Wimbledon: Alcaraz survives Fognini scare, Rune stunned, Raducanu marches ahead
Carlos Alcaraz was made to sweat under the Centre Court sun, but the defending Wimbledon champion eventually fended off a spirited Fabio Fognini in a five-set thriller to reach the second round. The Spaniard, aiming to clinch his third straight Wimbledon title, overcame inconsistent play and a fourth-set dip to prevail 7-5, 6-7(5), 7-5, 2-6, 6-1.Alcaraz, riding an 18-match winning streak coming into SW19, looked far from his best for large parts of the match. Fognini, 38 but still dangerous on his day, pushed the No. 2 seed to the brink, exploiting Alcaraz's erratic form to level at two sets apiece. The Spaniard, however, rediscovered his rhythm in the decider, racing to a 3-0 lead and finishing strongly after a brief delay caused by a medical emergency in the crowd.advertisementWimbledon 2025: Round 1 Live Updates
"I don't know why it's his last Wimbledon, because with the level he has shown, he can still play three or four more years," said Alcaraz, who improved to 14-1 in five-setters. "I have to give him credit for such a great match. Fabio is such a great player, he has shown in his whole career the level he has. I'm just a little bit sad that it's his last Wimbledon, but happy to have shared the court with him."RUNE STUNNEDOn Court 3, Chilean qualifier Nicols Jarry staged a stunning comeback to upset eighth seed Holger Rune 4-6, 4-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-4 - handing the Dane his first career loss after leading by two sets.Ranked No. 143, Jarry fired 31 aces and kept his composure in the heat, sealing his first top-10 win in over a year. Rune, who appeared in control early on, began to struggle physically in the fourth set and needed treatment on his knee. Though he fought back in the fifth, Jarry broke at 4-4 and served out the match for one of the biggest wins of his career.advertisementThe defeat adds to a tough day for top seeds, with Rune joining Stefanos Tsitsipas and Daniil Medvedev on the early exit list. Jarry will next face American teenager Learner Tien.RADUCANU, KEY MARCH AHEADOn the women's side, No. 6 seed American Madison Keys overcame both an ailing opponent and scorching heat to secure a 6-7(4), 7-5, 7-5 first-round win over Elena-Gabriela Ruse at Wimbledon on Monday.Ruse, who took the first set with aggressive baseline shots, appeared to struggle in the 32C heat during the second set. Despite wrapping ice towels around her neck, she needed treatment after the trainer checked her blood pressure and escorted her off court.The break lasted nearly 10 minutes, during which Keys stayed focused by practicing her serves. Trailing 5-3, Ruse suffered a cramp in her right thigh and collapsed, but recovered to level the set at 5-5 and came close to upsetting the sixth seed. "It's my favourite tournament by far "Emma Raducanu is loving the feeling of being back at #Wimbledon after completing a first round victory over Mimi Xu pic.twitter.com/7Mqefo1fW1— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) June 30, 2025Emma Raducanu made a confident start to her Wimbledon campaign on Monday, easing past fellow Briton and wild card Mingge Xu with a 6-3, 6-3 victory.advertisementRaducanu cruised through the opening set but was tested in the second, with Xu breaking her serve twice before the 2021 US Open champion regained control.Having reached the fourth round at Wimbledon in both 2021 and 2023, Raducanu faces a challenging path if she hopes to match that feat this year. She will meet defending champion Markta Vondrouov in the second round, with a potential third-round showdown against top seed Aryna Sabalenka looming.TIAFOE EASES IN 2ND ROUNDMeanwhile, No. 12 seed Frances Tiafoe cruised past Denmark's Elmer Moller 6-3, 6-4, 6-2, while No. 17 seed Karen Khachanov of Russia dispatched Mackenzie McDonald 7-5, 6-4, 6-4. No. 23 Jiri Lehecka of the Czech Republic came from a set down to defeat Bolivia's Hugo Dellien 4-6, 6-2, 6-2, 7-6(0).No. 16 seed Francisco Cerndolo of Argentina let an early lead slip as he fell to Portugal's Nuno Borges 4-6, 6-3, 7-6(5), 6-0. In another upset, Great Britain's Arthur Fery thrilled the home crowd by defeating No. 20 seed Alexei Popyrin of Australia 6-4, 6-1, 4-6, 6-4.Other first-round winners on Monday included Britain's Cameron Norrie and Oliver Tarvet, American teenager Learner Tien, France's Adrian Mannarino, Italy's Mattia Bellucci, Australia's Jordan Thompson, Brazil's Joo Fonseca, South Africa's Lloyd Harris, Italy's Luciano Darderi, and Chile's Cristian Garin.- EndsMust Watch
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