Top-seeded Carlos Alcaraz cruised to a 6-0, 6-2, 7-5 victory over Frenchman Jeremy Chardy in an opening-round match at Wimbledon on Tuesday in London.
The 20-year-old Spaniard breezed through the first two sets and overcame a 4-2 deficit in the third to dispatch the 36-year-old Chardy in one hour and 53 minutes.
Alcaraz is bidding for his second major title. He won the U.S. Open in 2022.
“I think I played really well at the beginning of the match,” Alcaraz said during his on-court interview. “In the third set, he found his level. I was in trouble, but I like to play rallies, I like to play battles, and I’m really happy to have played a great level. Both of us in the third set. It was really close, but I’m really happy to get through this first round.”
Chardy called it a career after the match, retiring from the sport with seven doubles titles and one singles title.
Alcaraz’s convincing victory was upstaged by the arrival of eight-time Wimbledon champion Roger Federer, who received a standing ovation of approximately 1 1/2 minutes. Federer and his wife, Mirka, joined Catherine, the Princess of Wales, in the Royal Box.
In the second round, Alcaraz will face the winner of the match between Frenchmen Arthur Rinderknech and Alexandre Muller — one of many fixtures to be interrupted or delayed on Tuesday due to rain.
Only five gentlemen’s singles matches were completed, and the remaining scheduled action was pushed to Wednesday.
But British fans got to enjoy victories by two of their own. Andy Murray had little trouble defeating fellow Brit Ryan Peniston 6-3, 6-0, 6-1, and No. 12 seed Cameron Norrie defeated Tomas Machac of the Czech Republic 6-3, 4-6, 6-1, 6-4.
“Honestly, coming out on to the court today just brought a smile to my face, coming out here to this atmosphere, being back at Wimbledon,” Norrie said.
No. 27 seed Daniel Evans of Great Britain wasn’t as fortunate as his countrymen. France’s Quentin Halys beat Evans 6-2, 6-3, 6-7 (5), 6-4.
No. 29 seed Tomas Martin Etcheverry of Argentina won the longest match of the day, taking down Spaniard Bernabe Zapata Miralles 6-7 (5), 5-7, 6-3, 6-4, 7-5 in four hours and 37 minutes.
Etcheverry served 10 aces to Zapata Miralles’ one and saved 17 of 21 break points he faced.
–Field Level Media
