LONDON. — World No. 1 Jannik Sinner stayed ice cool to move serenely into the Wimbledon second round but it was a second successive day of upsets at a sizzling All England Club as a succession of seeded players crashed and burned on Tuesday.
American second seed Coco Gauff, chasing a French Open-Wimbledon double after her Paris triumph, was the day’s most surprising casualty, losing 7-6(3), 6-1 to Ukraine’s Dayana Yastremska as the sun set on a sultry day.
Gauff’s compatriot Taylor Fritz, the world No. 5, survived a five-set firefight by the skin of his teeth against big-serving Frenchman Giovanni MpetshiPerricard.
But the same could not be said of 13 of the men’s seeds who fell at the first hurdle—a Wimbledon record since 32 seeds were introduced in 2001.
Nine seeds also perished in the women’s first round while the eight top-10 seeds to go out across both singles draws amounted to the highest at a Grand Slam in the professional era.
Germany’s Alexander Zverev was the most notable men’s casualty, the third seed losing 7-6(3), 6-7(8), 6-3, 6-7(5), 6-4 to France’s Arthur Rinderknech in a marathon duel that began on Monday and was locked at one set apiece overnight.
“I’m not sure he’s ever played a match like that in his life,” said Zverev, who is still chasing a first Grand Slam title after 38 attempts.
Italian Lorenzo Musetti, seeded seventh, was bundled out on Court Two by NikolozBasilashvili—the same court where earlier American women’s third seed Jessica Pegula was sent packing 6-2, 6-3 by Italian ElisabettaCocciaretto.
A red-hot Sinner never looked like joining the exodus as he beat fellow Italian and close friend Luca Nardi 6-4, 6-3, 6-0 in a victorious return to the Grand Slam stage after his epic French Open final defeat to Carlos Alcaraz last month.
“I tried to put the friendship away for a couple of hours,” Sinner, who conceded only four points when he landed his first serve, told reporters.
Novak Djokovic closed out the day’s action on the main showcourt by getting past Frenchman Alexandre Muller 6-1, 6-7(7), 6-2, 6-2 despite being hampered by a stomach bug midway through his match. He will face Briton Dan Evans next.
After seven British players won singles matches on Monday—a professional era record at Wimbledon—home fans had more to cheer on Tuesday as fourth seed Jack Draper, his nation’s big hope, avoided any dramas by easing past Argentina’s Sebastian Baez who retired hurt trailing 6-2, 6-2, 2-1.
