Andrey Rublev crashed out of Wimbledon at the first hurdle when he lost in four sets to Argentina’s Francisco Comesana.
The Russian sixth seed battled back after losing the first set but lost momentum early in the third and was beaten 6-4 5-7 6-2 7-6 (7-5).
Rublev reached the Wimbledon quarter-finals last year but struggled for consistency on his serve and was broken four times by Comesana, who is ranked 122nd in the world.
The 26-year-old, who repeatedly smashed his racquet against his knee in frustration in the third set, is the highest-seeded men’s player to exit the Championships so far.
“I wouldn’t do it if I was able to hit the racquet on the floor,” Rublev said when asked about his disturbing outbursts.
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De Minaur knocks out fellow Aussie | 01:05
“Because we’re not allowed to hit it on the grass … so I don’t know … at that moment I couldn’t take it anymore.
“I needed to let emotions out but thanks, everything is fine.”
Comesana will face Australia’s Adam Walton for a place in the last 32.
Rublev’s performance stunned many.
Leading journalist Jose Morgado wrote on Twitter: “Just horrendous to watch this constantly happen. Especially because Andrey is a good guy.”
US commentator Ricky Dimon wrote: “This HAS to be the end for Rublev.
“The worst loss of his career by a billion miles, which is saying a lot given how many bad losses he’s had. An unforgivable result.”
Others questioned his mental wellbeing.
Journalist Ben Rothenberg wrote: “This needs to be a code violation, even under the general unsportsmanlike conduct umbrella.
“Rublev can’t be doing this, if for no other reason that it’s disturbing for fans to watch.”
Commentator Bull Cooney wrote: “I think Rublev needs to see a sports psychologist. This happens far too often and it’s pretty excessive”.
DJOKOVIC SHRUGS OFF INJURY FEARS
Novak Djokovic started his bid tfor a record-equalling eighth Wimbledon men’s title with a straight-sets win over Czech qualifier Vit Kopriva in his first match since a knee operation.
Djokovic won 6-1 6-2 6-2 in a shade under two hours on Centre Court against his 123rd-ranked rival.
The 37-year-old Serb did not face a break point and sealed the match with three aces.
Chasing a record 25th grand slam title, Djokovic wore a grey support on his right knee after surgery on a torn meniscus, which had forced him to withdraw from the French Open last month after the fourth round.
“It was very good,” Djokovic said after taking his Wimbledon first-round record to 19-0.
“I was very pleased with the way I moved on the court.
“Coming into Wimbledon this year, it was a little bit of a different circumstance for me because of the knee.
“I didn’t know how everything was going to unfold on the court really.
“Practice sessions are quite different to official match play, so I’m just extremely glad about the way I played and the way I felt.”
Djokovic will face British wildcard Jacob Fearnley or Spanish qualifier Alejandro Moro Canas for a place in the last 32.
Czech star Marketa Vondrousova became the first defending women’s Wimbledon champion to lose in the first round for 30 years.
The sixth seed’s time in the Wimbledon spotlight was cut short when she lost 6-4 6-2 to Spain’s unheralded Jessica Bouzas Maneiro in 66 minutes.
Vondrousova is only the second defending champion to lose in the first round at the All England Club in the Open era.
The only other time was 30 years ago when Lori McNeil defeated three-time defending champion Steffi Graf.
‘DISAPPOINTED’ MURRAY WITHDRAWS FROM WIMBLEDON
Two-time champion Andy Murray has called time on his Wimbledon singles career after the “extremely disappointed” former world No.1 lost his battle to recover from back surgery.
However, the 37-year-old, who plans to retire after the Paris Olympics, will still have an emotional farewell at the All England Club when he plays doubles with brother Jamie later in the tournament.
Murray had surgery to remove a cyst from his back last month, a procedure he described as “not insignificant”.
The operation left him without full feeling in his right leg and placed in peril his final appearance at the tournament.
Murray said he was not ready to face the Czech Republic’s Tomas Machac in the first round clash on Centre Court.
“I decided this morning,’’ Murray said after a training session alongside his brother. “I slept on it.
“I told my team and my family that I didn’t think I was going to play just based on how I felt yesterday.
“I’m disappointed. I wanted to play in the tournament. I wanted to have a chance to go out there and walk out on my own on the Centre Court again and give it another go.
“But I also was only going to do that if I felt like I could be competitive and I didn’t feel like that.”
The Murrays will face Australians Rinky Hijikata and John Peers in the doubles.
“Getting the opportunity to play with Jamie here will be special,” Murray said.
“We’ve never done that before and I’ll make sure I make the most of it.”
Andy Murray withdraws from Wimbledon | 00:38
Murray’s long rival Djokovic described the British star’s withdrawal as a “great blow to the tournament”.
“Great respect to him for what he has done in this tournament and this sport,’’ Djokovic said.
“I just hope he will be able to finish his career on his terms.”
Murray ended Britain’s 77-year wait for a men’s champion at Wimbledon when he won the title in 2013 by defeating Djokovic in the final.
He added a second title in 2016 to take his majors total to three after breaking his duck at the 2012 US Open.
Murray has not progressed past the quarter-finals at Wimbledon since 2016.
The physical stress of 20 years on the tour has taken its toll.
He missed the 2018 tournament with injury and 12 months later sat out the singles after hip surgery.
That year, he played men’s doubles with Pierre-Hugues Herbert and mixed doubles with Serena Williams.
Murray has competed with a metal hip since 2019 and this season damaged ankle ligaments in Miami when he lost to Machac.
The Scot made his Wimbledon debut in 2005 and reached the third round, when he took a two-set lead before losing to 2002 runner-up David Nalbandian.
Fellow three-time grand slam title winner Stan Wawrinka hailed Murray as “an amazing champion”.
“He pushed everybody,” said the 39-year-old Swiss, who has faced the Briton 23 times since their first clash in 2005.
“He won everything in the sport that you can win. He’s been No.1. He’s been an example for many players.”
Murray was replaced in the singles draw by Belgium’s David Goffin, a lucky loser from qualifying.
WIMBLEDON DAY 2 RESULTS
Men’s Singles First Round
Ben Shelton (USA x14) bt Mattia Bellucci (ITA) 4-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4
Francisco Comesana (ARG) bt Andrey Rublev (RUS x6) 6-4, 5-7, 6-2, 7-6 (7/5)
Adam Walton (AUS) bt Federico Coria (ARG) 6-3, 6-3, 7-5
Luciano Darderi (ITA) bt Jan Choinski (GBR) 7-5, 4-6, 2-6, 7-5, 6-2
Lorenzo Musetti (ITA x25) bt Constant Lestienne (FRA) 4-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-2, 6-2
Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard (FRA) bt Sebastian Korda (USA x20) 7-6 (7/5), 6-7 (4/7), 7-6 (8/6), 6-7 (4/7), 6-3
Yoshihito Nishioka (JPN) bt Nuno Borges (POR) 6-2, 7-6 (8/6), 2-6, 6-3
Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE x11) bt Taro Daniel (JPN) 7-6 (7/5), 6-4, 7-5
Taylor Fritz (USA x13) bt Christopher O’Connell (AUS) 6-1, 6-2, 6-4
Flavio Cobolli (ITA) bt Rinky Hijikata (AUS) 7-5, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4
Jack Draper (GBR x28) bt Elias Ymer (SWE) 3-6, 6-3, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3
Cameron Norrie (GBR) bt Facundo Díaz (ARG) 7-5, 7-5, 6-3
Marcos Giron (USA) bt Henry Searle (GBR) 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4
Alexander Zverev (GER x4) bt Roberto Carballes Baena (ESP) 6-2, 6-4, 6-2
Hubert Hurkacz (POL x7) bt Radu Albot (MDA) 5-7, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4
Arthur Fils (FRA) bt Dominic Stricker (SUI) 6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 6-4
Jaume Munar (ESP) bt Billy Harris (GBR) 6-4, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3
Alex de Minaur (AUS x9) bt James Duckworth (AUS) 7-6 (7/1), 7-6 (7/3), 7-6 (7/4)
Holger Rune (DEN x15) bt Kwon Soon-woo (KOR) 6-1, 6-4, 6-4
Thiago Seyboth Wild (BRA) bt Paul Jubb (GBR) 1-6, 3-6, 7-6 (8/6), 6-4, 7-5
Tomas Etcheverry (ARG x30) bt Luca Nardi (ITA) 6-1, 6-4, 6-2
Alexei Popyrin (AUS) bt Thiago Monteiro (BRA) 6-4, 6-7 (8/10), 6-3, 6-4
Jacob Fearnley (GBR) bt Alejandro Moro Canas (ESP) 7-5, 6-4, 7-6 (14/12)
Novak Djokovic (SRB x2) bt Vít Kopriva (CZE) 6-1, 6-2, 6-2
Women‘s Singles First Round
Iga Swiatek (POL x1) bt Sofia Kenin (USA) 6-3, 6-4
Petra Martic (CRO) bt Francesca Jones (GBR) 3-6, 6-1, 6-2
Yulia Putintseva (KAZ) bt Angelique Kerber (GER) 7-5, 6-3
Katerina Siniakova (CZE x27) bt Marina Stakusic (CAN) 6-4, 6-2
Caroline Garcia (FRA x23) bt Anna Blinkova (RUS) 6-4, 7-5
Bernarda Pera (USA) bt Anastasia Potapova (RUS) 6-7 (4/7), 6-4, 7-6 (10/6)
Daria Snigur (UKR) bt Océane Dodin (FRA) 6-4, 6-0
Jelena Ostapenko (LAT x13) bt Ajla Tomljanovic (AUS) 6-1, 6-2
Dalma Galfi (HUN) bt Mayar Sherif (EGY) 6-1, 6-2
Cristina Bucsa (ESP) bt Ana Bogdan (ROM) 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (10/5)
Jessica Bouzas Maneiro (ESP) bt Marketa Vondrousova (CZE x6) 6-4, 6-2
Elena Rybakina (KAZ x4) bt Elena-Gabriela Ruse (ROM) 6-3, 6-1
Laura Siegemund (GER) bt Kateryna Baindl (UKR) 6-4, 6-1
Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) bt Alycia Parks (USA) 6-2, 6-0
Leylah Fernandez (CAN x30) bt Lucia Bronzetti (ITA) 6-4, 6-3
Anna Kalinskaya (RUS x17) bt Panna Udvardy (HUN) 6-3, 6-2
Marie Bouzkova (CZE) bt Julia Riera (ARG) 6-2, 6-1
Elina Avanesyan (RUS) bt Anhelina Kalinina (UKR) 6-2, 6-3
Liudmila Samsonova (RUS x15) bt Rebeka Masarova (ESP) 6-3, 4-6, 6-2
Ons Jabeur (TUN x10) bt Moyuka Uchijima (JPN) 6-3, 6-1
Robin Montgomery (USA) bt Olivia Gadecki (AUS) 6-4, 6-4
Katie Boulter (GBR x32) bt Tatjana Maria (GER) 7-6 (8/6), 7-5
Harriet Dart (GBR) bt Bai Zhuoxuan (CHN) 6-4, 6-0
Wang Xinyu (CHN) bt Viktoriya Tomova (BUL) 7-6 (7/4), 3-6, 6-0
Jessica Pegula (USA x5) bt Ashlyn Krueger (USA) 6-2, 6-0
Source Agencies
