Nadal survives scare, Kyrgios blasts crowd
Spaniard falters after winning first two sets versus Cerundolo but recovers in time to set up Berankis clash
Agencies
LONDON: Rafael Nadal overcame a scare in his Wimbledon opener, fighting back from dropping the third set and falling a break down in the fourth to eventually see off Argentina’s Francisco Cerundolo. Second seed Nadal triumphed 6-4, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 over 41st-ranked Cerundolo, who was making his All England Club debut.
But the 36-year-old Spaniard, who has already captured the Australian and French Opens this year to stand halfway to the first mens’s calendar Slam since 1969, did it the hard way. After coasting through the first two sets on Centre Court, he surrendered an early break in the third set and then had to claw his way back from 3-1 and 4-2 down in the fourth. Nadal will take on Ricardas Berankis of Lithuania.
Nick Kyrgios came out on top in a fiery five-setter and blasted fans’ “disrespect” as well as “90-year-old” officials before admitting he spat towards one of his tormentors in the crowd. The Australian’s 3-6, 6-1, 7-5, 6-7 (3/7), 7-5 first-round victory over British wildcard Paul Jubb showcased his shotmaking, which reaped 30 aces and 67 winners. But the dark side of the 27-year-old was also on show.
Even as early as the first set on a packed and raucous Court Three, Kyrgios demanded some fans be removed. “There were a couple of people not shy of criticising me—this one’s for you,” said the 40th-ranked player. “You know who you are.”
At a later news conference, Kyrgios jousted with reporters as he hit out at the abuse he says he receives on a daily basis, both on and off court. “Just pure disrespect,” said Kyrgios, who revealed one fan used an expletive to describe his game. “Have you ever gone to a supermarket and just started berating someone scanning the groceries? No. So why do they do it when I’m at Wimbledon? Why is that?”
In his testy news conference, Kyrgios was accused of lacking respect for the line judges.
COVID +VE BERRETTINI WITHDRAWS
SWIATEK WINS 36TH IN A ROW
Matteo Berrettini’s withdrawal after testing positive for Covid-19 left an already-depleted men’s draw missing yet another standout name. The Italian eighth seed, runner-up-last year to Novak Djokovic, was regarded as one of the favourites after showing his grasscourt pedigree by winning in Stuttgart and at Queen’s Club. On Monday, Croatian Marin Cilic was also forced out after testing Covid positive. It is the first time since 1973 that neither of the world’s top two are competing at Wimbledon. The men’s draw was already missing world No 1 Daniil Medvedev because of a ban on Russian players and world No 2 Alexander Zverev is injured.
From the red clay of the French Open to the green grass of Wimbledon, the wins keep coming for Iga Swiatek. The top-seeded Pole won her opening match on Centre Court on Tuesday, beating Croatian qualifier Jana Fett 6-0, 6-3. The victory was Swiatek’s 36th in row and includes all seven matches she played at this year’s French Open in winning her second title at Roland Garros. It’s the longest winning streak on the women’s tour since 1997, when Martina Hingis won 37. “It’s my first match on grass this season, so I knew it’s going to be tricky,” Swiatek said on court. “I’m just figuring out how to play here and trying to implement all the stuff that we were practising on.”