Alexander Zveref went with great aspirations to Wimbledonbut he collected his suitcases from the first round. The German champion was defeated in five sets by Frenchman Artur Riddknes.
The No.3 of the board had a 1-1 set with Redknes on Monday (30/6), when the race was interrupted by darkness. With the re-launch in the central hall, the 28-year-old Frenchman dominated 7-6 (3), 6-7 (8), 6-3, 6-7 (5), 6-4, in a fierce battle that lasted almost four hours.
This was Zverev’s first defeat in the first round of Grand Slam by Wimbledon in 2019 and remains without a major title after 38 top tournaments.
Riddknes, No82 in the world, will face Chilean Christian Garin in the second round.
With Zverev’s exclusion, players who bid farewell to Wimbledon from the first round reach 12 in the 32 seeded men’s dashboard – which confirms this year’s favorite “bloodshed”.