Sinner beats Kecmanovic to begin Wimbledon title defence

LONDON: Jannik Sinner overcame a shaky start to begin his Wimbledon title defence with a hard-fought five-set win over Serbia’s Miomir Kecmanovic on Monday.

The world number one dropped the opening set and was pushed to the limit before eventually prevailing 4-6, 6-3, 6-7(6), 6-2, 6-3 to secure his place in the second round.

Playing his first competitive grass-court match of the season after an early exit at the French Open, Sinner notched his 94th Grand Slam win, equalling Nicola Pietrangeli’s record for an Italian player.

The match was anything but smooth for the defending champion. After losing the first set, he responded with a strong second set, finishing it off with a powerful ace. However, further trouble followed as he appeared to struggle physically, including a fall in the third set and visible discomfort at times.

Despite losing a tense third-set tiebreak, Sinner regained control in the fourth set and dominated the decider to close out the win. He will now face Portugal’s Nuno Borges in the second round.