The Italians are off to a good start. After Lorenzo Musetti also Jannick Sinner he qualifies for the second round of the Wimbledon Championships: in just over an hour and a half the 21-year-old from Sesto Pusteria beats the Argentinean Juan Manuel Cerundolo in three sets. A break at the opening of the match paves the way for the Italian n.1, eighth seeding favouritewho reached the quarterfinals at Wimbledon last year, defeated by Novak Djokovic after being two sets ahead. On the opening day of the third Grand Slam of the yearSinner best honors Center Court, settling with a triple 6-2 Cerundolo, n. 111 in the world ranking and its absolute debut on the London lawns. In the next round, the South Tyrolean is expected by another Argentine, Diego Schwartzman who beat the Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic (60 63 64).
All easy for too Novak Djokovic, launched in pursuit of an eighth Wimbledon triumph. Opposed to the Argentine Pedro Cachin the Serbian champion, favorite n.2 of the tournament, breaks the ticket for the second round in three sets (63 63 76). Once the first set is won, the match is interrupted to allow the roof to close, but when the game resumes Djokovic has to wait for the gardeners to dry the grass with the leaf vacuum before being able to file the practice in 2’12”.
surgical performance, not without some uncertainty, for the Serbian who thus extends his already extraordinary unbeaten streak on the Center Court of the All England Club, where he hasn’t lost a match for over 10 years (40 consecutive victories). Absent his longtime rival, Rafael Nadal, and forced to withdraw at the last minute there too‘australiano Nick Kyrgiosonly the imponderable (and the n.1 in the world, Carlos Alcaraz) seem to be able to block his way to the eighth success (the fifth following) on the grass of Church Road. “Every year I come back here, I instantly reconnect with the kid who dreamed of winning the biggest tournament in the world – Djokovic’s satisfaction -. I don’t take a single point for granted in this tournament because I know the value of my opponents” .
All easy even for Lorenzo Musetti who needs just over two hours to win his first career match on London’s noble lawns after back-to-back first-round exits. In three sets (63 61 75) the 21-year-old from Carrara, n.16 in the ranking, ruled the Peruvian Juan Pablo Varillas without worries, winner of the only precedent between the two. The technical-tactical gap is too evident, with Musetti thus confirming the progress on grass already shown at Queen’s. In the next round the Spaniard Jaume Munar is waiting for him, never went beyond the second round, which in four sets (46 63 64 64) prevailed over the American John Isner, already semifinalist at Wimbledon in 2018.
Tuesday it’s the turn of the other four Italians in the draw: spotlights on the tricolor derby between Lorenzo Sonego and Matteo Berrettini, already a finalist at the Championships two years ago. After the tears in Stuttgart, the Roman tennis player assures that he feels in better physical condition. “I really want to do well, to experience a game the way I like it, whether I win or lose. Above all, I want to feel the emotions on the pitch again, the adrenaline and also the fear. I’m happy to be here” , Berrettini’s words on the eve.