of the most serious outsiders. The Belarusian was due to face American Emira Bektas (106) on Mondaye world).
The phrase
After defeating Australian Alex Bolt in three sets (7-6, 6-4, 6-4), Casper Ruud, whose grass is not his cup of tea, declared after his victory:these shorts are so perfect. i almost feel bad for ruining them ».
