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Day 2 Preview: Nadal, Tsitsipas, Berrettini Open Wimbledon Campaigns

Rafael Nadal will play at Wimbledon for the first time since 2019 Tuesday on Centre Court, while Stefanos Tsitsipas and Matteo Berrettini headline the men's singles action on Court 1. The complete bottom half of the draw is set for first-round action on the London lawns, with Felix Auger-Aliassime, Taylor Fritz, Diego Schwartzman, Denis Shapovalov, and #NextGenATP stars Holger Rune, Lorenzo Musetti and Jack Draper also in action. 

Top-half matches that were not completed on a rainy Monday will also be played.

ATPTour.com looks at some of the matches to watch on Day 2 at the All England Lawn Tennis Club.

View Schedule | View Singles Draw

[2] Rafael Nadal (ESP) vs. Francisco Cerundolo (ARG)

Nadal's stellar start to the 2022 season has put him in a new position at Wimbledon. For the first time, the Spaniard enters London half-way to the Grand Slam — winning all four majors in the same season. Nadal brings a 30-3 season record into the event, with four tour-level titles in tow.

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Sinner Tops Wawrinka For First Tour-Level Grass Win

Jannik Sinner scored a pair of firsts on Monday at Wimbledon with his 7-5, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 first-round victory against Stan Wawrinka. The 20-year-old Italian earned his first win in his second Wimbledon main-draw appearance, with the victory doubling as his first tour-level victory on grass. 

“It feels amazing, obviously," Sinner said of the milestone win on Court 2. "It took a little bit, but I’m happy to be in the second round here. Against Stan, it was a very tough match because he is an incredible champion and he showed it so many times. I wish him all the best to come back stronger.”

After both men traded crushing baseline blows throughout two tight sets, Sinner's agility and consistency proved the difference in the third and fourth sets as the 10th seed ran out a comfortable winner. 

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The Italian finished with 42 winners to 33 errors and improved his court coverage throughout the match despite a few slips. Wawrinka looked to step into the court often, but even when he did gain a positional advantage, Sinner's persistent retrieving allowed the Italian to keep his footing in the points.

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Six-Time Champ, But Trampoline Troubles Blight Djokovic Camp

Novak Djokovic found a fix for his on-court problems on Monday to clinch an opening-round win against Soonwoo Kwon at Wimbledon. Yet his seven-year-old Stefan isn’t so sure about the six-time champion’s everyday handyman skills.

The top seed posted a video via Instagram on Sunday of him and his team trying and failing to fix a broken trampoline, prompting Stefan to ask a question in the background: “How come you don’t know how to put together a trampoline and you are competing at Wimbledon?”

“I think you can't argue with a child's honesty and pure no-filter comments, right?” said Djokovic after his 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 win against Kwon on Monday. “For him anyone playing in Wimbledon is a superhero. He did not only direct that to me but the entire team. For him, everyone in my team is playing in Wimbledon.

“He saw these big guys that have muscles, my fitness coach, tennis coach, and he couldn't understand how is it that we can't fix a trampoline and we're playing at Wimbledon. It was a really funny, funny comment.”

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Isner Has World Record In Sight After 54 Aces In Wimbledon Win

John Isner has already set one famous record at Wimbledon. He's now on the brink of making more history at the grass-court Grand Slam.

The American, who won an 11-hour, five-minute marathon against Nicolas Mahut in 2010, could set the world record for aces this fortnight. After firing 54 aces Monday in a five-set win over France's Enzo Couacaud, Isner's career count stands at 13,688 — just 40 aces shy of Ivo Karlovic's record of 13,728.

In a 6-7(6), 7-6(3), 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 victory, Isner hit 97 winners (including aces) and 89 unreturned serves. He won 84 per cent of his first-serve points and was successful on 48 of his 68 net approaches, dropping serve just once in the contest. The match was played on Court 18, the site of his 2010 epic against France's Mahut. Isner served a single-match record 113 aces in that first-round meeting, which spanned three days.

The World No. 24 American could break the all-time ace record in the second round, where he will face the winner of the Centre Court matchup between Andy Murray and James Duckworth. Isner is competing at Wimbledon for the 13th time, with a run to the 2018 semi-finals his best result.

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Cerundolo: 'I Have Always Wanted To Play Rafa'

Francisco Cerundolo can’t stop smiling as he looks across the lawns of Wimbledon ahead of the grass-court Grand Slam.

It is an expression that has been locked across the Argentine’s face since Friday, when he discovered that Spaniard Rafael Nadal would be his first-round opponent at The All England Lawn Tennis Club.

“I was happy and surprised when I saw the draw,” Cerundolo told ATPTour.com. “The day before, I told my coach I wanted to play Rafa or Novak [Djokovic] in this tournament. They are two of the greatest players in history. They are fairly old now and I don’t know how long they will be playing, so it is a good opportunity for me.

“I have always wanted to play Rafa, Novak and Roger [Federer]. So when I saw [I was drawn] against Rafa, I said to my coach ‘Let’s go!’. When I saw Nadal, I was happy.”

While the opportunity to play two-time champion Nadal will provide a memorable experience for Cerundolo, it also gives him the chance to show fans what he is capable of. The 24-year-old is currently at a career-high No. 41 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, having enjoyed a breakthrough season, which has seen him earn a career-best 12 tour-level wins.

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Davidovich Fokina Rides Rollercoaster Past Hurkacz In Wimbledon Thriller

One of the wildest matches of this Wimbledon might have already occurred on Day One.

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina let slip three match points in the third set against Hubert Hurkacz and later trailed by a break on two occasions in the fifth set, but the Spaniard battled into the second round 7-6(4), 6-4, 5-7, 2-6, 7-6(10-8).

“Really I don’t know how I won this match. He had in the fifth set [a] 5-4 [lead] and [he was] serving with the new balls. I was [thinking], ‘Okay, let’s put the return in and let’s see what happens,’” Davidovich Fokina said in his on-court interview as he laughed. “But I’m so happy for the win today because I was struggling a little bit. To beat Hurkacz on grass — he [made] the semi-final last year — it’s so much confidence to myself. I’m so happy.”

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For much of the deciding set, Davidovich Fokina was left shaking his head. This year’s Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters finalist had been up two sets to none and served for the match at 5-3 in the third with a 40/0 advantage. The Spaniard put three first serves into play on those points, but was unable to convert.

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Alcaraz Survives Struff Scare, Wins Five-Set Thriller

Carlos Alcaraz’s Wimbledon hopes hung by a thread on Monday evening. However, the 19-year-old survived to reach the second round at Wimbledon for the second time.

In a tight battle on Court 1, the 19-year-old rode out an attacking bombardment from Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff to advance 4-6, 7-5, 4-6, 7-6(3), 6-4 after a tense four hours and 14 minutes.

Competing for the second time at Wimbledon, Alcaraz raised his intensity and dug his heels in as he scampered around the baseline to hang in points, while he found moments of magic in the key moments to improve his five-set record to 5-1.

The Spaniard produced a stunning backhand passing shot at 0/2 in the fourth-set tie-break to keep himself in the match, before he raised the roof with his shot-making at the end of the fifth set to improve to 1-1 in his ATP Head2Head series with Stuff.

Alcaraz will next play Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor or Fabio Fognini as he aims to reach the third round at SW19 for the first time.

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Kyrgios: 'I'm Able To Light It Up Whenever I Want'

Before beginning his grass-court season, Nick Kyrgios returned to Australia for two months to recharge and spend time with his loved ones. The 27-year-old has wasted no time finding his form since returning to the Tour.

The Australian reached the semi-finals in Stuttgart and Halle to put himself in good position leading into Wimbledon.

“I’ve played a lot of matches. Had some great results. Beaten some really good players. I'm just happy where my level's at,” Kyrgios said. “I think I've had probably some of the best preparation I've had for a while on the grass. Load-wise I'm happy with the amount of tennis I played.”

Kyrgios admitted that it is “hard to find the balance between spending time with your family, friends, having that kind of normal lifestyle". That is why he returned home, so that when he did return to court, he would be ready to go and play his best.

“I know where my game's at. I know if I'm feeling confident, I'm playing well, I'm able to just light it up kind of whenever I want. But I've just got to pick and choose. I don't play that often,” Kyrgios said. “When I play now, I've got to make sure I'm having some good results, putting my best effort… I’m proud to be where I'm at at the moment.”

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Open-Minded Alcaraz: I Can Adapt To Grass

Carlos Alcaraz may have been a dominant force on the ATP Tour in 2022, but that does not mean the 19-year-old is afraid to seek help from his fellow players as and when required.

The Spaniard takes on Jan-Lennard Struff in the first round at Wimbledon on Monday. As he prepares for just the second tour-level grass-court tournament of his career, Alcaraz admitted he is happy to learn from others to make up for his relative inexperience on the surface.

“Of course. I try to watch the training of the best players,” said Alcaraz in his pre-tournament press conference on Sunday, shortly after hitting with British No. 2 Daniel Evans. “I think he [Evans] plays very well on grass. I'm trying to copy some things from the best [players].

“I always watch videos of [Roger] Federer, [Novak] Djokovic, Rafa [Nadal], Andy [Murray] as well. I try to copy moves and stuff from them.”

As a fellow Spaniard who also grew up playing predominantly on clay, two-time champion Nadal is a particularly important example for Alcaraz. The 19-year-old believes Nadal’s success on grass serves as an obvious example for him to follow.

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Tsitsipas On Grass Record: 'I Never Doubted Myself'

Stefanos Tsitsipas’ Wimbledon preparations have been a success.

The Greek overcame Roberto Bautista Agut to capture his maiden tour-level title on grass at the Mallorca Championships on Saturday, meaning he arrives at The All England Lawn Tennis Club high on confidence and with matches in the bank.

“I think my preparations are good in terms of matches. That's what I wanted from the very beginning, to have a lot of matches on grass,” Tsitsipas said in his pre-tournament press conference on Sunday. “That's what I think I achieved in the last couple of weeks, to get as many matches on grass as possible.

“I think the first tournaments were probably not what I expected in terms of matches, but I managed to pick up quite fast in last week's performance in southern Europe.”

Prior to his triumph in Mallorca, Tsitsipas had held a 10-10 record on grass. However, the fourth seed revealed that his title run at the ATP 250 event came as no surprise to him due to his long-term belief that he was destined for success on the surface.

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Scouting Report: Djokovic, Nadal, Berrettini Chase Wimbledon Glory

The 2022 grass-court season reaches its climax at the third Grand Slam of the year in London, where the top talent on the ATP Tour has assembled at Wimbledon. Six-time champion Novak Djokovic leads the field at the All England Lawn Tennis Club, where the Serbian is chasing his fourth consecutive crown.

Two-time champion Rafael Nadal seeks his third major title of the season, while 2021 finalist Matteo Berrettini arrives in London in red-hot form, having picked up back-to-back titles on the grass in Stuttgart and at The Queen’s Club.

Ninth seed Cameron Norrie leads British hopes, but the home fans will also have a two-time champion to support in Andy Murray.

ATPTour.com looks ahead at 10 things to watch at Wimbledon.

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Day 1 Preview: Djokovic Begins Title Defence, Alcaraz & Murray In Action

Defending champion Novak Djokovic, #NextGenATP Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz and home favourite Andy Murray kick off their campaigns at Wimbledon on Monday. The first-round action at the grass-court Grand Slam will also see Hubert Hurkacz, Jannik Sinner, Stan Wawrinka, Reilly Opelka and Cameron Norrie in action at the All England Lawn Tennis Club.

ATPTour.com looks at some of the matches to watch on Day 1 in the UK capital.

View Schedule | View Singles Draw

[1] Novak Djokovic (SRB) vs. Soonwoo Kwon (KOR)

Djokovic opens proceedings on Centre Court with his second tour-level meeting against South Korean Soonwoo Kwon. Not only is the top seed defending his 2021 crown, but the six-time champion is also pursuing his fourth consecutive title at the grass-court major. That would draw him level with legendary American Pete Sampras.

"I would like to be in the [final] to eventually make history," said Djokovic at his pre-tournament press conference. "Pete Sampras winning his first Wimbledon was the first tennis match I ever saw on the TV. So of course, there is a lot of connection to this tournament. Pete has won it seven times... Hopefully I can do the same this year."

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Serena, Swiatek, Raducanu Draw Inspiration From Nadal At Wimbledon

Never before has Rafael Nadal entered Wimbledon after winning the year's first two Grand Slam events. But with the 2022 Australian Open and Roland Garros titles in tow, a trophy in his 15th Wimbledon would put him on the brink of the Grand Slam — winning all four majors in the same year. That feat that has not been achieved in men's singles since Rod Laver in 1969.

Tennis fans and players alike have taken note of the 36-year-old's historic season, including many of the WTA's most popular players.

"He's done a lot in 2022. He's been busy," Serena Williams said Saturday in her Wimbledon pre-tournament press conference. "I've always been a Rafa fan... so obviously I'm always rooting for Rafa. He's been really inspiring in everything that he's done this year. And he has a lot more to do."

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Williams named one of her dogs after the Spaniard — Christopher Chip Rafael Nadal, a Yorkshire Terrier. The 40-year-old Williams, who is preparing for her first competitive singles match since last year's Wimbledon, is eager to join Nadal among this season's Grand Slam champions.

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Two-Time Champ Murray Hunts His ‘Good Tennis’ For Wimbledon Bid

Despite his promising start to the grass season being cut short by an abdominal injury, Andy Murray is taking plenty of belief from his recent performances as he prepares to open his 2022 Wimbledon campaign against James Duckworth.

“I think I showed a couple weeks ago [in Stuttgart] that there was still good tennis left in me,” said Murray in his pre-tournament press conference in London on Saturday. “I beat a guy [Stefanos Tsitsipas] in the top five in the world. I was neck-and-neck with [Matteo] Berrettini, who is one of the best grass-court players in the world before his injury. I played well against [Nick] Kyrgios, as well.”

The former World No. 1 marched to the final at the ATP 250 event in south-west Germany without dropping a set. Despite a three-set loss to World No. 11 Berrettini in the championship match, Murray feels it is proof he still has the game to go toe-to-toe with anyone in the draw at the All England Lawn Tennis Club. His coach, eight-time Grand Slam champion Ivan Lendl, feels the same.

“I know the tennis is in there; I just need to bring it out during the event now,” said Murray. “Obviously having Ivan on my team helps. We've had a lot of success in the past. We know each other well. He still believes in me. There's not loads of people out there that have done over this last period, and he has. That definitely helps me.”

[ATP APP]

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Sampras-Chasing Djokovic Confident Of Smooth Transition To Grass At Wimbledon

In each of his past two Wimbledon trophy runs, Novak Djokovic's opening match on the London lawns was his first grass-court match of the season. Now seeking a fourth straight title at the All England Lawn Tennis Club, the Serbian's preparations have not changed.

His last competitive match was a quarter-final epic against Rafael Nadal at Roland Garros. By the time the top-seeded Djokovic takes to Centre Court on Monday against Soonwoo Kwon, he will have spent nearly a month between appearances.

"I didn't have any lead-up tournaments to Wimbledon, but I've had success in Wimbledon in the past without having any official matches and tournaments," said Djokovic.

"Over the years, I had success with adapting quickly to the surface, so there is no reason not to believe I can do it again."

[ATP APP]

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Ruud Notches Maiden Wimbledon Win

Casper Ruud dug deep to break his Wimbledon duck on Monday, when the third seed edged Albert Ramos-Vinolas in a hard-fought first-round encounter in London.

The Norwegian kept his composure in a match that was twice interrupted by rain on Court 12 to complete a 7-6(1), 7-6(9), 6-2 victory, his first win at the grass-court major on his third appearance.

Ruud dominated the tie-break after a tight opening set before also prevailing in far more dramatic circumstances at the same stage in the second set. He rallied from 2/6 down to clinch a topsy-turvy tie-break in which he saved five set points. It proved a decisive moment in the two-hour, 44-minute contest, as the Norwegian broke twice in the third set to ease to victory.

[ATP APP]

The 23-year-old Ruud has enjoyed a ground-breaking 2022 season. He reached a maiden ATP Masters 1000 final at the Miami Open presented by Itau in March, before contesting his first Grand Slam championship match against Rafael Nadal on the clay at Roland Garros. He also increased his tour-level title tally to eight with triumphs in Buenos Aires in February and Geneva in May.

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Djokovic Forced To Four Sets In Wimbledon Opener

Novak Djokovic’s 2022 Wimbledon hopes were given a stern opening test on Monday by Soonwoo Kwon, but the defending champion stayed resolute to hold off the South Korean and advance to the second round at the grass-court Grand Slam in London.

The Serbian maintained a solid level in his 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory against the World No. 81, yet Kwon’s aggressive tactics meant Djokovic was never completely comfortable in his first tour-level match since his Roland Garros quarter-final on 31 May. The South Korean was a break up in each of the first two sets and pumped up the Centre Court crowd after he levelled proceedings at a set apiece, but Djokovic's trademark consistency proved enough to complete a two-hour, 27-minute victory.

"I've said this before but this court is truly special," said Djokovic in his on-court interview. "For me it has always been the court I dreamed of playing and winning [on], and all my childhood dreams came true here so it's an honour and pleasure to be back on Centre Court."

The win extends Djokovic’s unbeaten run at Wimbledon to 22 matches. The Serbian is hunting his fourth consecutive crown at the third major of the year in London, and his second tour-level title of 2022 after he triumphed at the Internazionali BNL d'Italia in May.

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Play Suspended On Outside Courts Due To Rain At Wimbledon

Rain continues to be a factor on the opening day’s play at Wimbledon, where play was suspended at 2:53 p.m. local time on Monday. It is the second interruption of the day at the grass-court Grand Slam in London, following an earlier delay of one hour, 29 minutes.

The latest interruption came with British No. 1 Cameron Norrie just two points from a first-round victory on Court 2, where he leads Pablo Andujar 6-0, 7-6(3), 5-3, at 40/40 on the Norrie serve. Alejandro Davidovich Fokina is also in a strong position to upset Halle champion Hubert Hurkacz. The Spaniard leads the seventh seed 7-6(4), 6-4, 5-5, with Davidovich Fokina serving at 15/15. On Court 12, third seed Casper Ruud clinched a pair of tie-breaks to lead Albert Ramos-Vinolas 7-6(1), 7-6(9) before the weather intervened.

Centre Court and Court 1 at the All England Lawn Tennis Club are both fitted with a roof, meaning their schedules will continue as planned regardless of the weather. Top seed Novak Djokovic is currently taking on Soonwoo Kwon on Centre Court, with two-time champion Andy Murray in action later on against James Duckworth. On Court 1, Carlos Alcaraz is in action against Jan-Lennard Struff.

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Tsitsipas Climbs Following Mallorca Title, Mover Of Week

Following his victory at the Mallorca Championships, Stefanos Tsitsipas has moved back into the Top 5 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, while Maxime Cressy jumps to a career-high No. 45 after reaching the final at the Rothesay International in Eastbourne.

ATPTour.com looks at the movers of the week, as of Monday, 27 June.

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No. 5 Stefanos Tsitsipas, +1
The Greek has climbed back to No. 5 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings after he captured his first grass-court title and ninth tour-level crown overall at the Mallorca Championships. The 23-year-old, who was making his debut at the ATP 250 event, defeated Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut in the championship match. Read Mallorca Final Report & Watch Highlights.

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ATP Tennis Podcast: Fritz Discusses Mentality, Tsitsipas On Grass Record

This week on the ATP Tennis Podcast...

TAYLOR FRITZ ON WHY HE GIVES HIS COACHES FEEDBACK – “I want to tell the coach what I’m thinking in situations, why I did this, why I did that, because in my head it should give them a better understanding of why I’m hitting this shot, why I’m doing this in this moment, instead of them just telling me what to do. I’m not going to lie, sometimes I think my tennis IQ is very high and I just want to explain where I’m coming from. It’s really just a better understanding type of thing between us and not me being stubborn.”

TAYLOR FRITZ ON HIS ABILITY TO PLAY THROUGH INJURY - “I just feel that if I’m not injured to the point that I can’t walk out on court that I feel like I can play. It’s probably once of my best assets and biggest weaknesses is how stubborn I am and how I hate to pull out of tournaments and not play.”

MAXIME CRESSY ON MEDITATION – “When I was 18 years old a coach introduced me to it because he knew I had some anger or some issues with emotions and hard to control and that’s when I got introduced to the meditation world and it changed my life.”

JACK DRAPER ON PLAYING NOVAK DJOKOVIC AT WIMBLEDON 2021 – “That experience gave me a lot of different lessons and he exposed a lot of areas in my game, probably like he should do. He’s number one in the world, but that gave me a lot of things to work on and improve in the coming months and I think this year I’ve been able to put that into action, stay injury-free and the year is going pretty quick.”

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