Defending champion Jannik Sinner had to come back from a set down twice and regain his composure following a worrisome tumble to the grass in a five-set victory over 50th-ranked Miomir Kecmanovic in the first round of Wimbledon on Monday.

Challenging Match

Sinner produced a 4-6, 6-3, 6-7 (6), 6-2, 6-3 win that lasted 3 hours and 30 minutes in the opening match on Centre Court. He said he was “a little tight in the beginning,” noting that it was his first grass-court match of the season.

In another Centre Court match, seven-time champion Novak Djokovic had Bad Bunny cheering him on during a 6-4, 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 victory over 102nd-ranked Wu Yibing. Serena Williams will play her opening match on Tuesday against 20-year-old Maya Joint of Australia.

Sinner is a big favorite to repeat as Wimbledon champion since his main rival Carlos Alcaraz is missing the championships due to a right wrist injury. Sinner felt the pressure from the honors reserved for the defending champion and had to overcome a tough third set to win the match.

Original reporting: Texarkana Gazette — read the source article.