World number one Jannik Sinner survived an almighty scare as he began his Wimbledon title defence with a five-set comeback victory over inspired opponent Miomir Kecmanovic.
One month on from a seismic second-round loss at the French Open, four-time major winner Sinner recovered from an error-strewn start and an awkward fall to overcome his 50th-ranked opponent 4-6 6-3 6-7 (6-8) 6-2 6-3 after a tense three and a half hours.
Sinner opted against contesting a grass tournament in the lead-up to Wimbledon, with this his first match since an extraordinary collapse against Argentine Juan Manuel Cerundolo, whom he had led by two sets and 5-1 at Roland Garros. Having appeared to physically shut down in the stifling Paris heat that day, Sinner’s durability was thoroughly tested by Kecmanovic, and he was fortunate to escape relatively unscathed after a moment of genuine concern on Centre Court. There were gasps in the crowd when Sinner slipped behind the baseline during the third set and took time to return to his feet, with the umpire heading over to check on him.
Blood was also seeping from the Italian’s shoe during a must-win fourth set, which he later explained was caused by a problematic toenail. But Sinner raised his level when it truly mattered to avert another early exit, improving his poor recent record in five-set matches to avoid becoming only the third defending Wimbledon men’s champion to lose in the first round.