Wimbledon record for fastest ever serve broken - but star still LOSES the point

Daily Mirror

6 hours ago

The marathon Wimbledon clash between Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard and fifth seed Taylor Fritz saw the former record a record-breaking serve on Court One on the tournament's opening day
Wimbledon is not even a day old and already records are being smashed at the All England Club. Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard has twice lofted the ball high above his 6ft 8ins frame before sending it hurtling in the direction of Taylor Fritz at record speed on Court No.1.
The French star laid down the gauntlet in the first round clash and sent his first serve down at 149mph. That eclipsed the mark set at SW19 in 2010 by American ace Taylor Dent of 148mph.
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The grass barely had time to recover when, with the score at 30-love, the world's 36th ranked player fired down a scorching effort reflective of the record-breaking weather at Wimbledon. At 153mph, Mpetshi Perricard decimated the record he had set moments before, but not Fritz's resolve.
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The US fifth seed managed to get racket on ball to send it back over the net and eventually sent a volley past his opponent to secure the point. Perhaps that was a sign of the battle that was set to unfold.
Mpetshi Perricard's bludgeoning pace helped him win the opening two sets via tie-breaks before Fritz squeezed back into the game via a 6-4 win in the third set before claiming a tie break of his own. With the score at 7-6(6), 7-6(8), 6-4, 7-6(6) the match was paused at 10.20pm ahead of the tournament's 11pm curfew.
The suspension will offer some time for Mpetshi Perricard to rejuvenate his serve in search of an upset after a night of rest. The 21-year-old recorded 33 aces on his first day of play and held an average of 137mph on his first serve and 122mph on his second.
Fritz managed 24 aces of his own. The American had a degree of frustration over the pause of play on Monday as he staged his comeback, despite being just two points from defeat in the fourth set tie-break.
Mpetshi Perricard's first serving should come as little surprise. The youngster is more than happy to utilise his tools on London's grass courts.
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'My game is very fast — big serve, short rallies,' Mpetshi Perricard said ahead of the tournament. 'On a surface like grass, it can really make a difference. It can help me…
'I'm not sure what other players think, but obviously when I'm playing someone who serves big and plays fast, like [Reilly] Opelka, it's not very pleasant to know you don't have control over the points. But that's part of the game: Everyone has their style and that's what makes this sport beautiful.'
"It's a real strategy," he added on sending his second serve down at comparable paces to many first serves. "I've got a lot of control, and that allows me to put pressure on my opponents.
"Playing on grass is completely different. You have to make adjustments, but it's a part of the season every player looks forward to.'