Tomas Machac will not soon forget his start to the 2024 edition of The Championships.
Originally scheduled to face Andy Murray on Centre Court in the first round before the former World No. 1's withdrawal, Machac rallied from 0-5 in the fifth set to defeat lucky loser David Goffin 3-6, 3-6, 6-4, 6-1, 7-6(10-5) on Wednesday.
“It was a really tough match today,” Machac told ATPTour.com. “I’m grateful that I can manage to win this match in the fifth, especially when I was losing 0-5. This match will forever stay in mind.”
[ATP APP]Machac had his back against the wall for much of the match, which was contested over two days. Goffin took a 6-3, 4-2 lead before play was suspended Tuesday evening. Machac lost the first two sets and trailed by a break on three separate occasions in the third set.
But the No. 39 player in the PIF ATP Rankings, who did not face a match point, rallied past the 2017 Nitto ATP Finals runner-up in three hours and 17 minutes. Both men earned nine service breaks in the match.
“I was still trying to play my game and I was believing that at least I could break him once, and let's see what was going to happen after,” Machac said. “I had the chances to break him for the second time in a row and I took the chance and completely turned the match to my side.”
On dealing with the change of opponent and rain, Machac said: “It is what it is. The players have to be ready for everything with the rain and with the change of the opponent. I think I handled it quite decently and today conditions were I think a little bit better for me than yesterday.”
Machac will next play 2023 Wimbledon quarter-finalist Roman Safiullin, who also advanced from two sets down. Safiullin eliminated 26th seed Francisco Cerundolo 6-7(5), 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-4.
Australian Thanasi Kokkinakis also produced one of a record-tying eight comebacks in a first-round of a Grand Slam in the Open Era when he upset 17th-seeded Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime 4-6, 5-7, 7-6(9), 6-4, 6-4 in four hours, 38 minutes. He next will play Frenchman Lucas Pouille.
Kokkinakis saved four match points in a dramatic third-set tie-break, which he led 5/0 before Auger-Aliassime won six consecutive points to earn his first match point, which the Australian fended off with his 19th ace of the match.
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